Tonight, I Burn

In 'Tonight, I Burn' by Katharine J. Adams, Penny is nearing her 21st birthday. Like most nearly 21-year-olds, she is somewhat nervous. Unlike most nearly 21-year-olds, she is nervous because it will be the first day she dies.

Penny, and her whole family, are witches of the Thorn Coven, and every night one of them burns to cross the veil and makes sure that everyone passes on correctly. Another talent of the Thorn witches is healing, specifically healing the Warden. No one wants to, but the Warden gets the last word, and his lifeline is connected to the veil, so if he dies, no one can die ever again. Withstanding his tyranny is all Penny has ever done, but what if there was another way?

One day, Penny’s sister doesn’t come back from her burning, and her world is thrown into turmoil. With the Warden on the brink of discovering Penny’s secret, she is forced to make a deal with the mysterious man who lives beyond the veil. Can she release the witches from the Warden’s iron fist?

First off, I just want to say that the world building and character development was phenomenal. It may be a fantasy book, but everything felt so real. Adams cut no corners with bringing the readers into her world, though admittedly it does get slightly gruesome at times. The characters were amazing, and I loved the dynamics, particularly within the Albright family, and between the different covens. I do wish we had gotten to know some of the other covens a bit more. The interactions between Penny and her sisters were some of my favorite parts, and though I found the plot with her grandmother confusing, I liked it all the same.

I do have to mention the plot, as it was one of the only places that this book fell short. There is so much emotion in this book, and constant action, but I just wish a little more thought had been put into the in-between parts. At some points I felt like I had watched a movie, but only watched the start and the end, and so was missing the whole context. This really came through with the romance sub-plot.

So, we really need to talk about this. I really loved the representation of both bisexuality and polyamorous relationships. The triangle all seemed supportive of one another, which was wholesome and refreshing, compared to the rivalry in the typical love-triangle trope that we see so often. Alice was ethereal perfection, Malin was the dark wild card, and they both played off each other well. Have I mentioned that Malin was my absolute favorite character? That’s how good Adams is with characters. She gives us a dark creepy guy, and then makes us all fall in love (how can you say no to anyone who smells like dark chocolate rain?). Speaking of favorite characters, my other one would have to be Tobias. Funnily enough, this is also because Tobias could easily have been a villain, but he is actually really nice. Apparently, Adams is the queen of making sure you don’t read a book by its cover.

Unfortunately, I also had issues with both relationships. I felt that Penny and Alice were better off as friends, and even when they were together, it still felt like a friendship with some extras. With Malin, it was obvious from the start that something was going to happen, but there were some interactions between him and Penny that had me wincing a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve already said how much I love Malin, but there were some moments that the book could have done without, so bear with me.

A fundamental part of the book is that the witches are reclaiming the way they were burned and turning it into something powerful. So, a crucial feminist message right there. But we also have Malin and Penny’s deal, where Malin has the potential to own her soul. This is a bit of an ick straight away, but it was mostly managed well. However, in those moments that I mention it ends up that Penny is terrified, and hates him, but lets him touch her anyway, because he owns her. I understand that Malin evolves as a person throughout the book, and we aren’t meant to like him at the start, but I did. And then he treated Penny like this, and I didn’t really know how to react. It was very out of place because the rest of their relationship seemed healthy. It wasn’t necessary, and in those cases, Tobias won the favorite character competition over Malin for sure.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is great if you don’t look too deep into some things, as I most definitely have. I would recommend it to maybe 14-15+. It is intended to be an adult book, but it reads like an older YA, and it just depends on what you like reading. If you like fantasy, sisterly relationships, witches, and romance, then this one is for you. If you fall outside of this combination, then it probably isn’t, just a bit of forewarning. Happy reading!

- Nell is 16, homeschooled, and lives in Dunedin