Great great story! I enjoyed that this was a prequel but could be read on its own without knowing about the first book. Darcie Little Badger is an imaginative writer and will be following for all other works. A book suited for all ages. Would recommend!

Thanks for NetGalley and Levine Querido for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Reading Sheine Lende was such a special experience. From the first chapter I was on edge, not sure how anything would play out. There is a sense of dread throughout the novel that had me worried for the characters the whole time.

Shane was a lovely character to follow, sharp and clever and loving. She has to deal with impossible loss and overcome her fear to save the people she loves, and the way she sticks with it and keeps her top priority in sight is admirable.

The world is so surprising, as well. I kept forgetting that not only is this in our world with real stories of cryptids, and Shane and her family have this incredible magic to summon ghosts, but fae kingdoms and other realms also exist in this world. The mesh of those two kept surprising me. However, this iteration of the fae was a bit less chaotic than I expected. I wanted to see more risk involving the fae, not just the risk of unpredictable fae magic.

I also found myself a little disappointed at the climax and conclusion. I wanted there to be greater risk and see some <spoiler>greater loss. The best opportunity, I thought, was when Shane is in the Below. Everyone warned her not to talk to the people Below, because home may be harder to find. The fact that she didn’t see anyone, so the risk wasn’t even an option for her, felt like a huge missed opportunity. </spoiler>

I loved how the characters’ challenges worked as metaphors for very real hardships marginalized and Native American communities have had to face. Loss of loved ones, missing people, lack of respect for their expertise, and lack of care for the threats that concern these communities the most are on full display in this book, and the narrative works excellently to pick apart how those hardships have a lasting impact across generations.

I loved this book. It wasn’t perfect, and I wished a few things things that were teased had been more thoroughly explored, like <spoiler>the owl-eyed man from the first chapter…what was he? I wanted to learn more about these monsters rooted in Native American culture.</spoiler> But it gave me a lot to think about and showed me some new perspectives. I’m excited to recommend it to the people in my life.

So, I was blessed enough to get an eARC of this, but the reading of it stretched out for so long that I was able to get the audiobook for it from the library before I finished it. Meaning that the reading of it took so long that I started it before it was out and finished it after it was released. That all on its own will probably tell you a few things. I found the pacing of this to be incredibly uneven, I found myself incredibly bored throughout, and a lack of expanded world-building from the first one.

The first two of my grievances really go together. The pacing of this was just so slow at times I thought that hours would have passed and it was only minutes. It trundled forward at a glacial pace for me. It never really picked up either. We just ventured from place to place looking for the missing people. I felt like the details and the dialogue really bogged down the pacing at times and I just wanted it to move a bit quicker.

As I mentioned, I didn’t feel like it really expanded on the previous world-building. I don’t feel like I really know that much more about the magic system or the supernatural community aside from the faerie rings, but only because they play so heavily in this story. Also, I wish the fae characters had been used a little more. I’m still curious about this world, but I can’t say that I’m eager to jump in again any time soon.

I do have to admit that I enjoyed watching Shane explore her Lipan Apache heritage, her learned skills, and her position in the world as a girl coming of age. I also really need more woolly mammoths in my life. I also really love Rovina Cai's illustrations. However, I feel that Little Badger is an author that I want to love. I want to love deeply, but something about her writing, pacing, and characters don’t quite work for me and that is okay. I’m happy to see that she has found so many appreciative readers since Elatsoe.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I think I liked Elatsoe better though. It was tighter.

The premise was similar, Shane, the teenage MC helps her mother track down missing people with the help of their bloodhounds, one of which <spoiler>is a ghost </spoiler>. When Shane‘s mother disappears while they are tracking a missing boy, she is the only one who seems to know where they are and how to get them back.

There’s quite a lot of peril in this story, but it stays mild because you know it’s going to turn out alright. There’s also a lot of back story, which adds depth to the character’s and motivation to their actions. Horrible things have happened to Shane, her family and the people around her, but there is a lot of good that happens too and people who are there for one another.

The world Little Badger has created is closely based on our own, except for that the Fae are real (and dangerous) and supernatural things happen quite often. One thing that is the same is that the Native Americans were still treated horrendously. There is a deep sense of loss and sadness as a result. These stories are important.

This book is a prequel to Elatsoe, and tells the story of Elatsoe’s grandmother, Shane. You don’t have to have read Elatsoe to enjoy this book, although there are more explanations for the way magic exists in the book.

One thing I didn’t like in the book, was how suddenly, half way through, we start having long passages in first POV. I’m not convinced that was necessary to the story and was a bit jarring.

I received this as an ARC in exchange for a review. Thank yous to Darcie Little Badger, publisher Levine Querido and NetGalley for providing it.

Thank you NetGalley and Levine Querido for this arc!

4.5/5 stars

I read and enjoued Elatsoe last year, and I really loved becoming once again immersed in this world. The whole storyline was really imaginative, and everything in this more magical world was just so interesting! I would love more books in this world, so many little things are casually mentioned that bring so many more layers to things it just leaves me wanting to know more and hear more stories! Beautiful story 💖

Thank you to Levine Querido and Netgalley for providing me this e-ARC of Sheine Lende!

Sheine Lende is a prequel to Elatsoe where we follow Elatsoe's grandmother, Shane, as she searches for her missing mother and a young boy. Like Elatsoe, this felt like a coming of age story where Shane has to learn to trust herself and those around her to find her mother and the missing child.

If you loved Elatsoe, I'd highly recommend diving back into this world. But I'd also recommend it if you'd like to dive in to the story now. Thwo stories are connected, but also felt very distinct. Darcie Little Badger expands the magic world in this one and we get more of their Lipan Apache culture and history as well. I think the book delivered on characters you love, especially with Shane, and a plot to be invested in. It's a heartfelt and beautiful adventure that I think many people will enjoy.

Overall, I really loved this prequel novel by Darcie Little Badger!

Sheine Lende is a YA urban fantasy and the prequel to Elatsoe (I do recommend reading Elatsoe first!) It has so many of the things I loved in Elatsoe -- ghost dogs, a self-assured MC, indigenous cultural elements, teenagers who are affirmed and trusted as leaders by the adults in their lives, and a bit of a mystery. The middle section of the book dragged a little bit for me but the ending made up for it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for an e-arc of this book.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book to review. I don't know why this book took me so long to read, because I genuinely overall enjoyed it. The plot was a little slower paced than I was expecting based off of Elatsoe, so I think it took me a little longer to really get into it then it usually does for me. However, the author does a great job helping you connect with Shane and feel like you are on an adventure with her. Shane is a very relatable character who struggled as a BIPOC woman in the '70s. This book overall was able to keep me on my toes and why even though it took me so long, I needed to finish it. Also, the epilogue was my favorite part!

A young adult book that follows a teen on her journey to save her mother after she mysteriously disappears. This was a slow read, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The author has such a beautiful skill with words, and her authorial voice just oozed kindness in the best way. I am, so incredibly envious that books like this exist for today's youths, as it is just written with compassion and care. It was written for adolescents, but it is done so in such a great way. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Levine Querido and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A beautifully written book. Very atmospheric too, so easy to get into Shane's world. At times it could be creepy, but overall the tone is more melancholic but in a soothing kind of way. I am going to read Elatsoe after this.

Action packed and a great mix of mystery, fantasy, family and adventure, this prequel to the bestselling Elatsoe is sure to delight fans of books like The firekeeper's daughter, David Robertson's The Misewa Saga or The Floraverse series by Wab Kinew. Great on audio too! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: urban fantasy, mystery, Indigenous storytelling, historical fantasy

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 2/8, my review blog on 3/14, and Instagram on 3/25.

I really enjoyed Elatsoe so I was super excited to see there was going to be a prequel about her grandmother! This book ends with the suggestion that there's more stories from this world to come, so I'm hoping we get something from four/six-great-grandmother (more from Sheine Lende or Elatsoe would also be good, I'm not picky)

Much like with Ellie, Shane's story centers around a mystery, though this one is a missing person's case and not a murder. Shane's mother, Lorenza, utilizes her dogs and ghost dog to find people who are missing. More recently Shane has begun helping her and the two make a good ghost-calling, person-finding duo. I liked reading about how they tracked people down and how their work got spread around by word-of-mouth.

I was a little confused on when this story occurred, so I found the author's note saying it was the 1970s to be helpful. In this world at this point in time, fairy rings are still being implemented and they're a relatively new technology still. It was interesting to see how people talked about them and the various opinions and worries people had, especially considering they're so present in Ellie's time. The missing person's case is tied up closely with fairy rings, though in a somewhat unusual way, so there was some light dealings with the Fair Folk and, more interestingly, with an ex-academic who specialized in them.

When her mother disappears, Shane takes over both the investigation for the missing kid(s) and the investigation for her mother's disappearance. She actually finds the older girl pretty quickly, and by complete accident, and they have a chance to spend some time together and bond before they make it back to everyone else. I liked that Shane and Donnie became fast friends and were eager to help one another out. I also appreciated that Donnie's grandparents were more than willing to travel with the girls and Shane's younger brother, Marco, to various places in order to find Donnie's younger brother (the missing boy) and Shane's mom.

Despite having a few family members remaining, Shane has a good support system, from her friend Amelia, to their elderly neighbor, to her newfound friendship with Donnie and the help of Donnie's grandparents. Ellie has that too in her book, but she starts that way, Shane starts by feeling alone and I feel for this type of YA adventure, having a large support system of mixed teenagers and adults really breaks the mold. I also liked that the adults, particularly the newer ones, were willing to defer ton Shane's expertise and research and didn't just insist they were right.

Shane is confident in herself, though not to the point of ego, and is able to draw on her knowledge, what her mother taught her, and her own investigative skills to connect dots and come up with next steps. She's overall friendly but knows when to put her foot down and is more than capable of being firm and even intimidating when necessary. She's still coming into her ghost-raising power, so I also liked seeing her knowledge and experimentation in that area.

Beyond the mystery element, this book also deals with trauma, family, and the effects of colonialism. Shane, Marcos, and Lorenza definitely had a hard time for a while, are technically still having a hard time, and it's a direct result of historical and modern colonialist greed. The family also suffered some major losses when Shane was younger, resulting in there being only a few family members and the dispersal of their home community. Shane and Marcos both still have a lot of emotions about that, albeit different ones since Marcos was in utero when this was going on and only knows the aftermath. Shane also struggles with not knowing or misremembering traditional Lipan stories and has several moments when she deeply wishes there were community members around she could engage with. It was definitely heartbreaking to read about those aspects, but I did enjoy seeing Shane begin to set them to rights. I also think the loss of their original support system and the growth of a different one help mirror each other and the path of healing in the story.

Overall I liked this story and think it stands well both on its own and as an addition to the world of Elatsoe. Shane definitely has an interesting story, and I would say this book serves as both a mystery and a healing journey. I'm looking forward to whatever Little Badger writes next!

4.25/5

This is the first book l've read by Darcie Little Badger and I absolutely loved it! It's also the prequel to Elatsoe, which I can't wait to read now.
Quick synopsis: It's the 1970s and Shane, a Lipan Apache high school senior, has been assisting her mother on missions to rescue missing children. When her mother mysteriously vanishes on a mission, Shane is determined to find her and the missing kids...with the help of friends, family, and a semi-invisible ghost dog.
The plot:
I was hooked from chapter one and honestly never wanted to set this book down! The pacing was consistent and the mystery slowly unfolded until the very end. The various mythology and paranormal elements also made this a fun read!
The characters:
I was immediately drawn to the MC, Shane; she's strong-willed, but also kind, empathetic, and loyal.
There isn't a central romance, so there was an emphasis on family (including found family), which I really loved. Often, characters in YA novels will make a lot of cringey/infuriating decisions, but that wasn't the case here! The relationships, though sometimes imperfect, were smooth and there was no unnecessary drama. We love women supporting women!
The feels:
Although there is a mystery, this is primarily a book about family, friendships, and what happens when you lose the people you care about most. It's mostly a light book, but there are a few heavier, more emotional moments that really made this book shine. I loved the ending and I teared up a bit during the last paragraph of the epilogue.

Getting to return to the world of Elatsoe was a real treat! In Sheine Lende, we follow Elatsoe's grandmother, Shane, as she works in search and rescue with their dogs-- ghostly and real. While the magic isn't nearly as present in Sheine Lende, Darcie Little Badger still does an amazing job of exploring the way this power shapes the lives of her characters, and I have a deep appreciation for the way she writes teenage girls. They are both serious and frivolous, courageous and frightened, and they are forced to deal with some of the real traumas of life in believable ways.

This story is gripping from the beginning, and the story is told well enough that readers don't have to read Elatsoe before diving into this one (but they definitely should read it!). Little Badger pulls on her family's stories, especially those of her mother, to create a realistic portrayal of the experiences of an indigenous family in the 1970s. The distrust of the government, the loss of culture due to time and more nefarious efforts, and the pervasive nature of memories are all there in Shane's stories. That this book mirrors Elatsoe in its progression I think is a nice touch, and the epilogue connecting the two title characters brings everything full circle. I would love to see more stories set in this world, but I also think that with these two books, it stands as complete and fulfilling.

My one negative for Sheine Lende is the pacing. In the middle it felt like there was never time to catch our breath. It made the reading experience a bit exhausting as we're jumping from state to state and crisis to crisis. It mellows out once they get back to Texas and the rescue mission resumes, but then the ending seems a bit rushed. None of that takes away from my overall enjoyment of this book, and I would highly recommend it for anyone from middle school through adult!

My heart was so happy to return to the world of Elatsoe in this stunning prequel by Darcie Little Badger. Sheine Lende weaves Indigenous storytelling and fantastical world building into one of the most beautiful duologies I have ever read. Sheine Lende seamlessly blends history and fantasy while shining light on Lipan Apache culture while uplifting the resilience and community of Tribal Nations. Full of mystery, magic, ghost dogs, supernatural creatures, alternate realms, found family, friendship and a beautiful message that reminds me of my Great-Grandmother. She always said, "In this life, you do not walk alone. When you walk, you are walking in the footsteps of your ancestors”. This series holds a special place in my heart and is 100% a must read!

Thank you so much Levine Querido for the gifted copy!

A prequel to Little Badger’s first novel, Elatsoe, this story is set in a fictional 1970s and chronicles a chapter in the life of our beloved Elatsoe’s grandmother, Sheine Lende, that can easily be read as a stand alone novel. Darcie’s writing and characters bring so many things to the surface: an acknowledgement and respect for traditional knowledge and oral histories, acceptance of various ways of knowing and interacting with the world, and an open, thoughtful kindness throughout.

I love that my children are growing up in a world that has more stories like this on bookshelves, of young characters who are strong, confident, kind, and connected.

For the young and the young at heart, seeking adventure,
Tokšá aké, book friends 📚☕️🪴

Pidámaya @dr.littlebadger for sharing these stories that leave me feeling hopeful, @levinequeridoand @netgalley for the advance copy and advance audio.

This was so lovely. I really love the world the author has created, where magic is so commonplace that no one bats an eye. I love that kind of magical realism. I think the characters in this were really great and I really like Shane. I also love that this one has a ghost dog too! The ghostie pets were one of my favourite parts of Elatsoe, so I really liked having them in here too. I think this is a very good prequel to Elatsoe, and I'm just so happy that we got another book in this universe because I really do think it's so cool and well done. And the pictures are so gorgeous too, just like in the first book.

Thank you to LQ and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was excited to dive into this world again after reading Elatsoe back in 2021, with it being one of the first Indigenous books I’ve ever read. It was a pleasant surprise to get this book and feel the similar vibe/style as the first one. It is so rooted in reality yet magical at the same time. Just casual magic.

Shane was an enjoyable protagonist for me. I loved her determination and the way she was never exactly overwhelmed by all the turmoil. I think it is a really healthy read for younger teens to have a protagonist like this who is dealing with her mother being missing and keeping a clear head. Not everyone handles crisises the same, but she powered through and got it done. Nothing got in her way as she was determined to solve this mystery.

I do think, as with Elatsoe, this does toe the line between YA and Middle Grade. Although the world building is probably too complex for the average middle grade age reader. But it has the really soft, innocent air about it that I think caters more to a younger audience as opposed to some YA that could cater to adults. Being 29, I still obviously enjoyed the story. It is just very clearly meant for a young audience and that is perfectly fine for me. I do wish I would have had the chance to read this when I was younger, though. My imagination was so much more heightened and I think for the average teenager this book will be an incredible experience.

It was also interesting to get the dynamic with grandpa Louis. As her last remaining grandparent, he had been in and out of her life for years. Now she’s at an age where she can understand her mom’s frustration with him, and starts feeling frustrations of her own. It doesn’t villainize him for his struggles, but it does paint the reality of having a family member who struggles with an addiction and isn’t reliable. It doesn’t make them a bad person, and they can still add positives to your life if there is real tangible effort. I think that is a nice message we get to see here.

Overall, it was a nice book and I will be recommending it.

Rep: WLW SCs.

Sheine Lende is set in the same magical realistic version of the US that Elatsoe is. Sheine Lende follows Shane as she searches for a young boy who has gone missing as well as her mother who disappeared while searching for the boy.

Darcie Little Badger does a fantastic job at writing this accessible fantasy mystery. I am not a huge fantasy reader so I love when things are set in a fairly modern/familiar setting, this makes it so much easier to follow along. If you’ve read Elatsoe, this story was a lot less direct action but I felt this fit the story much better. We had more questions that needed to be solved and a bit more of a journey that was made rather than fight scenes and subterfuge.

I was fortunate enough to receive the audiobook for this and I thought Kinsale Hueston did spectacularly. I love listening to Fantasy on audio (it really helps me visualize the world), and I especially appreciate books featuring language and culture not my own in audio format as well. Hueston really brings some of the indigenous language and stories to life with their narration.

I also really appreciated where and how this book stands in the Elatsoe universe. Sheine Lende could probably be read before Elatsoe if someone was interested in reading chronologically, only the end/epilogue mentions Ellie, the main character of Elatsoe. Reading these in publication order though allows the reader to make little connections while Sheine Lende unfolds. Darcie Little Badger still uses the epilogue to bring things full circle though if you happened to miss some of the connections yourself.


Things that (especially) worked for me:
- the world building! I love learning more about this universe and the various types of magic within it
- during Shane’s journey, there are some POV changes from the third person that is used throughout the story and then some first person POV. I loved this and thought the first person really brought an extra layer to this part of the story

A story about families, histories, and how we envision "home". I was really excited to learn that Elatsoe was getting a prequel, and after reading Sheine Lende, I am hoping that there will continue to be more books in this series. This story follows Ellie's grandmother Shane on an adventure of her own. I appreciated that although there were some overlapping themes, the storylines felt very distinct. While Elatsoe has a strong mystery element, Sheine Lende is more a journey than a puzzle, and focuses very heavily on the telling of stories and histories. I don't think you would need to have read Elatsoe to enjoy Sheine Lende, but there are some nice links to Ellie's story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.