man the 1st 90% was so painful but the last 10% was so satisfying since I loved the first one so much. I don’t think this one stands on its own :(

This is the first book that I've read by this author and so far, I'm decently impressed. Stolen Tongues is going to be one of my next reads as well.

This book was atmospheric, dark, mysterious, and sinister. I thought this book was creepy from start to finish and the creature kept drawing me in. I wanted more and more of it. I went into this book without knowing that this was tied to Stolen Tongues but I'm glad that I read this one first.

I loved the characters and the setting. I thought the pacing was even throughout and I didn't find myself bored by the story. 

There is a dog in this book and the dog does

not survive

for those of you wondering. 

I do think this book had some issues with how the history was presented at times, but overall I enjoyed this and the vibes. I'm excited to read the second book.

Wow. Where do I even begin? The highly anticipated sequel/prequel to Stolen Tongues has not only delivered; it has exceeded my wildest expectations. I've been waiting to read this book for months, and it was definitely worth the wait. Felix's growth as an author is so evident throughout the book, and you can see how much time, work, and research he put into his story. 

Onwé Lopez's life on the reservation on Pale Peak has been full of hardship and grief since he was a young boy. After losing his childhood best friend and then his father at such a young age, he falls into a downward spiral that holds influence over him into adulthood. When he witnesses a plane crash over the mountains, he becomes tangled in events that seem more myth than real life. Can Onwé discover the mystery of The Church Beneath The Roots before he loses everything he holds dear? 
  
 This book is vastly different from Stolen Tongues, in my opinion, and I think a lot of people were disappointed by that fact. The Church Beneath The Roots is such an elaborate and intricate story compared to the in-your-face, spine tingling horror in Stolen Tongues. I loved the detailed world and character building, and Onwé might be one of my favorite main characters ever. The horror in this book was more subtle, but still eerie and terrifying enough to give me chills (and tears) many times throughout the book. 
  
 Native American history and culture are the centerpiece of this story, which felt very well written to me. You can definitely tell he did detailed research and knows his stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Onwé, his people, and their history, and I'm crossing my fingers for a third installment of this series. 👀
  
 Felix will always be an auto-buy for me since he consistently ups his game with every new book. I can't wait for my physical copy to get here to add to my collection!! 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 (That's 5 Numi's as my rating)