Thank you so much to Levine Querido and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

It had been a little while since I had picked up Elotsoe but I was super excited to read this one when I saw it on NetGalley. I adored Elatsoe and I felt the same way when I picked up Sheine Lende.

This was so well written and I adored the characters so much. The plot had me hooked and there was so much nuance and and character dynamics that fully immersed me in the story.

I super recommend this book for anyone! It might be more middle grade but honestly it really is suitable for any age group to enjoy. Definitely a great urban-fantasy-esque read.

Excellent follow-up to Elatsoe...in fact, I may have enjoyed it more just for the experience of returning to the world which is very believable and immersive. I related to the characters and enjoyed their uniqueness. I loved the quest and how the American Indian history was woven throughout.

"Sheine Lende" by Darcie Little Badger is a beautifully crafted tale that intertwines elements of Indigenous culture with contemporary themes of identity and belonging. Little Badger’s writing is both lyrical and engaging, drawing readers into a world rich with tradition and emotion. The protagonist’s journey is relatable and heartfelt, exploring the complexities of navigating personal and cultural challenges. The narrative is infused with a sense of magic and connection to the land, making it a poignant read. Overall, "Sheine Lende" is a compelling exploration of heritage and self-discovery that will resonate with many. A must-read for those seeking meaningful storytelling!

There hasn't been a Darcie Little Badger that didn't work for me, this one is no exception. Little Badger has mastered the art of tugging at your heartstrings in the most bittersweet of ways. The relationships between the characters blend so well with the tension of 'what on earth is about to happen now' as we trudge along, hoping that Shane and her mother return home safely.

I'm going to be honest, I was so nervous towards the end that I would be left heartbroken. I should have more faith in Darcie.

This book is an absolutely incredible fairytale--and a cautionary tale. I had the pleasure of speaking to Darcie about it for Bookpage and it was such a joy to hear about its journey.

I read this as an audiobook after it was released but oh my god!! Darcie Little Badger is 100% a favourite author of mine. This was so good, just like Elatsoe!

Sheine Lende was another great book in this series. While it didn't hook me as much as Elatsoe did, there were still many elements of magical realism that I enjoyed greatly. It was fun to see the similarities between Elatsoe and her grandmother. Overall a great read! I love Darcie Little Badger's writing style.

This was such an incredible prequel, though definitely best read after Elatsoe for the epilogue. I loved Shane’s story, the friendships, the family (including a complex relationship with Grandpa Louie), and the whole themes of helping people and community and the ways an ending is a new beginning. Darcie Little Badger is a truly phenomenal story teller and each book is an elevation of her skill. I kinda hope there’ll be more in the world of Elatsoe because I love this family and their magic, but also can see their stories being complete for the time being. This was excellent, and my only regret is it took me so long to have enough focus for it.

I genuinely just loved this book, and didn’t find anything concrete I could critique. I loved Elatsoe and the fictional world created in that book, and was absolutely hoping for another book set in the same world, so I was incredibly excited when I heard about this book.

4.75 stars rounded up. This prequel to Elatsoe follows Ellie's grandmother Shane as a teenager in the 1970s when she embarks on a quest to rescue her mother and two local children from the underworld. Just like the first book, this one is beautifully written, extremely clever, magical, and captivating. The pace is unhurried but never lags as it weaves together a cast of interesting and well-developed characters and expands upon the magic system and world details that were introduced in the original. It features lovely and nuanced friendships and family relationships, and explores themes related to Lipan Apache history and heritage. The story comes to life from the very first page, and I didn't want to put it down. Its themes are mature enough to interest older teen / young adult readers while still being appropriate and accessible for younger teens. My only issue was that I would have liked the 1970s setting to be a bit more immersive, as it sometimes felt a bit more like the 1980s, but this is a very minor quibble.

If you enjoyed Elatsoe, you are sure to have a great time with this amazing prequel. I loved it.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Darcie Little Badger is becoming a favorite. While this is a separate story from Elatsoe, I recommend reading it before this one as this ties in. Ghost dogs, stolen land, mammoths, a girl’s journey—well, of course it makes a great story when this author tells it.

I didn't think it was possible but I think I loved Sheine Lende more than I did Elatsoe and I REALLY loved Elatsoe! Sheine Lende is a prequel (Ellie's grandmother) and I loved all the little references to Elatsoe sprinkled throughout but if you haven't read Elatsoe, you could still read this one first.

Another stellar outing by Darcie Little Badger. I will read everything this woman writes. This one follows Ellie (from Elatsoe)'s grandmother as a young woman and includes strange situations, ghosts, and more Lipan Apache stories. I love Little Badger's characters, especially the animal ones! This time we follow Shane, Ellie's grandma, on a cross-country adventure to find her mother and a missing child. It moves a little more slowly than Elatsoe, but is not at all missing the heart or strong sense of place of the first novel. As always Kinsale Hueston's narration is impeccable. I can't wait to pick up my hard copy to add to my Darcie Little Badger collection.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in return for a fair and honest review.

I was happy to return to the world of Elatsoe. The story follows Shane. 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. 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. Overall, it was a nice book and I will be recommending it.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was so good!! I actually think I liked this one even more than Elatsoe (though A Snake Falls to Earth is still my favourite). I loved being back in this world, and learning more about things from Elatsoe, such as why Ellie's grandmother (who's the MC in Sheine Lende) has a ghost mammoth. Also we get to meet another ghost dog!!

Friendships are so important to me in books, and this one had such amazing friendships, both old and new. There is also a big focus on family, and on what's it like being Native American. Shane has such a heartbreaking story. I'm really glad the book has a happy ending though (well as happy as it can be).

Finally, Sheine Lende is a prequel to Elatsoe, but having read both of them I can say that the order they're read in doesn't really matter. I definitely recommend both of them, and I will be reading anything Darcie Little Badger publishes in the future!

Rep: Lipan-Apache MC and SCs, sapphic SCs

DESCRIPTION: A young adult fantasy prequel to Elatsoe following Shane (Ellie/Elatsoe's grandmother) in the 1970s when her mother disappears when she goes searching for a missing boy,. 17-year-old Shane along with her younger brother, flaky grandfather, her ghost dog (did I mention Shane can raised animal ghosts?), along with some friends old and new, Shane searches for her missing mom and the little boy who also went missing. This has a magical realism/contemporary fantasy feel to it since it is 'our world' but it has commonplace magics like fairy rings, ghosts, and magical beings. While this is a prequel, you do not need to read Elatsoe to read this book.

MY THOUGHTS: I liked this. I think if you liked Elatsoe you will also enjoy this. It has a similar mystery plot engine and adventure feel to it, although the family dynamics here are very different. While this is adventurous it is a bit slower paced. This is a heartfelt story of a family who has been through a lot, mixed with the tension of missing person story, all woven together with the magical setting and woven together with Lipan Apache culture and histories. I really like this author's approach to young adult stories and think while I enjoy them - they are clearly written for teens (which I appreciate in this current publishing landscape). Also I think Elatsoe felt younger YA ( I also think the main character is younger) and this one feels a little more mature but mostly because out main character Shane and her family have been through a lot and she has had to grow up a bit fast because of it. Overall I liked this and recommend it!

Oh, this was a delightful and moving story that makes an excellent prequel to Elatsoe, one of my favorite YA novels. I am grateful to Levine Querido and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My thoughts:

🐕 It lives up to the high expectations that Elatsoe set. A banger of a storyline, an interesting cast of characters to root for, and a satisfying conclusion.
🦣 Our main character, Shane, is easy to become invested in and I appreciated her badassery and wisdom, already at such a young age. Her backstory is gradually revealed as the story progresses, fleshing out her character.
🌻 The side characters are endearing and fun, and they build toward found family.
🌵The folkloric magic conjours creative imagery while also being grounded in the traditions and history of Shane's indigenous heritage, specifically Lipan Apache.
🌲The exploration of generational trauma of indigenous people - and finding the strength to subvert oppression - is impactful and drives aspects of the plot.
🏞 While this is a Young Adult novel, age is no barrier to enjoying this story.
🦋 You don't necessarily need to read Elatsoe first to enjoy this (it's a prequel after all).
🎨 The illustrations by Rovina Cai are beautiful and meaningful.

Highly recommend this for fans of Elatsoe, YA, magical realism, spirit creatures, characters you love to root for, and exploring other realms.

I really like Elatsoe and while I think that book was stronger, this still was a lovely read with woolly mammoths. (That made sense to the story and were not just adding mammoths for mammoths, which seems to be a thing these days in Fantasy). Shane works with her mother to track down missing people and there are ghost dogs again. Her mom goes missing and she works with family and friends to get everyone home. The background of what Shane’s family has gone through is rough but not without hope. The journey of Shane relearning the important stories and her Lipan Apache heritage is beautifully done. The shift to a first person POV half way was not my favorite but some readers appear to especially like those sections so you may have a different perspective. You don’t have to have read Elatsoe to have read this but some of the world building might more sense if you have already read that one. The illustrations as always are beautiful in how they tell their own story and together I gave it 4.5 stars and rounded up.

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.