An imaginative and immersive prehistoric setting sits at the heart of this debut novel. At its core, Nahia is a story about setting—being grounded in a specific moment in both time and space— more so even than it is about any character or plot actions.

While I enjoyed being transported into a wholly different place than the one I inhabit, this focus also left me wanting a bit more from the arc of the book and the character development. I would’ve loved to read a longer story if it meant more happened with the shamanism and settlement storylines, particularly since the blurb markets it as an epic.

Separate from my reader view, the archaeologist in me, while thrilled to be immersed in this relatively unseen fiction setting, had to work hard to suspend disbelief at things like the sharp dichotomy of hunters and gatherers (which the author almost always uses in lieu of saying women and men). The recent studies I’ve read
/that have come up in my archaeology courses have shown division of prehistoric “hunter-gatherer” labor to be not so black and white. In addition, I also had trouble with what often felt like a guys vs. girls narrative in the non-shamanic/non-fringe parts of society. Men are depicted as competitive hunters who steal women and sexually assault them as an unquestioned standard. While this happened historically sometimes, I would’ve found it more interesting to bring to life prehistoric characters that had a bit more nuance, and I feel it would’ve helped readers feel closer to the ancestral past, and, in turn, the characters that the novel depicts. After all, there’s also plenty of archaeological and ethnographic evidence for tight-knit kin groups and cooperation between sexes amongst hunter-gatherer societies, which allowed them to succeed in sometimes incredibly harsh conditions.

In general, I appreciate the author’s ability to depict a place in time and space that might seem unfamiliar to most readers with acute detail and imagination. While I wanted a bit more action and character development this time around, I’ll certainly be tuning into the author’s future works.

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for a review copy.

This is a story about a young womans journey of self discovery. Its beautifully written and we really get a sense of Nahia's life and culture in the first part of the book. We then get a sense of who Nahia truely is once she is sent away from the path she believed would always be hers.

I'm only giving the book a three star rating as I didn't feel like I connected to the characters on a deep level, even Nahia herself, felt distant somehow. I do also wish the story had focused more on her shaman training a bit more as it felt quite rushed.

The biggest disappointment for me however was how the story finnishes. Everyone else seems to get an ending that they're happy with, many of the characters fates are changed by the actions of Nahia, however we dont get told if Nahia herself finds happiness, whether she finds Eneko again or anything. It just ends with her going off to find him. After sticking with her and all she goes through throughout the story I just felt this was a really sad way to end it. I wanted her to find the life she so desperately craved and felt the abrupt ending without definate answers was a bit gutting.

A YA book 8000 years in the making.

I LOVED this book. It is the first time I’ve ever read a book that takes place in a prehistoric time period but dare I say, it won’t be the last. While this book is a work of fiction, I was fascinated by the world Emily Jones created. From the mysticism to the culture shift to the dynamic characters, every beat of this book has something special.

This audiobook had my lost in a long lost time and I LOVED IT!!!

It has been a while since I have loved a Historical Fantasy. This one right here needs all the love!!

This book is about a woman and her self doubts and lack of confidence. Everyone around her is telling her she is who she is and she can't see what everyone else sees. (Sorry I'm trying not to give away any spoilers.) This book was giving off so many different vibes it was so entertaining.

Magic
Old Spirits
Historical Fiction
Vikings Vibes
LOVE THE COVER!!!

I really enjoyed this book. It was super interesting to hear about the transition from hunting & gathering to agriculture from this perspective. I also enjoyed the family dynamics

Thank you so much to the publishers for granting me an audiobook ARC!

Nahia follows its titular character, a young woman in hunter-gatherer society during the rise of agriculture. After speaking out against her mother, the leader of her band, Nahia is exiled to become a shaman's apprentice, where she further learns medicine and about the native lands. When granted a vision of her mother and twin sister in danger, Nahia returns to her homeland to help them.

This book, as pointed out in the lengthy author's notes, was heavily researched. The author is an archaeologist! Living in Nahia's world in ancient northern Spain was very atmospheric.

In my opinion, the book struggled with being so character-driven. The story was about Nahia's internal journey and her relationships with her shaman lover and twin sister, without a lot of active plot. My preference to sustain this is some good prose, but the writing often felt choppy and clunky.

Overall, it was a fun read with a setting unique to all YA books I have read so far.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

Nahia is a fascinating YA debut filled with danger, love, history, and a captivating cast of characters.

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the setting in prehistoric Europe. I loved how Emily Jones incorporated her work and research as an archaeologist to create an immersive novel filled with interesting history and a believable, propelling plot. Nahia was a wonderful main character, and I enjoyed her character development and journey. The characters were well-developed and vivid, and I enjoyed the exploration of gender roles and female power. The sibling bond was beautifully written, and the romance was tender and sweet. Emily’s prose was lovely and fit the story well, presenting an atmospheric tale. The adventure that Nahia embarked on was intriguing and entertaining, although I felt a few parts were not cohesive. I also occasionally found it difficult to connect to Nahia and the story. Overall, this was a great YA debut that I would absolutely recommend!

Although I enjoyed the audiobook, the narrator for this one felt a bit off. I had hoped for more accents and emotion, and the narrator’s voice for Nahia occasionally felt bland.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

I was not a fan of the narrator of this book. I felt she read it too flat and was very boring. The book didn’t hold my interest because of this. I would probably enjoy actually reading it better.

This was a self discovery journey 🫶🏽 More so character driven than plot heavy, I just wish I could’ve connected w/ everything more!!
Overall, this was a beautifully written story & even more beautifully narrated!!

Quotes living in my head rent free-

“How did you bear it?
It is not who I am, it is only what happened to me.”

“Things happen, sometimes good things, sometimes bad things, unfair things, the sun rises and then it sets. Life goes on.”

“If you expect too much from others, you will be hurt. No one is responsible for any choices, but their own.”
Oh, howww I felt this one though 🤍