Weave the Lightning (#1)
Rebellion. Magic. Romance.
It has been decades since magical storms have been seen in Bourshkanya’s skies. Their return should be Celka’s greatest moment—giving the resistance the weapons they need to overthrow the tyrannical Stormhawk—but after a lifetime of hiding her gift from the State, she’s had too little training. Hazy lessons from a father lost to the secret police aren’t enough, and calling down magical lightning with no clue how to control it is too reckless, even for her.
Gerrit, son of the Stormhawk, is unable to safely use his magic despite the State’s best training. Fleeing the Army, he stumbles upon high wire walker Celka in her travelling circus and senses the gift she’s hiding.
Fearing capture, Celka ambushes Gerrit. She can’t trust an arrogant tool of the State, but his knowledge of magic begins to fill the holes in her education, while her easy intuition unlocks Gerrit’s own control.
As the resistance demands more from Celka and the secret police close in on Gerrit’s trail, the two must decide how much they’re willing to risk for their beliefs—and for each other.
Reviews
“Lee’s novel WEAVE THE LIGHTNING is an electrifying debut (pardon the pun) that infuses magical resistance with a Russian flair.”
“Lee offers up wonderful worldbuilding […] against a Russian backdrop that cleverly instills an atmosphere and underlying threat that helps to carry the tension of our protagonists’ precarious situations.”
“... focused and honed as a lightning strike, beautifully balanced and directed. This is a cutting story of revolution, rebellion, romance, and the sort of strange sorcery that we don’t see very often…”Seanan McGuire, author of The Newsflesh Series
“A sweeping epic of romance, revolution, elegant strangeness, and elemental magic.”Jason Heller, author of Strange Stars
“Tense, timely, and crackling with urgent energy. I guarantee that by the end of the book, you will be looking for your own resistance to join…or to start.”Premee Mohamed, author of Beneath the Rising
“Lee’s debut is a dazzling — and timely — high-wire act.”Ian Tregillis, author of The Liberation