I’ve been picking this book up, putting it back down, and then picking it back up again in an attempt to finish reading it before finally admitting defeat.

The narrator is brilliant, I think I only made it as far through the book as I did because of them and the wonderful job they did pulling me into the story, but I feel like I could never quite connect with this book or find myself feeling fully invested.

I kept trying again because I’ve had a lot to deal with the last few months and kind of figured it was a case of right book, wrong time and wrong mood.

There are some kind of heavy themes that I feel the author did a good job depicting and I found the magic system interesting, as well as some of the characters but I just feel like the pace dragged a bit too much and it was kind of hard to keep of track things.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC!

Not my favourite unfortunately, to those newer to the genre this might be perfect though! I just feel I've read so many variations on this

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I want to preface this by saying I requested this before the problematic themes came to light and I only listened to this to get it off my shelf.

To be honest I found this to be very basic. Some of the tropes in this, I typically like when they are done well but unfortunately that's not what happened here, I also found the worldbuilding lacking and just seemed to be surface level. There didn't seem to be much depth. The characters felt very flat and to be honest I just found the whole thing boring.

"The Ones We Burn" by Rebecca Mix is a captivating and spellbinding addition to the realm of young adult fantasy. This New York Times bestselling novel takes readers on a thrilling journey into a dark and enchanting world that will leave you utterly mesmerized.

Mix's storytelling prowess shines through as she weaves a rich tapestry of characters and a meticulously crafted fantasy landscape. The novel introduces readers to a mesmerizing and dystopian realm where the balance between light and darkness teeters on a razor's edge. The narrative is filled with intricate world-building, powerful magic, and a sense of impending doom that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the book.

At its core, "The Ones We Burn" is a tale of courage, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope. The characters are beautifully developed, each grappling with their own inner demons while navigating a world filled with perilous challenges. Mix skillfully explores themes of morality and the consequences of one's actions, making this fantasy novel not only an exhilarating adventure but also a thought-provoking read.

What sets this novel apart is its ability to immerse readers in a world where every decision carries weight, and the line between hero and villain is often blurred. The author's prose is elegant and evocative, painting vivid pictures of a world both wondrous and terrifying. From the breathtaking landscapes to the intricacies of magical battles, every detail is brought to life with a masterful touch.

In "The Ones We Burn," Rebecca Mix delivers a dark epic that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the final page, or listened to the final seconds. Whether you're a seasoned fantasy enthusiast or new to the genre, this book is a must-read. It's a journey into darkness that ultimately reveals the enduring power of the human spirit—a true masterpiece in the world of young adult fantasy.

Interesting premise and I enjoyed the way the different threads of the story were woven together.

The characters were young in a believable way and you could see them mature and grow as the story progressed.

The audio narration was fantastic and definitely contributed to my overall enjoyment of the novel.

I liked the book and would happily read more by this author in the future.

The book was review-bombed on goodreads (not a good look on the GR’s part), and mostly by people who haven’t read the book. I’m sidestepping the controversy and will just discuss the book by itself.

It dragged on a lot at the start and the middle was lagging a lot, but it really pulled through with the climax and resolution, so I think it’s a solid 4 out of 5 stars read.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Roisin Rankin brought this book to life - wonderfully narrated, and made me want to keep listening during the lull parts of the novel. I will definitely keep and eye out for her name on future novels.

A dark-ish fairytale about family, betrayal, politics and love. Very much enjoyed Ranka's character and pov - how she is a different narrator than most YA heroines but not in a way that is *part* of her character. I would have liked more magic and world-building, but it wasn't meant to be. I would have loved more of the history of the witches....and what they actually do/did. I really enjoyed all the side-characters, and found all of them easy to differentiate from one another.

Worth a read/listen.

I enjoyed the narrator for this story. She seemed to fit the world of the story and I enjoyed the way she showed the main character's shift from past trauma to learning to forgive herself and demand that she be treated right by others. She was hesitant when the story called for it and the tone of the narration strengthened when the story called for it.

I have rated the audio a star higher than I rated the story itself on recognition of the narrator's talent.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was generally disappointed with the way Race and Identity were handled in this novel, and whilst the potential of the book is what initially piqued my interest, I don't think I can support this novel.

I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book. I absolutely adored it, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down!

The friendships, the betrayals, the romances. They were all perfect. It was action packed and gripping, the characters had so much depth.

Highly recommend

Ok, so I have been following Rebecca for a long time on Twitter, and I was excited for this novel. Then the crap storm hit, and I was torn as to whether I wanted to give it a go or not. I decided I'd try it and make my own opinion, because what I knew of Rebecca didn't right true for what everyone was saying.

I quite enjoyed this. The narrator was clear and concise. The book itself was good, rather than great, but still enjoyable. I am glad I gave it a go instead of listening to everyone else, because I truly thing Rebecca has so much potential waiting to be used, and this book is just the start!

I gave this 3.5/5

I definitely enjoyed this book, but didn’t find it particularly memorable. I do think the dialogue was often great and the characters generally likeable! If this is your genre and your vibe, it’s a great example of the vibe

Such a good book and I was so excited when I opened my Fairyloot this month and saw it was the special edition!

A very interesting story, with detailed but engaging world-building and I love the characters. The audiobook was great but I also can't wait to read it too!

THE ONES WE BURN is an action-packed standalone YA fantasy about truth and lies and fighting for what you love.

This is a nice, chunky standalone. It's quite long for a YA debut but I'm so glad it wasn't crammed down into a typical YA word count (or cut up into two books.) It was nice to be able to spend that much time in a world while still being in only one volume, to get a story that didn't feel rushed or stretched.

As it is quite long, it meant there were quite a few plot points coming earlier than I expected because of twists to come. I like being able to predict something it coming but not the fall out, because it makes me feel like things are being set up nicely (hence I catch it/expect it) but then my expectations are subverted or exceeded with the consequences or exact way in which something happens.

I liked that this is a story about the fall out of a treaty with good intentions but bad consequences. The treaty was supposed to solve the country's troubles between Witches and Humans, but instead made it worse. It meant, for me, that there was no blame on either party for the situation they found themselves in. Rather it gave space for everyone to be shades of grey over how they reacted. That is where the blame lay, in who was listening or not, who was talking or not even trying, and who had seen it as a chance to gain power.

I actually started this one in audio form, and was engaged, but my brain was just struggling too much with audio as a rule (still not able to listen to spoken word yet.) I'm sure if I had been able to, I would have flown through this book as the bit I did listen to was great.

This was a very thrilling read that kept me on my toes. It has a new take on witches that I really like, and there's a lot of conflict and choices that has to be made, but even as a reader it's hard to really say what's the right choice and what isn't. There's no one way here, no one bad guy vs the good one. It's complicated and hard and that makes the story really good and interesting.

Granted, it might not be as surprising as I would have wanted, which is also why it gets four instead of five stars here. The twists in the plot wasn't exactly unexpected and sometimes it felt a little too much like every other YA fantasy plot out there. But, that said, the writing is good, and I like the world building and the backstory given to the characters. I think most of the characters have great arcs that make them feel real and three-dimentional.

There's also enough action and forward momentum in the plot to make this a page-turner, which I really like. There was some slower parts in the beginning, but after a while, it really took off, and I wanted to learn what happened next and had struggle putting the book down. There's both action, mystery elements, a sort of "save the world"-kind of plot, and some romance, and the author really manages to weave it all together into a great story that sucks you in.

The narrator was really good, too, and it was a very nice experience listing to this book. Even better than reading it, I'd say. I love how the narrator managed to make the main characters voices different in a way that really felt matched with their personalities.

A good read that I can recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton Audio, and the author, for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one book that I requested after extensive sessions of going through Goodreads review and discussions with friends. This book garnered a lot of press, good hype in the beginning followed by very bad later. I wanted to see for myself what the whole thing was about.

The book follows the story of Ranka, the only surviving blood witch who is sent to assassinate the prince of the realm and put an end to the endless hate towards the witch as the existing peace treaty between the commoners and the witches is not working.

The book is long...and I mean looooooong and yet so much of the plot is in the air. I have so many questions, like so many and absolutely couldn't find answers to any of them by the end of the book. One of which was what the hell are the powers of a normal witch, like except their nails darkening, what else make them witches? like the most basic question, yet no answer.

I feel like this was a very ambitious book with so many different concepts touched like gaslighting, manipulation, senseless hate, anarchy, biological warfare, mother-daughter abusive relationships, yet none of these actually was portrayed well enough for the concepts to sink in. Like even though the book was so long, it did not contribute any depth to any of the core aspects of the story including world-building.

One of the biggest problematic aspect of this book almost always pointed out was reverse racism. I see where that comes from as the ruling siblings (the assumed heartless and monstrous) are described as dark skinned. However, in the entirety of the story, every aspect of representation, be it racial, sexuality, gender were all done for the sake of doing it. It was in my opinion, nothing but USP. So not relevant in anyway to the plot!
For antisemitism, it’s a bit unclear to me and it is not something I would pick up. The blood witch part is possibly the reason, though I do not really see it.

Verdict: Nop, definitely not a book for me, will not be recommending this book.

Also this review took me ages to write, because I am still not really sure what happened in this one hell of a book.

TW: gaslighting, manipulation, senseless hate, implied non-consensual sex, assault, blood/gore, cannibalism, biological warfare & human experimentation, child death, death, murder, Mob violence

Great narrator who really brought colour to the story.

Yes I a long read but I was gripped throughout.

Audio Review: Decent narrator who brought plenty of nuance to the characters and narrative.



Main review: I was somewhat non-plussed on reading this book considering the level of abuse levelled at it and the author by the twitter hangman's circle. It was described as a reverse racism narrative (spoiler alert: that's just racism btw. Racism happens just fine without a white person in the room), colonialist, antisemitic and a whole bunch of other things. All of which were completely inaccurate. In fact, those opinions were so far off the mark, I genuinely wondered what book those people had read. Of course, most people one starring this have not read the book at all. They're taking their 'opinion' from a few tweets posted by an embittered and less successful author on twitter - or that's certainly what it looks like to a casual observer. Please just read a book for yourself before 1 starring it: refuse to join the flock of sheeple.



Anyway, I am slightly outside the target audience for this one. I think I now fall into the category of enjoying books that make good YA reads but that aren't specifically written for a YA audience. I didn't feel a massive connection for the characters and suspect that's just because I'm on the outside. I also don't love very linear plots with little to no subplot.



Having said that, this was still a good book. The story was exactly what you'd expect if you have a few fantasy novels under your belt, but unlike many other YA linear fantasy books, this one made full use of the plot to explore some very gritty and apposite issues. These included found family and breaking free of abuse, dismantling and more importantly rebuilding an unjust system and exactly what the cost would be. And most appropriate of all - especially for those people who buy a political ideology hook, line and sinker without asking what's in it for those organising the decentralised movement - how a cause can blind you to reality; how no division is ever black and white; how you must always always think for yourself and question everything. Basically, if someone is teaching you to hate someone, especially a group of someones based on their perceived power or external characteristics, you should be giving the person trying to use you some serious side-eye. Always ask cui bone? - who benefits? (You can bet your arse it won't be you).



Another point in this book's favour is that despite having strong themes and exploring that breakdown of communication between people and political ideology, it is a story first book. It doesn't just whack the reader over the head and yell 'think like this or you're not one of us' which a disturbing number of books seem to be doing lately. Whether I agree or disagree with an author's perspective, I appreciate nuance. I like someone who is not afraid to consider both sides of an argument.



Overall, I would recommend this, especially if you're in the sweet spot of really enjoying linear YA fantasy.

This is a stunningly gripping, dark and atmospheric fantasy. I loved the writing style, and the superb narration of the audiobook ARC.. A huge thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read. I hope to read more from the author in the future.

This is the story of a blood witch Renka which has to take revenge on a prince in the name of her coven.
All easy peasy... but once you get to know the one you're supposed to kill, things get complicated.
It's not the usual "love at first sight" you could expect.
The story was fine, but not mindblowing in my opinion.
I wont go into the opposite racism talk, but know there are a lot of talk about it.
Something that bothered me is that every single character is gay... even the author herself saying is it... and even though I'm really pro LGBTQ+, having JUST LGBTQ+ in a book sounds like an overkill to me... specially if its done to attract readers...? I dont know...
It doesnt change much to the story, I just find it a bit too pushed from the author.
*Thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook, all the opinions are my own*