Unfortunately I had to stop this one at just under 40%. I loved the imagery and the characters were super interesting but I never could really get out of a constant state of being confused about what was actually happening. My rating is based on the lovely world building and fascinating magic system.

The premise immediately captured my attention and Salem definitely delivered. The book possessed a plot that felt unique and weaves in the right balance of suspense, magic, and adventure that will have you ready to read more from this author.

Where the Lightning Goes is the debut work of author Jackary Salem. This YA Fantasy reads very similar to works by Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones. It throws you into a new world along with our main character Elle who has lost her memories and is determined to find her way out of the house she is trapped in, regain her memories, and learn magic. The beginning is a bit jarring as we a thrust into this new world with absolutely no idea of where we are, what is going on, etc. because that is the world Elle has been living in for a decade. She fell from the sky ten years ago and has been held against he will (for her own good), isolated in a house with other humans to keep them safe from the demons outside. But Elle knows there is something more going on and that she needs to get out. What follows is a story of discovery beyond anything I was prepared for when I went into this book. Jackary Salem created such a unique character experience that I have not seen before in a YA novel. My only true complaint was that there was some plot armor going on with our main character (not going into details as spoilers). I also would love to have dived more into the world building. It seems that Where the Lightning Goes is meant to be the first in a series, so I hope that we get to learn even more about the world and its magic as the series goes on. Overall, I think it was a fun and whimsical story. 4/5 stars.

I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like this before, for better or for worse. For a YA book, it was a little complicated to get through. I’m not sure I would have if I were in my teens, but I powered through it because I owed a review—and ultimately, I’m glad I did. I’m not sure I’d seek out the sequel, but if it fell into my lap, I’d definitely take a read, for sure.

What didn’t work for me

The world-building: It was super cool that the reader is just as confused as Elle in the beginning and that you learn about the world around her as she does, but I feel like despite getting bits and pieces of information along the journey, we never really get a full picture of the world at large. All of a sudden, there’s a dragon, for instance, and it’s sort of understood that magic is everywhere, but not everyone has it (who? And how do they figure it out?) and that some places accept it and others don’t. I just really couldn’t draw you a map or even explain what kind of world this is. And I’m still not fully sure I understand the god/demon part of it all.

Elle: I won’t say that the character as a whole didn’t work for me, but there were some inconsistencies that I couldn’t get past. When we’re introduced to Elle, she knows very little about her surroundings, to the point that when she’s introduced to Adair, she has a hard time understanding basic nouns and concepts. Fast-forward a day or two in the story, and all of that has fallen to the wayside. Though she’s still naive, she seems to understand everything perfectly clear from that point forward and it just didn’t sit well with me.

The fight scenes: It could just be that I’m not a fight scene kind of person, but they went into detail that brought me out of the plot instead of in. That could also just be that Salem is a debut author—I have confidence that it will get better as she progresses through the series.

What I liked

The ending: I don’t want to give anything away, so I will leave it vague but I didn’t see the ending coming at all. Some people said that it seemed obvious to them, and maybe I was just looking for something else originally, but I didn’t piece it together until Adair did. It’s something unlike anything I’ve ever read and I give some serious kudos to that! Plus, it means anything further in the series will also be completely different from the first book, which is really interesting.

Honeycutt: Gotta love a badass, bearded female dwarf! Once she gets introduced into the fold and into the found family of the group, it really picks up. She juxtaposes Adair well and gives Elle a female influence that she needs. I loved her.

3.5 STARS

I enjoyed this book overall, but have a lot of thoughts, so they're outlined below:

I liked:
- The confusion of the story parallels what the main character is feeling which was cool
- Big big twist!! Honestly did not see it coming
- fun characters with fun relationships :)

I didn't love:
- The opening was super confusing, you get thrown into the story with no explanation and then it shifts very suddenly and you have to unravel it once again
- I would rather an accent be described than written out - this might be a personal complaint but I had to spend some time trying to figure out what the character was saying
- The magic wasn’t all that well explained, and I know it was because some of the characters didn’t understand it but I felt some elaboration would have been interesting

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This feels like an intriguing start to a new series. It’s a fantasy adventure turned quest as our main character, Elle, falls from the sky into the world after being trapped in a demon-haunted house in the clouds. She has no memory of who she is, only that she’s looking for someone to train her in magic so she can defend herself.

The story starts out well with the mystery of how Elle was trapped and what the world has in store for her. However, because she has no memories, she also doesn’t have knowledge of the things around her. The story could have used more world building which Elle, as one of our main narrators, could not provide. I would say that is the only real drawback. If the author continues in this world, I think there’s lots of opportunity for growth. A sublime example of worldbuilding that’s comparable to this fantasy storyline is the book “Nettle and Bone” by T. Kingfisher. The magic markets are full of intrigue, the social structure is laid out as the characters journey, the landscape and cultures are discovered along with the reader. This book came close but didn’t quite deliver on all those aspects to really set a strong fantasy basis. It truth, what I wanted is more of this interesting world.

One piece of worldbuilding/magic rule that was done quite well was how Elle related to the different elements in magic. Each element, like air or earth, had a different personality that she interacted with to use that specific magic. It was quite a fascinating plot device and also helped Elle grow as a character while learning the different magics. Elle is a bit hard to get behind at first. At times, she could be thoughtlessly aggressive. Once the cast of travelers comes together, the story feels more vivid with the contrasting personalities and different strength each character brings. The author also threads a lot of secrets throughout the plot that will keep readers turning the pages to learn more.

There are elements of myth, fables, found family, heartbreaking loss, and believing in yourself within the pages of this story. This is a very good start, and I’d welcome more of these characters and their adventures.

Trudged through the whole book to reach a good ending. The plot was not unique at all. It was like every other teenage girl with superpowers and a grumpy mentor. Not a great read, overall.

Title: Where the Lightning Goes
Author: Jackary Salem
Release Date: May 29th, 2023
Page Count: 372
Format: Paperback
Start Date: May 14th, 2023
Finish Date: June 3rd, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

At first, this story was all over the place for me. I still enjoyed it. I just found myself having to reread passages several times. This is most likely a personal issue rather than a writing issue. I will acknowledge that I do have ADHD. But I digress. Once I was able to follow along better, I did enjoy it more. It was still at about a 3 star at that point. Then the twist happened and everything was in your face from there forward. I didn't want to put the book down. I'm so happy that this book is going to be a series. I can't wait to read the other books in the series when they come out. I'd also love to try out other books written by this author. I really love their writing style very much. I also loved how different all of the characters were as well. Sometimes, I did feel a bit of a disconnect, but I think that was done on purpose. Also, this cover is so attention grabbing!

I really enjoyed this book after a slow and somewhat confusing start. Now that I've finished it, I understand why it started that way. The confusion mirrored what Elle, who is the main character of the book, is feeling once she falls out of the sky. But with her confusion comes Elle's impatience, smart mouth and unwavering bravery, even when she's terrified. As she fights to regain her missing memories, Elle meets three people who help her. And all of them are as interesting (and annoying in the case of friggin Leslie) as she is: Adair, who basically has no emotions (sounds like me); Leslie, who has ALL the emotions (which drove me nuts); and Honeycutt, a brave dwarf to be honest is my favorite character.

The battles they have to fight through are intense and had me on the edge of my seat. I love the fantastical elements in the book, (the painting!) and I would not be mad if it is adapted into a show or film. I would love to see some of these elements irl because they were incredibly detailed and fun to read.

I will preface than maybe this book wasn't for me personally - I know this is going to be quite a few person's top reads for this year. I had a fun time with this ultimately -

I haven't encountered something like this prior and that was the initial draw - The magic structure is well detailed and was something new in the sometimes diluted YA genre.

I have most definitely recommended this to many people I believe would appreciated it much more than I could.

"A god? That's too bad. If you're a god, there's no one for you to pray to."


I can only describe this book as a fantasy mystery where four chaotic individuals with varying personalities work together to get to the sky facing magical markets, dragons and demons along the way. Elle is the first person we meet, she was trapped in a house and doesn't remember anything before the House apart from falling from the sky. She escapes and enlists the help of Adair and Leslie who have their own troubling past. During their journey they find Honeycutt, a dwarf who is also travelling to the sky. Together they must defeat the demon and god in the sky while unraveling the growing mystery unfolding between them.

I REALLY LOVED this one!! I didn't expect to love it as much as I did to be honest! The premise sounded interesting, the cover was beautiful and I loved the title so I requested it from NetGalley! And OMG it was amazing!! I actually recommend not reading the synopsis right before you read the book because I dived into it after forgetting the synopsis and thought it was way better because it actually gives away a pretty big plot point!

Anyway I thought this book was so interesting! The magic, while being just elemental, was nothing like I've read before because we are with Elle as she is learning magic and it is described SO well. The world could've been fleshed out more because I honestly didn't know what the heck was happening there, but the plot and characters definitely caused me to overlook that, why I rated it 5 stars in fact.

The plot was AMAZING like I think it would be the perfect buddy read because you guess along with the characters and the things that you guess, aren't even close to what happens but everything makes so much sense!!? The mystery was PERFECT and the plot twists are also PERFECTION. I wasn't expecting that AT ALL but UGHHHHH it was just perfect!

Now the characters. This was very much a characters driven story and it is lucky that the characters where also such a great part of the book! Elle was driven and resourceful and i absolutely LOVED her character! It was so great to read about! Leslie was good ans so was Adair, I loved the whole concept of soul magic and how he was his heart! They were both written so well with this concept. Honeycutt was also a great character and I loved how much she added to the team. Then Cypress! Omg what a demon he is literally so good and smart and wth!!! Anyway I loved every single POV and was never bored!

I highly recommend this book if you are in the mood for a fast-paced fantasy book with a unique soul and elemental magic, amazing characters, a very intricate plot and riveting mystery! With some added bonus of found family, interesting villains, deep characters with their own unique personality, SUCH GREAT plot twists and engaging writing that literally transports you into the story!

Elle has been robbed of her memories and soul, locked up and scared, she only remembers falling from the sky. Yet she bravely escapes her imprisonment and escapes into a spiteful world of magic. However she is determined to gain back her memories and so she sets out on a hunt, one with many obstacles in store for her...

Where the Lightning Goes is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz with the flare of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign adaptation I never expected to enjoy as much as I did. In the typical fish out of water fashion, Elle is tossed into a world of magic that everyone else understands far better than her. Determined to find answers, she sets off on adventure with a curmudgeonly wizard and his heart that will drastically change all their lives forever.
If you’re looking for fun, magic, and a bit of the depressing, this is a book for you.

This was your basic young adult novel with magic. I don't think it really brought anything new to the collection of fantasy stories but it was worth the read. The characters were all there and fully developed and the magical system worked well for the story. But it didn't really have anything to set it apart from others of its kind.

Actual rating 3.5
This is an entertaining and fast-paced story with interesting elemental and soul magic. The final plot twist was very good and the two main characters, Elle and Adair were very likeable from the beginning.
It's a fun read to be distracted for a while.

This book was so engaging from start to finish. Elle has no memories of her life before landing in the house in the sky where she is locked in isolation and only has access to a few books. After ten years she escapes and finds herself in a world she has almost no knowledge of, but is determined to get her memories back. Gathering companions along the way while having no idea who she can trust, she must learn magic and fight to stay alive to learn who she really is.

This is such an amazing story about the complexities of individuals and self-discovery told in a truly unique way. The story seems simplistic in the beginning, however it is anything but. This is a new take on magic that I have not experienced in a book before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a great deal of intricacy to the story that is not immediately apparent, but that comes together beautifully in the end.

I do wish there was a little more of the interaction between Elle and her companion Adair. The develop a very interesting relationship, but the interaction that gets them there is lacking a bit.

It is teen/YA and is appropriate for the younger end of that audience. I am looking forward to re-reading this as a buddy read with my niece in a couple of years.

The only thing Elle knows is that she has no memories, she’s locked in a house left to rot and yearns for magic as if it was water. Her only remaining memory is of falling from the sky, though even that raises more questions than it answers. Upon a successful escape, she falls into a world that’s equal parts vicious and beautiful; Magic is everywhere, and every truth is accompanied by a lie.

What an interesting read! Despite being an overabundance of gods and myth inspired books, especially in the YA genre, I don’t think I' had ever encountered something like Where The Lighting Goes before, certainly a peculiar and well crafted novel. The Magic system was well developed, nothing difficult to follow as it’s custom in YA fantasy and pretty interesting.

Definitely recommend this A LOT to fantasy lovers and book clubs.

I was drawn to Where the Lightning Goes by that incredible cover. But unfortunately the book itself could not quite live up to it.

I am going to start by saying that I think that the synopsis already gives away more than it should. We don't discover the soul splitting in the book until at least the halfway point. You can't give that kind of thing away in your synopsis. It takes away the effect that you want with following Elle who has no memories of who she is.

The idea of magic, sky-castles and soul splitting seems quite magical and amazing but I never got any of that feeling from this world even if for Elle a lot of it is new. The plot of finding who Elle is and the other parts of her souls are, relatively easily figured out since she stumbled upon them basically. I wanted more from that search. It could have been used for further world building and for Elle to get to know this part of herself. This younger self, before that she joins with her other halves. In fact, I think I would have preffered that she not find her other halves in this installment already.

But the author has very different plans for Elle clearly. I'm just not sure I want to be apart of them.

Thank you for Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like for a good chunk of this book you are going in blind. Which is alright but I admit I'm not sold that the ending was enough for me? I was wavering between 2.5 and 3 stars while reading. There were elements I enjoyed but I don't think this was for me.

Elle has lived in a locked house in the sky for as long as she can remember.  Her caretaker tells her that the rest of the world has been ravaged and overcome by demons.  Elle escapes and falls to the Earth, determined to regain her memories from before the house in the sky and regain her magic.  Elle finds help in a strange group, Adair, Leslie and Honeycutt, that all seem to have a connection to Elle.  Elle believes that she needs to find a castle in the sky with a vengeful god, however, she must figure out the secrets of her past before being able to fight.

Where the Lightning Goes is an exciting and unique fantasy.  I was hooked on the story from the moment of Elle escaping the house in the sky.  As Elle falls, she has no memory except for living in the house and no knowledge of the world she has landed on. She must accept things as they happen, as does the reader.  The pacing of the story moves quickly as Elle is faced with decisions.  I loved the journey into the painting to find Adair's heart as well as Leslie, the heart itself.  Through the characters, there is an overwhelming feeling of loss, but also one of hope.  I enjoyed watching as Adair taught Elle magic and the Impossible markets. Honeycutt's character was an amazing addition to the group and began to give some hints as to how the four might be connected.  I even appreciated the demon character and it's unexpected actions. Elle's final battle with the god was amazingly written and offered a satisfying and dramatic ending. 

 This book was received for free in return for an honest review.