Tonight, I Burn by Katharine J. Adams

Book Details

Title: Tonight, I Burn

Author: Katharine J Adams

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Published Date: 2023

Summary

Penny Albright is a member of the Thorn witch coven in Halstett, forced by the Warden to traverse into death every night in order to protect the living and make sure the dead fully pass on. Every night, one witch burns at the pyre in order to go into the mists of death and can only return with the use of their magic. There are only two rules when burning: never look back and always walk alone. When Penny’s sister, Ella, doesn’t return one night, Penny secretly burns on her own to go save her, breaking the second rule.

While in death, Penny meets the mysterious Malin and is forced to make a deal to save her sister. Once the deal is made, Alice, the Warden’s Life Spinner and prophet, unwittingly brings Penny into the Warden’s sights. At the same time, Penny also discovers the existence of the Rebellion against the Warden. Mysteries are all around and everyone is reaching for their form of freedom, even if it means sacrificing magic.

Plot

The pacing of the story was very well done. Each chapter flowed well and kept my attention. The overall plot was well-paced but the romantic subplots did come across as a little rushed at times. However, this could be more of a personal preference thing. As the story mainly revolved around a mystery, there were many twists that I didn’t see coming and none of them felt out of place. The plot as a whole was resolved well but there are still a few questions that I have remaining, but they are mostly minor.

Characters

I think my biggest criticism of this book lies with the characters and character development. The main character, Penny, felt like a real person with real emotions, so I was able to connect with her as a character. However, I didn’t feel like she had any real internal conflicts that she was dealing with. Sure, there were some moments where she wanted to run away, but those were dealt with within a page or so. As all of her motivations were mainly external, Penny doesn’t feel as nuanced as she could have been. That being said, her external motivations are very believable and almost relatable as she wants to do whatever she can to keep her loved ones safe.

The romantic relationships, while interesting and unique to the genre, were also an issue for me. Tonight, I Burn stands out in the romantasy genre because it has a functioning polyamorous relationship with Penny at the center. Penny and Alice have a believable relationship as they spend a lot of time together and are eventually trapped together. However, by the end of the novel, it comes across as more of a trauma-bonding situation, rather than a genuinely healthy relationship. Though, this could be resolved in Book 2. On the other hand, we have Malin and Penny: less believable but slightly more healthy. Their relationship starts as contractual but then develops into something more romantic. It doesn’t feel believable as they don’t spend that much time together and there seems to only be physical attraction between the two. However, there isn’t any sort of trauma bonding between the two and their relationship develops mostly outside of Penny’s oppression by the Warden.

Writing Style and World-Building

The story was entirely written from the perspective of Penny. This allowed the author’s writing style to stay consistent throughout the whole novel. It was very straightforward and descriptive where necessary. The setting, though small, was very well-developed and I felt like I could see the places and actions that Penny was describing. There is a scene where it feels like all hope is lost and the author does a great job of getting those emotions across. The author does a particularly good job of balancing dialogue and action, which makes the scene I mentioned before even more impactful and interesting.

Overall Impression

Tonight, I Burn is a compelling entry into the romantasy genre, blending a dark mystery with a richly imagined world. The story follows Penny Albright, a young woman a part of a coven forced to traverse the realm of death nightly to protect the living, and her journey becomes even more perilous as she breaks sacred rules to save her sister. The plot is engaging, filled with unexpected twists and well-paced chapters, though some romantic subplots feel rushed. Penny is a relatable protagonist driven by external motivations, but her lack of internal conflict makes her character feel less nuanced. The polyamorous relationship at the heart of the romance is unique to the genre but has uneven execution, with one relationship leaning towards trauma bonding and the other feeling underdeveloped. The world-building and emotional resonance of key scenes stand out, supported by a consistent and descriptive writing style. Despite some character and relationship shortcomings, the novel offers a memorable experience with plenty of intrigue and room for further development in a sequel.

Rating

• Plot Development: 4

• World-building: 3

• Character Development: 4

• Romance: 3

• Writing Style: 4

• Pacing: 5

• Emotional Impact: 2

• Ending/Satisfaction: 4

My final rating for this is 4 stars - Very good, worth reading with minor flaws. A definite must-read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, paranormal, or dystopian novels!

Favorite Quote:

“I’ll find you. I’ll always find you, no matter what.”