Claire Eliza Bartlett

Two girls use forbidden magic to fly and fight--for their country and for themselves--in this riveting debut that's part Shadow and Bone, part Code Name Verity. Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she's caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They're both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women's military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can't fly together, and if they can't find a way to fly well, the enemy's superior firepower will destroy them--if they don't destroy each other first. We Rule the Night is a powerful alternate-history fantasy about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival despite impossible odds.

We Rule the Night

Savannah Winchell

DNF at 12%
Why do authors hate girls and femininity so much?

Two girls use forbidden magic to fly and fight--for their country and for themselves--in this riveting debut that's part Shadow and Bone, part Code Name Verity. Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she's caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They're both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women's military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can't fly together, and if they can't find a way to fly well, the enemy's superior firepower will destroy them--if they don't destroy each other first. We Rule the Night is a fiercely compelling story about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival against impossible odds.

Kayla

This story takes place in a steampunk fantasy loosely based on World War II, specifically on the all female Russian pilots called Night Witches (renamed Night Raiders in the story). Our main characters are Linné, a duty bound soldier who is here to serve the Union and get the job done, not make friends and Revna, a factory worker who's just trying to provide a better life for her family.

Linné is so dedicated to serving her country she disguises herself as a boy in order to enlist. When she is caught, she is willing to do anything not to be removed from the war effort. She is given the chance to join an all female regiment and she jumps at it, despite the begrudgement she feels at being removed from her post amongst her male comrades.

Revna does not have a lot of love for her country, as they have imprisoned her father and then reduced her family's status as extra punishment, but she is caught using the Weave, illegal magic that is deemed too dangerous due to its potentially permanent effects on the fabric of the world. The Elda, the enemy the Union faces in the war, makes use of this magic so Revna is given a chance to escape punishment and also restore her family's status if she joins the war effort.

The story shows us these two characters struggles with the hardships of war, sexism and powerlessness. The harsh and unfair world at first pits them against each other, but we slowly see them become friends and gain respect for one another as they face many challenges together.

We see excellent disability representation with Revna. She has prosthetic legs lovingly crafted for her by her father. Other characters want to either coddle her or underestimate her, (Linné included) but she has none of it. Revna knows what she is capable of and she won't let anyone tell her differently. She faces ableism but the novel doesn't leave it unchallenged.

My main gripe with the novel is how many unresolved issues it contains and the timing of the ending. I believe the novel needed more time to tie up loose ends. It would be served well with a sequel, although I sadly don't believe their will be one. The book ends on a note that things are still very unfair and we don't see if things ever get better for Revna's family. It's also up in the air just how much or how little we can trust Linné's old friends and what the ultimate fate of the war will be. The main resolution is the friendship arc between Linné and Revna. We also see both protagonists go through satisfying character arcs ending in better ideas about themselves and their loyalties.

Jessica Nottingham

Oh, holy hell, this book. Never in my life did I think that I'd read a book so bleak, and so maddening, and love it so damn much. I don't know know what kind of magic Clarie Eliza Bartlett wove to create this story, but it worked. Oh, it worked. Strap yourself in for some rambling, my friends, because that's all I know how to do at this point.

Look, I'm all for likable characters. It's nice when the MC is sweet, or snarky, or any manner of traits that are easy to connect with. Linne is not that character. Linne is difficult. She's not just rough around the edges, she's a solid block of stone. And yet, I fell in love with her all the same. Linne felt realistic to me, because she was a multi-faceted human being. Someone who looks so hard on the outside, but is really just trying to protect everything inside of her that she's afraid to let out. As the story progressed, I saw her cracks. I saw her flaws. I loved her more for it. 

Then there was Revna. The exact opposite of Linne in the beginning, but with her own imperfections. A woman who had constantly been told she wasn't enough, but managed to push through anyway. A woman buried under self doubt and shame, but being pressed into a diamond without noticing it. The love I felt for Revna was instantaneous, unlike with Linne, but Bartlett didn't let Revna stay in her shell for long. These two girls were like fire and ice when they met. Completely different, and yet linked together in ways that they couldn't see.

This isn't a happy story. Sure, there are portions of it that are lighthearted. There are moments of light in the darkness. However, this is a story about war. It's about women who are willing to risk everything for the good of their country, even when the men around them take away every shred of their credit. I won't lie, I cried while I read this book. Linne and Revna, plus all of the other women in their division, go through hell and back during the course of this story. What I loved more than anything though was that it didn't take away their individual personalities. Sure, they grew and adapted. Just like in real life though, they were still always very much themselves. My hard, stony Linne and my sweet, unsure Revna. Battered, but not completely broken.

We Rule The Night is a lightning fast read. There isn't a moment to breathe really, from the second you read that first sentence. I know it's kind of cliche to say things like "ALL THE FEELINGS." but that basically sums up this book better than anything else I could say to you. This story is full of intense emotions. It's bleak, it's frustrating at times, but it's beautiful too. The women in this story are stronger than I could ever be, and I loved them for that. I can't thank Claire Eliza Bartlett enough for writing a book that doesn't try to make her female characters bad ass assassins, or smart-mouthed space pirates, but just takes women who are already amazing and makes them even more impressive as they grow. I felt like I knew these women intimately by the end, and that's why this book stole my heart. Read this. I'm sure that you'll love it too.

We Rule the Night

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