In book 1, MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. As tensions grow, an unlikely leader named Evan Whitesky returns to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping his community thrive again. MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVES is set a decade after the initial apocalypse. Following a group of brave explorers, including Evan and his daughter, Nangohns, they embark on a mission to explore the possibility of moving back to their ancestral home.

MOON OF THE... series explores survival in the face of systemic disasters. CRUSTED SNOW exposes the truth that those living on reservations face imperfect infrastructure before catastrophes. TURNING LEAVES further examines the unwavering strength of the Anishinaabe community. CRUSTED SNOW focuses on preservation, while TURNING LEAVES examines sustainability. From how to keep oneself alive to how to ensure the success of future generations, I loved seeing the progression of this series that reflects a thriving Indigenous society through resilience, community building, and solidarity.

While marketed as a sequel, TURNING LEAVES can be read as a standalone. Just note that it contains a major spoiler for book 1! I also think the Goodreads blurb gives away a little too much. It's a series that works best when you know very little going in. I'd categorize both books as literary suspense instead of thrillers due to their pacing. CRUSTED SNOW has a very slow start focusing more on characters and movingquickly in the last 20%. TURNING LEAVES has more even pacing throughout the story, with multiple twists and turns.