In the Shadow of Lightning (Glass Immortals Book 1)

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Recommendations: this is an incredibly creative and original fantasy that has the power to jolt (pun) anyone out of a reading rut. Truthfully, I don’t think I would’ve been quite so accepting of the wild ideas if the author hadn’t already established my trust in the Powder Mage trilogies. So proceed with caution if this is your first McClellan. While wildly entertaining, it didn’t strike the same chord with me as other works have. At least not yet… the series is young. There are a lot of weird components that probably shouldn’t work, but somehow McClellan managed to weave them all together in a (mostly) seamless manner. Truth be told, it’s a bit more bizarre than I usually prefer. I’m not sure I would’ve given the benefit of the doubt had it been from any other author. But seeing as both Powder Mage trilogies are among my all-time favorites, I went in with a huge level of trust that McClellan would be able to deliver. Thank goodness he did, in flying colors (or glass shards, as the case may be). Sanderson fans won't want to skip In the Shadow of Lightning. Can I have the second book in the Glass Immortals series now? I'll finish the review by talking about some parts of the setting. First of all, this magic system is fantastic. It is unique in concept and design, and has enough structure to create some interesting dynamics in action scenes, but it is simple enough that playing around with the rules don't become the main plot, and if you don't care to learn about all the facets of the magic, you don't have to, you only have to remember like 4 abilities and you'll be fine—the most important thing to know about the magic in this world is how it affects the economy of Ossa, and how disastrous it would be for Ossa and the world if the resources that powered the magic of this world ran out (which is currently a thing that is happening in the story. Demir felt his blood run cold. He’d gone to great lengths to make himself hard to find. If Capric was here with bad news, it must be very bad. He offered his hand, which Capric shook. “I haven’t. What brings you out to my corner of the provinces?”

Not even the cheap stuff. No idea why. Supply just isn’t coming in from Ossa and what little I could get last month was bought up by the vineyard managers.”Thessa recreates, and improves upon, the machine her master invented. It's fueled by lightning, using that energy to recharge magical jewelry. Lovecraftian Horror: the Lovecraftian aesthetic of being inexplicably terrifying works well as a fantasy trope, but only when it's used to contrast an otherwise 'normal' setting.

I have read 6 of McClellan's novels, one of his novellas, many of his short stories, and I also sometimes listen to his podcast. I am a fan. Bare that in mind as you read this review. I love that the (very little) romance is subtle, honest, and not a terrible trope in sight! No instalove, miscommunication, or hiding from the truth here, folks! Every potential issue is faced head-on with maturity, so the characters are actual, believable adults. I often find romance in fantasy so incredibly unbelievable that I'm starving for realistic romantic relationships, and here it is. Beyond that, this is a very developed world. The factional strife of the Ossan guild-families is equally well-realized to the geopolitical conflict that exists between the empire of Ossa and the city-state of Grent. In every scene, I felt like I was in the world. Not just in the particular location for that scene, but I actually felt like I was sitting in the world itself, with the rest of the details of the world moving all around me. I felt this during his earlier books too, but I feel like he's just gotten better at it. Fine. Give me a half pint of Ereptia’s best, and put it on this tab.” He tapped the bookie’s receipt once more. In the Shadow of Lightning is an enormously entertaining, inventive, and smart novel. As a series starter, it does everything perfectly…lays the ground for the world and the people, invites speculation about where the plot can go, provides some closure, but leaves the door open for the inevitable second novel. I was a fan of Brian’s Powder Mage Trilogy and this book reminded my why I like his writing and storytelling so much…it is FUN! I could feel how much Brian enjoyed crafting this magic system and have his characters play in it, the feeling was infectious. That’s something he has always infused his work with and reminds me I need to catch up with the sequel trilogy to Powder Mage Trilogy.

Customer reviews

Readers won’t want to miss the first book, In the Shadow of Lightening, full of magic, rival families, political intrigue, and fast-paced action. Meet Demir Grappo, an outcast—he’s renounced his wealth and left his family and responsibilities behind, including a son. 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 killed: the very power that keeps civilization turning, godglass, is running out. War is coming, a war unlike any other. And Demir and his ragtag group are the only thing that stands in the way of the end of life as the world knows it. From Brian McClellan, author of The Powder Mage, comes In the Shadow of Lightning, a brand-new epic fantasy where magic is a finite resource—and it’s running out.

Demir drew in a deep, ragged breath. He was being petulant now. He’d made his point, but it still took a force of will to keep himself from destroying every piece of glass in the bar and then throwing it all into Morlius’s face. That wasn’t who he was. Demir touched the bookie’s receipt with one finger and pushed it toward Morlius again. The bookie stared at it for several moments before realization dawned in his eyes. He pulled the purse from his belt and set it on the bar.McClellan said he had been thinking about building a magic system with glass since about halfway through the process of writing the Powder Mage series, but it took a particularly productive conversation with his wife while they were in a London hotel for a convention for the idea to settle into something he wanted to move forward with. “I went through lots of different iterations of how to use glass in a magic system,” says McClellan. “There was a point at which I was trying to figure out how to work out like demon summoning that you would trap in glass balls. And I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of like Pokemon. That doesn’t really quite work with my style.’”

I'll end with Brandon Sanderson's cover quote for the book: "Great! Excellent world-building and a truly epic narrative combine into McClellan's finest work to date." The book begins with Demir's mother's assassination, and he's forced to return home to replace and avenge her. After his disgrace, he's not confident in his abilities to lead, so he recruits his old friends Kizzie and Baby Montego in his campaign of revenge.Dude is a beast! There is no other word for him. He is a normal person who scares people more than a glassdancer, which is badass. I wish we had more of him, but I have hope for this going into book 2! Powerful rival families, murderous conspiracies, epic battles, larger-than-life characters, and magic."—Fonda Lee, author of The Green Bone Saga One of Morlius’s goons appeared from the cellar carrying a new wine cask. Morlius not-so-subtly jerked his head at Demir. The goon set down the cask and closed the cantina door, then moved to stand behind Demir. Morlius reached under the bar and produced a cudgel of his own. “Heard a story about a man of your description over in Wallach. Got caught fixing fights and then skipped town before they could string him up. Ripped off my cousin for thousands.” The book had good tension. I liked how all the characters had near-death experiences at least once, barely dodging assassins sent after them. But if I were this books editor and I were tasked to improve upon this already good tension, I would suggest that the tall man assassin would attempt to kill all four of the different protagonists at different points. That way his eventual defeat would feel better, and impact all four POVs. Idrian – I really love the harshness that Idrian and his viewpoint brings to the table. We see Idrian having to react mostly to battlefield and mental strategy situations, and the dude is FIT! ...except the whole thing about hearing voices and whatnot…BUT OTHERWISE, HE IS FIT! He is the heart and soul of his warrior group, the Ironhorns, and a real key player throughout the book.