In the Shadow of Lightning: 1 (Glass Immortals)

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I liked his character arc. He has personality dynamism in this arc, starting from a state of certainty, transferring into uncertainty, and transitioning into a state of confidence again. I would have liked if the narrative showed more of his con-artistry ways, but overall he was well done.

As for the side characters, I don't really have much to write about. I will say that I would have liked if Demir's mother- the assassinated matriarch- actually appeared in this story. She loomed like a titan over events, so I wanted to meet her. I likewise wanted more from the other side characters. None of them were bad, but only one or two of them were especially memorable. Thessa recreates, and improves upon, the machine her master invented. It's fueled by lightning, using that energy to recharge magical jewelry.

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When you have multiple POVs, stagger high tension and low tension scenes between the perspectives, so your reader doesn't overdose on too many high-tension or low-tension scenes in a row. THE EXCEPTION to this is at the very end of the story, when you have all the perspectives finish at a high point to make a memorable climax. Demir Grappo is an outcast―he fled a life of wealth and power, abandoning his responsibilities as a general, a governor, and a son. Now he will live out his days as a grifter, rootless, and alone. But when his mother is brutally murdered, Demir must return from exile to claim his seat at the head of the family and uncover the truth that got her the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out.

Here is why I have mixed feelings. I wanted more Horror from the story. Nothing about this book was genre horror (no gore, no heroes slowly descending into madness, no grimdark, that sort of thing). The lovecraft aesthetic was only skin deep. I hope in future books the author explores the horror of this situation a little more, instead of just using the aesthetic to make cool monsters to fight against. Also, I want more than just monsters. I am a fan of this trope; give me tentacles! Give me mad science experiments! Show me human nature's inner beast, hiding within that Victorian uptight morality! That sort of thing. In the Shadow of Lightning is an easy read with a clear destination that takes a surprising turn toward the end. Not the ending itself—that was everything you expected it to be, in a good way—but the direction of the world and series. There is a lot to enjoy about this book, but it is the promise of where the series is headed that excites me the most. Very good. The narrator did a good job of giving different characters different voices. The narrator gave some of them a Caribbean accent which worked really well. I think the narration did a good job of improving my estimation of this book. I gave it 4 stars instead of 3 because of the audiobook. Excellent worldbuilding and a truly epic narrative combine into Brian's finest work to date. Heartily recommended to anyone who wants a new favorite fantasy series to read."―Brandon SandersonAs an avid fan of Brian McClellan's previous works set in The Powder Mage universe, I was extremely excited to read his new foray into epic fantasy. By and large I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience, and it definitely goes down as one of the best 2022 releases I have read. Powerful rival families, murderous conspiracies, epic battles, larger-than-life characters, and magic."―Fonda Lee, author of The Green Bone Saga If I were to critique Thessa's character arc, I'd say that the slavery story beat from the first half of the story wasn't really continued on to the second half. Her enemies in the first half were different from those in the second half. It made her section feel a bit disjointed, having built up one faction as enemies (the Magna) only to have her fight another faction at the end (the Grent). My favorite thing about the book was the magic system. Magic-forged glass of varying colors, each type offering a different benefit to the user. It went into some good details on how the glass was created and used, which were among the best parts of the story for me – I love reading about people who are exceptional in their field of work. I also really enjoyed seeing the magic used in the many hand-to-hand combat scenes. Really cool.