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The Turquoise Path #1
Black Moon Sing
A dark force is targeting a secret enclave of shapeshifters in the desert southwest, delivering them to grisly fates. Suspected of witchery and cast out of her human society, it's up to Ellery Chee, a lone coyote shifter, to stop this dangerous magician before her world is destroyed.
But Ellery will have to team up with other outcast magic-users to get the job done. It's a tall order to find witches and fae who are willing to come out of hiding to save the shifters. It's even tougher to convince Hosteen Sikaadii, an all-too-human detective, that Ellery is working for good, not evil.
Without Hosteen's help, she won't have a chance at stopping the slaughter. And she just might be the next shifter who's slated for a bloody end.
This is the first volume in a new urban fantasy series, and contains a cliffhanger ending. Don’t miss Book 2, Red Fire Glow, available now from your favorite eBook retailer.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
139 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2016
23 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 8, 2017
Overrating is 2.5. Not bad ... really. I just didn't care for it much. Some confusing language earlier on and the story just didn't draw me in.
August 30, 2016
I really don't know why so many people are comparing this to Patricia Briggs or saying her fans would love it, because it is nothing like Patricia Briggs other than the MC being able to turn into a coyote. It's not that this book is bad, as such, but when the blurb compares your writing to one of the best urban fantasy writers ever, you are going to get compared and not in a favourable way.
I do not enjoy angst between my main characters. We have a human and a supernatural working together who are prejudiced against each others races, don't like and don't trust each other. If you want to do the comparison thing, what really worked with the Mercy Thompson series was the way the characters work together and interact with each other-Mercy having friends who are wolves, vampires and fae, as well as human. That doesn't happen in this book.
I found the MC reasonably interesting in that she could shift into more than one form. I think her forms could be quite interesting for the plot but I don't like that the whole beginning of the book was just ruled by prejudice...the people in the bar who hate supernaturals, the Navajo guy who thinks her kind are evil skinwalkers, her prejudice to humans, Navajo and vampires...it was all a bit grim and depressing. It didn't make me relate to the MC or be fascinated by the world she lives in when everyone seems to hate everyone.
I just wasn't getting into this at all. Putting the Patricia Briggs reference in the book blurb for me was a mistake as it left me looking for another Mercy Thompson type thing to love and it bears no resemblance at all. For me the book had little chance of measuring up so it bound to fall a bit flat. If that reference had not been there, perhaps more people would judge it based on the book itself, but even doing that, I still wasn't getting into it and won't be reading on in the series. There wasn't enough there to grab me.
I do not enjoy angst between my main characters. We have a human and a supernatural working together who are prejudiced against each others races, don't like and don't trust each other. If you want to do the comparison thing, what really worked with the Mercy Thompson series was the way the characters work together and interact with each other-Mercy having friends who are wolves, vampires and fae, as well as human. That doesn't happen in this book.
I found the MC reasonably interesting in that she could shift into more than one form. I think her forms could be quite interesting for the plot but I don't like that the whole beginning of the book was just ruled by prejudice...the people in the bar who hate supernaturals, the Navajo guy who thinks her kind are evil skinwalkers, her prejudice to humans, Navajo and vampires...it was all a bit grim and depressing. It didn't make me relate to the MC or be fascinated by the world she lives in when everyone seems to hate everyone.
I just wasn't getting into this at all. Putting the Patricia Briggs reference in the book blurb for me was a mistake as it left me looking for another Mercy Thompson type thing to love and it bears no resemblance at all. For me the book had little chance of measuring up so it bound to fall a bit flat. If that reference had not been there, perhaps more people would judge it based on the book itself, but even doing that, I still wasn't getting into it and won't be reading on in the series. There wasn't enough there to grab me.
July 22, 2016
Well... this was certainly a different take on shifters (traders). I read the whole thing but I really wanted to give up by 50%. The story just didn't .... I don't know.... I just didn't care for it. It read more like a middle/high school book.
January 14, 2019
Elle is searching for her friend Vivi, who has sent frantic texts that make no sense. Vivi is gone, Elle is a changer and her owl and her coyote cannot find her. A tribal cop stalks her until she agrees to speak with him. Her last link to the rez, Roanhorse, has been murdered. He was also a changer. Elle agrees to go with Hosteen and help, though the rez is the most dangerous place for her. any changer is considered an evil skinwalker, making old superstitions even more powerful. Elle was taught not to trust typs, meaning non magical humans. They are thrown into danger as more changers are being found murdered. Can they learn to trust each other and save lives, even though they are different sides of the coin?
July 13, 2016
I downloaded Black Moon Sing as a free book from Amazon. The only thing this book has in common with the Mercy Thompson series is that the central character is a coyote shifter. Ell is a weaker (sometimes whiny) version of the character the blurb compares her to, and Hawke's writing isn't as strong, nor is her worldbuilding as crisp and concise as the work by Briggs. There was an attempt to create a relationship between Hosteen and Ell, but there was no romantic tension or enough delving into either of the personalities so the reader could get a sense of their attraction or respect for each other. The story ends abruptly, and strangely-- felt like a cop out in creating a true final fight scene rather than an attempt to draw out the conflict. This one was lukewarm for me, and I have no interest in continuing the series. The only reason I rounded to a three is that people who don't read the Mercy series may view the Ell character in more favor without the comparison.
July 14, 2016
Story good
This is a good story, plot fundamentals are interesting and I wanted to know what happens. Unfortunately, the book has a cliffhanger ending. The writing is a bit immature and doesn't flow well. I was not able to lose myself in the story. The writing kept getting in my way. This is a very short, easy to read book that should appeal to fans of a good paranormal story who want a quick read and don't feel a need for sophisticated writing. You can read it in an evening. At least for this book in the series: No sex. Suitable for ya readers who can stand very mild curse words. No terribly graphic gore and only mild suspense. Be aware that this story does not conclude with this volume. You will need to go further into the series for a conclusion. 2 stars for writing and 3 stars for the premise of the story. I rounded up. Probably will not go further into the series myself.
This is a good story, plot fundamentals are interesting and I wanted to know what happens. Unfortunately, the book has a cliffhanger ending. The writing is a bit immature and doesn't flow well. I was not able to lose myself in the story. The writing kept getting in my way. This is a very short, easy to read book that should appeal to fans of a good paranormal story who want a quick read and don't feel a need for sophisticated writing. You can read it in an evening. At least for this book in the series: No sex. Suitable for ya readers who can stand very mild curse words. No terribly graphic gore and only mild suspense. Be aware that this story does not conclude with this volume. You will need to go further into the series for a conclusion. 2 stars for writing and 3 stars for the premise of the story. I rounded up. Probably will not go further into the series myself.
July 17, 2016
Hosteen?
Really enjoyed everything until the author used Hosteen as a given name and called the Navajo officer by this name. She grew up on the reservation. 1949larry
Really enjoyed everything until the author used Hosteen as a given name and called the Navajo officer by this name. She grew up on the reservation. 1949larry
September 26, 2018
If you are thinking about reading this book because of the "cross between Tony Hillerman and Patricia Briggs" quote (which got my attention SUPER FAST), stop a moment and rethink before reading. I mean, you could say that I look like a cross between Beyonce and Angelina Jolie but what that actually means is that I am female, like Beyonce and female & part Native American like Angelina Jolie (and sadly nowhere near as attractive, talented, or rich as those fine ladies - I'd be willing to settle for just being rich, though).
Tony Hillerman wrote, among many other things, fantastic detective mysteries featuring Diné Tribal Police. The main character here is Diné, there is a Diné cop, and there is a mystery.
Patricia Briggs writes urban fantasy with strong, kick-ass female main characters, one of which is a coyote shifter. This is an urban fantasy with a female character who can "trade" with a coyote and an owl.
Those are how this book is a mash-up of Hillerman and Briggs. Extremely superficial.
The story starts out fine, then we bring in the cop. And it is fine. Until I realize that the author has his first name as Hosteen. Um...that is a term of respect for a male, like mister or sir, not a first name. This bothered me tons, because either the author didn't do even the most minute amount of research into the actual culture, or purposely chose to ignore it, which is disrespectful to the Diné and to readers. And there were a lot of other small cultural inconsistencies, which I suppose could be explained away because there isn't a SET way everyone in a culture acts, and the main character had been living off Rez for ten years, but...mostly it just felt like I was reading a story that had the thinnest veneer of the culture slapped on it to make it "cool".
But, if you know nothing about the Diné culture and don't care if it is properly represented all of that probably won't bother you. I was engaged enough to make it through the book, but every use of Hosteen tested my very limited amount of patience.
So if you love Tony Hillerman, or Patricia Briggs, or both like I do, you might want to quietly put this down and back away.
Tony Hillerman wrote, among many other things, fantastic detective mysteries featuring Diné Tribal Police. The main character here is Diné, there is a Diné cop, and there is a mystery.
Patricia Briggs writes urban fantasy with strong, kick-ass female main characters, one of which is a coyote shifter. This is an urban fantasy with a female character who can "trade" with a coyote and an owl.
Those are how this book is a mash-up of Hillerman and Briggs. Extremely superficial.
The story starts out fine, then we bring in the cop. And it is fine. Until I realize that the author has his first name as Hosteen. Um...that is a term of respect for a male, like mister or sir, not a first name. This bothered me tons, because either the author didn't do even the most minute amount of research into the actual culture, or purposely chose to ignore it, which is disrespectful to the Diné and to readers. And there were a lot of other small cultural inconsistencies, which I suppose could be explained away because there isn't a SET way everyone in a culture acts, and the main character had been living off Rez for ten years, but...mostly it just felt like I was reading a story that had the thinnest veneer of the culture slapped on it to make it "cool".
But, if you know nothing about the Diné culture and don't care if it is properly represented all of that probably won't bother you. I was engaged enough to make it through the book, but every use of Hosteen tested my very limited amount of patience.
So if you love Tony Hillerman, or Patricia Briggs, or both like I do, you might want to quietly put this down and back away.
October 26, 2019
I'm surprised that I actually finished this book and that i actually liked it.
Honestly i wanted to stop along the way but then i kept asking myself , "What happened to Vivi?" Kept wondering if she was dead, if they'd ever find her- and then i just kept on reading and reading- the story of Ellery not trusting the normal or Typs as the author called them was actually sad and if i were in her shoe I'd probably go mad and be the bad guy who killed normals out of the need for vengance. But Ellery didn't take that hateful turn.
Surprised how the book ended and very curious on what would happen to the police officer. Apart from that the book was good, not great but hey I've read books and this to me ain't bad at all.
Not sure if others would like it but i still do recommend it.
Honestly i wanted to stop along the way but then i kept asking myself , "What happened to Vivi?" Kept wondering if she was dead, if they'd ever find her- and then i just kept on reading and reading- the story of Ellery not trusting the normal or Typs as the author called them was actually sad and if i were in her shoe I'd probably go mad and be the bad guy who killed normals out of the need for vengance. But Ellery didn't take that hateful turn.
Surprised how the book ended and very curious on what would happen to the police officer. Apart from that the book was good, not great but hey I've read books and this to me ain't bad at all.
Not sure if others would like it but i still do recommend it.
August 2, 2021
I liked this a lot, despite the cliffhanger at the end (I appreciate being warned about that in the description). Though the paranormal set here included all the usual suspects (shifters, vampires, witches, fae, etc.), I thought the “traders” take on shifters was pretty unique and I enjoyed learning about it. I definitely want to keep reading this series, and hope that Ellory and Hosteen will continue to try and work past their prejudices toward each other and can ultimately make a relationship together work.
August 8, 2024
In most shifter stories, the shift is consistently into the one animal.
In this book, Ellery trades with both an owl and a coyote. The shifters are called traders. Some of the traders have disappeared or been killed and a reservation cop asks Ellery in the investigation.
Ellery has to fight the pull that she keeps experiencing and make sure that she doesn’t go missing, too.
In this book, Ellery trades with both an owl and a coyote. The shifters are called traders. Some of the traders have disappeared or been killed and a reservation cop asks Ellery in the investigation.
Ellery has to fight the pull that she keeps experiencing and make sure that she doesn’t go missing, too.
August 11, 2019
very good book
March 9, 2017
awesome
December 25, 2016
I really liked the characters and story. Definitely reading the rest of the series
February 12, 2017
Some interesting elements but it felt short and curosry in many areas, like it was the first part of a book, not the whole story.
December 25, 2019
Black Moon Sing: An Urban Fantasy Novella of Shapeshifters vs. Vampires (The Turquoise Path Book 1) by L. M. Hawke Black Moon Sing: An Urban Fantasy Novella of Shapeshifters vs. Vampires (The Turquoise Path Book 1) by L. M. Hawke is a gripping book about the paranormal.
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Amazon. That did not change my opinion for this review. I gave it four stars.
"A dark force is targeting a secret enclave of shapeshifters in the desert southwest, delivering them to grisly fates. Suspected of witchery and cast out of her human society, it's up to Ellery Chee, a lone coyote shifter, to stop this dangerous magician before her world is destroyed."
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Moon-Sin...
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Amazon. That did not change my opinion for this review. I gave it four stars.
"A dark force is targeting a secret enclave of shapeshifters in the desert southwest, delivering them to grisly fates. Suspected of witchery and cast out of her human society, it's up to Ellery Chee, a lone coyote shifter, to stop this dangerous magician before her world is destroyed."
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Moon-Sin...
July 12, 2016
I had to read the whole thing!
If you're a fan of Patricia Briggs you will enjoy this book. While their style is similar their take on the paranormal world is different enough to keep you engaged. I chose this tittle based off of a recommendation from another author (Aimee E) & I am very happy that I did. There were no lulls or down time, it had a good flow, good character development and really has just left me wanting more of Ell & her friends. I highly recommend this book and am on my way now to search & purchase more of her work! Just FYI I was in NO WAY compensated for this review.
If you're a fan of Patricia Briggs you will enjoy this book. While their style is similar their take on the paranormal world is different enough to keep you engaged. I chose this tittle based off of a recommendation from another author (Aimee E) & I am very happy that I did. There were no lulls or down time, it had a good flow, good character development and really has just left me wanting more of Ell & her friends. I highly recommend this book and am on my way now to search & purchase more of her work! Just FYI I was in NO WAY compensated for this review.
August 25, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It's a little different than the normal shifter books. This book includes the normal humans and then the paranormals. As far as the shifters go there are two different kinds. There are the "Were" and "Traders". Ellery is a Trader and her last family member has been murdered. Her friend is also missing. Hosteen is a Navajo cop whose investigating the murder but Ellery doesn't trust humans. Hosteen needs her help to solve this murder. Will Ellery help him? This book is full of action, adventure and suspense. There is a dark evil pulling at the Traders and Ellery has to figure it out. This book is a good read.
July 4, 2016
L.M. Hawke has hit the mark with her urban fantasy debut. Black Moon Sing has all of my favorite parts of the genre --- a smart, capable heroine, fascinating worldbuilding, a gripping mystery, and a hint of romance. But Hawke takes it up a notch with her inclusion of Navajo lore, creating a Tony Hillerman/Patricia Briggs mashup that kept me turning pages faster and faster until I hit the not-so-bitter end. I want more!
August 2, 2016
Impressive
A nice blend of mystery and urban fantasy with a unique twist. Magic of the Navajo Reservation with a serious twist. With the dry elegance of a Leaphorn and Chee mystery thrown in. Based on just this first offering I've snagged all 3 volumes in the series and will be exploring the works in other genres.
Tasty!
A nice blend of mystery and urban fantasy with a unique twist. Magic of the Navajo Reservation with a serious twist. With the dry elegance of a Leaphorn and Chee mystery thrown in. Based on just this first offering I've snagged all 3 volumes in the series and will be exploring the works in other genres.
Tasty!
September 1, 2016
I thought this book was good. I am contemplating getting the second book in the series. It had a good story line but I would have liked a bit of romance between hosteen and Ellery. It's a different take on the normal shifter stories but it was ok. I read the whole book.
July 25, 2016
A different take on paranormal. This was a free book on amazon. I really tried to like book but i just couldn't get into book.
September 1, 2016
Not Bad
I liked the blurb but once I started I wasn't sure how I felt. Slowly, this book drew me in. I ended up really enjoying it and looking forward to book 2.
I liked the blurb but once I started I wasn't sure how I felt. Slowly, this book drew me in. I ended up really enjoying it and looking forward to book 2.
August 27, 2018
I really enjoyed The Turquoise Path but it's not a trilogy...it's one book published in 3 parts.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews