Lila Bowen’s debut novel, Wake of Vultures, introduces Nettie Lonesome, a younger girl disguised as a person engaged on a distant Texas ranch in an alternate 1800s. This Western-fantasy mix contains a world populated not solely with cowboys and outlaws but additionally with monstrous creatures drawn from Indigenous American folklore. Nettie, grappling with a mixed-race heritage and a difficult upbringing, discovers surprising talents that thrust her right into a battle far larger than she might have imagined.
The novel’s significance lies in its recent perspective on the Western style, difficult standard tropes by centering a fancy, marginalized protagonist. By incorporating components of fantasy and folklore, the narrative explores themes of id, survival, and the ability of embracing one’s heritage. Printed in 2016, it marked the start of Bowen’s “Path of Lightning” trilogy, which has garnered crucial approval for its distinctive world-building and compelling characters.