Brian McClellan

In the Shadow of Lightning

James Eaton

(Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book! I was thrilled to read and review this epic book from one of my new favorite authors)

I have become such a fan of Brian McClellan this year. I started my journey with his writing through the fist three books in his Powder Mage universe. I found them to be extremely well-written and engaging. Brian has a way of mixing real-world kind of scenarios that feel like something from a story from past history with magical elements that feel totally unique and original. This book (In the Shadow of Lightning) did not stray from his strengths, as he did an even better job building this world and magic system. 

I loved the characters in the book. I do not want to spoil any of the plot (because you really need to just jump in with both feet and read the book), but McClellan does a great job in this book letting the characters experiences fill in all the plot points and history as you go. There is a good amount of world-building, but it usually happens as the book develops. McClellan's writing style is easy to read but it is full of information. If you are casually reading or listening, you will miss something important. This book (along with Powder Mage books) require some focus while reading for the best effect. There are some authors that I can skim or listen while doing other tasks, but Brian's writing takes a little more focus. This is not a bad thing, but it does take me a little longer to get through his books because they are full of great story arcs and character development. 

I see others make a Sanderson connection with Brian's writing, and I would tend to agree. I think they have different strengths and their styles are unique, but they are both great at making me "feel" the world as it's constructed throughout the book. Great magic systems, plenty of description, and twists and turns throughout offer a connections between their writing. If you like Sanderson, I think you will like McClellan's books (but they are by no means a copy or rip-off). I think they are friends, and I can totally see why! 

Speaking of Magic systems, the use of glass in this book is really (really!) interesting. I was instantly hooked from the first chapter and wanted to know more about the different types of glass and how people could use them. It plays a crucial role in the book and I loved all the story around the magic system. There are some really good fight scenes and opportunities to see the effects of the different types of glass and the advantages they offer to the characters who can use them. 

The world felt alive and real and I could clearly imagine everything that Brian wrote about as he crafted this world. The more you invest in these books, the better they become. I think it takes several chapters to really start to understand the world, but that is just because you are getting information from multiple characters and angles. By the end, I was ready for more story and more world-building! 

I have no major complaints about this book or the series that has been started inside of this universe. Much like the Powder Mage books, the ending left me ready for the next book. There were some sections in the middle that had me wondering where things were going, but all my concerns were answered by the end of the book. It was a great setup for the series and I cannot wait to read more from McClellan. His writing is an instant buy for me at this point and I will be making my way through the rest of the Powder Mage books (I have only finished the first trilogy currently) and I will be back for this Glass Immortal series as soon as there is another book.

In the Shadow of Lightning

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