Book review: Tread of Angels

Reviewed by Karl Hele

Drawing from Western American history as well as various Christian tropes, Rebecca Roanhorse’s novella, Tread of Angels, is a marvellous and engaging story.  The work draws on the experiences of mixed-ancestry people in the United States in silver rush towns to explore themes of racism, prejudice, infidelity, passing, justice, destruction, and renewal.

Tread of Angels is set in a mining town, Goetia, segregated between the Elect (i.e., Settlers) and the Fallen (i.e.,  Black, Indigenous, and other racialized minorities). Celeste, the main character, crosses these seemingly clearly demarcated boundaries through her mixed ancestry – her dad was among the Elect while her mother was Fallen. Unlike her sister Mariel, Celeste does not outwardly carry the mark of the Fallen, a golden circle around the iris thereby allowing her some forms of ‘freedom.’

When Mariel is accused of brutally murdering a member of the Elect, Celeste seeks to establish her sister’s innocence. The novella follows Celeste, her Fallen friends, and an ex-lover demon general named Abraxas as she weaves through the ‘Hallowed Halls’ of the Elect, which are rife with internal dissension, barbarism, political intrigue, and hypocrisy. As Celeste tries to establish her sister’s innocence, the prejudice, exploitation, and segregation imposed and maintained in Goetia by the Elect is raw and highly visible. The Tread of Angels’ climax takes place in the circle of Virtue Court where Celeste and Mariel both face their pasts and futures.

Tread of Angels is an excellent short read that not-so-subtly explores the sordid pasts and presents of resource-dependent communities that are stratified on race and class. It is evocative, emotive, engaging, and gripping.  The work is an excellent blend of fantasy, history, and Christian symbolism by an Indigenous author who is masterful storyteller. While the work appears to be a stand-alone book, I do hope that Roanhorse returns to Celeste, Mariel, Abraxas, and the town of Goetia in future works.  Tread of Angels is a great fantasy story.

Rebecca Roanhorse, Tread of Angels. Toronto: Saga Press, 2022.

ISBN: 9781982166182