YATTANI AND THE SPECTERS OF THUNDER

A young hunter’s destiny entails precarious treks and a chilling death threat in this Stone Age adventure.

Yattani gets very little respect from the villagers in Ambutukota. The teen joins hunting parties but still endures bullies, who deride him for his small stature and the fact that he’s blind in one eye. At home, his beloved father may be dying, and his mother treats him with inexplicable hostility. But things change when Yattani visits the village’s shaman, Masadun, initially for the purpose of mending a broken alliance. Masadun grows to trust the boy and seems determined to steer Yattani toward his destiny, though the teen will have to figure out what exactly that is on his own. It may involve the Spirit World, where many of the dead go and live, at least for a time, in spirit-animal form. While mortals can actually see this Spirit World from afar, a reputedly “uncrossable” chasm separates it from the “Land of the Living.” Meanwhile, Tantomo, the chief’s son and the most vicious bully, barely suppresses his hatred of Yattani. Tantomo promises to kill Yattani when he gets the chance and later manages to turn others against the boy. The chief himself may be a threat as well; he harbors close ties to the sordid history of the Ambutu, the only surviving group of three neighboring tribes that were entangled in war, vengeance, and unexplained deaths. As a string of earthquakes shakes Ambutukota, Yattani must flee if he wants to live long enough to fulfill his destiny.

Emmrich aptly fuses a coming-of-age tale with a quest chock-full of perils. Yattani, for example, strives to prove his value as a tribe member, such as being strong enough to take down animals in hunts, especially in the wake of the village’s food shortage. He’s weighed down by feelings like self-loathing while his journey directs him to such optimistic ideals as forgiveness. At the same time, he recognizes a newfound physical attraction to Ambutu girls in brief moments that some readers may find too explicit, considering the teen’s age. The author’s worldbuilding is exceptional, smoothly introducing new characters and places and clarifying such unknown terms as tik-tiks (crayfish) and manka (a sweet fruit). While details of Yattani’s oft-cited destiny spend most of the novel “hidden in a fog,” danger surrounds the boy. Where that peril comes from is never in question. Tantomo is indisputably a villain and others gradually pop up, as flashbacks shed a light on the war from almost two decades ago. There are surprising turns as well, from more than one shocking death to the disclosure of the importance of the mysterious dog that periodically shows up. These all unravel inside a brisk narrative that harmonizes with Emmrich’s pithy writing: “The moon had sunk over the Spirit World, leaving a night so clear the stars, the spirits of the forgiven, nearly cast a shadow.” While the subtitle suggests a series, this book—with its intriguing cast—can easily be a stand-alone.

A compelling, lucidly defined world enlivens this tale of overcoming fears.