Reviews

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett

ahlisa's review against another edition

I sampled this on Amazon. The prose is solid and I liked Linne, but a few things:

1. Given the state of the world in 2024 I don't particularly feel good about reading a steampunk Russian army fighting bad guys for a nebulous cause. I saw no indication from the reviews that this book makes any attempt to critique the violent cost of war on both sides so I don't feel too optimistic about that.
2. The first chapter was a lot of worldbuilding thrown at my head all at once and it left a bit of a weird taste in my mouth. Starless was like this too, though, and I ended up loving it, hence why I don't fully hold this against it.
3. I'm almost 30 and just don't have as much patience for YA as I used to, even YA with solid prose and an interesting premise like this.
4. Maybe due to the above I also have a bit less patience for overly complex worlds with a lot of rules. Steampunk is one thing but steampunk and also magic is a bit too much for my brain to wrap around.

Basically it's not quite my cup of tea right now but I might come back around to it in the future. Just not anytime soon.

bookaholic_jasmine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

thestarsandthemoon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

vivi_n's review against another edition

3.0

I was not impressed by Linne's attitude in the beginning which unfortunately made it difficult to thoroughly enjoy the story. Would be interested in finding out what happens next with Revna and Linne.

bloodlover18's review against another edition

4.0

Very interesting plot and story.

pierre7's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

emma_hvalso's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

hdbblog's review against another edition

5.0

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.

inaraexplains's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

melaniesw13's review against another edition

Boring