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When Lightning Strikes
In a land ruled by Yaoguai and overrun with demons, a girl must put her heart aside to discover her true destiny.
Caixia, better known as the Prince’s Red Rabbit, is a fierce assassin. Sent out by the prince under the cover of night, she’s known for delivering swift justice just as much as she’s known for the single eyepatch she always wears. No one knows what lies beneath the strap of cloth, no one aside from Caixia herself and the royal family.
Or so they believe.
Gods Gold, reincarnated gods thrown out of the heavenly realm and sent to the mortal plane to atone, have ruled over Middlemist for centuries, but they’re a dying breed. Each year less and less of them are reborn as they complete their punishments and return to the Jade Emperor. Now that it’s time for Prince Yida to marry, there doesn’t seem to be any viable candidates left for the role. But just when Caixia and the prince begin to hope this could be the opportunity for them to be together, a girl is found. With two golden eyes.
Lei, the newly appointed Guardian of the West, helps ease some of Caixia’s sadness, filling a hole she didn’t realize she had as the two of them grow closer. But Lei has secrets of his own that he’s keeping, ones that could unravel not only their kingdom, but the entire world as they know it.
In the end, will Caixia choose to stand by the prince she’s always loved, or will she decide to put her faith in the man who helped her see she’s much more than simply the Red Rabbit? As demons plague the city and tragedy strikes, these three will have to unravel the threads of fate and decide who, and what, they really are.
One wrong choice, and the whole world suffers.
Caixia, better known as the Prince’s Red Rabbit, is a fierce assassin. Sent out by the prince under the cover of night, she’s known for delivering swift justice just as much as she’s known for the single eyepatch she always wears. No one knows what lies beneath the strap of cloth, no one aside from Caixia herself and the royal family.
Or so they believe.
Gods Gold, reincarnated gods thrown out of the heavenly realm and sent to the mortal plane to atone, have ruled over Middlemist for centuries, but they’re a dying breed. Each year less and less of them are reborn as they complete their punishments and return to the Jade Emperor. Now that it’s time for Prince Yida to marry, there doesn’t seem to be any viable candidates left for the role. But just when Caixia and the prince begin to hope this could be the opportunity for them to be together, a girl is found. With two golden eyes.
Lei, the newly appointed Guardian of the West, helps ease some of Caixia’s sadness, filling a hole she didn’t realize she had as the two of them grow closer. But Lei has secrets of his own that he’s keeping, ones that could unravel not only their kingdom, but the entire world as they know it.
In the end, will Caixia choose to stand by the prince she’s always loved, or will she decide to put her faith in the man who helped her see she’s much more than simply the Red Rabbit? As demons plague the city and tragedy strikes, these three will have to unravel the threads of fate and decide who, and what, they really are.
One wrong choice, and the whole world suffers.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2023
8 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Chani Lynn Feener
68 books1,536 followersLibrarians, please don't add books. I stay up to date and add them myself and have ended up with many multiple copies because others add them later. Thank you!
Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...
Find her on Instagram @TempestChani
Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...
Find her on Instagram @TempestChani
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 9, 2024
God! This cover is gorgeous
it's a 4.75 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🔅
This was new and refreshing to read as a YA fantasy book that relays on Chinese folklore.
As someone who likes to watch Asian (Korean, Chinese, and Thai) drama, I understood most of the references here. But even if you have little or zero background, the book is easy to follow
Just a heads up, without giving many spoilers, the story has:
- love triangle
-betrayal
-abandonment
-an extreme "I'll kill anyone who touch her" trope
Caixia, a God's Gold halfling, is given to prince Yida at a very young age as sort of a Pet and protector. Yida becomes so attached to Caixia that he is, literally, willing to move heaven and earth for her
Enter General Lei, an enigmatic person who makes Caixia question her feelings.
This book, I suppose, is the first in a series and it sets the tone in terms of world building, characters introduction, and background information.
It is told in Caixia POV only, a necessary thing, so as we get to see the story from her eyes (or one eye😁) and no hint if what's about to happen.
I loved Caixia. She may appear as passive sometimes but it is because she was raised to be absolutely dedicated to the Emperior family following orders to the T.
It was obvious that both Yida and Lei were harboring malicious intents, but the ending really surprised me.
For a YA, it gets a little grewsome in parts, so heed carefully
It would have been a 5/5 for me, knowing this book came from an indie author, and although I do not judge in this case on having spelling and grammar mistakes, but the book needs serious editing especially at the end. But still I didn't mind because the story was awesome
Also, I felt that it was missing something but couldn't figure out what it is. Maybe more character depth to feel the betrayal
Anyways, I loved it and definetly will continue reading the series to know what happens to the Red Rabbit
FYI, I got the physical copy after I read it and can't wait for book 2
it's a 4.75 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🔅
This was new and refreshing to read as a YA fantasy book that relays on Chinese folklore.
As someone who likes to watch Asian (Korean, Chinese, and Thai) drama, I understood most of the references here. But even if you have little or zero background, the book is easy to follow
Just a heads up, without giving many spoilers, the story has:
- love triangle
-betrayal
-abandonment
-an extreme "I'll kill anyone who touch her" trope
Caixia, a God's Gold halfling, is given to prince Yida at a very young age as sort of a Pet and protector. Yida becomes so attached to Caixia that he is, literally, willing to move heaven and earth for her
Enter General Lei, an enigmatic person who makes Caixia question her feelings.
This book, I suppose, is the first in a series and it sets the tone in terms of world building, characters introduction, and background information.
It is told in Caixia POV only, a necessary thing, so as we get to see the story from her eyes (or one eye😁) and no hint if what's about to happen.
I loved Caixia. She may appear as passive sometimes but it is because she was raised to be absolutely dedicated to the Emperior family following orders to the T.
It was obvious that both Yida and Lei were harboring malicious intents, but the ending really surprised me.
For a YA, it gets a little grewsome in parts, so heed carefully
It would have been a 5/5 for me, knowing this book came from an indie author, and although I do not judge in this case on having spelling and grammar mistakes, but the book needs serious editing especially at the end. But still I didn't mind because the story was awesome
Also, I felt that it was missing something but couldn't figure out what it is. Maybe more character depth to feel the betrayal
Anyways, I loved it and definetly will continue reading the series to know what happens to the Red Rabbit
FYI, I got the physical copy after I read it and can't wait for book 2
May 19, 2023
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, NA
Tropes: love triangle, gods on Earth, forbidden romance, assassin for the king, halfling
Series: When Lightning Strikes #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Trigger Warnings: death, violence
Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Spice: 0/5 🌶
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you BookSirens and Chani Lynn Feener for this opportunity.
"There was a big difference between being capable of monstrous things and being an actual monster."
This was perfection. I was sucked right in from the very first chapter and I've been obsessed and consumed by it until the very last page. It was as if Throne of Glass has met Red Queen, you sprinkled it with Chinese Mythology, you added a very well written love triangle and, for the cherry on the top, you dipped it in a lot of emotions. It was love from the first page and I just can't wait for ths rest of the trilogy.
Full review to come
》》Favorite Scenes《《
⚔️ Meeting General Lei
🐇👑 ⚔️Caixia and Yida talking about Lei in his rooms
⚔️🐇Lei and Caixia hunting togheter
🐇👑⚔️Caixia and Yida being interrupted by Lei after the ghost incident
🐇⚔️👑Caixia being trapped between Lei and Yida
💃🏻The Empress' present
⚔️🐇Lei going after Caixia
“Whether or not I’m right, you do need to move on. You know that much at least, don’t you?”
“Careful, general. You’re starting to sound like you care. It’s not like I wasn’t aware of that before. It’s just…”
“It’s real now.”
“Yeah.”
“For what it’s worth,” he sounded tentative all of a sudden, “you deserve better.”
🐇⚔️Caixia catching Lei training
🐇⚔️The two of them sparing
🐇💃🏻Caixia saving the princess
⚔️🐇Lei taking care of Caixia
👑⚔️Yida coming to her and being jealous over Lei
🐇Caixia at the East Watch
🐇🦊Caixia asking Dewei for a favor
💃🏻🐇Jing Min visiting Caixia
🐇⚔️Caixia taking care of Lei
“He whipped you.” It wasn’t a question, she recognized the marks for what they were. She also recognized the technique.
Yida had done this.
Lei waited a tick and then asked, “Why does that bother you?”
“We’re friends.”
“And you and the prince?” the low, almost smoky aspect his voice took on had her pausing all over again. “What are you?”
💋 The kiss
👑🐇Yida healing Caixia
🐇⚔️The dinner
“I’m sorry for kissing you,” he practically whispered, careful to keep others from overhearing.
“I’m sorry for kissing you back,” she replied, blown away by herself the second the words were out there between them.
“Do you mean that?” he asked.
“Only a little,” she confessed. “Did you?”
He snorted. “Not really.”
🙀 The ending
Tropes: love triangle, gods on Earth, forbidden romance, assassin for the king, halfling
Series: When Lightning Strikes #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Trigger Warnings: death, violence
Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Spice: 0/5 🌶
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you BookSirens and Chani Lynn Feener for this opportunity.
"There was a big difference between being capable of monstrous things and being an actual monster."
This was perfection. I was sucked right in from the very first chapter and I've been obsessed and consumed by it until the very last page. It was as if Throne of Glass has met Red Queen, you sprinkled it with Chinese Mythology, you added a very well written love triangle and, for the cherry on the top, you dipped it in a lot of emotions. It was love from the first page and I just can't wait for ths rest of the trilogy.
Full review to come
》》Favorite Scenes《《
⚔️ Meeting General Lei
🐇👑 ⚔️Caixia and Yida talking about Lei in his rooms
⚔️🐇Lei and Caixia hunting togheter
🐇👑⚔️Caixia and Yida being interrupted by Lei after the ghost incident
🐇⚔️👑Caixia being trapped between Lei and Yida
💃🏻The Empress' present
⚔️🐇Lei going after Caixia
“Whether or not I’m right, you do need to move on. You know that much at least, don’t you?”
“Careful, general. You’re starting to sound like you care. It’s not like I wasn’t aware of that before. It’s just…”
“It’s real now.”
“Yeah.”
“For what it’s worth,” he sounded tentative all of a sudden, “you deserve better.”
🐇⚔️Caixia catching Lei training
🐇⚔️The two of them sparing
🐇💃🏻Caixia saving the princess
⚔️🐇Lei taking care of Caixia
👑⚔️Yida coming to her and being jealous over Lei
🐇Caixia at the East Watch
🐇🦊Caixia asking Dewei for a favor
💃🏻🐇Jing Min visiting Caixia
🐇⚔️Caixia taking care of Lei
“He whipped you.” It wasn’t a question, she recognized the marks for what they were. She also recognized the technique.
Yida had done this.
Lei waited a tick and then asked, “Why does that bother you?”
“We’re friends.”
“And you and the prince?” the low, almost smoky aspect his voice took on had her pausing all over again. “What are you?”
💋 The kiss
👑🐇Yida healing Caixia
🐇⚔️The dinner
“I’m sorry for kissing you,” he practically whispered, careful to keep others from overhearing.
“I’m sorry for kissing you back,” she replied, blown away by herself the second the words were out there between them.
“Do you mean that?” he asked.
“Only a little,” she confessed. “Did you?”
He snorted. “Not really.”
🙀 The ending
April 16, 2023
I normally don't read love triangles anymore, especially in YA, but Chani did such a great job with this one!!! I was really intrigued by the world Caixia, General Lei and Prince Yida live in, and some of the politics that the kingdom were involved in. There's some mystery and plot twists that I was able to predict, but others that totally took me by surprise! Just when I thought that I wanted things to go one way with the romance, Chani pulled things the other way around for me and totally shifted my opinion, which is GREAT! 👀 Like seriously, even though I had predicted some of the stuff that unfolds in the last third, the motivations and the way it was talked about was SO GOOD.
The character development was fun, and I really enjoyed all of the relationship dynamics too, even with some that I hadn't originally thought I would! I love Caixia with both of her love interests that I wish it was a menage. 😂 I loved the pining that was shown in all three characterrs, and it made me wish that we also got POV chapters from both of the guys. I also enjoyed all of the side characters and the flavor they all added to the bigger picture!
I can't wait to read the sequel and see where Chani takes this next because there is SO much to be explored, and I absolutely love the direction that she's going with this series!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book for free via BookSirens, but am leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity!!!
---------
🥈 Silver 🥈
---------
The character development was fun, and I really enjoyed all of the relationship dynamics too, even with some that I hadn't originally thought I would! I love Caixia with both of her love interests that I wish it was a menage. 😂 I loved the pining that was shown in all three characterrs, and it made me wish that we also got POV chapters from both of the guys. I also enjoyed all of the side characters and the flavor they all added to the bigger picture!
I can't wait to read the sequel and see where Chani takes this next because there is SO much to be explored, and I absolutely love the direction that she's going with this series!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book for free via BookSirens, but am leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity!!!
---------
🥈 Silver 🥈
---------
June 13, 2023
I really loved this, I love learning about Asian history, culture and mythology so this book was an auto request by me and I was not disappointed. The world building abd magic systems are brilliant, well thought and not over complex , which is good when you have magic, demons and gods. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it was addictive reading and full of twists, i did not see the end one coming! I really am looking forward to the next now
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 12, 2023
An awesome fantasy adventure perfect for adults and older teens! I loved the premise and characters! The twists and writing blew me away!
Thank you to the author & BookSirens for a copy!
Thank you to the author & BookSirens for a copy!
September 5, 2023
Tropes and content warnings:
- love triangle
- betrayal
- abandonment
- "I'll kill anyone who touches her"
- violence and graphic details
-----------------------------------------
Let me start of by saying I looooove the cover of the book! But like someone else has pointed out in another review, it implies it’s Caixia’s left eye that’s covered while in the novel it’s her right eye. But to me that’s not super important, but it might be for others.
When I started this book I had no idea whether I’d like the story or not. The blurb and bookcover interested me, but I’m not familiar with Chinese mythology and hoped it wouldn’t impact my reader experience. I was pleasantly surprised all throughout the novel and am so glad I picked it up. Feeners way of writing is very pleasant which drew me into the story even more.
The book has a really good world buildup and gives the characters good and interesting background stories which I’m feeling will be important in de next novel (which I’ll definitely be checking out once it’s published or on BookSiren).
I do have to admit that I first struggled with how to pronounce certain words, but with the help of Google Play Books I now know how to say them all (or at least I hope so, because otherwise I’m butchering the names in my head for eternity without realising).
The story is told through the eyes of Caixia, which I think was really good because you can learn and discover alongside her. I really liked Lei (until the twist, wowza) and had a gut feeling about Yida from the start. But that’s all I’m going to say because you’ll have to discover that yourself when you read this book!
Highly recommend!
Thank you BookSiren and the author for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
- love triangle
- betrayal
- abandonment
- "I'll kill anyone who touches her"
- violence and graphic details
-----------------------------------------
Let me start of by saying I looooove the cover of the book! But like someone else has pointed out in another review, it implies it’s Caixia’s left eye that’s covered while in the novel it’s her right eye. But to me that’s not super important, but it might be for others.
When I started this book I had no idea whether I’d like the story or not. The blurb and bookcover interested me, but I’m not familiar with Chinese mythology and hoped it wouldn’t impact my reader experience. I was pleasantly surprised all throughout the novel and am so glad I picked it up. Feeners way of writing is very pleasant which drew me into the story even more.
The book has a really good world buildup and gives the characters good and interesting background stories which I’m feeling will be important in de next novel (which I’ll definitely be checking out once it’s published or on BookSiren).
I do have to admit that I first struggled with how to pronounce certain words, but with the help of Google Play Books I now know how to say them all (or at least I hope so, because otherwise I’m butchering the names in my head for eternity without realising).
The story is told through the eyes of Caixia, which I think was really good because you can learn and discover alongside her. I really liked Lei (until the twist, wowza) and had a gut feeling about Yida from the start. But that’s all I’m going to say because you’ll have to discover that yourself when you read this book!
Highly recommend!
Thank you BookSiren and the author for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get into it, but from page one, the story was engaging enough that I just had to keep reading to see what happened. This story takes place in a fictitious world with a heavy Chinese influence. The world-building was very well done. There are lots of details about places and things, but what I enjoyed the most were the characters.
I really loved Caxia. She was the fearsome Red Rabbit, yet there was such kindness and vulnerability there. Yida and Lie were introduced as her male love interests and I made my choice between them right away. Another reason I wanted to keep reading. How was the author going to resolve that triangle?
This is book one of three, so there was no real resolution, but the author wrote one heck of an ending, which has me eager to read books two and three.
I really loved Caxia. She was the fearsome Red Rabbit, yet there was such kindness and vulnerability there. Yida and Lie were introduced as her male love interests and I made my choice between them right away. Another reason I wanted to keep reading. How was the author going to resolve that triangle?
This is book one of three, so there was no real resolution, but the author wrote one heck of an ending, which has me eager to read books two and three.
March 21, 2023
I always enjoy reading books from Chani Lynn Feener, it had a great overall feel. It worked so well overall and did everything that I was looking for from previous books. The characters were what I was looking for, I enjoyed Caixia as a main character. It did everything that I was hoping for and glad I got to read this.
"I can always tell when you’re about to pull away,” he told her after a moment, one hand lifting so he could tangle his fingers in her dark hair, playing with one of the reddish-brown streaks that had appeared the day she’d discovered her lightning. “Isn’t this better?”
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"I can always tell when you’re about to pull away,” he told her after a moment, one hand lifting so he could tangle his fingers in her dark hair, playing with one of the reddish-brown streaks that had appeared the day she’d discovered her lightning. “Isn’t this better?”
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 29, 2023
If Throne of Glass were to meet with Chinese mythology, this book would be the result. Except, replace Celaena Sardothian with Inej from Six of Crows.
Characters:
-Caixia-
You can't help but love her. She's a bit on the naive side due to the rose-tinted glasses she wears and the fact that she's lived in a sort of isolation all her life, but otherwise, it's easy to root for her. She's a competent assassin, but not arrogant, and not without compassion for innocent life. She's a lover AND a fighter.
There was a big difference between being capable of monstrous things and being an actual monster.
Her greatest strength, and greatest weakness, is her fierce loyalty.
Lei sighed. "Doesn't it get exhausting?"
She lifted a brow.
"Living for someone else."
Watching her character development at the very end was everything.
Caixia decided that if she was going to listen to anything tonight, it was going to be that. It was going to be to herself and her own power.
-Yida-
His presence was enough, his mana strong, like a beacon in the darkest of nights. People, whether knowingly or not, were always attracted to magic. He could adjust that light within himself too, make it soft enough to shelter a person from the cold.
Or hot enough to burn them straight through like a moth to a flame.
Sometimes, Caixia couldn't help but think burning would be worth it.
Yida is Caixia's childhood best friend. They were raised by the same parents and trained together. At first, I liked to compare him to the Kaz Brekker to Caixia's Inej. He's bossy (he's a prince, after all), a bit distant, and yet when it comes down to it, his sole motivator is his quiet obsession with his Red Rabbit, Caixia.
I'll admit, I wasn't crazy about this guy until the very end. Every time he showed up on-page, I was like, "ugh, this guy". Mostly because I felt he treated Caixia like an asset he could easily take for granted (the parallel to Kaz Brekker's "I protect my investments" comes to mind- except, unlike Kaz Brekker, Yida is too self-focused to realize Caixia's struggles, and certainly doesn't come in time to save her from them). He's so confident in Caixia's capabilities that he often forgets to ensure she's okay. He just assumes she is a constant in his life, something that doesn't change or falter- when in reality, people don't work like that.
But once I got to the end -*slight spoiler* *slight spoiler*- I started to see the appeal. That's my toxic trait, readers. I freaking love a delusional love interest.
As far as the romance, it was like fireworks: bright, dangerous, ephemeral.
She was the prince's, sure. But the prince wasn't hers. He never would be.
Caixia's loved Yida all her life, but has always known that he would always be her prince and she would always just be his Red Rabbit. Her whole life is dedicated to him.
All her memories, every single one, had Yida. Separating herself from the prince was harder than she'd ever imagined.
They can never be together, but for a while, she thinks it's enough that she gets to stay by his side- in any capacity. But when the prince's mother, the Empress, brings a woman to be his bride, Caixia realizes just how painful it is to know with certainty that her place will always be below him. To complicate matters, Yida's new princess is kind and Caixia finds that she doesn't want to hurt her by harboring useless feelings toward Yida any longer.
She distances herself from the prince just as he distances himself from her. She watches from far away until it's too painful. But when she finds solace in her friendship with General Lei, Yida comes back around to remind her of their own bond.
"If being a monster means staying alive, then be a monster, Caixia. Be my monster." He took her hand and brough it to his lips, planting a kiss to her palm. "The gods already know I'm yours."
-Lei-
Lei!!! I'm #TeamLei, definitely. He's the broody, mysterious general. And also a capable match against Caixia. He challenges her at every turn, and yet he's also always the first one there to protect her -even from the things she doesn't realize she needs protection from.
Though he's usually so serious and mature, he has his cute, boyish moments. Their romance is so innocent and pure in comparison to the other one.
If touching her cheek made him blush like that, there was no way he'd been staring at her naked bits while she'd been unconscious.
They fight side-by-side and nurse each other back to health. But they also argue. I think this is a sign that their relationship is more healthy than Caixia's with the prince, though. With the prince, the power imbalance is enough to silence Caixia, even if it weren't for her blind dedication to him. But with Lei, Caixia gets to set the terms and Lei follows her lead.
This isn't to say their romance is without passion. Chapter 22 had me in a chokehold!
"I'm sorry for kissing you," he practically whispered, careful to keep others from overhearing.
"I'm sorry for kissing you back," she replied[.]
"Do you mean that?" he asked.
"Only a little," she confessed. "Did you?"
He snorted. "Not really."
-Li Wei-
Li Wei gets a special mention because he's just too sweet. I like to think of him as Caixia and Lei's son...even though he's like three years younger than Caixia.
"He came to the palace at a very young age and grew up listening to all kinds of stories about me. It could have gone either way really, either he'd grow up terrified of me or-"
"Unimpressed," he surmised.
[...]
"He said point blank he'd expected some horrifying demonic monster, and so was rather disappointed when all he got was a girl he was positive one day would be a foot shorter than him."
The way he sneakily sets Lei and Caixia up for a romantic date had me laughing literally out loud.
Plot
I think you have to enjoy slow-burn stories in order to fully appreciate this one. The exposition is very, very long. The stakes didn't really raise until the 45% mark. The first half of the novel is really about world-building and character-building. Getting to know Caixia, her world, and her relationships. One might assume from the blurb that the inciting incident is the arrival of Yida's new bride, but that doesn't happen for quite some time. The drama doesn't truly start until that point, either. So patience is necessary.
That isn't to say the first half of the book is boring, only that it is uneventful plot-wise.
One thing that bothered me a bit is the info-dumping. Dialogues and actions will frequently be interrupted by multiple pages of background information, which often distracted me from the actual scenes. It's a bit uncomfortable to read these info-dumps, especially since they occur even late into the book (I think the only chapter without any info-dumps, that I can recall, is the final chapter). Despite that, I'm grateful for them because I'm not at all familiar with Chinese mythology and so some concepts would have otherwise flown straight over my head.
Writing
The writing itself is good. I was a bit put-off by the modern terms, since this is a fantasy novel. Also, it was weird to read about "Chinese wisteria" trees in a fantasy world where there is no China. But these are small complaints and can be easily ignored.
One thing that tripped me up for a while is the cover photo versus what is actually written. The cover photo makes it seem like it's Caixia's left eye that is kept covered, but in the book itself, it's her right eye. I had to change my mental image of Caixia well into the novel, which was a bit unpleasant (because I'm weird so I have to go back and reimagine every single scene leading up to that point so I have a cohesive and consistent movie playing in my head).
Overall
I'm so glad I read this. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys love triangles, assassin heroines, and reading about worlds with gods and demons and magic.
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.***
Characters:
-Caixia-
You can't help but love her. She's a bit on the naive side due to the rose-tinted glasses she wears and the fact that she's lived in a sort of isolation all her life, but otherwise, it's easy to root for her. She's a competent assassin, but not arrogant, and not without compassion for innocent life. She's a lover AND a fighter.
There was a big difference between being capable of monstrous things and being an actual monster.
Her greatest strength, and greatest weakness, is her fierce loyalty.
Lei sighed. "Doesn't it get exhausting?"
She lifted a brow.
"Living for someone else."
Watching her character development at the very end was everything.
Caixia decided that if she was going to listen to anything tonight, it was going to be that. It was going to be to herself and her own power.
-Yida-
His presence was enough, his mana strong, like a beacon in the darkest of nights. People, whether knowingly or not, were always attracted to magic. He could adjust that light within himself too, make it soft enough to shelter a person from the cold.
Or hot enough to burn them straight through like a moth to a flame.
Sometimes, Caixia couldn't help but think burning would be worth it.
Yida is Caixia's childhood best friend. They were raised by the same parents and trained together. At first, I liked to compare him to the Kaz Brekker to Caixia's Inej. He's bossy (he's a prince, after all), a bit distant, and yet when it comes down to it, his sole motivator is his quiet obsession with his Red Rabbit, Caixia.
I'll admit, I wasn't crazy about this guy until the very end. Every time he showed up on-page, I was like, "ugh, this guy". Mostly because I felt he treated Caixia like an asset he could easily take for granted (the parallel to Kaz Brekker's "I protect my investments" comes to mind- except, unlike Kaz Brekker, Yida is too self-focused to realize Caixia's struggles, and certainly doesn't come in time to save her from them). He's so confident in Caixia's capabilities that he often forgets to ensure she's okay. He just assumes she is a constant in his life, something that doesn't change or falter- when in reality, people don't work like that.
But once I got to the end -*slight spoiler* *slight spoiler*- I started to see the appeal. That's my toxic trait, readers. I freaking love a delusional love interest.
As far as the romance, it was like fireworks: bright, dangerous, ephemeral.
She was the prince's, sure. But the prince wasn't hers. He never would be.
Caixia's loved Yida all her life, but has always known that he would always be her prince and she would always just be his Red Rabbit. Her whole life is dedicated to him.
All her memories, every single one, had Yida. Separating herself from the prince was harder than she'd ever imagined.
They can never be together, but for a while, she thinks it's enough that she gets to stay by his side- in any capacity. But when the prince's mother, the Empress, brings a woman to be his bride, Caixia realizes just how painful it is to know with certainty that her place will always be below him. To complicate matters, Yida's new princess is kind and Caixia finds that she doesn't want to hurt her by harboring useless feelings toward Yida any longer.
She distances herself from the prince just as he distances himself from her. She watches from far away until it's too painful. But when she finds solace in her friendship with General Lei, Yida comes back around to remind her of their own bond.
"If being a monster means staying alive, then be a monster, Caixia. Be my monster." He took her hand and brough it to his lips, planting a kiss to her palm. "The gods already know I'm yours."
-Lei-
Lei!!! I'm #TeamLei, definitely. He's the broody, mysterious general. And also a capable match against Caixia. He challenges her at every turn, and yet he's also always the first one there to protect her -even from the things she doesn't realize she needs protection from.
Though he's usually so serious and mature, he has his cute, boyish moments. Their romance is so innocent and pure in comparison to the other one.
If touching her cheek made him blush like that, there was no way he'd been staring at her naked bits while she'd been unconscious.
They fight side-by-side and nurse each other back to health. But they also argue. I think this is a sign that their relationship is more healthy than Caixia's with the prince, though. With the prince, the power imbalance is enough to silence Caixia, even if it weren't for her blind dedication to him. But with Lei, Caixia gets to set the terms and Lei follows her lead.
This isn't to say their romance is without passion. Chapter 22 had me in a chokehold!
"I'm sorry for kissing you," he practically whispered, careful to keep others from overhearing.
"I'm sorry for kissing you back," she replied[.]
"Do you mean that?" he asked.
"Only a little," she confessed. "Did you?"
He snorted. "Not really."
-Li Wei-
Li Wei gets a special mention because he's just too sweet. I like to think of him as Caixia and Lei's son...even though he's like three years younger than Caixia.
"He came to the palace at a very young age and grew up listening to all kinds of stories about me. It could have gone either way really, either he'd grow up terrified of me or-"
"Unimpressed," he surmised.
[...]
"He said point blank he'd expected some horrifying demonic monster, and so was rather disappointed when all he got was a girl he was positive one day would be a foot shorter than him."
The way he sneakily sets Lei and Caixia up for a romantic date had me laughing literally out loud.
Plot
I think you have to enjoy slow-burn stories in order to fully appreciate this one. The exposition is very, very long. The stakes didn't really raise until the 45% mark. The first half of the novel is really about world-building and character-building. Getting to know Caixia, her world, and her relationships. One might assume from the blurb that the inciting incident is the arrival of Yida's new bride, but that doesn't happen for quite some time. The drama doesn't truly start until that point, either. So patience is necessary.
That isn't to say the first half of the book is boring, only that it is uneventful plot-wise.
One thing that bothered me a bit is the info-dumping. Dialogues and actions will frequently be interrupted by multiple pages of background information, which often distracted me from the actual scenes. It's a bit uncomfortable to read these info-dumps, especially since they occur even late into the book (I think the only chapter without any info-dumps, that I can recall, is the final chapter). Despite that, I'm grateful for them because I'm not at all familiar with Chinese mythology and so some concepts would have otherwise flown straight over my head.
Writing
The writing itself is good. I was a bit put-off by the modern terms, since this is a fantasy novel. Also, it was weird to read about "Chinese wisteria" trees in a fantasy world where there is no China. But these are small complaints and can be easily ignored.
One thing that tripped me up for a while is the cover photo versus what is actually written. The cover photo makes it seem like it's Caixia's left eye that is kept covered, but in the book itself, it's her right eye. I had to change my mental image of Caixia well into the novel, which was a bit unpleasant (because I'm weird so I have to go back and reimagine every single scene leading up to that point so I have a cohesive and consistent movie playing in my head).
Overall
I'm so glad I read this. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys love triangles, assassin heroines, and reading about worlds with gods and demons and magic.
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.***
April 10, 2024
*Received a copy of When Lightning Strikes through BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I’ve read a lot of romance books but interestingly enough, not a lot with love triangles. Even in the few books that had a love triangle, I never felt like it was a genuine one because I always knew the FMC would end up with the first love interest. I always get a bad case of second male lead syndrome.
But my heart was swinging back and forth between Yida and Lei. Before Yida’s fiancé arrived I thought Caixia and Yida were ride or die but reading about Caixia and Lei confused me about where I stand. I was surprisingly invested in both relationships; I could see Caixia going either way if she ended up with someone.
The world-building was pretty engaging. With every new piece of information, I eagerly ate it up. I’m curious about Caixia’s status as a halfling because she can’t be the only one in existence, right? I can’t wait to learn more about Caixia’s parentage, I bet we’ll get more exciting lore too.
The twists hit for me. I came across some reviews that found the twists predictable, but they confirmed my suspicions. I never stopped side-eyeing Lei when Caixia couldn’t see his aura, so Lei’s twist felt like an “aha!” moment instead of an “I already knew this” feeling. Though Yida caught me off guard, I never thought this seemingly put-together prince would fly off the handle.
I’m also aware of the spelling errors other reviewers mentioned. They didn’t really bother me so I can’t say they hindered my reading experience, but yes, they are noticeable. I quirked a brow when Lei’s name was misspelled. Despite the errors, I enjoyed the story and wanted to pick up the book every time I put it down.
4 stars <3
*I need someone to talk to me about the love triangle. If you haven’t read the book please stay away, I’m entering spoiler territory below…
I’ve read a lot of romance books but interestingly enough, not a lot with love triangles. Even in the few books that had a love triangle, I never felt like it was a genuine one because I always knew the FMC would end up with the first love interest. I always get a bad case of second male lead syndrome.
But my heart was swinging back and forth between Yida and Lei. Before Yida’s fiancé arrived I thought Caixia and Yida were ride or die but reading about Caixia and Lei confused me about where I stand. I was surprisingly invested in both relationships; I could see Caixia going either way if she ended up with someone.
The world-building was pretty engaging. With every new piece of information, I eagerly ate it up. I’m curious about Caixia’s status as a halfling because she can’t be the only one in existence, right? I can’t wait to learn more about Caixia’s parentage, I bet we’ll get more exciting lore too.
The twists hit for me. I came across some reviews that found the twists predictable, but they confirmed my suspicions. I never stopped side-eyeing Lei when Caixia couldn’t see his aura, so Lei’s twist felt like an “aha!” moment instead of an “I already knew this” feeling. Though Yida caught me off guard, I never thought this seemingly put-together prince would fly off the handle.
I’m also aware of the spelling errors other reviewers mentioned. They didn’t really bother me so I can’t say they hindered my reading experience, but yes, they are noticeable. I quirked a brow when Lei’s name was misspelled. Despite the errors, I enjoyed the story and wanted to pick up the book every time I put it down.
4 stars <3
*I need someone to talk to me about the love triangle. If you haven’t read the book please stay away, I’m entering spoiler territory below…
December 29, 2023
Why did I choose this?… Oh, I remembered! Because the cover is gorgeous and Chani wrote it 😅
I have read several of this author's dark romance books and loved them all, so when I saw this book on booksirens I decided to give it a try, thinking; What could go wrong? Well, I'll tell you what went wrong…
Love triangle, that went wrong 😵💫
It is the third time this year that I choose an ARC excited by the beautiful cover and I did not look closely at the description, which clearly mentions the love triangle and I end up realizing it when I am in the middle of the book and I no longer have any choice but to finish reading it because it's so good!
Good story, good world building, the characters are interesting, keeps you on the edge.
But putting aside my personal feelings about love triangles, I liked the book. Once again, Chani blew my mind with her creativity in creating incredible worlds.
There is no way I can pick between General Lei and Prince Yida (can the two of them stay together and leave Caixia out of the triangle? 😅😅😅)
Also, the ending… What kind of ending is that!!!!!!!!?
Now we have to wait for the next book and hopefully get some answers I need.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have read several of this author's dark romance books and loved them all, so when I saw this book on booksirens I decided to give it a try, thinking; What could go wrong? Well, I'll tell you what went wrong…
Love triangle, that went wrong 😵💫
It is the third time this year that I choose an ARC excited by the beautiful cover and I did not look closely at the description, which clearly mentions the love triangle and I end up realizing it when I am in the middle of the book and I no longer have any choice but to finish reading it because it's so good!
Good story, good world building, the characters are interesting, keeps you on the edge.
But putting aside my personal feelings about love triangles, I liked the book. Once again, Chani blew my mind with her creativity in creating incredible worlds.
There is no way I can pick between General Lei and Prince Yida (can the two of them stay together and leave Caixia out of the triangle? 😅😅😅)
Also, the ending… What kind of ending is that!!!!!!!!?
Now we have to wait for the next book and hopefully get some answers I need.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 3, 2023
When I say I think I've found my new favourite series. I am not kidding (sorry "Red Queen", you still hold a special place in my heart). I have only one regret; that I read the book so soon before a fandom started to form, and now I am alone without anyone to talk to about its magnificence.
First and foremost, can we appreciate the cover art? I fell in love with the book just by looking at it, and I curse the heavens for having spent beforehand my May book budget. As soon as June comes in you better believe I will order it. I think it will fit perfectly on my book display alongside Circe and Realm Breaker (which I have not read yet). But still, it is just so beautiful to look at. Not only is the heroine depicted accurately, but trust me when I tell you that you know what you are in for. Yes, you can judge this book by its cover.
Now onto the story itself. Trigger warning, there will be descriptions of blood, violent acts and body horror. Loads of unnamed side characters die but in a moderate fashion and nothing graphic. You can take my word for it, but then again I am a medical professional so I am not the most unbiased person out there. Also, there are some grammatical, syntactic and editing errors sprinkled in there. I received an ARC, so I hope the finalized version is in immaculate shape.
Okay, now we will definitely talk about the story itself. I spent the first few paged quite puzzled, going back and forth, trying to comprehend what a God's Gold was. Do not worry, it is explained just a little later on. No spoilers in this review, though. The world-building is excellent, answering the right questions at the right moment (in book time). There are still some holes, but the ending promises to cover them in the next book. There is some info-dumping, it is a fantasy book after all, yet it makes sense in-world. It is not like reading a Wikipedia page (a leisure-time activity I adore). The most important information is given to you right away, and the rest unfolds alongside the story. It is like a scavenging hunt, sometimes long but always satisfying.
It has a love triangle. Well, it is one of the main plot points. Don't grimace just yet, I promise it is worth it. And I cannot believe I just typed those words. I am one of the leaders of the love triangle hate club. If the love triangle trope has zero haters, please leave some carnations on my grave.
[Short break because it is 11:57, and I have not completed my Japanese lesson on Duolingo.]
[I didn't make it in time. Luckily I had some streak freezes. I'm on a 57-day streak.]
As I was saying, me and the love triangle trope are childhood enemies. Yet this book… It is like that moment in every enemies-to-lovers romance where the two enemies have to work together, and they realize they make a decent team. (Do not get any ideas love triangle trope, I still loathe you). This is one of the books where even I can admit it was done right, and the love triangle truthers may have indeed spoken some truth. Note, I will refrain from writing "love triangle" for the rest of the review. Anyways. I suffer from severe first-lead syndrome. The man who comes first forward as a love interest, I am rooting for him. The author was having none of it. I found myself swaying towards one man and then the other. Just when I thought I knew who the protagonist would end with, one of them would do something, and then I was treading in unknown waters again, no sign of land on either side. Though I did play favourites, both men have a special place in my heart and mind and a justified position in the book, other than making the heroine feel things.
The characters were believable. I am quite certain I have met a few of them in real life. The protagonist seems simply-minded, which is not a bad trait, especially for a soldier. As she herself admits, she prefers jumping straight into action than waiting and analysing reports. She is loyal but not blind, and her friendship with her superior, the prince, allows her to confront the decisions she deems unnecessary. She does not wish to harm innocent people and does have regrets if she accidentally does so. Also, something that is a huge green flag in my books, she does not hate her "love rival" for no reason. We accept no internalized misogyny here.
Did I mention she has lightning powers? Oh, wow, who could have guessed it, dear reviewer, it is not like it is right there in the title. Well, dear reader, I answer you, it just happens to love heroines with lightning power. (Did I already say my favourite book is Red Queen? Oh, I have? Alright, I will stop.) And her combat skills are by no means inferior. I only wish we could see more of them. At the beginning of the book, we have a clear demonstration of what she is capable of, whereas, for almost the rest of it, a certain someone impedes her from showing the full extent of her powers.
Anyway. I will not talk a lot about the two love interest. I want you to form your own opinions on them. They are both agreeable and decent choices for the protagonist. They have dreams and goals of their own. They have a complex emotional landscape. What else? The relationships develop organically, and nothing seems rushed. My only complaint is a tiny spec of borderline incest. I thought we were past this, looking at you, Cassandra Claire.
Did I miss something? I believe I've covered everything I wanted.
Overall, amazing plot, lovable characters and believable decision-making from their side, with medium pacing. An excellent novel, even for someone foreign to Chinese traditions.
What are you doing still here? Go read "When Lightning Strikes"!
First and foremost, can we appreciate the cover art? I fell in love with the book just by looking at it, and I curse the heavens for having spent beforehand my May book budget. As soon as June comes in you better believe I will order it. I think it will fit perfectly on my book display alongside Circe and Realm Breaker (which I have not read yet). But still, it is just so beautiful to look at. Not only is the heroine depicted accurately, but trust me when I tell you that you know what you are in for. Yes, you can judge this book by its cover.
Now onto the story itself. Trigger warning, there will be descriptions of blood, violent acts and body horror. Loads of unnamed side characters die but in a moderate fashion and nothing graphic. You can take my word for it, but then again I am a medical professional so I am not the most unbiased person out there. Also, there are some grammatical, syntactic and editing errors sprinkled in there. I received an ARC, so I hope the finalized version is in immaculate shape.
Okay, now we will definitely talk about the story itself. I spent the first few paged quite puzzled, going back and forth, trying to comprehend what a God's Gold was. Do not worry, it is explained just a little later on. No spoilers in this review, though. The world-building is excellent, answering the right questions at the right moment (in book time). There are still some holes, but the ending promises to cover them in the next book. There is some info-dumping, it is a fantasy book after all, yet it makes sense in-world. It is not like reading a Wikipedia page (a leisure-time activity I adore). The most important information is given to you right away, and the rest unfolds alongside the story. It is like a scavenging hunt, sometimes long but always satisfying.
It has a love triangle. Well, it is one of the main plot points. Don't grimace just yet, I promise it is worth it. And I cannot believe I just typed those words. I am one of the leaders of the love triangle hate club. If the love triangle trope has zero haters, please leave some carnations on my grave.
[Short break because it is 11:57, and I have not completed my Japanese lesson on Duolingo.]
[I didn't make it in time. Luckily I had some streak freezes. I'm on a 57-day streak.]
As I was saying, me and the love triangle trope are childhood enemies. Yet this book… It is like that moment in every enemies-to-lovers romance where the two enemies have to work together, and they realize they make a decent team. (Do not get any ideas love triangle trope, I still loathe you). This is one of the books where even I can admit it was done right, and the love triangle truthers may have indeed spoken some truth. Note, I will refrain from writing "love triangle" for the rest of the review. Anyways. I suffer from severe first-lead syndrome. The man who comes first forward as a love interest, I am rooting for him. The author was having none of it. I found myself swaying towards one man and then the other. Just when I thought I knew who the protagonist would end with, one of them would do something, and then I was treading in unknown waters again, no sign of land on either side. Though I did play favourites, both men have a special place in my heart and mind and a justified position in the book, other than making the heroine feel things.
The characters were believable. I am quite certain I have met a few of them in real life. The protagonist seems simply-minded, which is not a bad trait, especially for a soldier. As she herself admits, she prefers jumping straight into action than waiting and analysing reports. She is loyal but not blind, and her friendship with her superior, the prince, allows her to confront the decisions she deems unnecessary. She does not wish to harm innocent people and does have regrets if she accidentally does so. Also, something that is a huge green flag in my books, she does not hate her "love rival" for no reason. We accept no internalized misogyny here.
Did I mention she has lightning powers? Oh, wow, who could have guessed it, dear reviewer, it is not like it is right there in the title. Well, dear reader, I answer you, it just happens to love heroines with lightning power. (Did I already say my favourite book is Red Queen? Oh, I have? Alright, I will stop.) And her combat skills are by no means inferior. I only wish we could see more of them. At the beginning of the book, we have a clear demonstration of what she is capable of, whereas, for almost the rest of it, a certain someone impedes her from showing the full extent of her powers.
Anyway. I will not talk a lot about the two love interest. I want you to form your own opinions on them. They are both agreeable and decent choices for the protagonist. They have dreams and goals of their own. They have a complex emotional landscape. What else? The relationships develop organically, and nothing seems rushed. My only complaint is a tiny spec of borderline incest. I thought we were past this, looking at you, Cassandra Claire.
Did I miss something? I believe I've covered everything I wanted.
Overall, amazing plot, lovable characters and believable decision-making from their side, with medium pacing. An excellent novel, even for someone foreign to Chinese traditions.
What are you doing still here? Go read "When Lightning Strikes"!
February 4, 2024
Absolutely excellent.
The author manages to combine rich detailing in both the world itself -which greatly helps with transporting the reader in it- and in characters themselves, which leaves the reader with well established, complicated and interesting characters to learn with an amazingly executed plot. The interactions between each and every character held my interest throughout the entire novel, and while the book wasn't fast paced it was so beautifully written that I simply ended up binging it.
An absolute stunner I'd recommend to anyone looking for a historical fantasy to get lost in.
The author manages to combine rich detailing in both the world itself -which greatly helps with transporting the reader in it- and in characters themselves, which leaves the reader with well established, complicated and interesting characters to learn with an amazingly executed plot. The interactions between each and every character held my interest throughout the entire novel, and while the book wasn't fast paced it was so beautifully written that I simply ended up binging it.
An absolute stunner I'd recommend to anyone looking for a historical fantasy to get lost in.
May 20, 2024
4.5/5 Loved it! The characters, the world building, the Asian setting and inspired Chinese mythology. The cover is gorgeous! I would love to buy a physical copy.This book needs to be more popular. There’s some flaws so that’s why I didn’t give it a full five. Not with the story but with spelling, etc. A better edit is needed for those but it’s indie and I can understand it. I hope she puts out a second book because I need to know what happens next. 😱 Twists at the end that I need answers too!
January 31, 2024
To start, When Lightning Strikes is the first book in Chani Lynn Feener's Lightning Strikes Trilogy, and it has a cliff hanger ending. This book is a romantic fantasy adventure and has a love triangle. The writing was very good, and the plot was well done. The story kept my attention and I would be interested in reading the next book in the series.
February 19, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. May read the book again.
May 23, 2023
When Lightning Strikes by Chani Lynn Feener is an excellent young adult fantasy romance. The book is set in a fantasy world heavily inspired by Chinese mythology and it follows a seventeen-year-old royal assassin, Caixia (whose name I simply had no clue how to pronounce, which irked me throughout the book xD ), also known as "the Prince's Red Rabbit".
The story has two distinct layers: one is a love triangle between Caixia, the crown prince Yida, and a young general Lei - which wasn't annoying at all, as far as love triangles go. This one actually makes sense. It is a very emotional story of love, friendship, longing and betrayal. The second layer is a mystery behind an assassination attempt. Both of these get a huge twist at the very end. One twist I could have predicted, the other one really took me by surprise.
Caixia is a wonderfully written character, she is fierce, strong, capable and loyal, but she is not a Mary Sue. She is vulnerable, she is lonely, she is often confused and sometimes insecure. She is a halfling, half human, half yaoguai, abandoned at birth by her human birth parents and raised on the royal court of the yaoguai empire. Because of this, she constantly feels like an outcast.
Both of her love interests are also well written. They are not, as they tend to be in love-triangle-type stories, polar opposites. They are similar enough that it makes sense for Caixia to be torn between them. There is no insta-love, the first love interest is a childhood friend with whom she has been in love forever, and the second one slowly befriends her when she is the most vulnerable and the loneliest, and they both catch feelings.
Both love interests and the supporting cast are very well written, they are not cardboard placeholders. All three of them experienced significant character growth which was a real pleasure to read. My only issue is that all of them read much older than they are supposed to be. Caixia is kind of expected to be very mature for her age, her being a trained killing machine, but the prince and the general also seemed older and more mature, and I was continuously surprised whenever their respective age of 17, 21 and 22 was mentioned. Their actions (and the general's position) felt like they were at least five years older than that.
The story is written in third person, from a single (Caixia's) point of view. It starts in medias res, throwing the reader smack in the middle of a very tense scene, and moves from there, in a fast, action-packed tempo. The world-building is imaginative, strongly leaning into Chinese Mythology, relying on showing instead of telling, with minimal infodumping. The writing flows very smoothly and it is an easy and quick read. The only issue I've had were some editing and spelling mistakes, but since I was reading an ARC, hopefully those were edited out in the final version.
I highly recommend When Lightning Strikes to all fans of YA fantasy romance, and can't wait for the sequel.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book for free and leave an honest review.
The story has two distinct layers: one is a love triangle between Caixia, the crown prince Yida, and a young general Lei - which wasn't annoying at all, as far as love triangles go. This one actually makes sense. It is a very emotional story of love, friendship, longing and betrayal. The second layer is a mystery behind an assassination attempt. Both of these get a huge twist at the very end. One twist I could have predicted, the other one really took me by surprise.
Caixia is a wonderfully written character, she is fierce, strong, capable and loyal, but she is not a Mary Sue. She is vulnerable, she is lonely, she is often confused and sometimes insecure. She is a halfling, half human, half yaoguai, abandoned at birth by her human birth parents and raised on the royal court of the yaoguai empire. Because of this, she constantly feels like an outcast.
Both of her love interests are also well written. They are not, as they tend to be in love-triangle-type stories, polar opposites. They are similar enough that it makes sense for Caixia to be torn between them. There is no insta-love, the first love interest is a childhood friend with whom she has been in love forever, and the second one slowly befriends her when she is the most vulnerable and the loneliest, and they both catch feelings.
Both love interests and the supporting cast are very well written, they are not cardboard placeholders. All three of them experienced significant character growth which was a real pleasure to read. My only issue is that all of them read much older than they are supposed to be. Caixia is kind of expected to be very mature for her age, her being a trained killing machine, but the prince and the general also seemed older and more mature, and I was continuously surprised whenever their respective age of 17, 21 and 22 was mentioned. Their actions (and the general's position) felt like they were at least five years older than that.
The story is written in third person, from a single (Caixia's) point of view. It starts in medias res, throwing the reader smack in the middle of a very tense scene, and moves from there, in a fast, action-packed tempo. The world-building is imaginative, strongly leaning into Chinese Mythology, relying on showing instead of telling, with minimal infodumping. The writing flows very smoothly and it is an easy and quick read. The only issue I've had were some editing and spelling mistakes, but since I was reading an ARC, hopefully those were edited out in the final version.
I highly recommend When Lightning Strikes to all fans of YA fantasy romance, and can't wait for the sequel.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book for free and leave an honest review.
July 25, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
When Lightning Strikes is a young adult fantasy romance about Caixia, an assassin, as she navigates the court intrigue within a palace where her only connection is the crown prince, Yida.
I enjoyed reading this book for the most part. I was initially drawn in by the cover art. There Caixia is depicted wearing a golden mask and an intricately decorated black and red robe. It gives off a dramatic and even sorrowful vibe which gave me the expectation that the novel would follow suit. When I started reading, I found that the overall feeling of the novel was different to the style the cover gave off. It felt more fast-paced than dramatic. I felt a little thrown by the expectations set up by the cover.
That being said, the story itself was really engaging and it had a really good balance of action to intrigue. I could visualise what was happening action-wise in the story really well as if it was playing out in front of me. It kind of reminded me of episodic animated series’ with an overarching grand insidious plot. I thought that the major plot points hit really well. I especially liked the twist at the end.
The novel in general could probably do with some tightening up/editing. The narration and dialogue were still a little rough on a line level. For example, the author seems to use filtering in their sentences quite a bit. There were points where I had to reread sentences and even paragraphs again because of vocabulary errors or typos. On a larger developmental edit level, the book almost seemed great on the big moments, but the transitions between them then stood out to be lacklustre and fell short.
I liked the characters in the novel. My favourite was Lei and Yida. Lei was an incredibly complex character with interesting dialogue and presentation with what we see in the narration. Yida was also interesting, but I think we get less insight into him (for good reason). I think Caixia’s characterisation was a little lacking though. She wasn’t drawn out to be as complex as she could’ve been. She actually seemed quite simple and the development that she got at the end of the novel felt like a jump, rather than a build-up. Based on the synopsis, I expected her to have a really good character arc, but actually she fell a little flat. I wanted to see her subconscious realisations about the twist at the end even if she didn’t let herself believe what was right in front of her because of her preconceived loyalty.
Overall, I liked the novel. I think it could do with a substantial edit to really make it shine the way it’s supposed to. Chani Lynn Feener is definitely an excellent storyteller but the story itself deserves another edit to really show this.
When Lightning Strikes is a young adult fantasy romance about Caixia, an assassin, as she navigates the court intrigue within a palace where her only connection is the crown prince, Yida.
I enjoyed reading this book for the most part. I was initially drawn in by the cover art. There Caixia is depicted wearing a golden mask and an intricately decorated black and red robe. It gives off a dramatic and even sorrowful vibe which gave me the expectation that the novel would follow suit. When I started reading, I found that the overall feeling of the novel was different to the style the cover gave off. It felt more fast-paced than dramatic. I felt a little thrown by the expectations set up by the cover.
That being said, the story itself was really engaging and it had a really good balance of action to intrigue. I could visualise what was happening action-wise in the story really well as if it was playing out in front of me. It kind of reminded me of episodic animated series’ with an overarching grand insidious plot. I thought that the major plot points hit really well. I especially liked the twist at the end.
The novel in general could probably do with some tightening up/editing. The narration and dialogue were still a little rough on a line level. For example, the author seems to use filtering in their sentences quite a bit. There were points where I had to reread sentences and even paragraphs again because of vocabulary errors or typos. On a larger developmental edit level, the book almost seemed great on the big moments, but the transitions between them then stood out to be lacklustre and fell short.
I liked the characters in the novel. My favourite was Lei and Yida. Lei was an incredibly complex character with interesting dialogue and presentation with what we see in the narration. Yida was also interesting, but I think we get less insight into him (for good reason). I think Caixia’s characterisation was a little lacking though. She wasn’t drawn out to be as complex as she could’ve been. She actually seemed quite simple and the development that she got at the end of the novel felt like a jump, rather than a build-up. Based on the synopsis, I expected her to have a really good character arc, but actually she fell a little flat. I wanted to see her subconscious realisations about the twist at the end even if she didn’t let herself believe what was right in front of her because of her preconceived loyalty.
Overall, I liked the novel. I think it could do with a substantial edit to really make it shine the way it’s supposed to. Chani Lynn Feener is definitely an excellent storyteller but the story itself deserves another edit to really show this.
November 25, 2024
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the arc.
"When Lightning Strikes" takes readers on a thrilling adventure immersed in the captivating world of Asian fantasy lore. As a fan of fantasy series, I found it easy to delve into this richly imagined realm and become engrossed in its intricate details.
The plot, while relatively simple, is executed with clarity, making it easy to follow the events and unravel the mysteries within. At times, the pacing felt a bit uneven, but overall, it maintained a satisfactory rhythm that kept me engaged.
The story primarily revolves around Caixia, a girl harboring a secret -. Her unwavering loyalty and deep affection for Prince Yida of Middlemist Kingdom drive the narrative forward. Alongside a cast of compelling side characters, Caixia embarks on various adventures, with the main objective being to uncover the truth behind the poisoning of Bolin, the current Emperor.
One standout character, Lei, quickly became a favourite of mine due to his wit and relatable demeanor. His presence adds depth to the narrative and sparks a genuine connection with Caixia. Their evolving friendship is a delight to witness, and their interactions feel authentic and nuanced.
While some twists in the story were predictable, there were still unexpected revelations that caught me off guard.
The book concludes with an intriguing cliffhanger, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment. The ending left me craving more and reinforced my investment in the characters and their journeys.
Overall, the book delivers an enthralling fantasy experience, fueled by an intriguing plot and well-developed characters. With its immersive world and captivating twists, this book is sure to delight fans of the genre. I eagerly await the continuation of the series to discover what fate has in store for Caixia, Lei, and Yida.
"When Lightning Strikes" takes readers on a thrilling adventure immersed in the captivating world of Asian fantasy lore. As a fan of fantasy series, I found it easy to delve into this richly imagined realm and become engrossed in its intricate details.
The plot, while relatively simple, is executed with clarity, making it easy to follow the events and unravel the mysteries within. At times, the pacing felt a bit uneven, but overall, it maintained a satisfactory rhythm that kept me engaged.
The story primarily revolves around Caixia, a girl harboring a secret -. Her unwavering loyalty and deep affection for Prince Yida of Middlemist Kingdom drive the narrative forward. Alongside a cast of compelling side characters, Caixia embarks on various adventures, with the main objective being to uncover the truth behind the poisoning of Bolin, the current Emperor.
One standout character, Lei, quickly became a favourite of mine due to his wit and relatable demeanor. His presence adds depth to the narrative and sparks a genuine connection with Caixia. Their evolving friendship is a delight to witness, and their interactions feel authentic and nuanced.
While some twists in the story were predictable, there were still unexpected revelations that caught me off guard.
The book concludes with an intriguing cliffhanger, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment. The ending left me craving more and reinforced my investment in the characters and their journeys.
Overall, the book delivers an enthralling fantasy experience, fueled by an intriguing plot and well-developed characters. With its immersive world and captivating twists, this book is sure to delight fans of the genre. I eagerly await the continuation of the series to discover what fate has in store for Caixia, Lei, and Yida.
April 14, 2023
First off, I want to say that I did like this book, despite the criticism to follow! It was engaging and kept me reading and the characters got me invested in the story. I found it quite reminiscent of Daughter of the Moon Goddess - with a similar set-up and characters, although it did diverge as the story went on. I liked the start - the reader is thrust straight into the action, which I felt set the tone for the rest of the book. The action is fast-paced and the author does a pretty good job of keeping the reader informed but leaving space for a bit of mystery and imagination too.
However, I have to point out the amount of spelling, punctuation and vocabulary errors, which I felt considerably reduced my enjoyment of the book. This ebook really doesn’t feel ready for publication as it is. It seems like it’s been written in a hurry and not proofread at all. There are multiple instances of words spelled incorrectly which therefore change the meaning of the sentence. I listed a few before I got fed up, so this is absolutely not an exhaustive list: “preverbal/ proverbial”, “shadowy plains/planes of his face”, “Cut our loses/losses”, “Getting his baring’s/bearings”, “Checking the boarders/borders”, “Don’t want that on your conscious/conscience”, ”bidding/biding his time”, “Trying to shift/sift through his words and find the right ones”, “The sun had completed its decent/descent”, “Would fair/fare far better with the Prince”, “Dark and sharp as steal/steel”, “Pretending she doesn’t here/hear him call her name”. Honestly, it was ridiculous how many there were. There are also spelling errors like “summersault” and even several misspellings of characters’ names. I also noticed that at several points in the story, the writing switches between past and present tense. It could be that, as a teacher, I’m more attuned to these kinds of errors, but as a reader my expectations are that they should have been picked up before publication and it really impacted my ability to enjoy an otherwise dynamic and engaging story.
All this to say that while I enjoyed the story, I couldn’t recommend the book without knowing it was going to be thoroughly edited beforehand!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
However, I have to point out the amount of spelling, punctuation and vocabulary errors, which I felt considerably reduced my enjoyment of the book. This ebook really doesn’t feel ready for publication as it is. It seems like it’s been written in a hurry and not proofread at all. There are multiple instances of words spelled incorrectly which therefore change the meaning of the sentence. I listed a few before I got fed up, so this is absolutely not an exhaustive list: “preverbal/ proverbial”, “shadowy plains/planes of his face”, “Cut our loses/losses”, “Getting his baring’s/bearings”, “Checking the boarders/borders”, “Don’t want that on your conscious/conscience”, ”bidding/biding his time”, “Trying to shift/sift through his words and find the right ones”, “The sun had completed its decent/descent”, “Would fair/fare far better with the Prince”, “Dark and sharp as steal/steel”, “Pretending she doesn’t here/hear him call her name”. Honestly, it was ridiculous how many there were. There are also spelling errors like “summersault” and even several misspellings of characters’ names. I also noticed that at several points in the story, the writing switches between past and present tense. It could be that, as a teacher, I’m more attuned to these kinds of errors, but as a reader my expectations are that they should have been picked up before publication and it really impacted my ability to enjoy an otherwise dynamic and engaging story.
All this to say that while I enjoyed the story, I couldn’t recommend the book without knowing it was going to be thoroughly edited beforehand!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 28, 2023
Okay, first things first . . . I have read and reviewed a couple of the author’s books and while I enjoyed them enough to follow her and be intrigued enough to read yet ‘more’ of her books. This one, THIS ONE is something else ENTIRELY!!! and SPECIAL!!!
I had no idea the author was of Chinese descent. So, her placing of the story in a world of so obvious Oriental origins is fitting. In this realm, demons, yaoguai and fallen gods walk alongside the mortal realm.
Our heroine Caixia is an outcast child of both worlds. Left to die in the snow as a baby by her human parents because of the fact that one of her eyes is a liquid gold color. God’s Gold. The mark of a yaoguai ‘and’ the highest form of yaoguai, a fallen god. But she is only half God’s Gold something unheard of, that’s never occurred before.
Found by the yaoguai Emperor Bolin she is raised in the high court of the Mistbourne Kingdom alongside the Emperor’s young son Yida. Eventually being trained as an assassin and gifted to him as his hand and protector.
I had my suspicions about the death of the Emperor which were proved correct but NOT in the way that I expected. The twist in the final chapters were a gut-punch.
I was also not aware that this is the first book in a planned trilogy but that’s good! because it means I can spend even MORE time in this thoroughly enchanting world of mysticism and magic and, alongside Caixia hopefully figure out exactly what her place in this world IS and ‘why’ SHE is as she is. I can’t wait to find out more!!!
One caveat, there are multiple instances of incorrect wording that seems like the manuscript was ran thru a spell-checker without a person following up on it. ‘Steak’ instead of ‘stake’, ‘ordering’ where the correct word should have been ‘offering’. These are peppered thru out the document and hopefully will be caught and corrected before it goes to print. But this in no way lessens the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I had no idea the author was of Chinese descent. So, her placing of the story in a world of so obvious Oriental origins is fitting. In this realm, demons, yaoguai and fallen gods walk alongside the mortal realm.
Our heroine Caixia is an outcast child of both worlds. Left to die in the snow as a baby by her human parents because of the fact that one of her eyes is a liquid gold color. God’s Gold. The mark of a yaoguai ‘and’ the highest form of yaoguai, a fallen god. But she is only half God’s Gold something unheard of, that’s never occurred before.
Found by the yaoguai Emperor Bolin she is raised in the high court of the Mistbourne Kingdom alongside the Emperor’s young son Yida. Eventually being trained as an assassin and gifted to him as his hand and protector.
I had my suspicions about the death of the Emperor which were proved correct but NOT in the way that I expected. The twist in the final chapters were a gut-punch.
I was also not aware that this is the first book in a planned trilogy but that’s good! because it means I can spend even MORE time in this thoroughly enchanting world of mysticism and magic and, alongside Caixia hopefully figure out exactly what her place in this world IS and ‘why’ SHE is as she is. I can’t wait to find out more!!!
One caveat, there are multiple instances of incorrect wording that seems like the manuscript was ran thru a spell-checker without a person following up on it. ‘Steak’ instead of ‘stake’, ‘ordering’ where the correct word should have been ‘offering’. These are peppered thru out the document and hopefully will be caught and corrected before it goes to print. But this in no way lessens the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 3, 2023
*I received an e-arc copy for review from the author. All thoughts are my own*
This is my third book by Chani Lynn Feener, and she has not disappointed me yet! She has quickly become one of my favorite indie authors. When Lightning Strikes is a thrilling, action-packed fantasy full of court intrigue, epic fight scenes, yaoguai, gods' gold, demons, a strong female protagonist and forbidden love.
Caixia, better known as the Prince’s Red Rabbit, is a fierce assassin. Raised by the royal family, she is sent out under the cover of darkness by the prince, and is known for quickly delivering swift justice, as well as the eye patch she always wears. No one knows what lies beneath the eye patch, except for herself and the royal family, or so they believe.
Gods Gold or reincarnated gods thrown down from the heavenly realm to atone, have ruled over Middlemist for centuries, but they’re a dying breed. Each year, less and less of them are being reborn as they complete their punishments and return to the Jade Emperor. Now that it’s time for Prince Yida to marry, there don’t seem to be any candidates for the role of Princess. Just when Caixia and the Prince think this may be a chance for them to finally be together, a girl is found with two golden eyes.
Lei is the newly appointed Guardian of the West, and he helps to ease some of Caixia’s sadness. He fills a hole that she didn’t even know that she had as they grow closer. But Lei has secrets of his own that he’s keeping, secrets that could change the world as they know it.
In the end, as demons plague the city, will she choose the prince she’s always loved, the man that’s helped her realize she’s more than the Red Rabbit, or will she choose herself?
I highly recommend this YA fantasy full of plot twists, adventure, and heartbreak! I can’t wait for book two of what will be a trilogy. Available now on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon! Also, Team Yida! 😉
This is my third book by Chani Lynn Feener, and she has not disappointed me yet! She has quickly become one of my favorite indie authors. When Lightning Strikes is a thrilling, action-packed fantasy full of court intrigue, epic fight scenes, yaoguai, gods' gold, demons, a strong female protagonist and forbidden love.
Caixia, better known as the Prince’s Red Rabbit, is a fierce assassin. Raised by the royal family, she is sent out under the cover of darkness by the prince, and is known for quickly delivering swift justice, as well as the eye patch she always wears. No one knows what lies beneath the eye patch, except for herself and the royal family, or so they believe.
Gods Gold or reincarnated gods thrown down from the heavenly realm to atone, have ruled over Middlemist for centuries, but they’re a dying breed. Each year, less and less of them are being reborn as they complete their punishments and return to the Jade Emperor. Now that it’s time for Prince Yida to marry, there don’t seem to be any candidates for the role of Princess. Just when Caixia and the Prince think this may be a chance for them to finally be together, a girl is found with two golden eyes.
Lei is the newly appointed Guardian of the West, and he helps to ease some of Caixia’s sadness. He fills a hole that she didn’t even know that she had as they grow closer. But Lei has secrets of his own that he’s keeping, secrets that could change the world as they know it.
In the end, as demons plague the city, will she choose the prince she’s always loved, the man that’s helped her realize she’s more than the Red Rabbit, or will she choose herself?
I highly recommend this YA fantasy full of plot twists, adventure, and heartbreak! I can’t wait for book two of what will be a trilogy. Available now on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon! Also, Team Yida! 😉
April 1, 2023
Chani Lynn Feener has created a world of magic in When Lightning Strikes.
Told from the perspective of Caixia, a high ranking servant to Prince Yida, we see her struggle with her role in the empire and in her prince's life.
Despite being set in a magical world, reality is speckled throughout the story. In the uncertainty Caixia has in herself. Her dreams of being with Yida in a different role than she knows. The imperfection of characters.
Having been rescued by the Emperor as a baby, Caixia has grown up alongside Prince Yida. Given her status, she did not have the opportunity to make any other friends. Rumors about her abound, leading to terrified guards and civilians who won't dare meet her gaze. Along comes General Lei, a different energy altogether than Caixia has encountered. They are forced into each other's proximity due to jobs, and form a tenuous relationship, which builds over time.
True to it's name- when lightning strikes, Caixia must choose between her lifelong (forbidden) love, her first friend... or herself.
This is the first book in a trilogy, and I am looking forward to the second. Very curious to see where the story goes.
I read a review copy of this book, and there were some grammar/ spelling edits to be made. I'm not sure if they were corrected for the final book that is available now. However, I do not feel this took away from the story itself- thus my 5 stars. My review is voluntary and completely my own.
Told from the perspective of Caixia, a high ranking servant to Prince Yida, we see her struggle with her role in the empire and in her prince's life.
Despite being set in a magical world, reality is speckled throughout the story. In the uncertainty Caixia has in herself. Her dreams of being with Yida in a different role than she knows. The imperfection of characters.
Having been rescued by the Emperor as a baby, Caixia has grown up alongside Prince Yida. Given her status, she did not have the opportunity to make any other friends. Rumors about her abound, leading to terrified guards and civilians who won't dare meet her gaze. Along comes General Lei, a different energy altogether than Caixia has encountered. They are forced into each other's proximity due to jobs, and form a tenuous relationship, which builds over time.
True to it's name- when lightning strikes, Caixia must choose between her lifelong (forbidden) love, her first friend... or herself.
This is the first book in a trilogy, and I am looking forward to the second. Very curious to see where the story goes.
I read a review copy of this book, and there were some grammar/ spelling edits to be made. I'm not sure if they were corrected for the final book that is available now. However, I do not feel this took away from the story itself- thus my 5 stars. My review is voluntary and completely my own.
April 25, 2023
Chani did such an amazing job with the love triangle in this book! I found the environment in which Caixia, General Lei, and Prince Yida reside as well as some of the political manoeuvrings the kingdom engaged in to be really fascinating. Some of the mysteries and plot twists I might have predicted, but others really caught me off guard. Just when I thought I wanted the relationship to go one way, Chani twisted things around for me and completely changed my mind, which is great! In all seriousness though, even though I foresaw some of the events that transpire in the final third, the reasons for and manner in which it was discussed were really great.
The character growth was enjoyable, and I also truly liked all of the interpersonal dynamics—even some I hadn't expected to like. I wish Caixia and her two suitors were a menage since I adore them both. I adored the longing displayed in all three of the characters, and I wished that both of the boys had given us chapters from their points of view. In addition, I loved how much flavour the supporting players gave the overall story!
There is so much to be explored, and I truly adore the ending, so I can't wait to read the sequel and see where Chani takes it next.
Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC! :)
The character growth was enjoyable, and I also truly liked all of the interpersonal dynamics—even some I hadn't expected to like. I wish Caixia and her two suitors were a menage since I adore them both. I adored the longing displayed in all three of the characters, and I wished that both of the boys had given us chapters from their points of view. In addition, I loved how much flavour the supporting players gave the overall story!
There is so much to be explored, and I truly adore the ending, so I can't wait to read the sequel and see where Chani takes it next.
Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC! :)
September 27, 2023
When Lightning strikes by Chani Lynn Feener has a beautiful cover and that made me curious enough to want to read this book. Caixia is an assassin with a mysterious eyepatch and has a crush on Prince Yida. But when a girl is found with golden eyes as a bride for the prince, the new General Lei helps her to come to terms with this and helps her to understand she’s more than an assassin.
From the first the story graps you and you start to feel for Caixia immediately. There is much mystery. The writing style is flowing, fast paced and the worldbuilding is just fantastic. The story leans on Asian mythology and it was a joy to read about this culture. The magic is wonderful and very well thought out. I loved the banter between Caixia and Lei, those scenes are the best. All the characters come across great, and there are many suprises and unexpected events. The ending was a major surprise and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. It reminded me a bit of Throne of Glass, but in a different (Asian) way.
If you like an unique story, with a lovely writing style, with magic, mystery and humor, and with a love triangle, I can really recommend this book.
From the first the story graps you and you start to feel for Caixia immediately. There is much mystery. The writing style is flowing, fast paced and the worldbuilding is just fantastic. The story leans on Asian mythology and it was a joy to read about this culture. The magic is wonderful and very well thought out. I loved the banter between Caixia and Lei, those scenes are the best. All the characters come across great, and there are many suprises and unexpected events. The ending was a major surprise and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. It reminded me a bit of Throne of Glass, but in a different (Asian) way.
If you like an unique story, with a lovely writing style, with magic, mystery and humor, and with a love triangle, I can really recommend this book.
April 23, 2023
capturing an asian fantasy in all its glory and drama is usually mastered by video media, but chani was able to run magic in these pages. with fallen gods and yaoguais, the land of middlemist welcomes anyone seeking for a fictional adventure getaway.
the characters: a prince willing to lose his morality for love, an assassin sworn to loyalty to the prince, and a general with hidden motives, but love grew regardless. we watch as these three traverse the boundaries of love and friendship and leave our questions untouched for the second book to hopefully answer. to those who are not thrilled with the love triangle going on, fret not because "when lightning strikes" will undo any ill feelings you have towards the trope. the twists at the end acted as a catalyst, preparing us for the storm brewing in the next installment of this trilogy.
this is my first book by chani, and while there are some spelling errors observed, it wasn't a hindrance to enjoyment in my case.
i received an advance review copy of this via booksirens for free, and i am leaving this review voluntarily.
the characters: a prince willing to lose his morality for love, an assassin sworn to loyalty to the prince, and a general with hidden motives, but love grew regardless. we watch as these three traverse the boundaries of love and friendship and leave our questions untouched for the second book to hopefully answer. to those who are not thrilled with the love triangle going on, fret not because "when lightning strikes" will undo any ill feelings you have towards the trope. the twists at the end acted as a catalyst, preparing us for the storm brewing in the next installment of this trilogy.
this is my first book by chani, and while there are some spelling errors observed, it wasn't a hindrance to enjoyment in my case.
i received an advance review copy of this via booksirens for free, and i am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 22, 2023
A sweet YA twist on childhood love, loyalty, and right versus wrong.
3/5⭐️
.5/5🌶️
Tropes, etc:
Hidden powers
Love triangle
Court Intrigue
Mystery big baddie
"I'd burn this world down for you!"
Hurt and Comfort
Abandonment
Violence
Demon Hunter
I enjoyed the concept and baseline story presented. The cover is gorgeous and made me salivate to dive in.
The vibes were all there and I loved the subtle ways General Lei got under Caixai skin and a lil bit more!
This all being said, I'm not sure if it was a me issue but the ebook itself did not register the chapters and there were apparent editing issues throughout. Spelling errors, grammar inconsistencies and some phrasing that felt inauthentic to the tone of the book and setting. These issues really took me out of the reading experience and I hope there has been more time taken to review edits.
This was a solid start, but felt like it need more time with editing and formatting. I do want to know what happens next because General Lei is such a babe (haha).
I received an e-ARC via BookSirens in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
3/5⭐️
.5/5🌶️
Tropes, etc:
Hidden powers
Love triangle
Court Intrigue
Mystery big baddie
"I'd burn this world down for you!"
Hurt and Comfort
Abandonment
Violence
Demon Hunter
I enjoyed the concept and baseline story presented. The cover is gorgeous and made me salivate to dive in.
The vibes were all there and I loved the subtle ways General Lei got under Caixai skin and a lil bit more!
This all being said, I'm not sure if it was a me issue but the ebook itself did not register the chapters and there were apparent editing issues throughout. Spelling errors, grammar inconsistencies and some phrasing that felt inauthentic to the tone of the book and setting. These issues really took me out of the reading experience and I hope there has been more time taken to review edits.
This was a solid start, but felt like it need more time with editing and formatting. I do want to know what happens next because General Lei is such a babe (haha).
I received an e-ARC via BookSirens in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
April 25, 2023
I received an ARC copy from BookSirens for my honest review.
This book took me forever to get into. I kept telling myself that I was going to stop reading it because it was too high fantasy and I couldn’t make sense of anything. And then I got about halfway through the book and it really started to pick up. And by the last fourth of the book, I was completely hooked.
Toward the end, there were so many plot twists that had me absolutely reeling. One of the twists I even screamed at. Some of them I saw coming, and some completely blindsided me. Which I loved.
My only problem with this book and the reason that I’m giving it a lower rating is that it took me so long to get into it. I can get into high fantasy but I felt like there was so much going on that it was hard to keep everything clear and fully understand what was going on. The plot twists were one of the most exciting parts of the book and it was literally in the last 10 minutes of my reading of the book.
I definitely think this book is worth the read, just make sure that you stick with it and don’t give up.
This book took me forever to get into. I kept telling myself that I was going to stop reading it because it was too high fantasy and I couldn’t make sense of anything. And then I got about halfway through the book and it really started to pick up. And by the last fourth of the book, I was completely hooked.
Toward the end, there were so many plot twists that had me absolutely reeling. One of the twists I even screamed at. Some of them I saw coming, and some completely blindsided me. Which I loved.
My only problem with this book and the reason that I’m giving it a lower rating is that it took me so long to get into it. I can get into high fantasy but I felt like there was so much going on that it was hard to keep everything clear and fully understand what was going on. The plot twists were one of the most exciting parts of the book and it was literally in the last 10 minutes of my reading of the book.
I definitely think this book is worth the read, just make sure that you stick with it and don’t give up.
April 26, 2023
I received an ARC copy from BookSirens for my honest review.
Chani Lynn Feener is one of my go-to authors simply because her Xenith trilogy is my favorite series ever. I was so excited when she announced this book and rushed to get myself an ARC copy.
First of all, let’s start with that GORGEOUS cover. I need a physical copy just so I can admire it from my bookshelf. Now, for the story itself, it was a little hard to get into at first (which is understandable because it’s a new world-building) but I was hooked in no time! I loved the character developments, the political intrigue, and the atmosphere the author has depicted. The two love interests were so cute, but I’m obviously rooting for (Prince Yida). The story unfolded really nicely and I found myself fully immersed into the book. It reminded me of some of the Chinese historical dramas I’ve watched, which made me excited! My only other complaint is that there were some grammatical errors so hopefully those can get fixed soon.
Chani Lynn Feener is one of my go-to authors simply because her Xenith trilogy is my favorite series ever. I was so excited when she announced this book and rushed to get myself an ARC copy.
First of all, let’s start with that GORGEOUS cover. I need a physical copy just so I can admire it from my bookshelf. Now, for the story itself, it was a little hard to get into at first (which is understandable because it’s a new world-building) but I was hooked in no time! I loved the character developments, the political intrigue, and the atmosphere the author has depicted. The two love interests were so cute, but I’m obviously rooting for (Prince Yida). The story unfolded really nicely and I found myself fully immersed into the book. It reminded me of some of the Chinese historical dramas I’ve watched, which made me excited! My only other complaint is that there were some grammatical errors so hopefully those can get fixed soon.
August 15, 2023
WHEN LIGHTENING STRIKES-LIGHTNING STRIKES BOOK ONE BY CHANI LYNN FEENER
A Story of Little lotus Palace and the Vermilion Palace and of Caixia and her prince Yida in a royalty epic story.The story shows guardians as the light even as we see Caixia control over lightning that is known abroad.When lightning strikes tells of the brightness of light around a person when you read a person signifying how strong their qi is and their strenght or weakness when dim.In the story we see various angles of lightning strike from Caixia rage at Genji putting her son through a lot;the death of Bolin the emperor my poisoning;Lei bringing the dagger blade down E's skull;the motion of a color change by one who died or E transformation;absorbing negative and positive energy by someone ;Leo's self defense against Yida's attacks catching the dagger mid-air with lightning speed; Caixia summon of lightning and the relief that came with it;Lei being a hard person to read; amongst others
A Story of Little lotus Palace and the Vermilion Palace and of Caixia and her prince Yida in a royalty epic story.The story shows guardians as the light even as we see Caixia control over lightning that is known abroad.When lightning strikes tells of the brightness of light around a person when you read a person signifying how strong their qi is and their strenght or weakness when dim.In the story we see various angles of lightning strike from Caixia rage at Genji putting her son through a lot;the death of Bolin the emperor my poisoning;Lei bringing the dagger blade down E's skull;the motion of a color change by one who died or E transformation;absorbing negative and positive energy by someone ;Leo's self defense against Yida's attacks catching the dagger mid-air with lightning speed; Caixia summon of lightning and the relief that came with it;Lei being a hard person to read; amongst others
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