Killer of Enemies

A deadly assassin with extrasensory powers that help her locate her adversaries, Lozen works as a monster-killer, taking out genetically modified superbeasts--giant bloodthirsty eagles, the vampiric Bloodless, a colossal anaconda--that escaped captivity after the Cloud wiped out all of Earth's electronics. Named for a warrior-woman forebear, Lozen calls on tribal tales from her Apache-Chiricahua ancestors for inspiration in outthinking the creatures. Her mother, brother, and sister are being held hostage to ensure her continued service to the elite Ones controlling Haven, a prison-turned-fortress in the Sonoran desert. Lozen has vowed to get her family out, but without a new fortress to go to, her family could easily become lunch for the creatures Lozen is sent to kill. Bruchac devises ever-more-dangerous battles for his protagonist and intersperses them with steadily worsening conditions on the home front, upping the stakes in the increasingly suspenseful story. What really makes the narrative vibrate is Lozen's sardonic voice, capturing both gallows humor and a very human vulnerability. Admirers of kick-ass heroines such as Katniss Everdeen will definitely want to see more of Lozen, and, since Bruchac ends with a pause rather than a period, a sequel is a tantalizing possibility. anita l. burkam