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A review by miocenemama
The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta
4.0
When I started reading this book, there was no indication that it was part of a series. I believe it is the author's first novel. She has been previously known for short stories. The book, however, ends with a lot of questions and the perfect opening for a second book. I would love to know what happens to Indir and Saya as they continue their journey.
The book is told in first person by two different narrators and alternates between the two perspectives. It takes place in a Meso-American-inspired setting where people with gifts such as dreaming, singing and making fire live. Dreamers have the ability to find the answer to questions and sometimes even get glimpses of the future through their dreams. Singers can use songs to heal, cause plants to bloom, and call animals to their assistance. The fire warriors can call fire from their hands. The Iktan are a tribe that has the jaguar spirit. They have jaguar-type spots that darken with their emotions. They are fierce fighters that can almost become jaguars and their teeth sharpen and their fingernails turn into claws. The Pili is a group of people that force their way into the dream and wound it. They seed chaos and fear. And serve Alkan, the pretender to the throne who returns to the capital city of Alkanzeh after the death of his father. He is filled with anger and hatred and wants to tear down the customs of Alkanzeh.
One of the things I most liked about this book was the abundance of female characters as the movers of the story. I loved how often different characters asked permission before they touched each other. I loved the acceptance of all shapes of female bodies. One woman is described as having the sacred marks of motherhood on her stomach. As someone who has been self-conscious about my stretch marks, I loved that image and the view that they could be a mark of pride. This is definitely a book written from a woman's viewpoint.
This is a good book. I think maybe the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that I had reread Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun recently which is also set in a pre-Colombian Meso-American-inspired world and it was hard not to make a comparison. This really is unfair because this is a good book in its own right and is written for a different audience. I would love to continue the stories of Indir and Saya so I'm hoping Huerta will continue this in another book. I will definitely read it if she does.
The book is told in first person by two different narrators and alternates between the two perspectives. It takes place in a Meso-American-inspired setting where people with gifts such as dreaming, singing and making fire live. Dreamers have the ability to find the answer to questions and sometimes even get glimpses of the future through their dreams. Singers can use songs to heal, cause plants to bloom, and call animals to their assistance. The fire warriors can call fire from their hands. The Iktan are a tribe that has the jaguar spirit. They have jaguar-type spots that darken with their emotions. They are fierce fighters that can almost become jaguars and their teeth sharpen and their fingernails turn into claws. The Pili is a group of people that force their way into the dream and wound it. They seed chaos and fear. And serve Alkan, the pretender to the throne who returns to the capital city of Alkanzeh after the death of his father. He is filled with anger and hatred and wants to tear down the customs of Alkanzeh.
One of the things I most liked about this book was the abundance of female characters as the movers of the story. I loved how often different characters asked permission before they touched each other. I loved the acceptance of all shapes of female bodies. One woman is described as having the sacred marks of motherhood on her stomach. As someone who has been self-conscious about my stretch marks, I loved that image and the view that they could be a mark of pride. This is definitely a book written from a woman's viewpoint.
This is a good book. I think maybe the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that I had reread Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun recently which is also set in a pre-Colombian Meso-American-inspired world and it was hard not to make a comparison. This really is unfair because this is a good book in its own right and is written for a different audience. I would love to continue the stories of Indir and Saya so I'm hoping Huerta will continue this in another book. I will definitely read it if she does.