When Lewis, Cassidy, Ricky, and Gabriel come upon a herd of elk outside their reservation territory toward the end of hunting season, they decide to go against the laws of nature and take advantage. Killing nine elk, including one young elk far along in a late season pregnancy, the men vow to use every bit of the animals to try to pay tribute to their indiscretion.
Shortly thereafter, Ricky gets off the reservation and finds himself in a bar with mostly white men. When he goes outside to take a leak, a herd of elk is suddenly surrounding him. They begin attacking, destroying any cars in their wake. But worse than the elk are the white men who hear the commotion and come out to see what the trouble is. When they see the state of their cars, no one at the reservation is surprised to learn of another Indian man murdered at the hands of white men.
Ten years later, Lewis is experiencing hallucinations of an Elk Head Woman. It’s haunting him, making him lose his grip on reality and distrust those around him
When he finds his dog dead, stomped to death by hooves, it’s the last straw and Lewis snaps.
Is the Elk Head Woman coming back for vengeance? Or has the guilt of breaking Indian customs and the laws of nature taken its toll on the men?
A unique premise and rich with culture, I found this book interesting but not one I would recommend. It was overly graphic at times with excessive and explicit violence against animals and humans (serious trigger warnings). I wasn’t overly connected with any of the characters but the ending did provide some redemption.
Thank you to Saga Press, BookishFirst and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Shortly thereafter, Ricky gets off the reservation and finds himself in a bar with mostly white men. When he goes outside to take a leak, a herd of elk is suddenly surrounding him. They begin attacking, destroying any cars in their wake. But worse than the elk are the white men who hear the commotion and come out to see what the trouble is. When they see the state of their cars, no one at the reservation is surprised to learn of another Indian man murdered at the hands of white men.
Ten years later, Lewis is experiencing hallucinations of an Elk Head Woman. It’s haunting him, making him lose his grip on reality and distrust those around him
When he finds his dog dead, stomped to death by hooves, it’s the last straw and Lewis snaps.
Is the Elk Head Woman coming back for vengeance? Or has the guilt of breaking Indian customs and the laws of nature taken its toll on the men?
A unique premise and rich with culture, I found this book interesting but not one I would recommend. It was overly graphic at times with excessive and explicit violence against animals and humans (serious trigger warnings). I wasn’t overly connected with any of the characters but the ending did provide some redemption.
Thank you to Saga Press, BookishFirst and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.