T. KingfisherFantasy · Fiction·b. 1977
Snake-Eater
Synopsis
Selena reaches the desert town of Quartz Creek with twenty-seven dollars and a dog named Copper. She hopes her aunt Amelia will give her a place to stay. Amelia died a year earlier, but her house is still standing, and the neighbors are pleased to see it lived in again.
Selena is also recovering from a relationship that left her doubting her own judgment. A new town and an empty house offer a chance to find her footing.
In Quartz Creek, gods and spirits are part of ordinary life, and people treat them much as they would difficult neighbors. Amelia once made a promise to Snake-Eater, the roadrunner god, and never kept it. With Selena in the house, the god turns his attention to her.
Dead rattlesnakes begin to appear at her door, and the offerings grow harder to ignore. The town's postmaster, a cantankerous neighbor and a local priest all help her. Selena has to learn what Amelia promised and decide how much she is willing to pay.
The book is a standalone that blends folk horror and desert fantasy with dry humor. Its attention stays on community and on recovering from a bad relationship.
How it reads
Genres
Characters
Selena (Snake-Eater)Protagonist
A woman who arrives in Quartz Creek nearly broke, recovering from a controlling relationship and inheriting her late aunt's house.
Snake-EaterAntagonist
The roadrunner god of the land around the house, who is owed a promise Selena's aunt never kept and has fixed his attention on Selena.
Copper (Snake-Eater)Supporting
Selena's dog and, at the start of the book, her only companion in the world.
Grandma BillySupporting
Selena's cantankerous nearest neighbor, who becomes a key ally in dealing with the god.
Jenny (Snake-Eater)Supporting
Quartz Creek's postmaster, who also serves as the town's mayor and its police officer.