What do you think?
Rate this book
The Good Lands #1
The Peacekeeper
Against the backdrop of a never-colonized North America, a broken Ojibwe detective embarks on an emotional and twisting journey toward solving two murders, rediscovering family, and finding himself.
North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past.
Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. Now, on the same night of the Manoomin harvest, another woman is slain. His mother’s best friend. The leads to a seemingly impossible connection take Chibenashi far from the only world he’s ever known.
The major city of Shikaakwa is home to the victim’s cruelly estranged family—and to two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever. Because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about those lives has been a lie.
- Michigan Notable Books 2023
North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past.
Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. Now, on the same night of the Manoomin harvest, another woman is slain. His mother’s best friend. The leads to a seemingly impossible connection take Chibenashi far from the only world he’s ever known.
The major city of Shikaakwa is home to the victim’s cruelly estranged family—and to two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever. Because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about those lives has been a lie.
- Michigan Notable Books 2023
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2022
About the author
B.L. Blanchard
2 books141 followersB. L. Blanchard is a graduate of the UC Davis creative writing honors program and was a writing fellow at Boston University School of Law. She is a lawyer and enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but has lived in California for so long that she can no longer handle cold weather. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband and two daughters. The Peacekeeper is her debut novel. For more information, visit www.blblanchard.com or follow her on Twitter @blblanchard.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews
May 3, 2022
"It was a forest of skyscrapers creating a canopy of life high above the ground. Many of these were Skikaakwa's famous "living skyscrapers."
My own curiosity about the setting and the author's approach to the alternative history is what tempted me to pick up this selection. But also after reading so many mysteries it is nice to enjoy one that has something unique to offer. The end result is that I enjoyed the story and believe it may even make a good book club selection as it offers several discussion opportunities on overall themes about location and setting, society differences and how the different governments function, as well as history in general.
"Or you get so used to the pain that you don't even notice it anymore, Chibenashi thought. You would only notice its absence."
The story follows Chibenashi, a Peace Keeper. Approximately 20 years ago his mother was murdered with his father confessing to the crime. Since that day he has had to take care of his younger sister, who requires his almost constant attention. But then the murder of his mother's best friend starts him down a path he isn't eager to revisit. Soon he finds he must travel to Shikaakwa (Chicago) as part of the investigation and begins the process of discovering the truth about the current murder and perhaps even discovers a little about himself and his past. Truthfully, Chibenashi probably isn't the best peace keeper as he does a few things wrong, but I found him a relatable and sympathetic character.
The Peace Keeper is set in an uncolonized North America, but it is possible the entire world remained uncolonized as the narrative describes various parts of it as "Europe, the Islamic Empire, Aztec, and Mayan". In North America, society and government is unique and different. Gone are prosecutors and DAs. Instead there are Mediators who represents the different sides and where imprisoning someone for a crime is not the norm, but the exception as they look to rehabilitate offenders and offer "restitution to the Victims." And even though the book presents itself from an alternative historical point of view, this type of change never feels over the top or in-your-face, but is more subtle and natural.
Overall, I found the alternative history portion interesting - from the description of living skyscrapers to discussions on societal and criminal justice system differences. I also appreciated how the author handled Chibenashi's guilt, depression, and resolution at the end. There are several points within the story I found thought-provoking, which is why I can see it as a potential book club selection. The murder mystery and investigation was ok, but it takes a little time before the investigation gets started in earnest. I would add that if you are looking for a book that solely focuses on investigation, then this may not be the one to reach for as it isn't that type of mystery/investigation. There is an investigation, but the story it much more than that.
My own curiosity about the setting and the author's approach to the alternative history is what tempted me to pick up this selection. But also after reading so many mysteries it is nice to enjoy one that has something unique to offer. The end result is that I enjoyed the story and believe it may even make a good book club selection as it offers several discussion opportunities on overall themes about location and setting, society differences and how the different governments function, as well as history in general.
"Or you get so used to the pain that you don't even notice it anymore, Chibenashi thought. You would only notice its absence."
The story follows Chibenashi, a Peace Keeper. Approximately 20 years ago his mother was murdered with his father confessing to the crime. Since that day he has had to take care of his younger sister, who requires his almost constant attention. But then the murder of his mother's best friend starts him down a path he isn't eager to revisit. Soon he finds he must travel to Shikaakwa (Chicago) as part of the investigation and begins the process of discovering the truth about the current murder and perhaps even discovers a little about himself and his past. Truthfully, Chibenashi probably isn't the best peace keeper as he does a few things wrong, but I found him a relatable and sympathetic character.
The Peace Keeper is set in an uncolonized North America, but it is possible the entire world remained uncolonized as the narrative describes various parts of it as "Europe, the Islamic Empire, Aztec, and Mayan". In North America, society and government is unique and different. Gone are prosecutors and DAs. Instead there are Mediators who represents the different sides and where imprisoning someone for a crime is not the norm, but the exception as they look to rehabilitate offenders and offer "restitution to the Victims." And even though the book presents itself from an alternative historical point of view, this type of change never feels over the top or in-your-face, but is more subtle and natural.
Overall, I found the alternative history portion interesting - from the description of living skyscrapers to discussions on societal and criminal justice system differences. I also appreciated how the author handled Chibenashi's guilt, depression, and resolution at the end. There are several points within the story I found thought-provoking, which is why I can see it as a potential book club selection. The murder mystery and investigation was ok, but it takes a little time before the investigation gets started in earnest. I would add that if you are looking for a book that solely focuses on investigation, then this may not be the one to reach for as it isn't that type of mystery/investigation. There is an investigation, but the story it much more than that.
June 6, 2022
Although I read fewer murder mysteries these days than I did in my youth, I still have a soft spot. Add in the allure of an alternative world in which Europeans never colonized what we call North America, and … yeah, I’m into it. The Peacekeeper is both a satisfying mystery and a thoughtful work of science fiction, and as such, it works for me on multiple levels.
The novel takes place in and around what we would call Sault Ste. Marie but what the Anishinaabeg call Baawitigong. (Blanchard is a member of the Sault Chippewa nation.) For those unfamiliar with it, Sault Ste. Marie is actually two cities—one on the Canadian side of the border, in Ontario, and one on the American side, in Michigan. (This is actually more common than you might expect, though they don’t always have the same name.) In The Peacekeeper, of course, it’s one place because there is no border. Baawitigong itself is a village, small enough for everyone to know everyone (and their business). Chibenashi is one of the village’s three peacekeepers. On the night of Manoomin, a festival celebrating harvest, someone murders a close friend of Chibenashi’s—twenty years to the day that someone murdered his mother. Chibenashi leave behind his fragile sister, Ashwiyaa, to seek answers in the nearby metropolis of Shikaakwa. Not only is he unused to the big city, however, but he is unprepared to confront ghosts from his past—an ex-girlfriend turned Advocate, and the estranged son of the murder victim. This case might prove Chibenashi’s undoing.
I love how Blanchard goes about creating a flawed protagonist in Chibenashi. He is not your stereotypical hard-boiled detective with an ex-wife and a chip on his shoulder and a drinking problem. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t do much of anything, really, except his job (which is not exactly demanding) and trying to take care of his sister. This latter duty has kept him from expanding his social circle or setting his sights on a life elsewhere, like Shikaakwa. Yet the murder of a close friend, someone who was like an Auntie to him and Ashwiyaa, forces Chibenashi to leave Baawitigong. In an unfamiliar milieu and confronted by a peacekeeper from Shikaakwa who gets on his nerves, Chibenashi’s patience is tested. Is it any surprise when he breaks? I appreciate that our protagonist is flawed—I would say he teeters on the point of being unlikeable, yet for me he never quite crosses that line. Rather, he’s just never really processed his trauma. Now that this crime has stripped away the time that has passed since that trauma occurred, he has no defences left to keep his demons at bay.
The mystery itself is pretty good. I guessed who the killer was pretty early in the book (I mention this only because this is rare for me). Nevertheless, Blanchard handles the reveal and climax quite well. This is a case of a whodunit where I solved it because the clues were laid out plain to see—indeed, if Chibenashi were not so distracted by his own issues, he would have seen them too. Through this mystery, Blanchard asks interesting questions about our obligations to our kin. How far would you go to protect your child? Your sibling? Your parent? Chibenashi and Ashwiyaa’s relationship is one of intense co-dependency—it is not healthy—yet neither are the relationships between Sakima and Wiishkobak or Meoquanee. When Chibenashi meets Daaksin again, he is reminded that she chose to left—he sees this as a betrayal, but it is in reality perhaps one of the healthiest relationship endings we get in this book. Sometimes you have to walk away. Chibenashi doesn’t learn that for a long time.
I suspect, however, that for most readers of this book the standout aspect will be the worldbuilding. It certainly was for me. Blanchard does not spend much time justifying this alternative world—we never learn why colonization didn’t happen. And that’s OK. I’m happy to leave that blank, take it as read, and simply consider the consequences—and there are many. This is a world that has developed parallel to ours: there are cell phones and tablets, movies, guns, etc. Yet at the same time, so much is different. The justice system is restorative rather than punitive (or at least, it tries to be). Settlements try to coexist with the natural world. Movies get dubbed into Anishinaabemowin because most of the characters in this book don’t speak English. The African slave trade never happened, and so nations in Africa have flourished in various ways.
Despite colonization never happening, Mino-Aki (the nation where Chibenashi lives) is not a paradise. As we know, there are crimes. The novel features an incident of domestic violence, abuse, and stalking that has a grisly end to it. Through Takumwah, Blanchard explores how conflict among nations, and issues of assimilation and discrimination, is still possible in an uncolonized world. In so doing, she affirms that this alternative world is different but still realistic—humans are flawed creatures capable of darkness no matter who we are, where we live, what societies we build.
Nevertheless, I loved this thought experiment. As a white person, I can’t pretend to comment on this from an Indigenous perspective. But I would love to see more stories like this—not just stories of possible Indigenous futures, but also stories of different Indigenous presents! In imagining a different world, Blanchard helps us to imagine alternatives to the current world we inhabit. She reminds us that, in fact, none of the world we inhabit right now was inevitable. It is the result of a series of choices, and we can make it different—can decolonize, build something new—if we choose.
So The Peacekeeper is many novels in one. It’s the story of a man whose relationships are attenuated and fragile. It’s a murder mystery that hides a tragic truth at its core. And it’s a testament to imagining a different present, one in which the nation on whose land I reside (I’m in Thunder Bay) was able to continue thriving as it was long before European contact. It succeeds at all of these things, to varying degrees, and certainly enough that I would love to read the next book Blanchard writes in this world.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
The novel takes place in and around what we would call Sault Ste. Marie but what the Anishinaabeg call Baawitigong. (Blanchard is a member of the Sault Chippewa nation.) For those unfamiliar with it, Sault Ste. Marie is actually two cities—one on the Canadian side of the border, in Ontario, and one on the American side, in Michigan. (This is actually more common than you might expect, though they don’t always have the same name.) In The Peacekeeper, of course, it’s one place because there is no border. Baawitigong itself is a village, small enough for everyone to know everyone (and their business). Chibenashi is one of the village’s three peacekeepers. On the night of Manoomin, a festival celebrating harvest, someone murders a close friend of Chibenashi’s—twenty years to the day that someone murdered his mother. Chibenashi leave behind his fragile sister, Ashwiyaa, to seek answers in the nearby metropolis of Shikaakwa. Not only is he unused to the big city, however, but he is unprepared to confront ghosts from his past—an ex-girlfriend turned Advocate, and the estranged son of the murder victim. This case might prove Chibenashi’s undoing.
I love how Blanchard goes about creating a flawed protagonist in Chibenashi. He is not your stereotypical hard-boiled detective with an ex-wife and a chip on his shoulder and a drinking problem. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t do much of anything, really, except his job (which is not exactly demanding) and trying to take care of his sister. This latter duty has kept him from expanding his social circle or setting his sights on a life elsewhere, like Shikaakwa. Yet the murder of a close friend, someone who was like an Auntie to him and Ashwiyaa, forces Chibenashi to leave Baawitigong. In an unfamiliar milieu and confronted by a peacekeeper from Shikaakwa who gets on his nerves, Chibenashi’s patience is tested. Is it any surprise when he breaks? I appreciate that our protagonist is flawed—I would say he teeters on the point of being unlikeable, yet for me he never quite crosses that line. Rather, he’s just never really processed his trauma. Now that this crime has stripped away the time that has passed since that trauma occurred, he has no defences left to keep his demons at bay.
The mystery itself is pretty good. I guessed who the killer was pretty early in the book (I mention this only because this is rare for me). Nevertheless, Blanchard handles the reveal and climax quite well. This is a case of a whodunit where I solved it because the clues were laid out plain to see—indeed, if Chibenashi were not so distracted by his own issues, he would have seen them too. Through this mystery, Blanchard asks interesting questions about our obligations to our kin. How far would you go to protect your child? Your sibling? Your parent? Chibenashi and Ashwiyaa’s relationship is one of intense co-dependency—it is not healthy—yet neither are the relationships between Sakima and Wiishkobak or Meoquanee. When Chibenashi meets Daaksin again, he is reminded that she chose to left—he sees this as a betrayal, but it is in reality perhaps one of the healthiest relationship endings we get in this book. Sometimes you have to walk away. Chibenashi doesn’t learn that for a long time.
I suspect, however, that for most readers of this book the standout aspect will be the worldbuilding. It certainly was for me. Blanchard does not spend much time justifying this alternative world—we never learn why colonization didn’t happen. And that’s OK. I’m happy to leave that blank, take it as read, and simply consider the consequences—and there are many. This is a world that has developed parallel to ours: there are cell phones and tablets, movies, guns, etc. Yet at the same time, so much is different. The justice system is restorative rather than punitive (or at least, it tries to be). Settlements try to coexist with the natural world. Movies get dubbed into Anishinaabemowin because most of the characters in this book don’t speak English. The African slave trade never happened, and so nations in Africa have flourished in various ways.
Despite colonization never happening, Mino-Aki (the nation where Chibenashi lives) is not a paradise. As we know, there are crimes. The novel features an incident of domestic violence, abuse, and stalking that has a grisly end to it. Through Takumwah, Blanchard explores how conflict among nations, and issues of assimilation and discrimination, is still possible in an uncolonized world. In so doing, she affirms that this alternative world is different but still realistic—humans are flawed creatures capable of darkness no matter who we are, where we live, what societies we build.
Nevertheless, I loved this thought experiment. As a white person, I can’t pretend to comment on this from an Indigenous perspective. But I would love to see more stories like this—not just stories of possible Indigenous futures, but also stories of different Indigenous presents! In imagining a different world, Blanchard helps us to imagine alternatives to the current world we inhabit. She reminds us that, in fact, none of the world we inhabit right now was inevitable. It is the result of a series of choices, and we can make it different—can decolonize, build something new—if we choose.
So The Peacekeeper is many novels in one. It’s the story of a man whose relationships are attenuated and fragile. It’s a murder mystery that hides a tragic truth at its core. And it’s a testament to imagining a different present, one in which the nation on whose land I reside (I’m in Thunder Bay) was able to continue thriving as it was long before European contact. It succeeds at all of these things, to varying degrees, and certainly enough that I would love to read the next book Blanchard writes in this world.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
May 5, 2022
Different
This rating is definitely rounded up. A whodunit set in an alternative timeline where Europeans didn't colonise the western hemisphere, this was worth a read even if just for the restorative justice aspect of the storyline.
It was sometimes hard to suspend my disbelief due to the setting being so much like our own world but without things like excessive fossil fuel use, at least in North America. Like everything we've invented exists, and the people in this timeline also managed to colonise Mars. I mean, I think the world would be very different if Europeans never took over the Americas, but I don't think that the near utopia would exist either.
That said, it was interesting to think about, and while the actual plot seemed like a good way to showcase restorative justice (something I've been really intrigued by in recent years), it wasn't what most people would find satisfying or exciting in a crime novel.
I wonder what First Nations people who read this felt about how it was handled.
This rating is definitely rounded up. A whodunit set in an alternative timeline where Europeans didn't colonise the western hemisphere, this was worth a read even if just for the restorative justice aspect of the storyline.
It was sometimes hard to suspend my disbelief due to the setting being so much like our own world but without things like excessive fossil fuel use, at least in North America. Like everything we've invented exists, and the people in this timeline also managed to colonise Mars. I mean, I think the world would be very different if Europeans never took over the Americas, but I don't think that the near utopia would exist either.
That said, it was interesting to think about, and while the actual plot seemed like a good way to showcase restorative justice (something I've been really intrigued by in recent years), it wasn't what most people would find satisfying or exciting in a crime novel.
I wonder what First Nations people who read this felt about how it was handled.
May 6, 2022
What a fascinating book! I first became aware of it when it was listed as a Goodreads giveaway that I entered, but sadly did not win. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was chosen as one of Amazon Prime's options for May's First Reads. I don't even think I looked at the others books; I went straight for this one and I was not disappointed.
The novel is set in an alternate America, one that was never successfully colonized by the Europeans. Because native languages, religions and cultural traditions informed the direction of the continent, the resulting architecture and farming practices evolved in harmony with the environment. Also affected were community attitudes, the practice of social economics, and the justice system, seemingly kinder in many ways than the world we live in today.
We are immediately introduced to Chibinashi, a Peacekeeper (police officer) in a small town, with a needy and difficult mentally ill sister, and a past shadowed by loss. He's moving through life, but not really moving forward. However, when a murder occurs on one of the biggest holiday evenings of this quiet community, echoing a similar murder from two decades before, events are set in motion to bring Chibinashi face to face with people and events from his past, forcing him to look more closely at everything he has ever believed.
The only thing I struggled with in the novel was the pronunciation of the words in the Anishinaabe language. There is a glossary at the end that defines what they mean, but no pronunciation guide. As a result, I was tumbling over words with no idea of which syllables to accent. It didn't stop my enjoyment of the story, however. It was actually nice to have different words for certain buildings or concepts since they were built on slightly different foundational ideas.
Honestly, once I got into the story, I could not put the book down. I read all night and have been pondering aspects of the story all day. I usually dread seeing that a book is "#1 in a series", but I'm so interested in learning more about this world that I'm actively looking forward to where this author takes us next.
The novel is set in an alternate America, one that was never successfully colonized by the Europeans. Because native languages, religions and cultural traditions informed the direction of the continent, the resulting architecture and farming practices evolved in harmony with the environment. Also affected were community attitudes, the practice of social economics, and the justice system, seemingly kinder in many ways than the world we live in today.
We are immediately introduced to Chibinashi, a Peacekeeper (police officer) in a small town, with a needy and difficult mentally ill sister, and a past shadowed by loss. He's moving through life, but not really moving forward. However, when a murder occurs on one of the biggest holiday evenings of this quiet community, echoing a similar murder from two decades before, events are set in motion to bring Chibinashi face to face with people and events from his past, forcing him to look more closely at everything he has ever believed.
The only thing I struggled with in the novel was the pronunciation of the words in the Anishinaabe language. There is a glossary at the end that defines what they mean, but no pronunciation guide. As a result, I was tumbling over words with no idea of which syllables to accent. It didn't stop my enjoyment of the story, however. It was actually nice to have different words for certain buildings or concepts since they were built on slightly different foundational ideas.
Honestly, once I got into the story, I could not put the book down. I read all night and have been pondering aspects of the story all day. I usually dread seeing that a book is "#1 in a series", but I'm so interested in learning more about this world that I'm actively looking forward to where this author takes us next.
May 13, 2022
Excellent debut!
Doing one genre well in a debut novel is a job well done, doing two is above and beyond. Combining speculative fiction and mystery in one very well composed novel, The Peace Keeper was an immersion in "What if" and "Whodunit" that kept me hooked both ways. I wanted more of this world that might have been, and I wanted to know who committed the atrocious acts at the heart of the story. I got to the answer before the protagonist, but by then I was so wrapped up in wanting him to be made whole, I had to stay with the story to see it through.
Doing one genre well in a debut novel is a job well done, doing two is above and beyond. Combining speculative fiction and mystery in one very well composed novel, The Peace Keeper was an immersion in "What if" and "Whodunit" that kept me hooked both ways. I wanted more of this world that might have been, and I wanted to know who committed the atrocious acts at the heart of the story. I got to the answer before the protagonist, but by then I was so wrapped up in wanting him to be made whole, I had to stay with the story to see it through.
May 28, 2022
Interesting, but could have been more.
This author has wonderful world creating skills, character development and plotting abilities. But this story really could have benefitted from an editor. Simple fixes to avoid trite phrases and long descriptive passages would have made the reading experience so much better and the story stronger. The big reveal at the end might have been truly interesting had it not been laid out like a cookbook recipe. The fact that I actually finished the book is a testament to it's strengths. But I can't say I enjoyed it.
This author has wonderful world creating skills, character development and plotting abilities. But this story really could have benefitted from an editor. Simple fixes to avoid trite phrases and long descriptive passages would have made the reading experience so much better and the story stronger. The big reveal at the end might have been truly interesting had it not been laid out like a cookbook recipe. The fact that I actually finished the book is a testament to it's strengths. But I can't say I enjoyed it.
January 5, 2024
As apartments reached the sky, so did nature. Takumwah pointed out various high-rise apartment buildings that had level upon level of trees growing in them. Each floor had a platform jutting out, each at a different angle, that contained a number of trees sprouting up, bringing nature with them as the building climbed to the sky. The entire building was dotted with trees to the point that one could hardly see the structure within. Birds flew in and out of the trees just as they did back in the woods of Baawitigong...
This review is hard to write, because even though this wasn't a perfect book, I feel it's really hard to make it justice in a review and I would love for more people to read this, because it IS worth it for the worldbuilding alone. I actually feel like I already started this review once? But it disappeared somewhere which is probably for the best. So let me try again...
The two most important aspects of the book are probably A) the worldbuilding B) the thrilled/mystery/detective aspects of the book (I'm going to mess this up, those aren't my genres so if I use the wrong word just ignore it, please, or let me know which would be a better one) C) the character work, though this one is kind of smaller part which is why my math works...
The worldbuilding
The story of this book is set in a contemporary version of our world where Turtle Island/America was never colonised the only weak point in this is that we are never told why it didn't happen/ what happened differently, so in historical perspective some things are unclear or if you start thinking about the current international political situation in that world, also a bit hard to guess. I would love more on those things but I understand the creative decision behind that. This isn't something that has to be rationalised and spend big chunks of the book on, this wasn't the author's focus and I respect that.
What we get is a description of vibrant diverse society that still has its problems - there is still hauselessness in the cities, some groups are still marginalised - it's not an utopia, but in some aspects it is (and I think that's great). Where things get interesting is in the descriptions of which sort of modern society would grow up from indigenous values if it got a chance. Honestly, if you are not interested in the reply to this question it might be better for you not to read this book, because that's what's the book most interested in and sometimes it affects and slows the pacing when the narrative starts to explain us how judiciary systems in this world work - spoiler, they are not judiciary at all! I absolutely live for this shit though, so I was very happy with that and I would totally read just a pure worldbuilding of this world if the Blanchard just wrote that (I'm kind of imagining it in a similar format as The Republic, I would read that!).
I don't want to spend time here explaining the specific topic this book covers but just know that genre-wise this is a thriller (I think), so the focus is largely on the way police (in this world peacekeepers) work, on the judiciary system, on the way cities are constructed and just on society and values in general. I loved this part of the story, it was absolutely perfect.
AI image
The Mystery Part
I'm calling this a mystery part, because for me it was about figuring things out, but I think technically this is more like a thriller? I am just very unclear about the differences between the genres here so just bear with me.
This was less great for me, for a very simple reason that I very early on figured out who did the murders and spend the whole book breaking my brain and trying to figure out why?! I didn't see the answer coming though. I would still say that this aspect of the book is written really well, some things might be obvious from the beginning but it's clear why the MC can't solve it the way the reader might and the narrative also makes it very clear that Chibenashi is a very bad detective, he makes mistakes, he disregards some important rules, he's a mess! But that's very much the point and that's something that the book actively works with.
Characters & the rest
As I already said in the previous bit, Chibenashi our MC is very well written and real-feeling character. He is by far the most worked-through character, but the supporting cast is also fully fledged and it's all very... community based and interpersonal. Takumwah was fascinating character, Dakaasin Chibenashi's first sweetheart was amazing character. The way family, love and duty were depicted in this book was fascinating as well. It's kind of hard to talk about this without spoiling things and I also finished it a couple of months ago so I don't remember the less-spoilery details. It's also a bit harder to pin-point, because I feel like if I'll say that the character work is more collectively than individually oriented it is a bit stereotypical and not very precise.
I feel like I'm starting to lose a grip here a bit, so I'm going to start to wrap this up. I listened to this on audio and if I remember correctly it was quite good. I also always love to listen to audiobooks with cultures based on languages that I don't know so I can hear the right sounds, but on the other hand googling and remembering the names becomes harder.
I feel like there were some other things that I wanted to talk about, but... clearly I can't hold a though, so I better end it now. This is such a unique book and honestly one of my favourite reads of 2023 and I wholeheartedly recommend it even though it is not a perfect book.
June 27, 2022
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/06/24/...
For fans of slowburn mysteries with a unique alternate history backdrop, The Peacekeeper is sure to keep you riveted. The story follows Chibenashi, whose titular role makes him a police detective of sorts for his small town of Baawitigong in a North America that was never colonized. His life hasn’t been easy, with a childhood filled with loss and a younger sister to care for, but Chibenashi manages to get by, until the Manoomin harvest, when the murder of a woman turns the close-knit community on its head.
The circumstances around the killing dredges up unpleasant memories for our protagonist. Two decades ago, his mother was murdered too, and his father confessed to the crime. Now it turns out that the slain woman was his mother’s best friend, leading to an investigation which takes Chibenashi down some dark paths he never thought to revisit again. But if there is a connection between the two murders, he must find out—for his traumatized sister and for himself.
I confess, the plot itself is a rather standard murder mystery, but it was the description of the novel’s alternate history setting and its intriguing approach which made me curious and led me to read book. And overall, it certainly did not disappoint in that respect. The alternate history angle was indeed the most fascinating element of the novel, because not only is the entire geography of the continent different, but the author also challenges you reflect upon about how the entire structure of government or society might be changed. Pretty much everything is different.
Are there questions that don’t get answered or holes that don’t get filled in regarding the world-building? Sure, but I don’t think it affected the experience too much. In that sense, the story worked effectively as a thought experiment, putting the main character’s personal demons and emotional turmoil into a fresh new context.
The plot itself was slowburn, as I said, unraveling at a measured pace as Chibenashi goes through the motions of chasing down clues and interrogating leads. The trajectory of the story itself is pretty standard and won’t be breaking any new ground for seasoned readers of police procedurals or mysteries, but the highlight for me was definitely the moral and psychological aspects and questions it presents. After all, I was able to predict the big reveal rather easily, but it was the repercussions and the aftermath of those revelations that truly stuck with me.
And honestly, it probably wouldn’t have made such an impact had Chibenashi hadn’t been written so well. Our protagonist is a flawed man, with a troubled past that has left him burdened with plenty of guilt, sadness, and general sense of being beaten down. He hasn’t always made the right decisions, but his backstory also gives the reader a reason to sympathize with him and see the situation from his perspective. Deep down though, he is also a champion for the truth and won’t stop pursuing it even knowing he might not like the answers he finds at the end.
Bottom line, I enjoyed The Peacekeeper, and though the world-building is arguably the novel’s strongest point, I feel there is also a good story here led by a powerful, memorable protagonist. As luck would have it, I also had the audio edition of the book to review and had the pleasure of listening to the performance of narrator Darrell Dennis, who did a great job delivering a full emotional range for a character like Chibenashi. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for an interesting alternate history novel or a unique mystery.
For fans of slowburn mysteries with a unique alternate history backdrop, The Peacekeeper is sure to keep you riveted. The story follows Chibenashi, whose titular role makes him a police detective of sorts for his small town of Baawitigong in a North America that was never colonized. His life hasn’t been easy, with a childhood filled with loss and a younger sister to care for, but Chibenashi manages to get by, until the Manoomin harvest, when the murder of a woman turns the close-knit community on its head.
The circumstances around the killing dredges up unpleasant memories for our protagonist. Two decades ago, his mother was murdered too, and his father confessed to the crime. Now it turns out that the slain woman was his mother’s best friend, leading to an investigation which takes Chibenashi down some dark paths he never thought to revisit again. But if there is a connection between the two murders, he must find out—for his traumatized sister and for himself.
I confess, the plot itself is a rather standard murder mystery, but it was the description of the novel’s alternate history setting and its intriguing approach which made me curious and led me to read book. And overall, it certainly did not disappoint in that respect. The alternate history angle was indeed the most fascinating element of the novel, because not only is the entire geography of the continent different, but the author also challenges you reflect upon about how the entire structure of government or society might be changed. Pretty much everything is different.
Are there questions that don’t get answered or holes that don’t get filled in regarding the world-building? Sure, but I don’t think it affected the experience too much. In that sense, the story worked effectively as a thought experiment, putting the main character’s personal demons and emotional turmoil into a fresh new context.
The plot itself was slowburn, as I said, unraveling at a measured pace as Chibenashi goes through the motions of chasing down clues and interrogating leads. The trajectory of the story itself is pretty standard and won’t be breaking any new ground for seasoned readers of police procedurals or mysteries, but the highlight for me was definitely the moral and psychological aspects and questions it presents. After all, I was able to predict the big reveal rather easily, but it was the repercussions and the aftermath of those revelations that truly stuck with me.
And honestly, it probably wouldn’t have made such an impact had Chibenashi hadn’t been written so well. Our protagonist is a flawed man, with a troubled past that has left him burdened with plenty of guilt, sadness, and general sense of being beaten down. He hasn’t always made the right decisions, but his backstory also gives the reader a reason to sympathize with him and see the situation from his perspective. Deep down though, he is also a champion for the truth and won’t stop pursuing it even knowing he might not like the answers he finds at the end.
Bottom line, I enjoyed The Peacekeeper, and though the world-building is arguably the novel’s strongest point, I feel there is also a good story here led by a powerful, memorable protagonist. As luck would have it, I also had the audio edition of the book to review and had the pleasure of listening to the performance of narrator Darrell Dennis, who did a great job delivering a full emotional range for a character like Chibenashi. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for an interesting alternate history novel or a unique mystery.
May 26, 2022
When I read the premise for this book, I knew I had to read it and find out what North America might have become by the Twenty-First Century without the Europeans claiming the land through genocide and seeding it with slaves from Africa.
The world Brooke Blanchard builds is vivid and as plausible as it is surprising. I liked that the geopolitics and cultural infrastructure stayed in the background, letting me focus on the day to day life both in the small village where the action starts and the big (but very different) city where the action moves to. Showing me the world through the eyes of a guy who has never left his village and then dropping him into the big city for the first time when he's on the edge of falling apart from stress and grief made the world much more vivid.
The murder mystery which is both central to the story and provides a framework for world-building, was well done. I had a strong feeling about who the murderer must be from fairly early on but that didn't spoil my enjoyment because I didn't know the why or the how and I was curious about how the detective would find out the truth and how he would react to it when he did.
One of the strengths of the book is that the people in it don't have the same values and reflexive reactions that folks in the West have today. Their way of dealing with conflict, the intent and mechanics of their legal system, their reaction to authority and their expectations of each other, are all differed from our norms and this difference became very clear in the context of a criminal investigation.
I was impressed how Brooke Blanchard used the situation and the personalities of the characters in it to bring these differences to light, slowly but consistently, making the point integral to the story, avoiding didacticism and yet still making me realise and challenge some of my assumptions around how investigators and those being investigated should behave.
One consequence of the differences in attitudes of both investigators and investigated was that the action in the story was much more low-key than a similar story set in the modern US would be. For me, this meant that the story didn't have the tension of a typical thriller, but once I let go of expectation and accepted the story on its own terms, I was happy with the pace and tone of the book.
I think 'Peacekeeper' is impressive for bringing to life a truly alternative history, for avoiding treating that alternative as either a utopia or dystopia and seeing it instead as a different path taken and for driving the story through the emotions and perceptions of one badly damaged man, trying to solve the mystery of another tragedy coming his way after so much has already gone wrong.
I'll be picking up the second book in the series 'The Mother' when it comes out next year.
August 17, 2022
This popped up on First Reads and then again on Kindle Unlimited and the setting looked interesting. I initially passed on it for First Reads, but considered a couple times if that had been a mistake.
I can't recall when I last read a murder mystery, but setting the alternative history/present around the Great Lakes added to the hook and eventually popped this to the top of my pop fiction list due to the 3 months of free Unlimited counting down after I passed on having a permanent license.
The good: I really liked the world building and setting. It felt nearly fully realized (if superficial) and kudos to Blanchard. The glossary helped early on in the rare instances that the context didn't clearly indicate meaning of a word. I found myself looking at maps after the first couple chapters so I could best visualize the area which also helped. I've wanted to get up there for some time and I'll definitely be thinking about this book when/if I do.
The bad: Exposition much? The third person limited perspective for the character of Chibenashi makes sense, but being in his head for pages and pages of exposition goes on a bit too long for me. The killer is obvious very early in the book and so hundreds of pages are left waiting for how the reveal is going to happen which drags the story.
The terrible: Chapter 22 onward is a dumpster fire. The protagonist makes dumb decisions which change little to nothing about what he knows (and he's too dense to put it together anyway). The killer becomes so obvious at this point that things get flat out stupid as no one else can figure it out either. The motivations and mental health issues of the killer induced groans and were poorly researched. The climax is stolen from, like, every scene in every bad thriller movie ever. The wrap up chapter once it's solved felt like the end of a Scooby Doo episode: "Why did Mr. Withers call in that bomb threat? To throw us off his trail! There never was a bomb Shaggy!"
Fixes? - More possible suspects and/or disguise it much better. Next, shortly after Chibenashi travels to the city switch 3rd person limited perspective(s) either just to Takumwah or bounce between him and Dakaasin. Both were more interesting characters than the protagonist and moving the narrative point of view would have filled out the world even better.
Overall disappointed, but given how well done the setting was, giving this one an "it was ok" rating.
I can't recall when I last read a murder mystery, but setting the alternative history/present around the Great Lakes added to the hook and eventually popped this to the top of my pop fiction list due to the 3 months of free Unlimited counting down after I passed on having a permanent license.
The good: I really liked the world building and setting. It felt nearly fully realized (if superficial) and kudos to Blanchard. The glossary helped early on in the rare instances that the context didn't clearly indicate meaning of a word. I found myself looking at maps after the first couple chapters so I could best visualize the area which also helped. I've wanted to get up there for some time and I'll definitely be thinking about this book when/if I do.
The bad: Exposition much? The third person limited perspective for the character of Chibenashi makes sense, but being in his head for pages and pages of exposition goes on a bit too long for me. The killer is obvious very early in the book and so hundreds of pages are left waiting for how the reveal is going to happen which drags the story.
The terrible: Chapter 22 onward is a dumpster fire. The protagonist makes dumb decisions which change little to nothing about what he knows (and he's too dense to put it together anyway). The killer becomes so obvious at this point that things get flat out stupid as no one else can figure it out either. The motivations and mental health issues of the killer induced groans and were poorly researched. The climax is stolen from, like, every scene in every bad thriller movie ever. The wrap up chapter once it's solved felt like the end of a Scooby Doo episode: "Why did Mr. Withers call in that bomb threat? To throw us off his trail! There never was a bomb Shaggy!"
Fixes? - More possible suspects and/or disguise it much better. Next, shortly after Chibenashi travels to the city switch 3rd person limited perspective(s) either just to Takumwah or bounce between him and Dakaasin. Both were more interesting characters than the protagonist and moving the narrative point of view would have filled out the world even better.
Overall disappointed, but given how well done the setting was, giving this one an "it was ok" rating.
May 2, 2022
Profound storytelling
Worlds created. Characters interact. Realizing the possibilities the author infused caused me to pause constantly v and feel my world soften as I wanted to be a peacekeeper. Well done
Worlds created. Characters interact. Realizing the possibilities the author infused caused me to pause constantly v and feel my world soften as I wanted to be a peacekeeper. Well done
May 23, 2022
This book was difficult to read. There were many unfamiliar words that all seemed the same. It was also difficult to see so many things handled poorly - the investigations, the family abandonment. Add to all of that I knew who did it from the beginning.
June 1, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
This may easily be the most fascinating invented setting I've read for a murder mystery in ages, and that definitely includes the Anglo-Nordic nation Peter Spiegelman created for his excellent A Secret About A Secret. Imagine, if you will, a near-future world in which North America was never colonized by Europeans. Instead, the indigenous tribes were allowed to develop and war on their own, with the Anishinaabe culture eventually prevailing around the area we know in our reality as the Great Lakes.
Chibenashi is a Peacekeeper in the historic village of Baawitigong, in the Anishinaabe nation. It's a relatively easy job: crime is low, ebbing and flowing with the influx of tourists, and most of his duties involve retrieving lost people and items. This suits him just fine, as his life otherwise is preoccupied with taking care of his needy younger sister Ashwiyaa, who has never really recovered from the one murder to afflict Baawitigong in the last twenty years: the slaying of their mother Neebin. Their father Ishkode confessed to the killing and was sent to prison in the nearest city, Shikaakwa, but the stain of his crime marks his offspring still, leaving them outsiders in the only home they've ever known. The siblings aren't entirely friendless, but even the best efforts of their community falter in the face of Ashwiyaa's instability. Only their immediate neighbors and their mother's best friend Meoquanee insist on being there for them daily.
With the onset of the twentieth anniversary of his mother's death, Chibenashi braces himself for the onslaught of memory and grief that accompany that date every year. What he does not expect is for another murder to shatter the peace and happiness of Baawitigong once more. Meoquanee has been slain in her own wigwam, and the evidence suggests that whomever killed Neebin all those years ago is responsible for her death too.
A shell-shocked Chibenashi is forced to place Ashwiyaa in the care of their neighbors as he makes the trip to Shikaakwa, not only to protect the custodial chain of evidence but also to interview the only other people who were present twenty years ago and might have been involved in both deaths. The big city provides both sensory and cultural overload for our small town hero, and that's even before he's forced to confront not only the father he's avoided for two decades but also the lover who left him behind. Will Chibenashi be able to overcome his own prejudices and fears in his pursuit of the devastating truth?
I'm ngl, the murder mystery in this book is pretty thin: whodunnit is obvious quite early on, tho why is presented in a fascinating, often elegant manner. The real star of this book is Anishinaabe culture. Allowed sovereignty and expansion, their religion of giving and care strongly shapes the forms their government, judiciary and economy take as the centuries pass. Which isn't to say that their systems are entirely perfect, as B. L. Blanchard (herself an enrolled member of the Saulte Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) deftly points out: people fall through the cracks, and evil, hypocrisy and cultural imperialism are impossible to stamp out, try as people might to do the best they can. But it's still a strong framework that emphasizes peace and goodness in a way that modern systems of governance often fail to embody, despite much lip service being given to those ideals.
As a fresh imagining of a world with minimal colonization, this is a wholly engrossing work, and one I'd highly recommend for anyone interested in both indigenous practices and in the effort of decolonization. Plus, it opens with a quote from Tommy Orange's brilliant and sensitive There There and how could I possibly resist that?
The Peacekeeper by B.L. Blanchard was published today June 1 2022 by 47north and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
This may easily be the most fascinating invented setting I've read for a murder mystery in ages, and that definitely includes the Anglo-Nordic nation Peter Spiegelman created for his excellent A Secret About A Secret. Imagine, if you will, a near-future world in which North America was never colonized by Europeans. Instead, the indigenous tribes were allowed to develop and war on their own, with the Anishinaabe culture eventually prevailing around the area we know in our reality as the Great Lakes.
Chibenashi is a Peacekeeper in the historic village of Baawitigong, in the Anishinaabe nation. It's a relatively easy job: crime is low, ebbing and flowing with the influx of tourists, and most of his duties involve retrieving lost people and items. This suits him just fine, as his life otherwise is preoccupied with taking care of his needy younger sister Ashwiyaa, who has never really recovered from the one murder to afflict Baawitigong in the last twenty years: the slaying of their mother Neebin. Their father Ishkode confessed to the killing and was sent to prison in the nearest city, Shikaakwa, but the stain of his crime marks his offspring still, leaving them outsiders in the only home they've ever known. The siblings aren't entirely friendless, but even the best efforts of their community falter in the face of Ashwiyaa's instability. Only their immediate neighbors and their mother's best friend Meoquanee insist on being there for them daily.
With the onset of the twentieth anniversary of his mother's death, Chibenashi braces himself for the onslaught of memory and grief that accompany that date every year. What he does not expect is for another murder to shatter the peace and happiness of Baawitigong once more. Meoquanee has been slain in her own wigwam, and the evidence suggests that whomever killed Neebin all those years ago is responsible for her death too.
A shell-shocked Chibenashi is forced to place Ashwiyaa in the care of their neighbors as he makes the trip to Shikaakwa, not only to protect the custodial chain of evidence but also to interview the only other people who were present twenty years ago and might have been involved in both deaths. The big city provides both sensory and cultural overload for our small town hero, and that's even before he's forced to confront not only the father he's avoided for two decades but also the lover who left him behind. Will Chibenashi be able to overcome his own prejudices and fears in his pursuit of the devastating truth?
I'm ngl, the murder mystery in this book is pretty thin: whodunnit is obvious quite early on, tho why is presented in a fascinating, often elegant manner. The real star of this book is Anishinaabe culture. Allowed sovereignty and expansion, their religion of giving and care strongly shapes the forms their government, judiciary and economy take as the centuries pass. Which isn't to say that their systems are entirely perfect, as B. L. Blanchard (herself an enrolled member of the Saulte Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) deftly points out: people fall through the cracks, and evil, hypocrisy and cultural imperialism are impossible to stamp out, try as people might to do the best they can. But it's still a strong framework that emphasizes peace and goodness in a way that modern systems of governance often fail to embody, despite much lip service being given to those ideals.
As a fresh imagining of a world with minimal colonization, this is a wholly engrossing work, and one I'd highly recommend for anyone interested in both indigenous practices and in the effort of decolonization. Plus, it opens with a quote from Tommy Orange's brilliant and sensitive There There and how could I possibly resist that?
The Peacekeeper by B.L. Blanchard was published today June 1 2022 by 47north and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
June 26, 2022
This book definitely fell flat for me. I liked the reimagining of America without European colonization, but I wish that had been a larger part of the book. There were two glaring issues for me:
1. I did not find the main character likable at all. I almost stopped reading it early on because of this. His biggest "redeeming" quality was how much he loved his sister, and even that was annoying!
2. Then, once I got far enough into the book that things started to pick up (and I could kind of ignore how little I liked him), it became painfully obvious who the murderer was. I kept reading thinking there must be a twist, but no. Not only was the murderer obvious, the book also ended exactly as I expected it to.
Note: I used this book as a read-in-the-middle-of-the-night-when-I-wake-up-to-feed-my-baby book because it was boring enough that I could easily fall back asleep.
1. I did not find the main character likable at all. I almost stopped reading it early on because of this. His biggest "redeeming" quality was how much he loved his sister, and even that was annoying!
2. Then, once I got far enough into the book that things started to pick up (and I could kind of ignore how little I liked him), it became painfully obvious who the murderer was. I kept reading thinking there must be a twist, but no. Not only was the murderer obvious, the book also ended exactly as I expected it to.
Note: I used this book as a read-in-the-middle-of-the-night-when-I-wake-up-to-feed-my-baby book because it was boring enough that I could easily fall back asleep.
May 9, 2022
An amazing tale
What an intriguing crime novel, set amongst people of such a different culture. The view of justice, seeking peace for the victim, is a very different, but intriguing one. The story line is so very refreshing compared to other crime novels. I can't wait to read what B.L. Blanchard has coming next!
What an intriguing crime novel, set amongst people of such a different culture. The view of justice, seeking peace for the victim, is a very different, but intriguing one. The story line is so very refreshing compared to other crime novels. I can't wait to read what B.L. Blanchard has coming next!
January 28, 2024
Just realized this was first in a series. Do I care? The premise was interesting: no colonial powers in what is now the US. Varieties of indigenous communities living in present day. But mostly this was a murder mystery and I accurately identified the joker by page 40. I am usually terrible at this. Maybe 3 is too high?
April 11, 2024
This book about an alternate America, where colonization never occurred, changed my head as a Native American writer more than any other book I've ever read. Not to mention that it's a fast-paced mystery at its core. It shows us a community where indigenous values allow for every single need that's basic being taken care of, so when a serial killer is in their midst, because it's so unbelievably rare in this world, the community members can't even see it. Highly recommend.
May 27, 2022
Culturally fascinating, disappointing mystery
There is much to commend this book. It reveals a justice system and a way of being in community that white America could learn from.
On the other hand, the protagonist was so distraught and made so many bad choices that I lost respect for him. The identity of the murderer was clear halfway through the book, yet none of these smart people could figure it out.
There is much to commend this book. It reveals a justice system and a way of being in community that white America could learn from.
On the other hand, the protagonist was so distraught and made so many bad choices that I lost respect for him. The identity of the murderer was clear halfway through the book, yet none of these smart people could figure it out.
October 19, 2023
This is not a bad book (although, at times it could have been better written) with a really interesting premise. In an alternate America never conquered by the Europeans, a native American policeman attempts to find a close friend's killer. I had a good idea of who the villain was from quite early on and this was confirmed as the story went on. I think the novelty of the storyline was what held me throughout.
Not bad.
Not bad.
July 15, 2022
An engrossing mystery tale set in an alternative America where colonizers never arrived.
July 4, 2022
Not my usual but this was very interesting! I enjoyed the community aspects and thinking about people. Some cliches were written in a unique way. In a unique perspective. I liked the look into cultural issues, and this particular justice system. I liked the nod that in theory things are supposed to work perfectly but in practice, especially when humans are involved, in so much messier. I didn’t expect the intensity of the ending but in some ways I kinda suspected. It was kinda drawn out though. But I liked that everything wasn’t peachy, it was a realistic yet satisfactory ending, and the mc got a chance at reclaiming his life. I liked that; because of an event of his childhood everything he wanted and had potential for just… got swept away but just because he’s rusty doesn’t mean he couldn’t dream and hope again.
His sister was a piece of work.
I like the no-holds-barred on the consequences of choices, that was well done.
There was some strong language I didn’t appreciate and kissing that led to him staying the night. Violence, traumatic events. Mention of suicide. Depression. Mental instability.
Received via Amazon Prime’s First Reads
His sister was a piece of work.
I like the no-holds-barred on the consequences of choices, that was well done.
There was some strong language I didn’t appreciate and kissing that led to him staying the night. Violence, traumatic events. Mention of suicide. Depression. Mental instability.
Received via Amazon Prime’s First Reads
March 3, 2024
Wholly engaging
This was a great read. Imagine if North America had not been colonized, and that is the world in which this takes place. A murder in the present is tied to a murder twenty years ago, one in which a family has never recovered. I enjoyed the world-building, because it was intricate enough to put me into the world. The mystery and plot are well paced and I was pulled in more and more with every chapter.
This was a great read. Imagine if North America had not been colonized, and that is the world in which this takes place. A murder in the present is tied to a murder twenty years ago, one in which a family has never recovered. I enjoyed the world-building, because it was intricate enough to put me into the world. The mystery and plot are well paced and I was pulled in more and more with every chapter.
June 9, 2022
One part alternate history and one part murder mystery. I loved the author’s careful development of a world unmarred by colonization. I struggled with the answer to the mystery. Thematically, it made sense—but I’m not so sure I believe it on a character level.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of the book!
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of the book!
July 11, 2023
The Peacekeeper is a police procedural set in an alternate universe present, where the Native Americans weren't genocided by European explorers and colonists. Thus, the Great Lakes are populated by the Ojibwe nation who maintain many of their traditional practices alongside modern amenities like fast passenger rail and cell phones. This is a legitimately interesting setting, and the author has clearly put a lot of thought into creating this world.
But, the story suffers from what felt to me like too much build up of how Utopian this society is. I find it's much more effective to show what people's lives are like than to constantly tell me how great everyone's lives are. Our main character, Chibenashi, also irritates me immensely. He is 37 years old, but acts like he's a teenager or young twenty-something. Now, we do eventually get some insight into his feelings in a way that feels emotionally honest, but it's really tiring to spend so long with an emotionally incompetent protagonist.
Another thing affecting my enjoyment is how early I identified the culprit. Seriously, the solution felt really, really obvious, to the point where Chibenashi's failure to figure it out made him seem like an even bigger idiot than I already thought he was.
Pluses- Interesting, well conceived world. Some genuine pathos as Chibenashi confronts the past.
Minuses- Too much time spent depicting how wonderful the society is. Obvious mystery that doesn't feel well constructed.
This isn't a bad book, it just doesn't live up to its potential.
But, the story suffers from what felt to me like too much build up of how Utopian this society is. I find it's much more effective to show what people's lives are like than to constantly tell me how great everyone's lives are. Our main character, Chibenashi, also irritates me immensely. He is 37 years old, but acts like he's a teenager or young twenty-something. Now, we do eventually get some insight into his feelings in a way that feels emotionally honest, but it's really tiring to spend so long with an emotionally incompetent protagonist.
Another thing affecting my enjoyment is how early I identified the culprit. Seriously, the solution felt really, really obvious, to the point where Chibenashi's failure to figure it out made him seem like an even bigger idiot than I already thought he was.
Pluses- Interesting, well conceived world. Some genuine pathos as Chibenashi confronts the past.
Minuses- Too much time spent depicting how wonderful the society is. Obvious mystery that doesn't feel well constructed.
This isn't a bad book, it just doesn't live up to its potential.
July 24, 2022
Rating: 3 stars
North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past.
This is an Alternate History book as well as a police procedural. The sequel, The Mother, is listed with a 2023 publication date. I found the differences in the Judicial system interesting. There is a glossary in the back of the book containing the Native American words used to tell the story.
North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past.
This is an Alternate History book as well as a police procedural. The sequel, The Mother, is listed with a 2023 publication date. I found the differences in the Judicial system interesting. There is a glossary in the back of the book containing the Native American words used to tell the story.
August 30, 2022
I have always wanted to read a book set in a never-colonized North America, and Chippewa (Ojibwe) author B. L. Blanchard finally delivered that book to me. By happenstance I recently read Rez Life by David Treuer (Ojibwe), so I was a tiny bit familiar with some of the traditions shown in this book (specifically Manoomim, the harvesting of the wild rice).
In any case, The Peacekeeper was and wasn't what I was expecting. The small town cop forced to go to the big city to uncover answers was definitely a plot I've read before, but Blanchard did a good job of the necessarily groundwork to make us believe in this indigenous America--both with setting up the community and how this specific society is organized, with plenty of hints at how the world is a bit different. Because the justice system is so different, Blanchard had to lay it out for readers, especially for those readers who may not be used to it. At first, it seemed a bit too good to be true or utopian, but there are definitely some cracks that show that this is still an imperfectly human society.
The main character Chibenashi also had quite the internal struggle throughout the book in ways that really made me want to smack him, even as I empathized with him. The plot was somewhat predictable (and in one aspect, hard to believe), but I really loved the how hard the resolution was. I also have no idea where this series is going to go, as it may not exactly be the detective mystery series I thought it was going to be.
In any case, The Peacekeeper was and wasn't what I was expecting. The small town cop forced to go to the big city to uncover answers was definitely a plot I've read before, but Blanchard did a good job of the necessarily groundwork to make us believe in this indigenous America--both with setting up the community and how this specific society is organized, with plenty of hints at how the world is a bit different. Because the justice system is so different, Blanchard had to lay it out for readers, especially for those readers who may not be used to it. At first, it seemed a bit too good to be true or utopian, but there are definitely some cracks that show that this is still an imperfectly human society.
The main character Chibenashi also had quite the internal struggle throughout the book in ways that really made me want to smack him, even as I empathized with him. The plot was somewhat predictable (and in one aspect, hard to believe), but I really loved the how hard the resolution was. I also have no idea where this series is going to go, as it may not exactly be the detective mystery series I thought it was going to be.
June 8, 2022
This one pushed me, thereby enlarging my comfort envelope. Not many books do that. The first few paragraphs almost made me put it down . . . and then I realized that I was resisting the new language that I was being asked to learn: long names, not Tim and Jane, but Baawitigong, Chinebashi, Anish-inaabewi-gichigami. Offended my cultural arrogance! Maybe it's a good time for all of us to lower our guards against other cultures. I never got comfortable with the long names (and appreciated the glossary of Anishinaabemowin terms *after* reading the book. For me, letting unfamiliar names and words wash over me, trying to infer their meaning from context, is the best way to learn.)
So for me this was a learning book. Big clue: no police, but peacekeepers. "They lived by the principle of minobimaadiziwin -- the good life: be good to one another, be good to nature, and live healthy in both mind and spirit. They took care of each other and, in doing so, took care of themselves." [p61] This book is about a very different civilization, maybe the one that would have developed on the North American continent if the bloody Brutish hadn't colonized? That's never explained, and needn't be; the ideas of reconciliation and making whole instead of incarceration and punishment have a lot of resonance for me.
[sidenote: Kindle frustration. There's a map at the front of this book that I want to see BIG. Very cool revisioning of a familiar continent. I found it a little bigger on Amazon in the Look Inside, but I'd like to see it higher rez and bigger.]
So for me this was a learning book. Big clue: no police, but peacekeepers. "They lived by the principle of minobimaadiziwin -- the good life: be good to one another, be good to nature, and live healthy in both mind and spirit. They took care of each other and, in doing so, took care of themselves." [p61] This book is about a very different civilization, maybe the one that would have developed on the North American continent if the bloody Brutish hadn't colonized? That's never explained, and needn't be; the ideas of reconciliation and making whole instead of incarceration and punishment have a lot of resonance for me.
[sidenote: Kindle frustration. There's a map at the front of this book that I want to see BIG. Very cool revisioning of a familiar continent. I found it a little bigger on Amazon in the Look Inside, but I'd like to see it higher rez and bigger.]
November 23, 2022
How I read this: on my e-reader at night as my just before sleep book
Do I recommend that you read this: yes
This book succeeds in its effort to depict a possible world in which the Americas were never colonized and therefore many indigenous practices are preserved with the strength of majority culture as society adopts modern technology and shifts to many living in cities. It does not pretend that this results in a utopia but it certainly had me longing for many pieces of it. It especially depicts a system of justice that focuses on restoration and reconciliation rather than punishment.
The murder mystery at the heart of the story was somewhat less successful for me. I figured out the guilty party pretty early on, and the revelation of that person’s guilt in the plot felt less than satisfying. There seemed to me to be some fairly big missing elements as to how and why they had become the person they had to become.
Still, I stayed up later than intended while reading the last quarter of the book because those climactic moments drove me forward.
Do I recommend that you read this: yes
This book succeeds in its effort to depict a possible world in which the Americas were never colonized and therefore many indigenous practices are preserved with the strength of majority culture as society adopts modern technology and shifts to many living in cities. It does not pretend that this results in a utopia but it certainly had me longing for many pieces of it. It especially depicts a system of justice that focuses on restoration and reconciliation rather than punishment.
The murder mystery at the heart of the story was somewhat less successful for me. I figured out the guilty party pretty early on, and the revelation of that person’s guilt in the plot felt less than satisfying. There seemed to me to be some fairly big missing elements as to how and why they had become the person they had to become.
Still, I stayed up later than intended while reading the last quarter of the book because those climactic moments drove me forward.
June 18, 2022
4.5+ stars. I loved this book. It is a beautiful look at how different our world might have been. It provides alternates that sound so appealing while also not making it too idealistic. No one and nothing is without fault or else we would not continue to grow and strive for better.
I loved the use of the Anishinaabemowin language (I just wish I had seen the glossary of terms before finishing the book, if only to give me a better idea of the geography of the book; I got the gist, but was thinking further east). I also loved being introduced for the first time to a culture I don’t know much about. I was able to watch videos showing the Manoomin festival, for example , to help me visualize what was being described in the book. It’s left me wanting to see more, which can be a challenge in a murder mystery.
This book is as much about the people and culture it takes place in as the plot, perhaps even more so. I’m looking forward to the next book.
I loved the use of the Anishinaabemowin language (I just wish I had seen the glossary of terms before finishing the book, if only to give me a better idea of the geography of the book; I got the gist, but was thinking further east). I also loved being introduced for the first time to a culture I don’t know much about. I was able to watch videos showing the Manoomin festival, for example , to help me visualize what was being described in the book. It’s left me wanting to see more, which can be a challenge in a murder mystery.
This book is as much about the people and culture it takes place in as the plot, perhaps even more so. I’m looking forward to the next book.
May 29, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, imagining a country where colonization never happened and the natural growth and change of the indigenous people of North America were represented. A modern world, but significant differences in the landscape, the architecture, and the social norms. The use of the Anishinaabemowin language was important and added to the story. Chibenashi was such a gentle man, profoundly damaged and hurt by the events of the past, he made my heart ache. The mystery was something that I suspected early on in the book, but the twists and emerging evidence kept me guessing until just before it was revealed. I recommend this book, and I also look forward to reading the second book in the series. B.L. Blanchard has a unique style that I very much enjoyed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews