Cover Image: Weave the Lightning

Weave the Lightning

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High fantasy, great mix of characters, world building is great, magic system is a tad complex, but worth diving as this is good!

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De manera esporádica surgen libros de fantasía con inspiración rusa y he de reconocer que llaman mi atención, como por ejemplo los de Peter Higgins de la serie Wolfhound Century. Así que no es de extrañar que tuviera Weave the Lightning en el punto de mira, con sus personajes de circo que a la vez que artistas son espías para la resistencia contra el estado opresor.


Esta primera entrega de la trilogía The Bourshkanya, nos sirve para ponernos en contexto y conocer a los dos personajes principales de la historia, Celka y Gerrit. La narración se basa mucho en la contraposición de ambos, de extracción muy diferente y sin embargo con muchos puntos en común. Celka es artista de circo junto con su familia y a la vez ejerce de correo para la resistencia, aunque comienza a realizar cada vez tareas de mayor implicación en este movimiento reformistas. Gerrit es el hijo del General Supremo del régimen, pero a diferencia de sus hermanos, no es capaz de contentar a su padre con sus esfuerzos para controlar la magia de la tormenta.

Lo que quizá debería ser más ilusionante de la novela, el sistema mágico, es sin embargo lo que la condena a no destacar. Y no porque no parezca atractivo, si no porque no está bien explicado. Se entiendo que hay unas tormentas especiales que ocurren cada cierto periodo de tiempo de las que ciertas personas con capacidades especiales son capaces de extraer magia. Pero, como digo, la explicación es muy confusa y no solo por la profusión de términos eslavos (al fin y al cabo, cuando leo en inglés tampoco es que los términos anglófonos que se inventan los autores me resulten especialmente intuitivos) si no por que no se entiende el funcionamiento. Hay una especie de universo paralelo al que los tocados por la tormenta pueden acceder, pero es exclusivo de cada uno como una interpretación del mundo actual. Y como cada uno accede de una manera, tampoco queda claro qué se puede hacer y qué no . Solo después de acabar el libro descubrí que la autora ha colgado en su web una explicación más profunda (a buenas horas, mangas verdes) que a lo mejor me hubiera ayudado a comprender mejor el libro, pero creo que esto tiene que hacerse dentro de la propia novela, para que mientras que estoy leyendo no tenga necesidad de recurrir a fuentes externas.

Este escollo del sistema mágico lastra mucho la evolución de todo el libro. Aunque me gusta sobre todo cómo se utilizan los viejos sistemas de espionaje para transmitir información (buzones muertos, lenguaje de signos, falsificaciones…) al final la rémora de no entender qué está pasando con la magia rompe la inmersión en la lectura.

No sé si seguiré leyendo la serie, porque aunque me interesa ver cómo evoluciona la lucha contra el poder establecido, lo cierto es que no tengo muchas ganas de volver a pelearme con la Bourshkanya y demás parafernalia.

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The first novel in Lee's Bourshkanya Trilogy, WEAVE THE LIGHTNING is an interesting, well-written and well-told Russian-inspired fantasy novel. The world-building is well done, the storytelling is expertly executed (no info-dumps here). Interesting and engaging characters. Really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Recommended.

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In Weave the Lightning, magical energy comes from periodic storms - which can sometimes disappear for well over a century before coming back for a few decades - and those who wield it can also access a magical space parallel to reality which they can, to some extent, shape to their wishes and use to influence the world. For Gerrit, an elite cadet within the Storm Guard of Bourshkanya, wielding magic means proving himself and gaining the skills needed to protect his squad. For Celka, daughter of dissidents now living in secret with her aunt and uncle as part of their highwire act, the storms are a risk, threatening her self-control at the worst possible times and forcing her to consider alternative means of spending her time. Both Gerrit and Celka have opinions about the harsh regime they live under, with commonplace rationing and an increasingly brutal internal guard, but its not until Gerrit is forced to confront his superiors' lack of interest in his team's safety that he makes his move, hiding out in the circus where he's immediately discovered by Celka, and beginning a secret exchange between the two of them.

While the setting and the interests of its characters seem permeated with urgency, Weave the Lightning is happy to take things slowly, manoeuvring Gerrit and Celka together and then leaving Gerrit in his secret spot, passing judgement on Celka's various schemes even as he helps out (and, of course, eventually falls in love, because what else is there to do when you're shut in a circus truck with a bunch of snakes and the occasional visit from a cute acrobat? Celka gets more to do - and it helps that her secrets are less artificial than Gerrit's - as she starts taking greater risks and using her abilities to support the rebellion, making calls to bring their family into more dangerous schemes. I could have done without the sudden appearance of a mysterious, handsome knife-throwing second love interest, who adds very little beyond occasionally being good at carrying things, and also having a secretive aura about him, but it's pretty obvious where Celka's heart is at over the whole thing as well, and the connection between Celka and Garrit really helps carry the book.


The other delight here is the magic system, which reads like nothing else I've ever experienced. As well as the storms - which provide energy that allow mages to imbue particular objects with power, even as the mage risks losing themself to harness it - there's also a space called Sousednia, which those with magical talents can enter and move around and manipulate like a constant collective shared dream. Being able to affect the real world from Sousednia is another key part of the magic here, and while it can get confusing, especially if you're not the type of reader who really internalises descriptions and can hold two slightly different places in your head at once, it's also used to interesting effect as Gerrit and Celka develop their respective powers. (There is a primer from the author, if the opening chapters really make your head spin https://corrylee.com/magic-primer-the-bourshkanya-trilogy/). All in all, this is a fun series opener that promises plenty more intrigue down the line - though I might be double checking the prominence of the love triangle before I dive into further volumes.

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This book was really difficult to get into, but once the story got going beyond the original training I found myself much more invested in the characters. I have recommended that our school library purchase this book.

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While I enjoyed this book, I don't think it was fully accomplished.

We follow Gerrit and Celka who are both trying to find out how to better use their powers and not get killed.
They've also both sort of lost a parent aand are not (initially) fighting for the same cause.

Still they become closer and closer throughout the book and it was beautiful to see that, and to see that they had a purpose.

However, I'm still not sure how the magic system works as it was seriously confusing and overall, this book is fading from my memory already as it didn't have anything particularly memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Weave The Lighting has been one of my more anticipated releases. I admit the cover was what made me want to add this book. I mean, let's be real, how gorgeous is that cover?? Ignore the fact that it took me forever days to read it; I was slumping on and off. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book!

It's tiring hearing about the same types of magic system again and again where giant fire balls, ice-swords or air shields are just conjured up on demand, no restrictions, all-inclusive with a fancy magical amulet, free of charge. That's why I liked Weave The Lightning, the magic system was really well explained and it was different.

This story encompasses powerful and dangerous magic, military intrigue, well built friendships, and circus shenanigans. I loved the representations of friendship, love and family we see in this story, for there are many forms present - each one driving the characters toward a precipice of discovery that cannot be unlearned. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something that is both traditional fantasy but also something new entirely! I absolutely loved it and was sucked in the moment I started it.

I love when a fantasy lover and an author come together to twist tropes that we know and love!

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This is one of those moments where I don't have much to say for a title besides the fact that it fell short for me. Just everything fell short for me when it comes to writing. There was a lot of potential, but I just think it was not for me at all.

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It took me some time to get the hang of the world, but once I did the book was hard to put down. It offers a thrilling story, cool magic, and relatable characters. A worthwhile read.

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This is the book you borrow from the library when all the other books you wanted to borrow are out and you need something to tide you over until the other books are returned. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It has all the ingredients of a wonderfully grand tale with a travelling Russian-esque circus hiding revolutionaries and storm-wizards, but it needed more time to cook. The magic system was complex and confusing and the characters a wee bit dull and predictable.

You spend the first half of the book trying to grasp the magic system. The author has detailed this on her website, but it really should be included the book: a prologue, an appendix, a picture of a Storm Guard training or propaganda pamphlet with infographics. Any of these types of things added to the first few pages would be a quick and easy way of introducing and including the info instead of letting readers stumble around in the dark until they get to the abbreviated pottery analogy at the 50% mark. Knowing this information beforehand would really improve the reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for the ARC.

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I wanted so much to enjoy this, but I was so disappointed, the magic system is so overly complex and the world building seemed to be lacking. I really wasn’t keen on the love triangle (and I usually love a well executed one). The thing I did love was the writing style, the prose is actually lovely, just a shame that more development or editing wasn’t focused on for the other details. I think with the world building and magic system details worked on, this could be really good.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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While it did take me a while to get into this one, I did end up enjoying it. Although it does feel quite familiar in many ways, Lee still manages to add a few twists. I loved the concept of storm magic and thought Lee did a great job with the magic system. One issue I did have was the love triangle - it wasn't the worst I've come across but I'm never a fan of them. Overall this book was good and I would recommend it if the synopsis sounds good to you.

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This book got off to a rocky start, I'll be honest - but it's an easy explanation as to why. Now, you know I love a hard magic system, and this book has one. There are 'clear' ideas as to how one uses the strange storm magic and what it does and what the risks are. All those things I definitely appreciated - can't abide magic for no reason with no consequences. However, with a complex magic system that uses a lot of specific words (I genuinely don't know if they were Russian words or fantasy words so perhaps if you have a smattering of Russian it would be less odd) this book expected the reader to pick up how things worked through the narrative - rather than choosing to do it through exposition as happens in similar books. That's not a problem in less complicated systems but in this case, I just couldn't work out the specifics of the magic and why things were so difficult for the two 'perspective' characters. I would maybe have excused it had the whole book been from Celka's perspective as she doesn't actually know much about her own magic - but Gerrit had the training - I don't think it would have felt too odd to have had him do more of a straight explanation. Others may disagree with me, but it did hinder how easily I could get into this story. 

That being said, once I was in I had a really good time reading this book. I think the circus setting really worked to this book's favour - allowing the characters access to settings and people in a believable way, but it didn't have the kitschiness that some other circus books have. This felt grittier somehow, and also made it feel as though the circus was part of a world, as opposed to the circus being a world. I appreciated the setting and the worldbuilding, creating the network of revolution and the various challenges the terrain and the government presented to that revolution. 

In a lot of ways the story is a familiar one, the son of the commander and the circus girl/revolutionary - but, as I've said before, a familiar story allows a new world to shine through, and the storm magic in this worldbuilding is hugely creative. I appreciated that the story explored how such magic would be used/abused in a military environment, that it wasn't just revolutionaries who had magic - it was being exploited by both sides. I just immersed myself in this book and it was odd coming to when all was done. 

Things did get a little love triangle adjacent at times - fair warning for those for whom that is a major no - but I think it was handled reasonably well. My other critique would be that sometimes Celka falls too far into the 'doe-eyed naive girl' camp - though only when it comes to romance, she's great when it comes to theft and heists. I'm nitpicking but she would have been so amazing a character otherwise!

I really recommend this book if you're looking for a familiar fantasy story with a bit of a twist. I think it would make a great palette cleanser book while still leaving you with some food for thought. If you can pick up a copy I'd suggest you do!

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. 

Weave the Lightning is out April 7th!

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eARC received from NetGalley, thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books.

What first attracted me to this book is its stunning cover. This gorgeous vintage vibe is really sweet. But sadly, I really struggled with this book. It starts off with a very complicated magic system with many different characters introduced at first.

I think essentially that complex start ruined the mood and the story for me. It was disappointing. In the way your parents tell you they are disappointed. You feel guilty, like you failed. Half way through the book I was still confused about the magic system and most of the book I felt was pretty stilted and still, mostly about the magic. I was looking for action – adventure – movement.

I genuinely wanted to love this book. The concept of a circa1910 Russian infused, magical world sounds brilliant. The two main characters introduced; Celka and Gerrit, did not make an impact on me from the start and I really felt very emotionally unattached to these characters even though at times their emotions were very raw with fear and tension, I could not really get a sense of them in my head.

The story also did not “move” after reading 64 %, with some elements of subtle tension, the novel did not make me want to invest in the story itself because it felt very slow.

Maybe I just didn’t get it or it was a mood thing but there are some great things about the book:
*Gorgeous prose,
*great dialogue
*beautiful atmosphere
As the story progressed I wondered often how this would fatally and wonderfully collide together. However when that climax came – it wasn’t sharp or furious enough for me.

The author has a very rich imagination and that shines through however I almost feel like too much information was given at the start and not enough time at first to flesh out the magic and the characters.

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I was so so disappointed when I couldn't get into this one! I found the magic system ridiculously hard to follow & simply had no idea what was happening. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing style and the charatcers were growing on me, but the magic system played too big a part for me to try and read *around it.* I unfortunately DNF this around 30% through.

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It's not one of those books that keeps you hooked since the first pages but it's a fascinating and well told story, entertaining and engrossing.
I liked the Russian setting and the world building. The characters are well developed and interesting.
I'd like to read other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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This was hard to get into. The magic was confusing, which made the opening stilted, and made me not care enough about the characters. I settled into it and in the end it was an okay, interesting-ish read.

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This is rich and complex, and pretty good. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but enjoy this for the interesting characters, plot complexity, and general imagination of the author. This will probably be a hit with fantasy readers.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

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I love this concept: Russian inspired world, travelling circus, underground revolutionaries. All with a very curious magic system.
I found this book to be a bit hard to get into at first and the reason for that is that the author trusts the readers to be smart enough to figure things out on our own. He doesn't explain it, he just shows. Which can go either way, it only depends on you. For me, it was what set this book to be so unique. I was pleasantly surprised by it, and I'm glad to have read this story.

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A crackling fantasy with an unusual magic system! I really enjoyed this book- Celka was an engagingly realistic heroine (even if she makes a few very bone-headed decisions, but then again, she's young!) and I found the setting to be a fresh take on the current trend of Slavic inspired fantasy, setting the action in a world inspired by the Communist regime rather than the Imperial era. Although I did find the concept of sousednia rather hard to grasp at first (is it.... an alternate reality? A mind palace?) it's used enough that even if I never really got to grips with it, I understood it enough to follow the action, and it is, at least, something new.

Looking forward to the sequel!

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