I received a free copy for an honest review.

This was such a powerful book.
It's books like this that remind me every day as a reader the true power and influence literature. This book is another young adult dystopian books, but the politics and message it is trying to convey - from feminism to government - are very meaningful, obvious, powerful, and definitely important.

This book was a very creative way to criticize government corruption and the unjust nature of sexism. The amazing dynamics of the cast and how well the characters were written is also phenomenally done.

Although I greatly appreciate the message the book is trying to give, the plot itself is unfortunately not very interesting. The story is not very fast paced, and although the pace was reasonable for the necessary plot development, I found myself having a bit of trouble getting myself through it. This is one of those cases where the book itself is not that bad - in fact, it's really well-written - but it just failed to capture my interest.

So I'll still give this book four stars out of five stars because of how well it's written, but to be honest, that's kind of a generous score because I definitely didn't enjoy it as much. It's still a great book though, and that' the point I'm trying to make.

Rating: 4/5

3.5 Stars

'We Rule the Night' is an action-packed young adult novel that will have you hooked right from the beginning. I'll start off by saying that I don't really enjoy books (or movies/TV, etc.) that focus on war. And that was basically the entirety of this story, with a few redeemable qualities for me. Although it focused mainly on war, the military, the training, and all of the other aspects involved - it also told a story of two very different girls who had to overcome their differences and learn to work together to save the Union. I liked both Revna and Linné as main characters and enjoyed seeing them have to learn to work together in order to succeed. I loved each of them individually for their own personal traits, and watching them change and grow as the novel went on.

The world building was very well done with lots of imagery and attention to detail, to the point where I felt I could close my eyes and see what Revna and Linné were seeing and doing. Another big plus for me was the different forms of magic throughout this world - the Weave, spark, and the strange metal with magical properties that was used for war machine parts as well as other things. All of that had me fully intrigued and I couldn't get enough of it. I loved learning about it all and how it worked - I definitely would've liked to have seen more of it throughout the book instead of so much military life and training. Overall, this was a good book that's well written and worth a read, especially if you're a fan of YA, fantasy, science fiction, and war related works.

We Rule the Night is a thrilling story about friendship, magic, and girl power.
I must admit that I’d never heard of this book or this author until I signed up for the tour! But as soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book.

I went into this book with super high expectations. After all, what could be better than a story with fierce female soldiers, a magical war, and two unexpected friends? While I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, I still had a blast reading it.

continue reading: http://charisrae.com/blog-tour-we-rule-the-night-by-claire-eliza-bartlett/

A women powerhouse of fierceness, We Rule the Night tells the untold and forgotten tale of the Night Witches, “Night Bombing regiment composed entirely of women, created in Russia during WWII.”

Lyfa was my favorite character because I love babies, and I can’t remember how many times a baby was part of…the pacing was slow at times ( a lot of times) which was a contributing factor to some of the parts of the story being boring.

Though the story is centered on the two female leads, Revna and Linné, the story still gave an expanded view into the other female characters’ lives which I found to be impressive. Complete opposites, Revna and Linné are thrown together as pilot and navigator during a troubled times. Revna, in the beginning, was a simple and very sweet girl who wanted nothing but to stop being a burden to her mother a sister. A girl who had nothing but shame and doubt in herself. I obviously loved Revna from the start because she reminded me so much of myself as both a female and a daughter. Linné is hard and outspoken but emotionally closed-off. She knows and does not stand for the unfairness that comes with being a female. Especially a female who is trying to be in the force. The link between Revna and Linné was beautiful and my favorite part of the story because I need more female friendship like this in my life. Gals before everything else.

There are some light-hearted jest here and there but overall this is a story of women fighting for a country they love very much. Women who grew and tolerated the world around them especially to their male counterparts making their lives harder than it should be. Overall, keep in mind this is not a happy story. A story of female friendship and the power that lays in the bond between two women, We Rule the Night is another type of special.

Some parts of the story was boring and it did take me some time to get through the book but when I did I loved it.

Similar works highly recommended by author: A Dance with Death by Anne Noggle, or Wings, Women and War by Reina Pennington.

Review and blog tour can be found *Milky Way of Books*

I loved the setting of the book! A world in industrial revolution with dragons, a s light hint of magic and the MC was on a wheelchair along with prosthetic legs. Revna and Linne are the exact opposites at first but as the book moves on, and the plot becomes grimmer and grimmer the focus goes on the women who are told that they are not 'enough' yet they manage to overcome their prjudices and turn into heroes.

We Rule The Night was a beautifully written story about strength, magic and dragons. I loved these characters from the very beginning and I immersed myself in this story after meeting Revna and Linne. The cover of this book is absolutely stunning and readers will fall in love with this beautiful tale. We can find strength when we need it and these two beautiful characters were able to depend on each other when they felt that they would lose everything. I’m looking forward to doing a reread of this in the future.

The summary is what really pulled me into this story. I mean, how can anyone not want to read about magic, especially forbidden magic. The cover caught my attention and the description is what made me stay. This was a very enjoyable story and I am so happy that I was given the chance to read it.

When I jumped into this book, I was a little put off at first. The beginning seemed a little slow but that was because the author was setting the world up, introducing us to the characters…setting the stage so to speak. The story quickly picks up though and for sure does not disappoint. And what a story it is, complete with incredibly strong female characters. Despite the blatant sexism and struggles they face, they stand tall and do what they must. I love that sexism is shown here in this book but it isn’t a small subplot, it becomes something the characters must overcome time and time again. Something that was very real in that time period and the author did a wonderful job showing that. One manifestation of this was when Linne was told women are a distraction to men and that is why they are not permitted to serve on the front lines, men need to concentrate and they can’t do that with women around. This is an excuse we still hear today regarding school dress codes. Women, or girls, are not permitted to wear short shorts, spaghetti strap tank tops, anything showing too much cleavage, etc. All of this is because they feel it is too distracting to the male students and school is a place to focus on learning. Anyway…not only is sexism a huge theme here but disabilities are as well. Revna has prosthetic legs and she shows, time and time again, that she is not defined by her disability. I really love that this book covers two huge topics but entwines them in an engaging and enjoyable tale.



I will say that I was expecting more magic in this story but it simply wasn’t there. Instead, we are given a war-time story where the machines aren’t tanks but living metal machines powered by magic. The concept of living metal is something I’ve never encountered or thought about before but it is fantastic. I’d love to say more but I don’t want to give away too much so you just have to read this story for yourself.



The writing style was fun and I enjoyed the dual POV. We get to see the story from the perspectives of Revna and Linne. I really loved both of these characters, one more than the other at times. All of the names in this book sound Russian which makes sense since the story is based on Soviet women that flew outdated planes to the front lines of combat, bombing German forces. These women were known as the Night Witches because they would fly in during the cover of darkness and bombard enemy troops, the same way Linne, Revna, and the rest of their female companions did.

Linne: Linne, she is incredibly strong, the perfect soldier. She follows her orders…well most of the time…and takes her place as a leader. She tries to help her fellow female soldiers despite their hatred of her. She only wants what is best for them, almost mom-like. We see from her internal thoughts that she wants to be known for being herself, not her father’s daughter. She wants to aid in the war as anyone else. She is closed off and her sole purpose is to be a good soldier, she doesn’t feel she connects with the other well.

Revna: Revna…sweet Revna, she is the polar opposite of Linne. I love how she is strong in a different way. She never lets her prosthetics become her identity. She would rather walk than use a wheelchair but some forced her to sit in one regularly. She doesn’t accept the help of others with basic things that she can manage. Revna hates when people assume she is not capable of something and I love that about her because it is so true. She is the only one in their regime willing to give Linne a chance, despite her foul attitude.

Tannov: I liked him initially but that relationship quickly soured. He does anything he is ordered too and is not above sexism himself. He just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I’m not fond of him.



I really loved Revna and Linne, they might be polar opposites but they are both strong in their own way, overcoming odds even men never have. They come from different backgrounds but find they face many of the same challenges and the biggest one being proving themselves time and time again to the men above their station.
The world here is beautiful but war-torn. The imagery was well written, giving enough information without going into unnecessary details. I could visualize the mountain as Revna and Linne climbed it, I could smell the smoke of the burning towns. The author brings us back in time to a period of war and sadness but gives us just a little bit of magic and a lot of perseverance. I think another one of my favorite aspects of this book was that everyone was always drinking tea. I love tea, I’m actually drinking some now as I type this…tea break. Ok, I’m back. This story was so well written that when the characters found themselves in danger, I could feel the urgency and their sense of fear. I was essentially put right in the war beside them. It does take a while for the action to really start and for the pace to pick up, but it is worth it in my opinion. If you can read through the gossip and arguing while training, you will not be disappointed. Living metal that retains emotions…what a unique concept. If you are looking for a novel that explores deeper messages dealing with sexism and disabilities, one that pulls at your emotions or takes you on a war journey with hints of magic…this is a good book for you.

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.

[Review published on April 4th 2019 at http://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/]

A fantasy military story with an all-female regiment and a "soft-spoken girl with a blunt, tight-laced girl" dynamic? Gosh, Claire, it's like you know me.

I'll be starting off with short bullet points for this beauty because this is so, so very last minute:

♥ This is a fantasy telling/dressup of the WW2 Night Witches, Soviet Union's all-female bomber regiment (which seems to be a popular topic in fiction lately). I love the way the author constructed the world--the way it feels like a WW2 setting but with a steampunk flair. The girls pilot planes that are made of living metal, which means they can use magic (Weavecraft) to control it. Really cool stuff.

♥ The two main characters, Revna and Linné, are as different as they come. Revna has lost her legs in a factory accident and her use of prostheses makes Linné question whether she's fit to be a pilot. Linné, on the other hand, is the daughter of a celebrated general and carries a "I'm better than this, why am I here" attitude. Their dynamic is a fascinating one, moving from hostility to respect and friendship.

♥ Girls risking lives for each other. Girls fighting alongside each other. Girls learning to trust each other. And girls supporting each other in an environment that believes women shouldn't get involved in wars. (I hope you've been nodding furiously with each sentence.) It has it all and it does it well.

♥ My only real main problem was with the ending which I thought was rather shockingly abrupt.

Okay, well, awesome! That sounds pretty great, right? So why am I not giving it a rating?

Right. This is 100% on my end. We Rule the Night had the unfortunate timing of coming immediately after the most personal and emotionally draining book I've read in the past two years. My brain was (and still is) utterly scrambled and I couldn't concentrate on anything else, especially other books. I mean, I would read a paragraph and ask myself, "Wait, what did I just read?" It's ridiculous.

So I couldn't give this book the full attention that it absolutely deserved, and any rating I give right now wouldn't feel...fair. But make no mistake, this is a strong debut and I'm definitely going to be doing a re-read once I get my brain pieces back in order. And you should also pick it up because we need more stories about female empowerment floating around in our collective memories.

Im not really into military focused books, but the promise of a complexe female friendship made me want to give it a try. Sadly in the 120 or so pages I read all I got was military training and it was just so slow I had to put it down. I rarely give up on books, but this one just wasnt for me. I couldnt even fully connect to the main characters because of some issues I had with their attitude. I didnt like how the girls were all portrayed as too girly to be good soldiers. I know them overcoming sexism was the whole point, but it just wasnt a fun time. I did like the idea of live metal being affected by the emotions of the people who use it, as well as the weave and spark magic, but I found myself having a hard time picturing some of the world building elements. I also thought it was great that one of the main character uses a wheelchair and had prosthetic legs, but the plot just wasnt engaging enough to keep me reading. I dont usually review books I haven't finish, but I have a few links below where it was featured on my blog and social media platforms. I appreciate the review opportunity and Im really sorry it didnt work out.

We Rule the Night is a great story about friendship, the brutalities of war and discrimination.

The narratives in We Rule the Night are very interesting. At first I felt that both Revna and Linne were pretty equal but then it seemed like Linne took over. I felt like she was crowding out Revna’s voice until Revna started to have more faith in herself and it felt like she got louder. The story is two very different girls, from very different backgrounds and difficulties finding themselves in the same place at the same time.

Revna has such a strong spirit. It comes through in her love for her family and her need to prove that having a disability is not something that holds her back. Losing her legs in an accident she now has prosthetics made out of something called living metal. It’s a material that has a mind of it’s own. I kind of thought of it as being like an animal. It feeds off your emotions, if you want it to work for you you have to treat it nicely. It reacts to anger, fear and calmness. She has also controls a type of magic called the weave. Where she can pull the threads of the fabric of life to distort things around her. Not in a illusion way but in order to move objects.

Linne is the daughter of a high up military official. She does not want to be a perfect lady as he expects her to be. She disguises herself as a boy and manages to serve in the military for three years before getting caught. That is when she is transferred to the female night flying unit. So she has trouble interacting with the other girls because she is so used to making herself seem brash and unfeeling in order to be unnoticed by the men. She is blessed with the talent of the Spark which works like a flame. It is what is used to power an aircraft, where the weave is what is used to move them.

I loved Magdalena and I think at first Revna is very leary of her friendship. She kept feeling like she might only be friends with her because of her disability and pity her. You can tell how much Magdalena respects Revna’s abilities as a pilot and how strong she truly is. I love the fierceness that Magdalena defends her friend. Plus she is just a spunky character herself and a clever engineer.

There are so many things to make you mad in the story. The mistreatment of the unit is definitely a top one but even more so the treatment of women. They are treated much like they have been in early American wars, meant to keep the homefront together or be nurses. They don’t want the women on the front line. Tamara’s unit has to fight to earn their respect that other soldiers just have automatically. Not only are they fighting a war against the Elda but a war against their own country in order to be allowed to defend it. Seems crazy.

Linne and Revna come from very different backgrounds. Each are judge by their fathers, even though they have no control over their actions. It was so frustrating to see the way they were each treated and it shaped their defensive personalities. Revna is for sure the more level headed of the two but even she had her own prejudices against Linne. The two girls have to find a way to work as a team and they struggle through the story, until they are caught in a situation where they have to rely on one another or they won’t make it out alive. This is where I think you see their true characters. I loved how they went to from enemies to two people who realize that they can trust one another and can work together. They build a stronger friendship out of it.

The ending was kind of interesting. It was kind of like you were in the final act and the curtain just closes. I can’t really decide how I feel about it. It felt a little like some things were not resolved but you can also fill in the rest with your mind. I just have mixed feelings.

I really enjoyed the story. I’m not always a fan of war stories but this one was fast paced enough that it kept me interested. I was also very invested in the girls succeeding. I’m glad there was no romance because it didn’t really have any place in the story. This was about these girls and finding their own power and voices. Showing men that they are can do the work as well.

Revna, a traitor’s daughter, keeps her head down at the factory that she works at. When a bomb lands in her hometown, she escapes death using illegal magic. The only problem: she was caught using it. Linné, a general’s daughter, disguises herself as a man to join the military to fight for the Union. It isn’t soon after that, she is caught. The two women join the 146th Night Raiders, a female-only regiment, that intend to use magic to help win the war against the Elda. With their clashing personalities, Revna and Linné must learn to work together. Their very lives depend on it. Claire Eliza Bartlett builds a stunning debut, leaving readers wanting more.

The intriguing premise of an all-female crew of militants using illegal magic to help end the war sounded absolutely fantastic! It also opens up to several reflections of women in the military and how they're treated. Despite the fantasy backdrop, the discussion on sexism can easily reflect our own society, and even some of our own experiences.

The book opens right in the middle of a raging war. It was such an easy and visual way to be introduced to our two female leads. Revna finds herself under a bomb threat at the factory she works for. While Linné is being called into the colonel’s office for disguising herself as a man all this time. From these introductions, the back stories of both characters are immediately intriguing. We Rule the Night quickly becomes a page turner of epic proportions.

We Rule the Night follows the 146th Night Raiders, a group of amazing woman intent on flying planes run on magic to win the war. The regiment is filled with such a large cast, it's difficult to remember every name. The two leads are easy enough to remember: Revna and Linné. However, as much as readers get a few scenes filled with the large cast, there isn't much description to help remember each character in the book.

Revna may have leg prosthetics but she doesn’t let that stop her fighting for the Union. When she falls, she gets back up. She is strong, intelligent, and brave—even if she doesn’t think so at first.

Linné is immediately judged by the woman of her new regiment for her connections in the army and being her father’s daughter, a general’s daughter. It also doesn’t help that she acts as if superior and more-knowing than the other girls. However, a lot of the assumptions and fast judgments made by the girls were rather unfair as no one tried to break through Linné’s barrier to get to know her. Out of all the characters, Linné is the most realistic, most complex. Despite getting a bad reputation from the other characters, I quite liked her.

I got some major steampunk vibes from We Rule the Night. YA has a sparse landscape of steampunk novels so I was stoked to find elements of it in this one. The book is set during wartime. There are planes made from living metal, which has a mind of its own. The pilot and navigator connect to the plane, becoming one mind. The concept was enthralling to behold.

The friendship between Linné and Revna, once forced, becomes complicated and deep, intertwining with their clashing personalities. The war brings out the worst, and the best, of the two. In order to make their plane fly, they must connect their minds to the living metal which forces them to connect to each other on a different level. Through the book, readers witness the wonders of a friendship take root between Revna and Linné.

The world building is constructed beautifully. The superb writing folds the world right into the seams of the story. There is a minimal info dumping which is always the best way to introduce a new world.

The ending wasn’t exactly what I wanted. It was realistic. Yet, after the exhilaration of the climax, the ending was a bit disappointing. Under my disappointment was a smile, however, in what the two amazing female leads had accomplished.

I couldn’t help wanting more though. Bartlett opens readers’ eyes to this whole new world that is as fierce and deadly as it is gorgeous and intriguing. The story is a wild ride that straps you in and refuses to let go.
Bartlett created a superb world that I hope to visit again. We Rule the Night was a riveting narrative of complex relationships, shocking action sequences, and an on-the-edge-of-your-seat story.

Absolutely adored this book from start to finish. Full of kickass female characters that have to go through some harrowing experiences and make difficult choices.

It gave me strength, it made me angry and it’s now made me sad that I have finished it.

I have written a full review of it for The Glass House web magazine and I hope it will be published and you will see it on there.