Burn

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Dragons live in peace with humans, they have withdrawn to various wastes around the world and occasionally interact when employed by humans.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

So a new Patrick Ness novel...as good as The rest of us just live here and the Chaos Walking trilogy? Yes....but in a totally different way. Set in 1950's Washington State (but in a 1950's in which Dragons and humans have coexisted in an uneasy peace for hundreds of years), the story of Sarah Dewhurst, her father, her boyfriend and the blue dragon who works on their farm, is simply mesmerising. Other characters include Malcolm, the teenage assassin brought up in a dragon cult and trained to kill, and the revoltingly racist local Deputy, Kelby.. The plot is full of twists and turns from the moment that Kazimir, the blue dragon, saves Sarah from the attentions of the repulsive Kelby and at no point in the story was I able to predict where, when or how the novel might end. Classic Patrick Ness and light years ahead of any other sci-fi YA novel I have read...since his last. Fabulous stuff....thank you, Net Galley!.

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.