I can confirm 'A Snake Falls to Earth' is a heavyweight. It clinched the 2022 Nebula for Best Young Adult Novel, beating mainstream sci-fi titles—a testament to its depth. The Mythopoeic Award win was unexpected; usually, that goes to Tolkien-esque works, but Darcie Little Badger’s Lipan Apache roots reshaped expectations.
The Locus Award nomination put it alongside giants like N.K. Jemisin, and the National Book Award Longlist nod proved its literary chops. What’s fascinating is how it merges animal familiars with climate collapse, a combo that resonated with juries. For similar vibes, try 'Trail of Lightning' by Rebecca Roanhorse—Indigenous futurism with teeth.
Don’t sleep on its audiobook either; the narration earned an Earphones Award for capturing the protagonist’s voice. Awards aside, the book’s real triumph is making Lipan cosmology accessible to global readers without dilution.
Let’s geek out over 'A Snake Falls to Earth'—award-wise, it’s a unicorn. Nebula winner, sure, but the Mythopoeic win shocked me (in the best way). That award typically favors Eurocentric fantasy, so a Lipan Apache story breaking through is revolutionary.
Its National Book Award Longlist spot was deserved; the prose balances poetic magic with urgent eco themes. The audiobook version also got an Earphones Award, thanks to its immersive performance.
If you dig this, 'Moon of the Crusted Snow' by Waubgeshig Rice offers another Indigenous apocalypse tale, but with a slower burn. What makes 'Snake' special is how awards recognized its dual appeal: teens love the talking animals, adults obsess over the generational trauma allegory.
I’ve been tracking awards for Indigenous literature, and 'A Snake Falls to Earth' has racked up some impressive accolades. It snagged the Nebula Award for best young adult novel, a huge deal in speculative fiction. The book also won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, which is rare for a YA title—shows how it bridges age gaps. It was a finalist for the Locus Award and made the National Book Award Longlist. What stands out is how it blends Lipan Apache storytelling with climate fiction, earning recognition from both literary and genre circles. If you like mythic realism, check out 'Elatsoe' by the same author.
2025-07-04 22:00:42
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Nero Vecchio was the enemy.
That was what Dante had known from the moment he saw his father’s corpse in the gutter. Formerly the son of a powerful mafia Don, Dante Solace treads the edges of the life he once knew, becoming an assassin for hire. Only, a target brings him closer to the past he has nightmares about every night. And this time he cannot escape Nero.
This time, Dante promises himself that he would kill the mafia Don who had taken over his mind.
When secrets are revealed and the past events seem to repeat themselves, Dante is forced to work with the man he tries to hate to carve a path beyond death and dishonor.
Their personalities clash against each other but the pull is magnetic. Dante is fascinated by the elusive Mafia Don but he shouldn’t be. Nero is the enemy.
...Or is he?
The Kumiho my father chose for me hated me. He hated that he was my pet.
When I turned eighteen, I decided to give him his freedom.
However, it turned out that he was in love with one of our servants’ daughters, Rachel Lenford.
I was crushed, but I could only accept it.
I woke up from a good dream to find a silver-ringed giant python coiled around my body. It hissed at me while flicking its forked tongue.
"Why do you like him so much? How about trying me out? I'm better than he is."
Trying this snake out? How would that work?
On the first day of our marriage, Abyron, the Snake King, and I formed an empathic bond. It was thus impossible for me to doubt his love for me.
However, on the seventh day, he slept with two rabbit girls. I collapsed completely. It felt worse than death.
He sighed and said, “Yoelle, snakes are naturally lustful. It’s not that I don’t love you. You simply can’t satisfy me. You may deal with the women around me however you wish, but I won’t divorce you.”
At first, I killed the women he favored out of jealousy. Later, I stopped caring at all.
Then he dismissed his entire harem for a human woman named Xena Lane. That was when I asked for a divorce.
It was not because of jealousy. It was because my little lover was demanding his place.
My mother brings home a woman named Julia Hayden from the back of the hill and makes her my sister-in-law.
Our family is poor. As Julia is beautiful, my mother forces her to work as a prostitute in secret to earn money for the family.
But a villager, Lara Clay, says Julia is not human.
When my brother sleeps with her, I peek inside through a crack in the door. In the dim yellow light, I see the shadow of a huge snake tightly coiling itself around my brother's body on the wall...
BOOK ONE OF THE IMMORTAL SERIES
“Over a hundred people have reported you for aggravated assault, vandalism of property, several attempts at bullying, invasion of privacy, and reckless driving. Who are you?” The stupid police officer in front of me asked as he continued to read out, “Kidnapping??”
“Mark I think that is enough,” Zachariah intervened.
Mark closed the file that had all of my detailed crime reports as he glared at me. “And so on,” he said, placing it on the table that separated us from each other. “What do you have to say for yourself?” he asked.
I sniffed into the air as I exhaled out deeply, my back relaxing less comfortably on the iron chair as I answered with not a single show of concern at all. “What can I say? They all deserved it.” I cackled as I admired my gloves, having nothing but evil thoughts as I looked at them.
____________________________________________________________________
Cursed since birth to become the Snake Goddess and wield supernatural powers way stronger than she can imagine, Eve is on a journey to become one of the greatest the immortal realm has ever seen, and she won't be on this journey alone. But with her amulet still missing and the world slowly drowning into utter chaos because of her, time can only tell if there has been a mistake made in handing over such powers to her, as there are secrets that lie ahead of her that can either rip her apart or make her stronger.
I was a descendant of Echidna, while Jonathan was the Capital City's most faithful Crystal Emperor devotee.
In my past life, I eloped for love. For love, I threw away my chance to awaken my bloodline, shed my scales, and ascend to godhood.
But…
On the day of our marriage, Jonathan cut out my heart.
He said I was cursed, that I was in the way of his true love's salvation. He wanted to use my Blood of Essence to pave the way for his true love's return to life.
In despair, I could only watch as he held the prayer beads in his hand. His words were calm and deadly cruel.
"Sinead, you should feel blessed to become Anna's sacrifice."
When I opened my eyes again, time had mysteriously wound back. I had returned to one week before my wedding.
I prayed in the rundown temple, my hand over my aching heart.
The booming voice of my deity suddenly filled my ears, answering my desperate plea.
"Descendant of Echidna, will you shed your scales and return to an ordinary life? Or will you give up love and achieve apotheosis?"
In 'A Snake Falls to Earth', the story revolves around two main protagonists whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways. Nina is a Lipan Apache teenager living in Texas, deeply connected to her indigenous roots while navigating the modern world. She's smart, curious, and carries the weight of her family's stories and traditions. The second protagonist is Oli, a young cottonmouth snake person from the Reflecting World, a magical realm parallel to ours. Oli is charming, adaptable, and on a quest to save his dying home. Their journeys collide when Nina discovers an old family story that might hold the key to Oli's salvation.
The beauty of these characters lies in their dual perspectives. Nina represents the struggle of preserving cultural identity in a rapidly changing world, while Oli embodies the fragility of nature and tradition. Their friendship bridges human and non-human worlds, showing how interconnected all life truly is. The author does a brilliant job of blending Lipan Apache storytelling with climate fiction, making both protagonists feel equally real and magical. Nina's chapters ground the story in contemporary issues, while Oli's adventures in the Reflecting World add this wonderful layer of fantasy that feels fresh and original.