Claire Eliza Bartlett

This feels like Bartlett read Elizabeth Wein’s books about young pilots in WWII and thought Yes, but where is the magic? However, it’s more likely she was inspired by the German’s nickname for Soviet all-female Night Bomber Regiment: Night Witches.

Revna’s father is a traitor. Linné’s father is a general. Revna is discovered protecting herself with illegal magic during an air-raid. Linné is discovered after three years fighting at the front disguised as a boy. They’re both sent show more to a new women’s Night Raiders regiment. Linné is frustrated by the other girls, who don’t behave like she thinks soldiers should, and is terrified of flying. Revna is frustrated when others treat her like liability because of her prosthetic legs, and worries about being unfairly branded a traitor. But if Revna and Linné are to survive this war, they have to learn to fly together.

This is tense and captivating -- and nuanced. Magic is wondrous but also confronting, the Union is unjust but contains things worth fighting for, loyalties are not always predictable, difficult people can become valued friends, and not everything is neatly resolved.
I was sympathetic to both Revna and Linné’s different perspectives and respective struggles, and appreciated how their partnership slowly grows from reluctance to trust.

A sequel isn’t necessary, but I would love to read more. show less

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 show more 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 show less

SEQUEL WHERE??? NEED!!!!

no for real I am desperately hoping there's a sequel - there has to be, right?
I think this was quite fabulous. I figured it was Night Witches inspired off the bat, but in terms of 'magical war setting' - which is a difficult setting to get right (looking at you Divine Rivals COUGH) it did a fine job incorporating planes and living metal (!) and magic - Spark and Weave - and the Skarov (!) and the girls all together. I think living metal is super cool and Spark and show more Weave were FUN to read about in terms of 'hey here's a war - now fight in it with this banned magic you're going to be hunted for after the war' and then powering planes with it. Very unique with navigators and pilots. Neeeeed to know more about Skarovs. Tannov and Dosterov what are you UP to!!!!
Definitely slow at first, I had to kinda push myself through it but I was too interested in the magic at that point to stop - I didn't care ab the characters until later. It takes a while to build up the girls - trying to give them the proper background for their anger - and the Union and the war and all that.
Linné and Revna and the other girls, man. Just, they're both so volatile and angry and I loved the way they reluctantly came together and I am such a fan of groups of people brought together by circumstances who grow into it together and yea I know Linné is the one who distances herself and makes herself such an easy target (girl...) but, still. And they stood up for themselves against all odds, all of the girls. Also Revna's prosthetics are SO COOL literally what there was a quick explanation of living metal but I need to know more. I always need to know more. Also, no romance!! Appreciate that. I am lowkey hoping something happens w the Skarovs at some point later though only because I'm like hey this is an absolutely bonkers dynamic between Linné/Alexis and these fricken SHAPESHIFTERS who are trying to save her and Revna with all these crazy Union limitations what is going ON
They were right - very Code Name Verity-coded in some sense (girls and planes and trust). I don't see the Six of Crows, though, I don't think. But overall I was very much into this book and greatly enjoyed it lol I suppose it helped I knew a fair bit about the Night Witches in the first place show less

This is rich and evocative and magical and delicate and everything I want YA fantasy to be (and am so often disappointed to find it isn't). This was GREAT. From the very first page, it was engaging, beautifully written, full of vibrant characters with interesting dilemmas and hard choices with no easy answers. I described it in an update as "A League of Their Own in the Soviet war machine" and I stand by that; it's ladies doing their damnedest despite all the opposition not taking them show more seriously, and it's ladies doing the best by themselves, and it's also SO VERY Soviet and midst-of-warfare and unfixable. It's also utterly magical, and free of by-the-numbers romance, in favour of some serious work put in on friendships and working relationships.

SO GOOD GO READ IT show less