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Coyote Run
In the first Amazing Tale of Antifascist Action,
New York Times
bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow serves up science fiction pulp in a North America fractured by drones, bioweapons, and ideology, giving us a heroine practically made out of violent resistance.
THE RUNNER
Just behind the front lines of a war they call 'civil', the shifter called Coyote is tough, fast, ugly-and known for taking jobs nobody else will.
THE JOB
Marge's sister is locked in a prison camp civilians shouldn't know about, deep in enemy territory. Rescuing her will take a plan made of weapons-grade insanity.
THE TRICK
To get in, all Coyote has to do is get caught.
THE PAYOFF
None, unless the satisfaction of killing an old enemy counts. And maybe a few small bounties from murdering fascist clones...
RUN, COYOTE. RUN.
THE RUNNER
Just behind the front lines of a war they call 'civil', the shifter called Coyote is tough, fast, ugly-and known for taking jobs nobody else will.
THE JOB
Marge's sister is locked in a prison camp civilians shouldn't know about, deep in enemy territory. Rescuing her will take a plan made of weapons-grade insanity.
THE TRICK
To get in, all Coyote has to do is get caught.
THE PAYOFF
None, unless the satisfaction of killing an old enemy counts. And maybe a few small bounties from murdering fascist clones...
RUN, COYOTE. RUN.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2025
18 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Lilith Saintcrow
134 books4,512 followersLilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
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February 26, 2025Antifascist queer Western pulp horror romp, and what a delightful string of words that is.
This is massive fun, in an extremely gory way. Think Mad Max but in post-collapse fascist USA, where a war is raging between the fash and the, you know, non-shit people. There are also shifters, including Coyote, who makes the fun over the border to trade weapons and kill fascists. Most of Coyote's personality is violent resistance. Some books debate whether violence is the answer; consider this one to start with the word YES in 150 point type.
The world is complex, but you can go with the flow very easily, the characters are lightly drawn in classic Western pulp manner, the violence is extreme, and the message is very clearly that the resistance will always regroup and regenerate and fight back, and eventually win, and that this is done all the quicker by not worrying about 'civility'.
the escapist book I needed right now, and what a staggeringly good cover.
This is massive fun, in an extremely gory way. Think Mad Max but in post-collapse fascist USA, where a war is raging between the fash and the, you know, non-shit people. There are also shifters, including Coyote, who makes the fun over the border to trade weapons and kill fascists. Most of Coyote's personality is violent resistance. Some books debate whether violence is the answer; consider this one to start with the word YES in 150 point type.
The world is complex, but you can go with the flow very easily, the characters are lightly drawn in classic Western pulp manner, the violence is extreme, and the message is very clearly that the resistance will always regroup and regenerate and fight back, and eventually win, and that this is done all the quicker by not worrying about 'civility'.
the escapist book I needed right now, and what a staggeringly good cover.
March 13, 2025
did not care for this at all
March 6, 2025
I really wanted to like this. But ... you can only read that "shifter" senses and bodies are better than those of the bad guys so many times before it gets old.
Also, when basically every character (even if only mentioned in passing!) in the story is more interesting than the lead, it does not make for a fun read, at least it did not for me.
Lastly, I expected at lot more AFA.
Also, when basically every character (even if only mentioned in passing!) in the story is more interesting than the lead, it does not make for a fun read, at least it did not for me.
Lastly, I expected at lot more AFA.
November 22, 2025
(2.5 Stars)
I really wanted to like this more than I ended up rating it. While reading this book I kept on going back and forth between two main thoughts... The first was that reading this book felt like it was maybe the second book in a series and I didn't read the first one, or maybe like this was based on something else and I was not in the know. And the other thought was that this was a lot like some mash-up between Shadowrun and Cyberpunk, and that is a definite niche that needs to be filled in my life.
The basic premise of the story, and a lot of the elements were really interesting and the writing was good. I just think that the world-building was half-formed, or maybe heavy on the ambition but light on the execution? I also don't feel like the characters had "growth", but instead were just thrust into situations and outcomes.
Bottom line is, yes, I would read another book in this series, and I'd really appreciate a prequel to this one to establish a starting point and help me figure out why why I should care about the characters. The narrator was decent.
I really wanted to like this more than I ended up rating it. While reading this book I kept on going back and forth between two main thoughts... The first was that reading this book felt like it was maybe the second book in a series and I didn't read the first one, or maybe like this was based on something else and I was not in the know. And the other thought was that this was a lot like some mash-up between Shadowrun and Cyberpunk, and that is a definite niche that needs to be filled in my life.
The basic premise of the story, and a lot of the elements were really interesting and the writing was good. I just think that the world-building was half-formed, or maybe heavy on the ambition but light on the execution? I also don't feel like the characters had "growth", but instead were just thrust into situations and outcomes.
Bottom line is, yes, I would read another book in this series, and I'd really appreciate a prequel to this one to establish a starting point and help me figure out why why I should care about the characters. The narrator was decent.
February 11, 2025
Short, fun story about a shapeshifter taking a job in a post-apocalyptic world. I would read another story in the same setting
January 18, 2025
3.5/5
Strong female protagonist. She reminded me of Vi from Arcane so if you enjoyed that definitely check this out!
I enjoy the plot and all the action scenes, but I feel like there's too much information and world building packed together. It makes it difficult to process, and kind of makes me feel lost, so I need to re-read paragraphs a couple times. I also feel like the book could do with far less cursing. I know it adds to the vibe of the characters and shows more about the society they live in, but it still feels excessive to so often include an unnecessary swear. Overall is a quick fun read, so if you're looking for that this will be a great choice!
Strong female protagonist. She reminded me of Vi from Arcane so if you enjoyed that definitely check this out!
I enjoy the plot and all the action scenes, but I feel like there's too much information and world building packed together. It makes it difficult to process, and kind of makes me feel lost, so I need to re-read paragraphs a couple times. I also feel like the book could do with far less cursing. I know it adds to the vibe of the characters and shows more about the society they live in, but it still feels excessive to so often include an unnecessary swear. Overall is a quick fun read, so if you're looking for that this will be a great choice!
November 9, 2024
Sometimes you just need to follow a bugf**k runner on a rescue op into fascist territory and watch her crack a few skulls. Actually, who am I kidding? We need stories like Saintcrow's all the time.
September 16, 2025
This book harkens back to the older school of science fiction called "pulp"--plot and action heavy, characterization and worldbuilding light. To that end, the action hits in the first chapter and never lets up.
In a near future where the United States has apparently splintered into several small warring countries and Texas has seemingly turned into a fascistic state called "Lindyland," our protagonist, the shapeshifter Coyote, makes "runs" into Lindyland to free political prisoners and other people swept up in a dictatorial dragnet. This future also has varous kinds of animal shifters, called "the next stage of evolution," although in this case evolution has been helped along by various virulent viruses and genetic engineering. Lindyland's army consists of clones of the "Father," and one of the grosser elements of the plot involves prisoners in the various concentration camps being killed and their bodies and DNA being repurposed to develop the next wave of clones.
Coyote is hired by the badger shifter "large and in charge" Margery, who wants Coytoe to penetrate Lindyland and rescue Marge's sister from the camp Distarritz. Coyote herself was held at this camp once upon a time, experimented on by the camp commander "Dr Death" Deranian, and managed to escape. Because of this, she takes the job to clear up some unfinished business with Deranian (and also because she has a reputation of being "bugfuck crazy" and taking jobs no one else will).
Needless to say, Coyote's "run," and this story, is a wild ride indeed. The cover, as old-fashioned and pulpy as the story inside, accurately depicts the shoot-em-up bang-bang "antifascist action" to be found within. This book isn't terribly deep, but it is fun (if a bit gory in places). The novella length (130 pages) is perfect for the story; you can get through it in an afternoon if you want. I used this to follow a slow-paced, philosophy heavy, thick brick of a volume, and it was just the brain cleanser I needed.
In a near future where the United States has apparently splintered into several small warring countries and Texas has seemingly turned into a fascistic state called "Lindyland," our protagonist, the shapeshifter Coyote, makes "runs" into Lindyland to free political prisoners and other people swept up in a dictatorial dragnet. This future also has varous kinds of animal shifters, called "the next stage of evolution," although in this case evolution has been helped along by various virulent viruses and genetic engineering. Lindyland's army consists of clones of the "Father," and one of the grosser elements of the plot involves prisoners in the various concentration camps being killed and their bodies and DNA being repurposed to develop the next wave of clones.
Coyote is hired by the badger shifter "large and in charge" Margery, who wants Coytoe to penetrate Lindyland and rescue Marge's sister from the camp Distarritz. Coyote herself was held at this camp once upon a time, experimented on by the camp commander "Dr Death" Deranian, and managed to escape. Because of this, she takes the job to clear up some unfinished business with Deranian (and also because she has a reputation of being "bugfuck crazy" and taking jobs no one else will).
Needless to say, Coyote's "run," and this story, is a wild ride indeed. The cover, as old-fashioned and pulpy as the story inside, accurately depicts the shoot-em-up bang-bang "antifascist action" to be found within. This book isn't terribly deep, but it is fun (if a bit gory in places). The novella length (130 pages) is perfect for the story; you can get through it in an afternoon if you want. I used this to follow a slow-paced, philosophy heavy, thick brick of a volume, and it was just the brain cleanser I needed.
February 23, 2025
In a North America not that far in the future, the United States is no more. A mess of succeeded territories are locked in a second decade of war, and Coyote is doing what she needs to survive. She is a runner, smuggling cargo and people back and forth over desert borders. She is also a shifter - a new evolutionary strain of humanity - stronger, faster, and closer to her namesake than first meets the eye. When a fellow shifter comes to her with an impossible mission, she has to decide if its worth breaking back into a fascist death camp to save a life.
Coyote Run is a brutal, pulpy adventure. It moves fast, expects the reader to keep up, and asks us not to flinch at the cruelty of hatred. Imagine Fallout if it didn't pull any punches, and if we not just saw but felt the violence inflicted by fascism on bodies. For all the challenge, I really enjoyed it. We fully inhabit Coyote's experience, and can practically feel the desert getting into the creases. There's gore, pain, and violence, but also a glimmer of heart shining through. At 140something pages it's just the right length, and I'd get the sequel if Saintcrow gives us one.
Thanks to Library Thing and Horned Lark Press for the review copy, and for continued Antifascist Action!
Coyote Run is a brutal, pulpy adventure. It moves fast, expects the reader to keep up, and asks us not to flinch at the cruelty of hatred. Imagine Fallout if it didn't pull any punches, and if we not just saw but felt the violence inflicted by fascism on bodies. For all the challenge, I really enjoyed it. We fully inhabit Coyote's experience, and can practically feel the desert getting into the creases. There's gore, pain, and violence, but also a glimmer of heart shining through. At 140something pages it's just the right length, and I'd get the sequel if Saintcrow gives us one.
Thanks to Library Thing and Horned Lark Press for the review copy, and for continued Antifascist Action!
February 7, 2025
4.5/5 rounded up
Ok, let me start at the beginning so you can go into this review with the information I had going into the story.
I got asked by a friend if I wanted to review an anthology from Kevin Hearne’s new imprint and it’s anti fascist themed. So between that message and the blurb I was kindly sent by Kevin, alongside the ARC of Coyote Run, I knew I was in for something anti fascist (the only way to be IMO), pulpy (ok cool, cool, that can be fun) and in the sci-fi category. I have no problems with any of these things.
Fortunately, I also had no problems with Coyote Run too. I don’t fully know where I went or what was always going on but I enjoyed the entire ride.
We’re in a post-Covid world where humans, or single-skins, live alongside (shape)shifters. With a title like Coyote Run, I am sure you can guess what our MC can shift into. Anyway, “since at least ‘19”, we have a landscape that consists of Mexi-Federal, Cascadia, Transcanada and a place called Lindyland which has clones, cryptids, and fascism (shocker). While we spend our time in this dystopian, fractured North American landscape, I always appreciate when stories consider what’s going on elsewhere in the world. Like the joke discussion around The Purge films about what the rest of the world is thinking when the US is doing this. In this case we know “Other continents had their own problems, or were waiting to see how all this would shake out.” Very considerate of Lilith to answer that wondering thought and also very fair of the other continents.
The story almost entirely follows Coyote, who is “bugfuck” (which I learnt means crazy), takes the jobs no one else will (we know from the blurb) and is like the epitome of ‘It’ll grow on you.’ Because by the end of it, she had fully grown on me. Our second key character, Marge, who is um..lovingly(?) referred to by Coyote as large and in charge, is our catalyst for everything and hires Coyote at a woefully low rate to rescue her sister.
“Is that the prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about?” Yes, that is the blurb mentioned prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about with Marge’s sister inside.
It should kind of go without saying that an anti fascist book that has a partial setting in a fascist prison camp will have some…distressing moments. There is literally a character nicknamed Doctor Death and it’s not because he’s merciful. But we know from the blurb there’s THE PAYOFF and with nothing hugely awful depicted on page, I think we can all agree this is a net win for Coyote. She even gets her DONQ-E unit called Chicken tuned up in anticipation of the job! (This makes marginally more sense in context, I promise.) More importantly for us as the reader, the entire job is eyes wide, heart racing, wtaf questioning, and wholly captivating as it all goes down. I have never cackled more at the image of someone stealing a vehicle while deliriously shouting ‘I’M FUCKING PASSIN THROUGH!’. Granted this was the first time such an image has presented itself but I’m 1:1 on it nonetheless.
Vehicle theft and delirious shouting isn’t even the tip of the iceberg on how absolutely over the top and out there Coyote Run is. Like “pulpy” even feels like an understatement. But it’s so. much. fun. and kept me glued to the pages. It’s political in a way that doesn’t pull punches but doesn’t beat you over the head with the point. It’s relevant to the changes we’re seeing in the world. It’s just plain good! Part way through I also mentally cast the narrator as a gritty woman that smoked too much and sounds like Roz from Monsters Inc which I feel really added to my sense of the book. That might not work for everyone. You do you, it’s fine.
This was my first foray into Lilith Saintcrow’s works, and while I needed to go slowly over some parts to really get what was being said, I absolutely have to pick up more by her. And if this is the standard we can expect from Kevin Hearne’s new imprint, I have very high hopes and expectations for
Ok, let me start at the beginning so you can go into this review with the information I had going into the story.
I got asked by a friend if I wanted to review an anthology from Kevin Hearne’s new imprint and it’s anti fascist themed. So between that message and the blurb I was kindly sent by Kevin, alongside the ARC of Coyote Run, I knew I was in for something anti fascist (the only way to be IMO), pulpy (ok cool, cool, that can be fun) and in the sci-fi category. I have no problems with any of these things.
Fortunately, I also had no problems with Coyote Run too. I don’t fully know where I went or what was always going on but I enjoyed the entire ride.
We’re in a post-Covid world where humans, or single-skins, live alongside (shape)shifters. With a title like Coyote Run, I am sure you can guess what our MC can shift into. Anyway, “since at least ‘19”, we have a landscape that consists of Mexi-Federal, Cascadia, Transcanada and a place called Lindyland which has clones, cryptids, and fascism (shocker). While we spend our time in this dystopian, fractured North American landscape, I always appreciate when stories consider what’s going on elsewhere in the world. Like the joke discussion around The Purge films about what the rest of the world is thinking when the US is doing this. In this case we know “Other continents had their own problems, or were waiting to see how all this would shake out.” Very considerate of Lilith to answer that wondering thought and also very fair of the other continents.
The story almost entirely follows Coyote, who is “bugfuck” (which I learnt means crazy), takes the jobs no one else will (we know from the blurb) and is like the epitome of ‘It’ll grow on you.’ Because by the end of it, she had fully grown on me. Our second key character, Marge, who is um..lovingly(?) referred to by Coyote as large and in charge, is our catalyst for everything and hires Coyote at a woefully low rate to rescue her sister.
“Is that the prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about?” Yes, that is the blurb mentioned prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about with Marge’s sister inside.
It should kind of go without saying that an anti fascist book that has a partial setting in a fascist prison camp will have some…distressing moments. There is literally a character nicknamed Doctor Death and it’s not because he’s merciful. But we know from the blurb there’s THE PAYOFF and with nothing hugely awful depicted on page, I think we can all agree this is a net win for Coyote. She even gets her DONQ-E unit called Chicken tuned up in anticipation of the job! (This makes marginally more sense in context, I promise.) More importantly for us as the reader, the entire job is eyes wide, heart racing, wtaf questioning, and wholly captivating as it all goes down. I have never cackled more at the image of someone stealing a vehicle while deliriously shouting ‘I’M FUCKING PASSIN THROUGH!’. Granted this was the first time such an image has presented itself but I’m 1:1 on it nonetheless.
Vehicle theft and delirious shouting isn’t even the tip of the iceberg on how absolutely over the top and out there Coyote Run is. Like “pulpy” even feels like an understatement. But it’s so. much. fun. and kept me glued to the pages. It’s political in a way that doesn’t pull punches but doesn’t beat you over the head with the point. It’s relevant to the changes we’re seeing in the world. It’s just plain good! Part way through I also mentally cast the narrator as a gritty woman that smoked too much and sounds like Roz from Monsters Inc which I feel really added to my sense of the book. That might not work for everyone. You do you, it’s fine.
This was my first foray into Lilith Saintcrow’s works, and while I needed to go slowly over some parts to really get what was being said, I absolutely have to pick up more by her. And if this is the standard we can expect from Kevin Hearne’s new imprint, I have very high hopes and expectations for
February 7, 2025
2.5 stars, rounded to 3 for Goodreads.
Coyote Run definitely fits the advertising. It is a pulp-fiction science-fiction novel that follows Coyote and Marge, shifters (people who have a mutation allowing them to change into an animal), as they work to free Marge's sister from the fascist regime's torture camp.
It was a fine enough novella, with the ARC copy coming in at just under 150 pages. I was extremely confused the first half of the book, and would have benefited from either a glossary in the back to define some of the terms or a prologue of a few chapters to introduce the world, rules, and war to us. By the second half, it was significantly easier to follow, but because we had just been plopped into the world, I had a hard time caring about the characters. I was entertained for the whole thing, however, as it fit the bill of pulp-fiction with the action-packed adventure.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. All opinions are my own.
Coyote Run definitely fits the advertising. It is a pulp-fiction science-fiction novel that follows Coyote and Marge, shifters (people who have a mutation allowing them to change into an animal), as they work to free Marge's sister from the fascist regime's torture camp.
It was a fine enough novella, with the ARC copy coming in at just under 150 pages. I was extremely confused the first half of the book, and would have benefited from either a glossary in the back to define some of the terms or a prologue of a few chapters to introduce the world, rules, and war to us. By the second half, it was significantly easier to follow, but because we had just been plopped into the world, I had a hard time caring about the characters. I was entertained for the whole thing, however, as it fit the bill of pulp-fiction with the action-packed adventure.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me a copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. All opinions are my own.
March 17, 2025
In the first Amazing Tale of Antifascist Action, New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow serves up science fiction pulp in a North America fractured by drones, bioweapons, and ideology, giving us a heroine practically made out of violent resistance.
THE RUNNER
Just behind the front lines of a war they call “civil,” the shifter called Coyote is tough, fast, ugly—and known for taking jobs nobody else will.
THE JOB
Marge’s sister is locked in a prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about, deep in enemy territory. Rescuing her will take a plan made of weapons-grade insanity.
THE TRICK
To get in, all Coyote has to do is get caught.
THE PAYOFF
None, unless the satisfaction of killing an old enemy counts. And maybe a few small bounties from murdering fascist clones…
RUN, COYOTE. RUN.
THE RUNNER
Just behind the front lines of a war they call “civil,” the shifter called Coyote is tough, fast, ugly—and known for taking jobs nobody else will.
THE JOB
Marge’s sister is locked in a prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about, deep in enemy territory. Rescuing her will take a plan made of weapons-grade insanity.
THE TRICK
To get in, all Coyote has to do is get caught.
THE PAYOFF
None, unless the satisfaction of killing an old enemy counts. And maybe a few small bounties from murdering fascist clones…
RUN, COYOTE. RUN.
Read
April 8, 2025This is the second time I've attempted to start reading this book, and I cant get any further than page 15 without giving up. The author drops you right into the middle of this world and expects you to keep up. there is very little world building or character introductions, and the slang is pretty heavy handed. It would be better to have some sort of background info on the war going on at the beginning of the book so the reader know what the hell is happening. This book is going back to the DNF pile for now, and I'll try reading through it again another time.
August 6, 2025
Shapeshifters, marginalized beings, blood and guts, revenge, taking care of business. What's not to love?
I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs someone like Coyote. Someone who knows what to do about fascists and doesn't just sit around and talk about it but takes action. A lot of us need to believe in a hero who is fighting the good fight in a way we couldn't, even if it's just fiction.
Coyote is my new superhero.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs someone like Coyote. Someone who knows what to do about fascists and doesn't just sit around and talk about it but takes action. A lot of us need to believe in a hero who is fighting the good fight in a way we couldn't, even if it's just fiction.
Coyote is my new superhero.
February 26, 2025
Great Novella
Written at the time of rising fascism in the US with a wannabe dictator. Details the escapades of a shapeshifter runner trying to save the sister of her client.
Very gritty and well written.
Written at the time of rising fascism in the US with a wannabe dictator. Details the escapades of a shapeshifter runner trying to save the sister of her client.
Very gritty and well written.
March 1, 2025
This one had the same kind of enjoyable vibe as She Wolf and Cub. Coyote is competent, violent, and compassionate in her own way.
March 6, 2025
Coyote Run
Absolutely smashing. With non-stop action and vivid characters, Coyote Run was a dizzying trip through a terrifying alternate universe that is all too easy to imagine…
I hope to read many more of these tales.
Absolutely smashing. With non-stop action and vivid characters, Coyote Run was a dizzying trip through a terrifying alternate universe that is all too easy to imagine…
I hope to read many more of these tales.
March 25, 2025
A lot of action, very violent. Some of the worst violence was off-page, but you see the results. Good and interesting worldbuilding, despite the short length of the novella. A road trip/heist (rescue) with a lot of dead fascists, which are the only good fascists. I enjoyed it a lot.
April 21, 2025
Novella that barely stays up to average. Post-apocalyptic US, split up and in civil war because a virus that was supposed to kill non-white nationalists created shifters. Coyote saves other shifter from them and a very simplistic, violent story follows as she does just that.
March 3, 2025
It’s a perfect scifi dystopia that speaks to the current times we find ourselves in. Anti fascist to it’s core and it makes no bones about meeting violence with violence.
March 5, 2025
A totally bugf*** dystopian anti-fash adventure! I can't wait for more.
March 6, 2025
Dense, intense and marvelous. Murderbot with a shifter in place of the bot and more gore and blood. "In the midnight hour, I cried more more more..."
March 23, 2025
Science fiction pulp, anyone?
This book will keep you engaged from beginning to end with this badass adventure!
This book will keep you engaged from beginning to end with this badass adventure!
April 14, 2025
For whatever reason the characters just didn't resonate with me.
September 3, 2025
Furious and sharp
This is a powerful look at what could come next, with a wild story, a great heroine, and a lot of punching fascists. Who could ask for more?
This is a powerful look at what could come next, with a wild story, a great heroine, and a lot of punching fascists. Who could ask for more?
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews