In the Shadow of Lightning: 1 (Glass Immortals)

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The calming sorcery of skyglass wasn’t going to save Demir’s life, but it certainly would make it easier. The prose is pedestrian, and just doesn't quite feel like it's to the normally higher standard I would associate with this author. Ordinarily I'd say 'the spooky eldritch monsters are cool precisely because they remained mysterious. Demir’s chapters are a mix of political intrigue, mystery, and war all while developing the magic system. The author did a very good job in steadily pacing out the mystery reveals to keep the pacing of the story going.

I think some character perspectives were better than others but I really liked the writing style of this book so I didn't mind too much.

Tor UK is a London-based publisher of hardcover and paperback books committed to science fiction and fantasy writing.

As mentioned previously, In the Shadow of Lightning is told from four perspectives: Demir, Kezzie, Thessa, and Idrian.

He finds himself thrown again into the world of politics, shadowy puppet masters, and potential war, and must find the allies he needs to discover his mother’s killers and their motives. His physique reminds me of Mad Ben Styke from the Gods of Blood and Power series though he's not nearly as quick to violence. His struggle through mental illness while also dealing with all the things happening around him was incredibly compelling to me. Both of these can get her in a lot of trouble if she isn’t careful…Also, what the hell is with the “I could be Lady Grappo”-sh*t?

My rating is just because I know the author could do better, that's why I cannot wait for the next installment. Glassdancing, Godglass forging, and the practical and battle applications that came from them were so cool to experience.

I'd compare it to it's use in the video game 'Bloodborne,' a game which is advertised and presents itself as traditional gothic horror (werewolves in London! The deck was stacked against this book with all the people I know who also got approved for an eARC either not really enjoying it or DNFing. While there were a few beautiful moments between characters, I do think that those readers looking for more character-driven books will find this one lacking. There are also extremely unexpected creatures that appear later in the book that end up giving a strangely horror aspect to this book that was appreciated even though there was zero leadup to it.

This book's narrative is outwardly very similar, in that it uses similar plotlines, but on the execution, 'Lightning' is better written. I am the greatest killer in this world,’ he declared, his voice rising as he spoke, his eyes taking on a terrifying fire. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long to discover how the characters created by Brian are fairing, my evenings will be a tiny bit less exciting until then.The world in this novel still felt similar to the industrialized/flintlock setting of The Powder Mage universe.