As always, there is something so endearing about a Darcie Little Badger book. She so easily draws you in to the characters and surrounding and her world building is so vivid and natural feeling for the most part. There were some parts of Sheine Lende that seemed unnecessary to me, like the details were important to Little Badger as she was coming up with the concept but maybe didn't need to be part of the final story. That being said, even though there is often more detail than I really need, I find that I remember a lot of the details from her works because they are so well drawn out.

Since this is a prequel, I really hope there is a #2 in the Elatosoe story. I will be there for it! This is not the end of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Recorded Books for the audiobook ARC.

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 audio ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Darcie Little Badger has done it again! This book takes you on an immersive journey to find Shane’s mother and a local boy and brings the reader deeper into the world created in Elatsoe. Darcie Little Badger (as always) does an incredible job of weaving magic and real life into the story and educating the reader on Lipan Apache culture in the process.

Darcie Little Badger’s world building is truly top notch and I was so happy to return to this unique universe. The entire time I was listening, I was so absorbed and found myself deeply emotionally invested in Shane’s journey. This is a great story for readers both young and old. If you enjoyed Elatsoe, this book is a no brainer, but it stands strongly on its own and can absolutely be read first.

I listened to the audiobook which was phenomenal and Kinsale Drake did an incredible job bringing this story to life.

A big thank you to NetGalley and RB Media | Recorded Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I adored this story. It was so fun to be back in the world of Elatsoe and I will definitely be picking up whatever Little Badger writes next.

This was just as good as the first book. If you liked ELATSOE, you will like this one as well. The narrator is very good, also. A sweet, emotive listen. Very much enjoyed myself. I would read more books in this world.

This is a prequel to the novel Elatsoe, which has been one of my favorite novels for awhile now. (I think it's the concept of ghost dogs that I love so much, but also the idea of a paranormal investigation business based on ghost dogs among other things that brings me so much joy).

In this novel, there is a ghost dog named Nelly and he's the best boy. But while he has my heart, this story is so much more.

If you have to read one novel in 2024, this is the novel to read. Seriously, you want to read this one.

Shane and her mother Lorenza help locate missing people with the help of their ghost dog (and two alive dogs). They help those who cannot afford to pay to keep searching for those they love and those who have no other avenues for help and aide while missing a loved one. While it doesn't always pay the bills, they have a modest roof over their heads and food in their bellies.

This is a story of a family displaced through deceit from their ancestral home. This is story of reclamation. This is a story of finding more than just missing people: this is a story of finding family, friendship, home, and hope.

Read this one now!

This was a fantastic read! I loved Elatsoe, so having her grandmother's story? That was just wonderful! Shane is trained in survival, in search and rescue, and she needed it in this book. And oh, the adventures she went on!

The fact that their home, and others homes, were basically stolen away after a flood under the pretext that they'd be fixed up, and then the guy tore the houses down, having paid pennies for the land...was infuriating, that should not be legal. So the ending was really satisfying to read!

We didn't really spend much time on the fairy rings in the first book, because Elatsoe can't use them because she's not descended from fairies. But it's a big part of this book, given that it's why the siblings, and Shane's mother, disappear. So I loved learning more about them, and what things were like as they were expanding and becoming more popular.

Shane really went to a few different places throughout the course of this book. I had such a fantastic time, watching her slowly start to recover those that were lost, finding out where they went and why, and getting them back.

This was such a great read and I can't wait to read more by Darcie Little Badger!

The narrator was a little slow but I usually speed up narration anyway. It was great narration, though, and drew me into the story. Even after reading the description, I was surprised how much adventure is in this story. After the first section, I spent the rest of the book worried about what was going to happen next. Great suspense!
But what I liked most was how the world was woven together. Family and magic were huge parts of life and you could see how they impacted Shane's life constantly. One of my favorite things in the world is when you can become convinced that magic really exists in the world we live in -- it's hopeful somehow.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I am so incredible sad I didn't have time to finish this on Netgalley before it was archived. It took me a little to get into but after I did, I LOVED it. I foudn the characters cute and very likeable. The story was engaging and I liked the magical elements of the world the characters found themselves in.
My only critique is that I was very confused about the world building for the first 10% of the audiobook. As someone who hasn't read any of the other stories in this world, I was confused as to how magical the world was, what the rules were and if only magical people knew about magic or if it was a common thing to know about. I felt like that could have been handled better. But beside from that, I had a great time listening to it and I will 100p find it on my library when it comes out, in order to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books 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 💖

I enjoyed the narration, but found her to be a pretty slow speaker and sped it up super fast (faster than i normally do lol)

I read Elatsoe earlier this month after randomly spotting it when I was in the library, and then when I saw a prequel was coming out? It was fate! Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this audiobook ARC!

In this book we stay within Elatsoe's family, but travel back to her Grandmother's youth. We see her tracking down missing people with their two real, and one ghost, dog alongside her mother. We also see the impact that having their land taken from them has had on Shane and her family.

Whilst I did really enjoy this book, I didn't love it as much as Elatsoe. This book didn't have the same charm as the first, and the worldbuilding wasn't as well done. We would be introduced to a new element, such as a Grandfather who seems to have a secret life and who keeps running off, but we would never get any conclusion to this. Why is Grandpa so flakey? No clue! Whilst Elatsoe had extraneous worldbuilding, it felt better woven into the story, whereas it all felt a little more forced within this book. I wish that we had more development of the fae characters we are (very briefly) introduced to, and one of the aspects of this novel (which I won't specify because spoilers) is just...brushed over? Other magical aspects are seemingly introduced to resolve issues in the plot but are then discarded rather than being interwoven, leaving them feeling like a plot-device at a loose end. I want more!

Despite the worldbuilding being subpar to book one, I did really enjoy this novel. The stories of oppression, magic, and family are all interwoven well, and give a good view at the struggles indigenous peoples went through during this time. We get to explore Shane's identity both as Lipan Apache but also as a young woman entering the world on her own for the first time. I loved that elders played a big role in solving the mystery present in the novel, and the importance of listening to their stories. And I need more friendly woolly mammoths thank you.

Absolutely lives up to the masterpiece that was Elatsoe. I loved the characters, loved the nuance that they each embraced, loved the story and worldbuilding. Just a complete joy to read.

A beautifully written story of being lost and found, grieving for those taken before their time, the deep love of friendships, learning to trust people when you’ve been betrayed, family traditions, and being open about who you are. Oh, and there’s a pretty awesome journey into and rescue from the underworld/afterlife, complete with the ghosts of woolly mammoths and long dead stars and the assistance of generations of her Lipan Apache ancestors.

I read Elatsoe a few years ago and loved Darcy Little Badger’s writing style, world-building, and thoughtful analysis and symbolism. The work she does in this prequel about Ellie’s grandma, Shane, is just as lovely and thoughtful, and also contains the deep sadness of grief and generational trauma. Shane has spent her whole life hiding her abilities for fear of persecution, even from her closest friends. When you have been betrayed by friends and family in the past, tricked and abandoned, it’s hard to trust people again.

This book is also filled with much hope. Despite the challenges they are facing, Shane never gives up on finding Bobby and her mom. When she’s in the underworld, drinking the tea her grandma used to make and hearing their ancestral language, she is inspired to keep their traditions alive for the next generation. And when Shane figures out how to bring her mom back, she doesn’t stop until she has made it happen: she confronts the man who stole their land and reclaims their ancestral homeland, the place her mother most wished to be in that moment she was magically transported away.

While this is technically a prequel for Elatsoe, it also stands alone as a wonderful story. I would still read Elatsoe first, because that was how they were written, but they are both beautiful books well worth your time. The audiobooks are especially well-narrated by Kinsale Drake.

Thank you to the author, publishing company, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes. It just came out this week, so check out your local bookstore or library for a copy!

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 RB Media and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While Elatsoe didn’t live up to my high expectations (everyone said I’d love it), Sheine Lende certainly made up for it.

Shane is a wonderful confident main character I couldn’t help but like. She cares for her friends and family deeply and it shows. Shane’s mother goes missing and is left to care for her younger brother who isn’t quite in school yet. She doesn’t complain about it at all or let him feel like a burden. She’s patient with him and encourages his curiosity.

This book celebrates Indigenous storytelling. Shane is Lipan Apache and cares for her culture by sharing her family's history with those around her. While there isn't a lot of world building, the tiny snippets we get of a world like ours (but with magic and paranormal creatures) worked.

A beautiful and charming read.

The narrator Kinsale Hueston was amazing and did a wonderful job at giving this book a voice.

Rating: Loved = 4.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media | Recorded Books for an audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

Perfect. No notes.

Seriously though, another amazing story by Darcie Little Badger. I loved the setting, the magic system, the characters and the plot. It drew me in from the very start to the very end and I wanted more more more. I could not recommend this more. It is simply great and I cannot wait for more books by Darcie Little Badger.

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!

"Sheine Lende" is the prequel to "Elatsoe" though published years afterward. Both are by Darcie Little Badger. I haven't read "Elatsoe", but I loved "Sheine Lende" so much that I'll definitely be buying the other. This one definitely can be read and appreciated as a stand-alone; however, I can't guarantee you won't want the next one, too!!

This book is fiction with magical realism. It's set in Texas in the 1960s or 70s. Some paranormal things exist there, like fairies and fairy rings used for teleporting. Sheine has a ghost dog, a bloodhound named Nelly. She is from the Lipan Apache tribe of Native Americans. She can magically bring animal spirits to her.

Sheine and her mother, Lorenza, help find missing people. One day, a teenage girl and her younger brother go missing. Lorenza doesn't return. So then Sheine Linde goes searching. The journey is very interesting. The characters are well developed and mostly all likable, except perhaps Grandpa Louie. This book has Native American lore and righteous anger about the loss of land. There are a few slower parts telling family history that I chose to speed listen to.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5 Kinsale Hueston
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 5/5

This is written for Young adults, but both children and older adults would probably like this as well. It is really a charming story, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, and Darcy Little Badger for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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 & RB Media for the gifted copies!

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, and @kinsalehues for the beautiful narration.