Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 1
A year without a new tale from Craig Johnson is a year with no sunshine as far as I'm concerned, so I was glad to hear of his latest book. When I learned that one of the focuses of Daughter of the Morning Star is the horrendous scourge of missing and murdered Native American women, I couldn't wait to read it; I knew that Johnson would have something important to say about that, and he does.
What he also does is pay homage to bookstores by having Walt walk into PAPER TALK, talk with the owner, and walk out with just the book he needs to shed some light on his little unofficial investigation. One of the things this investigation of his uncovers is a bit of Native American supernatural folklore, the Ãveohtsé-heómÄse, the Wandering Without, the description of which makes the hair stand on the back of my neck. It is...
"...a collection of lost souls that hunger for the living. The outcasts banished from the tribes over the centuries-- the murderers, the mad, the deranged who were driven off to die in the wilderness."
"...like all carnivores, it culls the herd, preying on the sad and lonely, those living in its hunting ground on the outskirts of humanity."
Daughter of the Morning Star also touches on something else that I hope is discussed more in the next book, the fact that some of the Indian boarding schools were so tragedy-ridden that they were removed from the history books. Walt's work is not done at the end of this book, so I shall have to wait and see what happens in the next.
This latest Longmire mystery has all the touches we've come to expect and to love. New characters like Betty One Moon make appearances, Betty being the type of person that even Dog backs away from, Dog having made the trip with Walt and Henry. We also get to revel in some of Johnson's trademark humor as Walt and Henry try to keep Jaya safe, no matter how much the anger-filled young girl tries to pretend they're not there.
Although I did enjoy Daughter of the Morning Star, I have to come clean about something. I know that Craig Johnson has a plan. He knows where he wants to take this series, and I will be with him every step of the way. My confession is this: I do miss the camaraderie of Walt and his crew. Couldn't Walt have a short vacation from his quest where he can spend some quality time with Vic and Henry and Ruby and Cady and all the rest? Then we'll all be refreshed and ready for the next adventure.
All in all, Daughter of the Morning Star was enjoyable, but it felt a bit disjointed, and that some of the plot threads were loose and not woven completely into the story. But there's always next time, and I'll be ready and waiting with a big smile on my face, for that's what happens when a writer creates a cast that is so filled with life that it feels like Family.
What he also does is pay homage to bookstores by having Walt walk into PAPER TALK, talk with the owner, and walk out with just the book he needs to shed some light on his little unofficial investigation. One of the things this investigation of his uncovers is a bit of Native American supernatural folklore, the Ãveohtsé-heómÄse, the Wandering Without, the description of which makes the hair stand on the back of my neck. It is...
"...a collection of lost souls that hunger for the living. The outcasts banished from the tribes over the centuries-- the murderers, the mad, the deranged who were driven off to die in the wilderness."
"...like all carnivores, it culls the herd, preying on the sad and lonely, those living in its hunting ground on the outskirts of humanity."
Daughter of the Morning Star also touches on something else that I hope is discussed more in the next book, the fact that some of the Indian boarding schools were so tragedy-ridden that they were removed from the history books. Walt's work is not done at the end of this book, so I shall have to wait and see what happens in the next.
This latest Longmire mystery has all the touches we've come to expect and to love. New characters like Betty One Moon make appearances, Betty being the type of person that even Dog backs away from, Dog having made the trip with Walt and Henry. We also get to revel in some of Johnson's trademark humor as Walt and Henry try to keep Jaya safe, no matter how much the anger-filled young girl tries to pretend they're not there.
Although I did enjoy Daughter of the Morning Star, I have to come clean about something. I know that Craig Johnson has a plan. He knows where he wants to take this series, and I will be with him every step of the way. My confession is this: I do miss the camaraderie of Walt and his crew. Couldn't Walt have a short vacation from his quest where he can spend some quality time with Vic and Henry and Ruby and Cady and all the rest? Then we'll all be refreshed and ready for the next adventure.
All in all, Daughter of the Morning Star was enjoyable, but it felt a bit disjointed, and that some of the plot threads were loose and not woven completely into the story. But there's always next time, and I'll be ready and waiting with a big smile on my face, for that's what happens when a writer creates a cast that is so filled with life that it feels like Family.
Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed Daughter of the Morning Star (Longmire, Bk 17) on + 1032 more book reviews
Overall I enjoyed it a lot, although I had a few quibbles wit it. Some of them could be because I raced through the book in one evening, so I might go back and see if I missed a couple points. But any time Walt and Henry go on a road trip is going to be interesting. And the topic dealing with the murders, disappearances and/or abuse of Native women is so sad, and ought to be more publicized. I thought the statistics could have been worked into the conversations a little better, but it wasn't something that bothered me. Good pacing, lots of tension, and a really heavy dose of the mystical or supernatural element that often occurs. I do like that in the books but this time it did seem too much, what with the over-reaction of the priest who just sees a picture, and then the non-ending of that storyline. I guess we'll see it again in the next book. The bit where Walt is shanghied into coaching the basketball team was pretty funny at least he didn't really have to do anything. And wow, that Walt is tough. He spends a day unconscious from a concussion and then just walks out with no lingering effects? Maybe that's what explains the ghost... Well anyway, despite raising an eyebrow here and there, I really enjoyed spending time with Walt again.
