"This near future dystopia starring an Apache female superhero has the soul of a graphic novel, if not the art... A good bet for fans of superhero fiction and graphic novels and readers in search of superpowered female warriors." — Kirkus Reviews
"Author of more than 120 books for adults and children, Bruchac has incorporated his Abenaki heritage into much of his writing. Killer of Enemies is no different. What is unique here is the postapocalyptic twist. Following the coming of the Cloud, which destroyed all technology and plunged the world back into the preindustrial age, 17-year-old Lozen, of Abenaki and Apache ancestry, is one of the few people left with the ancient skills and courage necessary to survive outside the walls of their city, a former prison.... This is a serviceable addition to the ever-growing dystopian genre." — School Library Journal
"Episodic high-octane chapters alternate between Lozen's battles in the wilderness and the sinister intrigue in Haven. Though the imaginative dystopian mythology is thick and occasionally heavy, the brisk pace and nonstop action keep things moving. This original addition to the dystopian genre ends with the open-ended promise of more to come." — Booklist
"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." — The Horn Book
"This unusual survival story brings a tight, emotionally spare narrative into the often overwrought dystopian genre. Lozen is a captivating heroine who uses her heritage of survival to find hope and strength, and the novel as a whole draws strongly on Apache language and folklore without being heavy-handed. Readers who prefer their warrior heroines with more battle-hardened sass and less self-reflection will find a lot to love here, as will fans of post-apocalyptic survival stories in less well-worn settings." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
American Indian Youth Literature Award - American Indian Library Association
Great Lakes Great Books Award Honor - Michigan Reading Association
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature Finalist - Mythopoeic Society
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
"Killer of Enemies is a wild teen adventure-fantasy that starts fast, gets faster and never touches the brakes. A mind-bending fantasy that smashes across genre lines to tell a story about survival, courage, and lots of monsters. Joseph Bruchac brings serious game. Highly recommended!"
"Episodic high-octane chapters alternate between Lozen's battles in the wilderness and the sinister intrigue in Haven. . . . [T]he brisk pace and nonstop action keep things moving. This original addition to the dystopian genre ends with the open-ended promise of more to come."
10/01/2013
Gr 7 Up—Author of more than 120 books for adults and children, Bruchac has incorporated his Abenaki heritage into much of his writing. Killer of Enemies is no different. What is unique here is the postapocalyptic twist. Following the coming of the Cloud, which destroyed all technology and plunged the world back into the preindustrial age, 17-year-old Lozen, of Abenaki and Apache ancestry, is one of the few people left with the ancient skills and courage necessary to survive outside the walls of their city, a former prison. Holding her family hostage has given the rulers leverage over Lozen, forcing her to fight the genetically altered monsters that threaten the city and its inhabitants. While the premise is solid, the monster-of-the-day approach becomes somewhat redundant, and readers may wish that more emphasis had been placed on the circumstances surrounding the coming of the Cloud and its affect on the world, Lozen's relationship with her family and fellow incarcerates, and the rising of the walled cities. This is a serviceable addition to the ever-growing dystopian genre.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK
2013-09-15
This near-future dystopia starring an Apache female superhero has the soul of a graphic novel, if not the art. Like her famous Chiracahua ancestor, Lozen too is a warrior, but unlike her namesake, it's by coercion. Her masters are four semihuman rulers of Haven, a walled fortress in what was once Arizona. Much of humanity perished when the Cloud, a mysterious force that's rendered human technology useless, arrived from beyond Jupiter. Although their bio-enhancements no longer work, the despotic overlords that survive rule. Holding Lozen's family as hostages, Haven's rulers send her out to battle gemods, genetically modified monsters left over from pre-C days. Lozen complies while working toward her family's escape. On each trip, she caches supplies, food, weapons. Allies--natural and supernatural, known and hidden, at Haven and in the wild--offer guidance but not rescue. For that, Lozen must rely on her wits, tracking skills and weaponry (guns have survived the Cloud), drawing strength from her warrior heritage to dispatch monstrous birds of prey, a giant anaconda and more (the cartoonish tone helps mute the graphic violence). Lozen's tactics and weaponry are detailed at length but within a cultural framework that fosters respect for the planet and its surviving natural inhabitants. A good bet for fans of superhero fiction and graphic novels and readers in search of superpowered female warriors. (Fantasy. 12 & up)
