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.

I'm so astounded by the emotions of this book!! I didn't think I'd end up crying, but I did. This is the story of Ellie's (the main character of Darcie Little Badger's book Elatsoe) grandmother Shane, as she goes on a journey to rescue her mother and her friend's little brother after they mysteriously disappeared by stepping into faerie rings. Even though the tone of the book is light and happy, it deals with such deep and emotional topics such as the extinction of species and the theft of land from the Lipan Apache tribe. I absolutely loved the complexities of the discussions of family and loss of loved ones, and Shane's own personal journey of learning it's possible to thrive rather than merely survive. I think this is my favorite book of all of Darcie Little Badger's works (so far).

This book is as good as 'Elatsoe,' which is saying something!! At this point, I'm convinced that Darcie Little Badger can't miss, and I'll read anything she ever graces us with.

I found out about this book while scrolling through NetGalley, and the second I saw that it was a prequel to Elatsoe, I had to read it.

This is a prequel about Elatsoe's grandmother Shane as a 17 year old girl, but you don't have to read Elatsoe to know what's going on, and both books can be read in either order as standalones.

This book is so well-crafted and thoughtful; it took me a little while to fully immerse myself in the story, because the setting and vibe is so different from Elatsoe, and it is a little slower paced, but once I got into the groove, the story flowed over me.

We follow Shane as she tries to figure out the mystery of her mother's and a child's disappearance, and along the way we learn about her history, as well as explore her relationships with her family and friends.

A strong focus of the book is on Shane's grief; grief from losing not only her home and her family members, but also losing her culture and language. This book tackles the harm caused by colonialism, which goes beyond stealing land, but also erases culture and peoples.

At its heart, this book is about family and community. At times Shane may feel alone, like she has to take on her burdens by herself, but her friends and family are always there for her (dead or alive).

I also loved Rovina Cai's lovely illustrations at each chapter heading; they tell a story parallel to the main story, and they add another layer of depth.

Overall, this is book was written full of heart, and it shows <3

I feel so conflicted about this book. As self-proclaimed number one Elatsoe stan, I was super excited for this prequel, and I'm lowkey devastated it didn't live up to my expectations. For most of the book, I struggled through each chapter as the characters continued to contribute information that wasn't relevant to the plot and as more and more world-building lore was discussed that also wasn't super necessary to the overall story. This only confused me and made the book hard to read. I really wish it had gone through a few more rounds of edits to clean it up a bit more :/

However, all that being said, there were still plenty of parts about this book I enjoyed, it just took me most of the book to get to that point. It wasn't until about 75% through that I realized characters kept sharing what I thought were useless bits of information and random memories because the whole point of this book is the beauty of storytelling. Once this clicked, I was able to enjoy the book way more, as well as each character's sharing of small memories and grand adventures alike. Considering how both of Darcie's other books are steeped in storytelling traditions and the special experience of sharing those stories with loved ones, I should have understood this sooner, but with the choppy writing it took way longer.

I do still recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed Elatsoe and wanted an expansion of how that magical realism world works, as well as get to know Ellie's grandmother and her mammoths a bit more. If you can get past the seemingly all over the place writing in the first half of the book, this is a really lovely ode to storytelling that is worth a read regardless of the book's other issues.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Levine Querido. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Thriller, Fantasy Mystery
Audience: Young Adult (okay with a younger audience too)
Readability: The first novel is ELATSOE. I think you can read this one without having read the first because it's a prequel.
Representation: Indigenous people and alludes to gay love but nothing is on the page

I loved ELATSOE and couldn't wait to read SHEINE LENDE, and I enjoyed this one too.

Things I loved:

- Magic system
- Intersection of multiple types of magic
- Indigenous people
- Ghost dog
- Mystery
- Prehistoric animals
- Mystery
- Inclusion of how languages are dying

This novel flows really well and connects most of the loose ends. The one thing that came a bit out of the blue was when the friends express their love to each other and it becomes a conversation about the types of love. I think it could have been summed up faster because it interrupted the flow of the narrative. Some of the girls' names confused me because I'm accustomed to "Shane" and "Donnie" being associated with boys—these were nicknames.

I truly loved this novel. It's worth your time no matter your age.

Happy reading!

Darcie Little Badger's Elatsoe enchanted readers with its incredible world building, lovable ghost dog, and unforgettable characters. In Sheine Lende, readers get to return to the world of Elatsoe before Ellie's time, learning her grandmother's story.
When she was a child, Shane's family was traumatically displaced from their home, and each other, after a flood. Years later, seventeen year old Shane and her mom work with their dogs, ghost and presently alive, to track and rescue missing people. When Shane's mom goes missing while searching for missing siblings, it's up to Shane and her remaining grandparent to find all three-- even if her grandpa isn't consistently reliable.

Labeled as a prequel to Elatsoe, Little Badger's latest novel is unputdownable. Readers are pulled in, immediately engrossed, and just as delighted and intrigued by Shane's world as we were by Ellie's. While Shane is Ellie's grandmother and their stories are connected, Sheine Lende is also its own story.

Like all of Little Badger's work, Sheine Lende is full of incredible character work. Every character is tangible and lifelike, even the ones we only meet in memory. Shane, her friends, her beloved family members, and side characters met along the journey are intricately crafted, flawed, relatable, and add to the overall worldbuilding. This worldbuilding isn't limited to the world Little Badger has created with fairy folk, monsters, vampires, and humans living in the same realms, but also with the representation of 1970s Texas. The way the real historical setting is combined with the more speculative world really roots the reader in the setting. Plus, the communication limitations of the 1970s add to the tension of the plot! Genius all around.

As Shane searches for her mother and the missing boy, she also searches her own memory for clues and ways to solve a fairy ring puzzle. These memories are integrated seamlessly, adding to the character development and world while moving the plot forward. Weaving in these memories feels organic, and is an accurate representation of how grief never really leaves us.

Grief isn't only over losing loved ones, but also losing the sense of home that comes with them and literal home as well. Shane's family's loss of their home, and struggle to find a new one, highlights the intergenerational trauma of Native displacement that is present in the story and in Native communities across the world. Along with this, Little Badger really captures the stakes of young Indigenous folks learning their traditional stories and ways of being while feeling the disconnect of displacement. This is especially poignant, as readers see Shane wrestle with not remembering how to make her grandmother's tea or the details of a particular Lipan Apache story. It is even more resonant when held alongside Elatsoe, as readers know Ellie is connected to her culture and stories. Holding these two books together, readers feel both the loss, fear, and hope of watching Shane commit to staying connected to her culture and knowing she succeeds, as Ellie is connected in her own story.

Speaking of feelings, that is another arena where Little Badger shines. The FEELINGS this book gave me! This is one of those books that I know I'll carry with me, returning to it again and again as a favorite.

Breathtaking illustrations by Rovina Cai supplement the chapter headings and section breaks. These brief moments of captured time add to the story, fit the tone, and are one of many details that come together to make this book completely unforgettable.

Thank you to the author, Levine Querido, and NetGalley for a digital ARC such that I could share my honest opinion.

Sheine Lende will be available April 16, 2024.

Book Review: Sheine Lende (Elatsoe, #2)
By Darcie Little Badger

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In this prequel to Elatsoe, Ellie’s grandmother, Shane and her mother Lorenza track missing people. Like Ellie, Shane can commune with spirit animals and her ghost dog Nellie is her constant companion. One day, Lorenza disappears after responding to a call about a sixteen-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy who went out for a walk and never returned. Shane has never tracked anyone without Lorenza, but she is determined to find the missing siblings and bring her mother back home. While searching, Shane stumbles upon a fairy ring near the site of an abandoned house where the children were believed to play. Fairy rings, follow their own rules of magic, creating portals to other realms. Could they possibly have passed through? And if so, where might they have landed? How far will Shane go to retrieve her mother and the missing children?

I was delighted to return to the world of Elatsoe. Darcie Little Badger has created a fantastical world that is at once recognizable and yet wonderfully just out of reach. On its surface, Sheine Lende is a mystery, but layered within its narrative are the Lipan Apache’s history and struggles - issues of displacement from traditional homes, local authority’s disinterest in the disappeared, loss and collective grief. I also appreciate how Little Badger seamlessly weaves Lipan lore, customs and traditions within the story. But as was true with Elatsoe, it’s the credible characters and their relationships with one another that will win you over.


Many thanks to the author @Dr.LittleBadger, @LevineQuerido and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF. I will not finish. This book is a little too slow for my taste. I really liked the first book so I thought I’d give this a try, but I’m not really into YA anymore. This makes me give a star rating.

4.5 stars rounded up

If you loved Elatsoe you should definitely pick up Sheine Lende as well! This follows Ellie's grandmother as a teen girl in the 1970's when magic makes her mom and two kids disappear and Shane is on a mission to find them, even if it means a trip to the underworld. It's a slower-paced novel that is as interested in developing the characters and their backgrounds as it is in the search and rescue with mystery elements. It's a lovely, heartfelt story with adventure that expands on the magical world of Elatsoe and integrates the history and culture of the Lipan Apache people. Loved it! I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I read Elatsoe in 2021 and liked it. Here we go again, the prequel. It is set in the 1970s, focussing on Elatsoe’s grandmother Shane.

Pretty illustrations again above each chapter. Young adult, 12 years and up. I am not a big fan of YA, but this was very readable. Shane is 17 years old and comes across as very mature. There’s no silly romance. It doesn’t feel too strongly like YA.

Themes are loss of identity, community and family. Shane is a Lipan Apache. Her family lost their home in a flood and the community has been scattered. They live in Texas. Her mother works in search-and-rescue, finding lost people with her dogs. She teaches Shane, who goes on searches with her. There is also Shane‘s little brother, Marco. And eventually their grandfather Louis.

This is a world in which magic exists. The women of Shane‘s family can call the ghosts of animals. One of their tracking dogs, Nelly, is her mother‘s old dog, retuned as a ghost. This world knows fae. They are aliens from a different realm, an anomaly in space and time, from different planets, connected to Earth by fairy rings. Vampires are known as well, although we don‘t meet any of them this time around.

Someone is lost. And in the process of finding them, Shane‘s mother is lost as well. It is now up to Shane and her family and friends to figure out what happened and to find her mother.

I am still debating how much I liked the last third of the story. It‘s the most otherworldly part and the resolution seems to be a bit too easy and superficially told. I was missing a deeper look into how it all resolved itself. If that makes sense.

Still, I liked this and I would definitely get any further books in this word and recommend them to others.

PS: yes, there are mammoths on the cover. No, I am not telling you why.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

I read the ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

I think I appreciated this prequel more than I did Elatsoe (which I also liked, just didn't quite gel with) - the characters still feel written younger than their age (style-wise, voice-wise, not maturity-wise), but the narration worked a little better (and the suggestion that this is a story told to a younger sibling could actually account for the younger feel) and the conclusion was so satisfying, both as a balancing of the scales and as a beautifully executed plot-twist. The characters were engaging and lovely, and the prose very pleasant.

Sign me up for the third book with a ghost cat.

Darcie Little Badger is a truly exceptional storyteller, and her writing is a testament to her incredible skills. I was eagerly anticipating her next book, As the world she had created was one I longed to be a part of. The author, is someone I wish I had the chance to read when I was growing up. One aspect I truly admire about this author's work is the representation of diverse characters. I'm always eager to get my hands on their books, as I can always relate to the characters or see a resemblance to someone I know. The book emphasizes the importance of family, even in the face of brokenness.

"Sheine Lende" by Darcie Little Badger is definitely worth the read. It's a little harder to follow than Elatsoe was. I also struggled with the shift in narrator perspective. Still, the story is gripping and engaging. The characters are well thought out and well developed. An enjoyable read.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

This book was, ultimately, magnificent.

Sheine Lende felt a little darker, a little more grown-up than Elatsoe, and it was excellent. The realities of growing up Lipan Apache were fully dug into, including poor living conditions, poverty, and exploitation, but the characters are not miserable for this. It felt quite real - this was accepted, but not a fate they felt resigned to.

Just as in Elatsoe, the characters and the world are wonderful. Beautifully built, with the magic in the world perfectly natural, and the characters are exceptionally human. I often struggle with teen characters in YA, but the teenagers in this felt perfectly their ages, and very realistic for it.

Pacing-wise, I did feel like the plot moved slowly in parts, and maybe a little too fast at the end. It isn't a fast story by any means, and it is better for taking its time, but those are parts where I wish it had been paced a little differently.

And oh, I cried. The way that grief is written is beautiful, and it ripped my heart out enough that I had to put it down and sob for a while.

I will admit, it did throw me off that Shane being Ellie's grandmother and growing up in the seventies threw me off a bit. It makes perfect mathematical sense, but it's disorienting!

Overall, though, a fantastic book, and a fantastic sequel.