Killer of Enemies

By Joseph Bruchac
Out of Stock

A post-Apocalyptic YA novel with a steampunk twist, based on an Apache legend.

Audiobook Edition

Description

Years ago, seventeen-year-old Apache hunter Lozen and her family lived in a world of haves and have-nots. There were the Ones-people so augmented with technology and genetic enhancements that they were barely human-and there was everyone else who served them.

Then the Cloud came, and everything changed. Tech stopped working. The world plunged back into a new steam age. The Ones’ pets-genetically engineered monsters-turned on them and are now loose on the world.

Fate has given Lozen a unique set of survival skills and magical abilities that she uses to take down monsters for the Ones who have kidnapped her family. But with every monster she takes down, Lozen’s powers grow, and she connects those powers to an ancient legend of her people. It soon becomes clear to Lozen that she is not just a hired gun.

As the legendary Killer of Enemies was in the ancient days of the Apache people, Lozen is meant to be a more than a hunter. Lozen is meant to be a hero.


Discover more from Lee & Low Books

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

About the Creators

Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac, a citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, is the author of more than 100 books for children and teens, including multiple picture books published by Lee & Low Books, and the young adult Killer of Enemies trilogy, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. A Rockefeller Fellow and an NEA Poetry Writing Fellow, Bruchac has received numerous recognitions and awards over his long-standing career. In addition to writing, Bruchac is an editor at Greenfield Review Press, a literary publishing house he co-founded with his wife. He lives in Greenfield Center, New York. To find out more about him, visit josephbruchac.com.

Awards

  • American Indian Youth Literature Award

    American Indian Library Association

  • Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

    Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

  • Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature Finalist

    Mythopoeic Society

  • Great Lakes Great Books Award Honor

    Michigan Reading Association

Reviews

  • "This unusual survival story brings a tight, emotionally spare narrative into the often overwrought dystopian genre. Lozen is a captivating heroine who uses her heritage of survival to find hope and strength, and the novel as a whole draws strongly on Apache language and folklore without being heavy-handed. Readers who prefer their warrior heroines with more battle-hardened sass and less self-reflection will find a lot to love here, as will fans of post-apocalyptic survival stories in less well-worn settings."

    - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
  • "This near future dystopia starring an Apache female superhero has the soul of a graphic novel, if not the art... A good bet for fans of superhero fiction and graphic novels and readers in search of superpowered female warriors."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Author of more than 120 books for adults and children, Bruchac has incorporated his Abenaki heritage into much of his writing. Killer of Enemies is no different. What is unique here is the postapocalyptic twist. Following the coming of the Cloud, which destroyed all technology and plunged the world back into the preindustrial age, 17-year-old Lozen, of Abenaki and Apache ancestry, is one of the few people left with the ancient skills and courage necessary to survive outside the walls of their city, a former prison. . . . This is a serviceable addition to the ever-growing dystopian genre."

    - School Library Journal
  • "Episodic high-octane chapters alternate between Lozen's battles in the wilderness and the sinister intrigue in Haven. Though the imaginative dystopian mythology is thick and occasionally heavy, the brisk pace and nonstop action keep things moving. This original addition to the dystopian genre ends with the open-ended promise of more to come."

    - Booklist
  • "Bruchac devises ever-more-dangerous battles for his protagonist and intersperses them with steadily worsening conditions on the home front, upping the stakes in the increasingly suspenseful story. What really makes the narrative vibrate is Lozen's sardonic voice, capturing both gallows humor and a very human vulnerability. Admirers of kick-ass heroines such as Katniss Everdeen will definitely want to see more of Lozen, and, since Bruchac ends with a pause rather than a period, a sequel is a tantalizing possibility."

    - The Horn Book

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781620142769
  • Publication Date Oct 01, 2013
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 5.5 in
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 400
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781620141434
  • Publication Date Oct 01, 2013
  • Trim Size 8.25 × 5.5 × 1 in
  • Weight 1.25 lbs
  • Page Count 400
  • Interests

  • Audience Young Adult
  • BISAC Category 1 YAF / Science Fiction / Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
  • BISAC Category 2 YAF / People & Places / United States / Native American
  • BISAC Category 3 YAF / Action & Adventure / Survival Stories
  • Themes Breaking Gender Barriers, Conflict resolution, Coping with Death, Courage, Dreams & Aspirations, Dystopia, Environment / Nature, Families, Fantasy, Fiction, Friendship, Heroism, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Indigenous / First Nations / Native American, Integrity / Honesty, Leadership, Middle Grade, Overcoming Obstacles, People In Motion, Persistence / Grit, Poverty, Science Fiction / Fantasy, Self Control / Self Regulation, Teen Interest, YA interest
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 11 - 17
  • Grade Range Grades 6 - 12
  • Guided Reading Z+
  • ATOS Book Level 14
  • DRA 80
  • Interest Level Grades 6 - 12
  • Lexile Level 860
  • Reading Level Grades 6 - 12
  • SRC 5.6
  • Bebop Reading Advanced
  • This Book is Included in These Collections:

    • 37
      Native American and Indigenous Booklist
      Collection of 37 books: $477.60

      Quiet Hero

      A biography of Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six soldiers to raise the United States flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, an event immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph.

      Sky Dancers

      John Cloud's father is a steelworker building skyscrapers in New York City, far away from their home upstate on the Mohawk Reservation.

      Sharuko

      A fascinating bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history.

      Stone River Crossing

      From the award-winning author of How I Became a Ghost, a tale of unlikely friendship and miracles. When Martha Tom helps Lil Mo and his family escape from the plantation across the river, it's just the beginning of a Choctaw adventure of a lifetime.

      The People Shall Continue

      Republished for its fortieth anniversary, this powerful story by renowned Acoma Pueblo poet and storyteller Simon J. Ortiz traces the history of Native / Indigenous people of North America from the time of creation to the present.

      The Woman Who Outshone the Sun / La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol

      Bilingual English/Spanish. A legend of Lucia Zenteno, who is part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico.

      This Land is My Land

      Through his own words and paintings, acclaimed Native artist George Littlechild takes us back in time to the first meeting between his Plains Cree ancestors and the first European settlers in North America.

      What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?

      Author Richard Van Camp asks his friends and family, "What's the most beautiful thing you know about horses?"

      Bowman's Store

      Bowman's Store gracefully weaves themes from Joseph Bruchac's intimate knowledge of Native American cultures with the scenes from the past that have shaped his life.

      Indian No More

      When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.

      Audiobook Edition

      Kiki's Journey

      Kiki and her parents travel back to the Taos Pueblo reservation where she was born to learn more about their Tiwa Indian heritage.

      Rattlesnake Mesa

      A true account of a spirited Native American girl's experiences growing up on a reservation and attending Phoenix Indian School in the 1920s, written in an engaging, unconventional style and accompanied by 38 dramatic photographs.

      The Story of All-Star Athlete Jim Thorpe

      This entry in the innovative "Story" line of chapter-book biographies focuses on Jim Thorpe, an exceptional athlete with natural talent and the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States.

      Wolf Mark

      Luke King, whose father is a black-ops infiltrator, uses the skills his father taught him to figure out his family's paranormal secret and save his kidnapped father and his own friends.

      Audiobook Edition

      Killer of Enemies

      A post-Apocalyptic YA novel with a steampunk twist, based on an Apache legend.

      Audiobook Edition

      Trail of the Dead (Killer of Enemies #2)

      In this sequel to Killer of Enemies, Lozen and her family, on the run from the tyrants who once held them hostage, embark on a journey along a perilous trail once followed by her ancestors, where they meet friends and foes alike.

      Audiobook Edition

      Arrow of Lightning (Killer of Enemies #3)

      In the final installment of the Killer of Enemies series, Lozen attempts to live a life without the violence that so far has defined her life, but the remaining Ones will not let that happen without a fight.

      Audiobook Edition

      I Remember

      An outstanding celebration of diversity and family: fourteen poets and sixteen illustrators of diverse backgrounds share memorable childhood experiences and reflect upon their different heritages, traditions, and beliefs.

      At the Park

      A Mohawk boy visits the park and uses his five senses to discover the natural world around him.

      The Blue Roses

      A modern-day Native American girl learns to understand the cycle of life after her grandfather dies.

      Fancy Dance

      Joe is dancing the Fancy Dance at a powwow for the first time. He is nervous, but once the dance starts he knows just what to do.

      I Make Clay Pots

      A Pueblo girl learns the traditional art of making pottery from her grandmother.

      I'm Heading to the Rodeo

      On her way to school one morning, a young Native American girl gets a taste of the rodeo adventure she daydreams about.

      My Family

      A Cherokee girl learns traditional skills and customs from the members of her family.

      My Horse

      A Pueblo boy living on a reservation in New Mexico cares for and rides his horse.

      Living in an Igloo

      Meet a young Inuit girl and her family. Learn why they sometimes live in an igloo and what life in an igloo is like.

      Baby Rattlesnake / Viborita de Cascabel

      Bilingual English/Spanish. A Native American (Pawnee) tale of family love and forgiveness.

      Louis Sockalexis

      A biography of Louis Sockalexis, Penobscot Indian and the first Native American to play professional baseball, focusing on his formative years and culminating in an historic game at New York's Polo Grounds in 1897.

      Laundry Day

      Two Navajo children help their mom do the weekly wash at the laundromat.

      When the Shadbush Blooms

      A young Lenape Indian girl observes and reflects on the small, important ways her family today, and her ancestors generations before, celebrate the cycle of seasons.

      A Man Called Raven

      Blending past with present, the magical with the real,A Man Called Ravenis both a tribute to the wisdom of the raven and a positive reminder that we can all learn from nature.

      Bears Make Rock Soup

      In this collection of paintings and stories, painter Lisa Fifield and writer Lise Erdrich honor their Native American tradition in their own unique ways.

      Buffalo Song

      The story of Salish Indian Walking Coyote and his efforts to save the vanishing buffalo herds from extinction in the United States during the 1870s and 1880s.

      Crazy Horse's Vision

      The true story of the great Sioux warrior who, as a young boy, defies tradition and seeks a vision on his own in hopes of saving his people.

      Giving Thanks

      A traditional Iroquois celebration of the beauty and spirit of Mother Earth, as told by a contemporary Mohawk chief.

      Home to Medicine Mountain

      Two young Maidu Indian brothers sent to live at a government-run Indian residential school in California in the 1930s find a way to escape and return home for the summer.

      Jim Thorpe's Bright Path

      A biography of the legendary Native American Jim Thorpe (1888--1953), voted the Greatest Football Player and Greatest Athlete of the Half-Century by two AP polls, focusing on his early childhood and how school and sports shaped his future.

      291 in stock

    • 107
      High-Low Books for Teens: Middle and High School
      Collection of 107 books: $1,637.70

      Ahimsa

      In this historical middle-grade novel, Gandhi asks for one member of each family to join the fight for independence from the British, and when Anjali's mother is jailed for doing so, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work.

      All the Stars Denied

      In a companion novel to her critically acclaimed Shame the Stars, Pura Belpré Award Winner Guadalupe García McCall tackles the hidden history of the United States and its first mass deportation that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.

      Audiobook Edition

      Amazing Places

      A collection of original poems that celebrate some of the amazingly diverse places in our nation. Readers of all ages will want to visit each amazing place again and again!

      Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle

      The Penderwicks meets In the Heights in this sparkling middle-grade debut about a young Dominican American girl in New York City.

      Arrow of Lightning (Killer of Enemies #3)

      In the final installment of the Killer of Enemies series, Lozen attempts to live a life without the violence that so far has defined her life, but the remaining Ones will not let that happen without a fight.

      Audiobook Edition

      Awakening (Tankborn #2)

      Before Kayla can free her fellow GENs from enslavement, she must save them from a deadly virus.

      Bird

      In this gentle, award-winning picture book, an African American boy nicknamed Bird uses drawing as a creative outlet as he struggles to make sense of his grandfather's death and his brother's drug addiction.

      Boy, Everywhere

      What turns citizens into refugees and then immigrants? In this powerful middle-grade debut, Sami and his family embark on a harrowing journey to save themselves from the Syrian civil war.

      Brothers in Hope

      Based on heartbreaking yet inspirational true events in the lives of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Brothers in Hope is a story of remarkable courage, and an amazing testament to the unyielding power of the human spirit.

      Butterfly for a King

      The fascinating true story of a beautiful native Hawaiian butterfly, a great Hawaiian warrior king, and current-day efforts by scientists and citizens to restore the butterfly's declining population.

      Capoeira

      A photo-essay about the history and practice of Capoeira, a centuries-old Brazilian martial art incorporating traditional movements and rhythmic music, that is popular today as an energetic game played throughout the United States and around the world.

      Cat Girl's Day Off

      In this hilarious YA homage to Ferris Bueller's Chicago, Natalie must use her Talent of talking to cats to solve a high-profile celebrity kidnapping.

      Chess Rumble

      A story in free verse about a troubled boy who learns to use his mind instead of his fists through the guidance of an unconventional mentor and the game of chess.

      Crossing Bok Chitto

      In this American Indian Youth Literature Award-winning story of cross-cultural friendship, a family of enslaved people and a Choctaw tribe work together on a daring escape.

      Cycle of Rice, Cycle of Life

      A photographic exploration of the cycles of traditional Balinese rice farming, a dynamic model of earth-friendly agriculture that connects a unique culture with the natural world.

      Dear Mrs. Parks

      On a December day in 1955, Rosa Parks changed the course of history when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.

      Dia's Story Cloth

      A Hmong American tells of her people's search for freedom.

      Diverse Energies

      A collection of dystopian short stories featuring diverse main characters and by authors of color.

      Audiobook Edition

      Dream Builder

      You've seen the building. Now meet the man whose life went into it.

      Drift

      Tenjat joins a dangerous defense to protect his island home from the monsters who threaten it in this fresh YA fantasy inspired by Mayan and Indian folklore.

      Etched in Clay

      The acclaimed biography-in-verse about the life and times of Dave, an enslaved potter who inscribed his works with short poems during the years leading up to the Civil War.

      Everglades Forever

      A photo-essay about the Florida Everglades, its unique ecosystem, and the efforts currently underway to restore this "Wetland of International Importance," told within the framework of a class study project and visit to the Everglades.

      Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

      In this groundbreaking William C. Morris Award winner for a YA debut, Gabi's life is a mess--her family, her friends, her attempts at a love life--but writing helps, especially since it turns out she's pretty good at poetry.

      Game, Set, Match Champion Arthur Ashe

      A picture book biography of tennis player Arthur Ashe, who began his career playing tennis as a child on the segregated courts as a child in Virginia and went on to become the top tennis player in the world.

      Grand Theft Horse

      Yummy author G. Neri returns to graphic novels with the powerful story of his cousin Gail Ruffu, who stole a racehorse in order to save it, and ended up fighting the whole racing industry for the humane treatment of animals.

      Hammering for Freedom

      The inspirational story of William "Bill" Lewis, a hardworking blacksmith who slowly saved his money and bought the freedom of each and every member of his enslaved family.

      Honda

      The life story of Soichiro Honda, pioneering Japanese businessman and innovative motorcycle and car manufacturer.

      Honoring Our Ancestors

      Through stories, art, and photographs, Honoring Our Ancestors will inspire children and their families to gain strength from the past as they ask themselves, "Who do I honor?"

      How We Are Smart

      Musician Tito Puente. Ballerina Maria Tallchief. Explorer Matthew Henson. Congresswoman Patsy Mink. These are some of the people profiled in this book. They are well known for different reasons, but they also have something in common. They were all smart!

      I Am Alfonso Jones

      The Hate U Give meets The Lovely Bones in this unflinching graphic novel about the afterlife of a young man killed by an off-duty police officer, co-illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist John Jennings.

      I and I Bob Marley

      A biography in verse of reggae legend Bob Marley, exploring the influences that shaped his life and music on his journey from rural Jamaican childhood to international superstardom.

      I Remember

      An outstanding celebration of diversity and family: fourteen poets and sixteen illustrators of diverse backgrounds share memorable childhood experiences and reflect upon their different heritages, traditions, and beliefs.

      I See the Rhythm

      i see the rhythmis an inspiring celebration of African American music and the far-reaching impact it has had on the world.

      In Her Hands

      A recreation of events from the childhood and early career of Augusta Savage, a pioneering female sculptor and major figure of the Harlem Renaissance.

      Ira's Shakespeare Dream

      The inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.

      Jim Thorpe's Bright Path

      A biography of the legendary Native American Jim Thorpe (1888--1953), voted the Greatest Football Player and Greatest Athlete of the Half-Century by two AP polls, focusing on his early childhood and how school and sports shaped his future.

      John Lewis in the Lead

      A biography of John Lewis, one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders of the 1960s, focusing on his involvement in Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

      Juan Verdades

      A prized apple tree, a dangerous bet, and a beautiful young woman--can Juan Verdades still be truthful by the end of the two-week bet?

      Un manzano preciado, una apuesta peligrosa y una hermosa joven: ¿puede Juan Verdades seguir siendo sincero al final de la apuesta de dos semanas?

      Just Like Me

      Through stories, paintings, and childhood photographs, these fourteen artists open their hearts and invite us to enter into their worlds. With honesty and encouragement, they offer hope for aspiring young people who dream of becoming artists- just like them.

      Killer of Enemies

      A post-Apocalyptic YA novel with a steampunk twist, based on an Apache legend.

      Audiobook Edition

      La Llorona / The Weeping Woman

      This retelling of the classic tale of the Weeping Woman will cause shivers and delight in readers of all ages!

      ¡Este recuento del folclore de La Llorona causará escalofríos y deleite en lectores y oyentes de todas las edades!

      Land of Morning Calm

      Take a journey to both ancient and modern Korea, where you will find a rich world of history and traditions that will capture your imagination and whet your appetite for learning more about this fascinating culture.

      Louis Sockalexis

      A biography of Louis Sockalexis, Penobscot Indian and the first Native American to play professional baseball, focusing on his formative years and culminating in an historic game at New York's Polo Grounds in 1897.