This morning I finished reading Burn by Patrick Ness. I didn’t know much about Burn going into it other than ‘dragons’ and even without expectations this story still felt unexpected. It was quietly beautiful and as much as it is about a dragon cult and fanaticism, it is also about love, bravery, connections with other people, trust. This story was told from three different perspectives and while at the start I felt more connected to Sarah’s interactions with the dragon, the other perspectives - Malcolm, the assassin and Woolf and Dernovich, the FBI agents on the chase - really crept up on me and I raced through that last half of the book wanting answers. It was an interesting time period to read about, 50s America with WWII behind them (and internment camps) and the Cold War tensions. I love reading Patrick Ness for the entertaining, emotional, thought-provoking stories and Burn is a great example of this. Out in the UK 7th May, look out for it.

Once again, Patrick Ness has written a completely original and beautiful story - this time with Dragons! HOW COOL.


This book could not be put down. From the very beginning, I could tell that I would be fully immersed in this world. There was so much tension throughout which made me want to carry on reading.


The world-building was spot on. Not too much and not too little. Basically our world but with dragons. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Dragons and Humans and how they co-exist with one another.


Our main Dragon, who name I will keep a surprise (you're not supposed to talk to Dragons did you know!?), was a sassy, mysterious character. He was definitely my favourite character.


Burn has a diverse cast of POC and LGBTQ+ characters which was a big plus for me. We are able to see how they are represented during the 1950s and how their lives are affected by hatred and racism. Especially by the homophobic, racist Deputy Sherrif Kelby. My goodness did I hate him!

We follow three different characters who had their own chapters, Sarah, the teenage-assassin and the FBI agents. These chapters flowed seamlessly together and really gave me a strong understanding of what was happening. I felt like I was on this journey with them.


The pacing throughout was steady and the buildup to the certain events was developed nicely. When the action finally hit, WOW. It was like an episode of Game of Thrones.


There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming! Patrick Ness is very talented in surprising his readers.


I can only give this book 5 stars out of 5! I can't wait to see what my favourite author will come up with next.

Sarah Dewhurst has no idea just how much her life will be changed after her father hires a Dragon to work their farm. Especially when said Dragon starts spouting off about a prophecy. A prophecy that Sarah herself will play a massive part in, one that could mean the end of the world as we know it... No pressure.

The book is told from multiple perspectives, sometimes chapter by chapter and sometimes they just pop up randomly to keep you on your toes. Because of this I wouldn't say there was really a 'main' character. The four main perspectives we get are Sarah, Kazimir, Malcolm and The Goddess. Sarah is a simple farm girl, so when a Dragon appears and informs her that she is the vital cog in a prophecy that could end the world, she is understandably dubious:

"I'm just a girl."

"It is tragic how you have been taught to say that with sadness rather than triumph."

Kazimir is a Blue Russian Dragon, people are understandably worried about a Russian Dragon working in the US, I mean the Cold War is happening people. But he cares little for human politics, in fact he cares little for humans at all, but he knows that a battle between Dragons and Humans would mean massive casualties on both sides and the ending of a world he has grown to like.

Malcolm is a 'believer' a group of humans who devote their lives to Dragons, they believe they are the superior race and that all humans should bow in their wake. So when the Mitera Thea, the leader of the Believers, tells him that in order to save the Dragons and the world he has to kill a girl, Malcolm is willing to do whatever it takes.

The Goddess is a character I can't say much about without giving you some massive spoilers. She is the one from whom all Dragons came, and the one who, in the end, has the potential to destroy the world.

The synopsis for this book gives little away in the form of plot but after reading the book I completely understand that decisions. The story is quirky and jumpy (not in a bad way) but it would have been hard to describe without spoiling some pretty big and important plot points. Ness' writing style, and how he infuses all the different characters perspectives into the story made it feel quite fresh and I found myself easily flying through the 384 pages, in fact I read the book in roughly 4 hours.

As well as a thoroughly quirky story about Dragons we get a book set in an alternate 1950's America, one where the Cold War is active, racism is abundant and being Gay is still a crime in some places. Ness deals with these both in different ways but I felt that he did it well. We see Sarah having to deal with Racism, especially from the town Deputy (trust me you will hate this guy!) We see how lgbtq people were treated, and still are in some places. It will make you angry, there is no denying that, but personally I think the author dealt with the issues that arise well and still managed to give us some great representation.

This book has enough plot twists that as soon as you figured one out another pops up out of nowhere ( another reason why describing the story is so hard.) For the first half of the book I was just desperately trying to keep up with who was who and what was happening and then in the second half it all went to shit and I gave up. You just have to trust that the author knows what hes doing, trust that all the little parts will some together and it will all finally make sense, trust that he will give you an ending that you deserve... even if it does leave you longing for more.

A really fun read, that deals with some pretty big issues and a story line that will keep you guessing until the end. I will definitely be checking out more of Ness' work after this.

Wow. For me, it feels like the release of every Patrick Ness book should be an EVENT. The way he plays with magical realism, blending a recognisable world with all-too familiar problems with fantasy, makes the emotional potency almost unrivalled. That's more than true of 'Burn' - which is also one of the first books in a long while that I've wanted to reread straight after finishing. That's because I felt bereft it was all over and the fact that having finished it I could see all the brilliance that had been plotted out and interwoven along the way.
'Burn' is set in 1950s America during the Cold War. Sarah Dewhurst lives in smalltown Washington, and it's a familiar landscape, with race issues, money issues and small-town mindset. But there's also dragons. And end-of-world prophecy, beyond the current day crisis, that goes back millennia - about a young girl, a dragon and a moment that could end everything.
This might just be my new favourite Ness - it's just so brilliant. The characters are fantastically constructed, we immediately care for them and worry about how things are going to pay out. The story is so compelling, I really could not put this book down. I really could shout out about this one from the rooftops. A true gem.

Burn by Patrick Ness takes the unlikely bedfellows of dragons and the Cold War and merges them together to create a magical adventure set in an alternative version of the 1950's USA. This version is very like ours, the main difference being that not only do dragons exist, they have come to a sort of peaceful accord with humans. They live in more remote wasteland areas and rarely interact with people unless they are hired to work for them, as is the case in this book where a Russian Blue dragon named Kazimir is hired by Sarah and her father to clear some farmland. Their family is already on the outskirts of society as mixed race marriages are not common, and now hiring a so called "Commie" dragon during the paranoia of the Cold War makes them even more noticeable. When Sarah catches the attention of local law enforcement for all the wrong reasons, tragedy ensues and Kazimir's quick thinking is the only thing that saves the day. Little does Sarah know that Kazimir is determined to protect her because of an ancient prophesy, and that an assassin from a dragon worshipping cult, chased by a pair of FBI agents, is on his way to kill her. To say any more would spoil the plot of this adventurous and ambitiously crafted tale, but as the various parties come together the drama unfolds in surprising ways.
The air of paranoia and suspicion because of the Cold War era setting made for uncomfortable reading at times as various prejudices are addressed, but it also greatly added to the tension of the story. At first I was not sure about the parts of the story dealing with the assassin, Malcolm , but over the course of the book he became one of my favourite characters, and the way the two story threads tied together was not just dramatic but genuinely surprising. Although the book has a full conclusion, the author has left it open enough to allow for more , and I for one would be happy to read more. Opening a Patrick Ness book, I knew I could expect beautiful writing and a unique story, and I was not disappointed.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book had me requesting a copy from the word dragon. I mean, come on…what was the last book you read that had dragons at its forefront?!

I was slightly worried going into this book. Having only read one Patrick Ness book I was already nervous (because I absolutely loved The Rest of Us Just Live Here which I devoured in a few hours) and let’s be honest, bringing back dragons into young adult fantasy is a big risk to make.

However, Patrick Ness absolutely nailed it with Burn. I ended up reading this in two days and was addicted to the idea of how dragons are a norm in this world, almost as common as a house pet. Oh, and they talk! How amazing is that?

I loved the characters in this book and the amount of representation that could be found throughout. This book was so well written and do not get me started on the plot twists! I ended up having to put my e-reader down at one point in order for my brain to catch up with what I had read. I did not see that coming and was completely blown away.

The only qualm I had with this book was Part 2 felt like it went a bit too slow at parts for me (however this could have been to me being impatient to know what happened) and that I feel like the final few chapters could have gone on for longer without leaving me with the feeling that it ended too quickly.

Overall, Burn was such an interesting, magical and fascinating book that I recommend to any dragon lovers out there! I definitely will be taking the leap of reading more books by Patrick Ness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Walker Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was near unputdownable! Aside from dragons (always a plus in my book), it also presents amazing characters with great dynamics, jaw-dropping twists, heart-wrenching emotion and plenty of laughs.

We start off with some nicely laid groundwork for worldbuilding - a reimagined 1950s Earth where dragons are as common as cats. (Though a good deal more deadly - necessitating a peace treaty!) A splash of information here, a dash of exposition there, and whoosh, I'm fully immersed. I soon fell in love with Kazimir's character, the hired dragon - he's so sassy, sardonic and mysterious, especially when dealing with the deeply racist, homophobic Deputy Sheriff Kelby. (His story had a twist and a half!) Kazimir had some of the best lines in the book. The other characters were excellent too; it was incredibly difficult to pick (human) favourites but perhaps Sarah and Malcolm win. I cared about everyone (not Kelby, ew) and they all felt strangely real and tangible. Several characters are also POC, with consideration of how this and queer identity would be perceived in a 1950s USA… Sarah is half-black and her best friend Jason is Japanese-American, while a secondary character, Nelson, is Guatemalan-Canadian and gay.

The myriad threads of love that run throughout this book were also wonderful to read. You have love of all kinds (I absolutely rate how Ness writes an LGBTQ+ thread into almost every one of his novels, great stuff), and my favourite love story was between Sarah and her parents. I'm tired of the 'missing/conveniently absent parent' trope, or stories where kids have to keep secrets from their incompetent parents - I loved how Sarah and her father are so honest with each other. Another father-daughter relationship in the story also deserves a mention, but I can't name them for spoilery reasons!

The plot twists were also CRAZY in this book. You can seriously tell Ness wrote the 'Chaos Walking' trilogy (I don't think my cardiovascular health has yet recovered from that rollercoaster of a series) and honestly, when I read a book mainly featuring teens, I don't expect a Game of Thrones level death toll! There were entire 10-15 page segments where my face was just stuck gaping in shock. I particularly liked the twist regarding how the prophecy played out - actually, the entire prophecy and multiverse premises were excellent - deftly executed alongside a dragon mythology that surprisingly still felt incredibly original despite the prominence of dragons in YA fantasy fiction.

I did find the epilogue a tad feeble and open-ended for my liking, but from Ness' 'Chaos Walking' trilogy I know full well how fine he is with torturing readers like this! It's clever, keeping us wondering about what happens next makes sure I won't forget this book...dastardly but clever. I think 'Burn' works well as a standalone, but if Ness writes a sequel, I honestly would have zero complaints.

Hats off to Patrick Ness for another great novel! I always expect to enjoy his work (he's one of my autobuy authors), but it's nice to be validated each time.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, Walker Books, for providing me with a copy of Burn by Patrick Ness.

I have read various books via Patrick Ness, each one has been very different from the last. Burn is no different, set in 1950's rural America where dragons exist. This is a setting that I loved from the start, it was informative and made you feel like you were there with Sarah, living on the farm or going to school and sitting in the library with Jason.

When Sarah Dewhurt's father hires a Russian Blue Dragon, Kazimir to work on their farm, neither of them know that all this had been prophesied thousands of years ago. That Sarah would have a critical role in stopping the end of life as they know it. This book is told in two parts, but also multiple POV's showing how people are being affected by the actions of others throughout the book.

Burn is definitely one of the best novels I have read this year. The plot was exciting with lots of twists that made me keep turning pages so I could how each turn played out. Although this book features dragons, Patrick Ness had a way of making it seem so believable that it could happen in our world, that it is just one major action from existence, such is the brilliant work of Patrick Ness.

So overall, I really enjoyed this book, each and every character felt fully fleshed out, the plot was interesting and made me want to keep reading, no matter how late it was! It is a book that I will be definitely be buying upon release, I am also in love with the cover design - I have seen two different ones but I am undecided which I love the most!

Patrick Ness's Burn is a beautifully written novel that delves into an alternate 1957, where the world is populated by dragons.

It's a heart-stopping, enchanting and gripping tale of revenge. bravery and redemption, and lots and lots of Dragons. All the characters are crafted to make you feel a range of emotions as you read.

First, I really enjoyed this book. Dragons, magic, war, intrigue, prophecies - yep, check those are all things I enjoyed reading about. However, it was very very slow burn and then felt very quick all at the end. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I enjoyed the world building of the Cold War era setting and the fact that dragons were just normal in this universe, but it meant when I finished the book I felt almost like it wasn't enough. I needed more and it felt that the prophecy was rushed. Still, I liked the story and the concept was good. The characters were likeable and there was enough to the that they felt fleshed out - would have been great to learn more about Kazimir though.

Patrick Ness does not disappoint!!
Sarah Dewhurst lives in 1950's rural America but although much of her world is the same as ours there is one significant difference, dragons. Dragons co-exist with humans in Sarah's world and we meet Kazimir, a Russian blue dragon, who is employed by Sarah's father to help clear some land on his farm. Kazimir, however, has others reasons for accepting the work on the Dewhurst farm. In dragon prophecy it seems that Sarah will play a pivotal role in saving the world. We also meet Malcolm whose whole life has been focused on carrying out the wishes of the Believers but is his mission based on truth.
This is an amazing novel. The plot has many twists and turns that leave you sometimes dreading to turn the next page and certainly not sure what was coming next. This is a story you do not want to 'spoil' for others by letting them know what is coming - enjoy the discovery.
I did also enjoy the concept that there is a dragon in all of us.

Burn is a mash of genres, set in an alternative version of 1950s America where dragons exist. Three different storylines occur simultaneously, covering different characters and events.

These multiple storylines were a little confusing at first, but once you get into the swing of it this improves. The world building is really interesting, as there are so many similarities that the differences start feel real.

The plot is very fast paced, and there are multiple surprises. At points, I wasn't quite sure what I was ready about, but overall I found the twists exciting.

This was a very odd book - I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. I'm not sure if I'll pick up the sequel at this point.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

Patrick Ness is one of my favourite authors.

Every single time he publishes a book, I enter with the highest expectations, and every single time he does not only manage to write something completely original and different, but completely surpass my expectations, too. If you've enjoyed Patrick Ness's previous books, I would recommend you stop reading this review right now and just buy the book, because I can guarantee that you'll love this one too. 

If you need further convincing, keep reading: 

The year is 1957. In a world where dragons peacefully coexist with humans, Sarah Dewhurst lives on a farm in a small, backwater town with her father, facing harassment from the town's deputy due to the colour of her skin. When her father hires a dragon to help work their farm Sarah expects trouble, but she does not expect the dragon to have a secret own agenda for being at that precise spot. Meanwhile, a teenage assassin leaves the Canadian dragon wastes to travel south, heading for Sarah Dewhurst's little farm...

I have to admit, it took me a little while to get into this book. The world, while very well introduced and described, just didn't catch my interest immediately, The grim, cold, cold-war winter of 1957 just didn't feel very inviting, which, I suppose, isn't a big surprise in retrospect. Another thing that threw me off initially were the multiple viewpoints that change quite frequently and felt a little overwhelming in the beginning. But after a couple of chapters I started to feel comfortable in the story, and it was a steady increase from there.

From the beginning, there is such a fantastic rise in tension, conflict growing and growing until you keep flipping the pages frantically, needing to know what happens next. The plot is incredible, and has a couple of plot-twists and reveals that had me sitting in front of the book with my mouth open (think "More Than This"). Even though the perspectives in this book change so frequently you root for every single character, and all of them are so well-written, complex and understandable. The writing is, of course, absolutely fantastic, and the book finishes with a wonderful, hopeful message.

Every single time I enter a new Patrick Ness book with such high expectations, setting myself up for disappointment, and every time he surpasses them again. I absolutely loved this book!

Burn is simply the best Patrick Ness title that I have ever read! I loved the characters and the way the story unfolds to change your opinion about them; especially Malcolm, who is on a mission to fulfil a phrophecy to save the world, very noble, right? And he only has to kill one little girl... The 1950s setting of the Cold War is perfect, allowing us to reflect back to a time when being different is fraught with danger and distrust and we have plenty of complex characters here to demonstrate those differences. None of them are clichéd, even the nasty town Deputy feels like a real person, hate him as much as you will. The idea of pitching that historic time into a world where dragons exist alongside multiple-world layers, should be wrong and it shouldn’t work, but it does. Patrick Ness has managed to make this scenario seem realistic and you take the story easily in your stride. Fantastic!

An unusual fantasy, set in a 1950s USA where dragons have co-existed warily but peacefully with humans for centuries. A struggling farmer resorts to hiring a dragon to clear his fields, meeting with fear and disapproval from the townfolk. Yet this dragon seems to have strange insight and is drawn to the farmer’s daughter, Sarah, who will have a role to play in events that will change the world forever....
As always with Ness, the novel deals with important ideas, with human nature and human tendency to self-destruction at the forefront. The threat of the Cold War years contrasts with the fantastic one of a fiery conflict with dragons, the distrust of difference is evident in the racist and homophobic attitudes of the majority. The role of destiny and prophecy plays a big part but authority figures and a quasi-religious cult manipulate the truth for political ends in a way that echoes real life events.
The second part of the book becomes more complex and fantastical in a way I found less appealing, but overall I found it an intelligent and thought-provoking read that stands out from much current fantasy.
,

Can’t download this book but I bet it’s awesome, I love Patrick Ness and believe in him! I wish I could download it though!

Patrick Ness has outdone himself once again. I haven't read all of his books, however this one is different to the ones that I have read and I loved it! Burn is a book that you'll devour in one sitting. The characters are brilliant and the plot was unexpected but greatly welcomed. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy whether they are a teen or an adult.

A new book from Patrick Ness is always much anticipated and Burn will not disappoint. Set on an Earth in 1957, very much like our own, but where dragons exist.

Dragons live in peace with humans, they have withdrawn to various wastes around the world and occasionally interact when employed by humans. This is how Sarah meets Kazimir, a Russian Blue, employed to clear some farmland, by her father. What Sarah doesn't know is that she is integral to a dragon prophecy where she will save the world and there are people who do not want this to happen.

Set in a time where prejudice is prevalent and unease and suspicion about the intention of the Russians is deeply ingrained, the actions of some of the characters makes for uncomfortable reading. Yet there is hope here too and redemption.

The power of the storytelling will pull you in, a brisk pace is set yet time is given to build a real empathy for the characters, with a dash of science to go with the magic.

‘We are in the hands of Goddesses and madmen, Sarah Dewhurst.’

‘Burn’ is one of those books where I think it’s best to go into it knowing as little as possible. It’s set in an alternate 1950s America during the Cold War and Sarah Dewhurst’s father has just hired a dragon to help on their farm. The Dragon has motives other than the money he will be paid though, Sarah is mentioned in a prophecy that could mean the end of the world.

I’d argue that there isn’t really a main character in ‘Burn’, it felt to me more like an ensemble book with three main storylines that all had some great characters. Like with many Patrick Ness books these all eventually came together in two really great climaxes which really showed off his ability to write ‘blockbuster’ pieces as well as the intimate character moments that are common in his books. The time period is used to highlight many social issues such as racism which Sarah and her friend Jason experience primarily at the hands of the towns deputy sheriff. I can’t speak for how well this is handled having not experienced this myself but this is not the main focus of these characters stories. The backdrop of the Cold War, particularly the Space Race, play a big part into the plot of ‘Burn’, in my opinion it was an excellent choice in setting.

Another of the storylines follows a boy called Malcolm who has been raised in what is essentially a cult that worships the dragons. He is being sent on a mission that is of vital importance to the cult but there are FBI agents trying to stop him achieving his goal. There was such a great plot twist here I had to take a minute and just sit and think, without spoiling anything it was. So. Good. Malcolm was definitely one of my favourite characters in the book, seeing how his life had been affected by being raised in a cult was really interesting. On his journey he comes across a guy called Nelson and they quickly form an intense relationship which did feel a little bit like insta-love but as it wasn’t the main focus of their story it wasn’t too detrimental and honestly it may not even be reciprocated love given some of the events that happen to them.

Obviously, I could not review this book and not talk about the dragons. There are two main ones in ‘Burn’ and they remain quite mysterious through the book but we slowly learn more about them and their society. The dragon that works on Sarah’s farm in particular was one of the best characters in the book in my opinion, he had a strong sense of duty and was involved in one very satisfying moment which I won’t go into because of spoilers. Both of the dragons played an integral part to the story and the way things ended with the dragons (and many of the characters) just screams out for a sequel.

I have been a big fan of Patrick Ness’ work for a while now and while his books have never disappointed me I feel this has been his best one since More Than This. The writing as always was beautiful and the plot was really intriguing with great twists. ‘Burn’ is definitely one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year. The world and characters that he has created here are so well developed and it has left me wanting more!

Thank you Walker Books for providing a proof copy of ‘Burn’.

+ LGBT+ representation (own voices)
+ Great plot twist
+ Beautiful writing
+ Dragons

Patrick Ness never takes you on the journey you expect but somehow it's always the journey you need.. This time Ness tackles dragons in the most Ness way possible. Set in a sort of alternate 50s, we have the rare blue dragon Kazimir who assists on a farm. One thing leads to another and the reader is plunged into a twisting, turning plot that arrives at a very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend.