I love the characters. I love the world. I am now impatiently waiting for the next book in the series. The magic system is so interesting and different. Each witch coven has its own role based on its magic. The Warden has outlawed color; it's unclear why, and I'm hoping to learn why as the series continues.
Death is both a place and a character. There are specific rules for Death Walking that the Thorn Coven must follow. If they break any of the rules, they forfeit their life.

This review is difficult to fully put into words.. I am still absorbing the whole story hours after finishing it.. for a debut novel, it was incredible! I was hooked on the title, and hooked on the fact that the witches burned to protect the veil - when in fact witches burning is typically seen as a horrible thing! This is not like any witch story I have ever read.

There is a lot of information to take in with this book. The beginning had me intrigued right away, but then it did lose me for a bit.. I think there is just so much information being delivered that it’s hard to grasp it without the extra knowledge from an outcome in the book. You do get them of course, but later on. I think when I hit the 50-60% completion is when things started making more sense. There was always something that you didn’t see coming though, of course, and that kept the book going.

Reflecting back on the characters, Ella and Mila were Penny’s sisters through and through. They didn’t always agree, sometimes they barely spoke, but they were there for each other nonetheless. Alice, is such a soft and well balanced friend for Penny, the fact that it turns into more is perfectly written. Alice is Penny’s person in life, but she also has one in death, Malin. Dark and broody 90% of the time. His soft spots showing through and looking after Penny when he didn’t have to is exactly what she needs. I enjoyed how everyone played into her life so perfectly!

I can’t wait for the next book and will be waiting impatiently for it! I do slightly hope that Penny becomes stronger in the next books. Her character development needs to show in the next book that she isn’t just the granddaughter of the Thorn Queen, she is someone to be reckoned with.

I wanted to love this book. The concept is unique and it started so strong but I think it or I lost the plot at some point.

Penny is a Thorn Witch, one of the five covens, and the only coven with full access to their magic. She is coming of age in a society ruled by a corrupt Warden to whom the witches are bound to serve. The world is small but complex, and the story that has been built within it has vast potential.

I should have known from the premise that the thorn witches must burn alive to cross into death that this book would be violent but the violence is almost nonchalant. It is unsettling but overall adds to the story in a palpable way.

I truly enjoyed Adams writing style. She has a way sweeping you along and drawing you in. She weaves tension and suspense effortlessly and so unassumingly that I found my self wound so tightly, hanging on the edge of my seat and I find that to reflect extraordinary talent.

For the first half of the book this worked to move the story along. Through the second half it started to become confusing. I felt that Adams almost held back too much at times, making the advancement of certain plot points murky and hard to reconcile with the situation. The urgency of some of the tasks Penny needed to complete felt underserved based on situation she found herself in.

I’m all for slowly revealing and building but at a certain point it devolved into just being disjointed and underdeveloped. Tonight, I Burn left me with more questions than answers, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we are moving through Penny’s experience, but I did feel as though some more clarity would have been helpful.

The romance had potential but ultimately became an obstacle to the storyline. While I enjoyed the development of their relationship, I felt the connection between Malin and Penny was a bit rushed. I always love the thin line between love and hate trope but I think that there needed to be a bit more time to flourish.

The relationship between Alice and Penny felt completely unnatural and forced. I would have been more invested had the original blooming attraction between Clair and Penny been explored. It was pushed aside and seemed to only serve to illustrate Penny is queer but it felt more genuine than the relationship between Alice and Penny. For something supposedly so soul deep it felt shallow.

I was, however, glad to see a positive representation of a polyamorous relationship rather than a jealous love triangle. But if I’m honest, this could have been completely omitted and with more time spent expanding on history of the covens, the magic system and the world before and after the Warden came to power the book would have been significantly better. Penny then could have spent more time concerned with the dire situation she was in versus being distracted by not one, but two underdeveloped love interests. I understand the need for one but this is a trilogy so the secondary relationship could have bloomed more naturally in the next book.

This book was definitely written with the intention of setting up the next book. Some of the pacing dragged and the last third of the book started to feel a bit monotonous moving through the first person POV. I’ll pick up the next one with the hopes we see some of the larger ideas fleshed out more because the potential is there, the execution just fell short. But even with the explosive ending, I’m not particularly concerned with what happened next.

2.5 stars rounded up

A unique and thrilling story that had me reading late into the night. I completely fell in love with Penny's character, and even when I was shouting at her through the pages as I rooted for her, I had that inexplicable feeling that things would get worse before they got better. The details woven throughout the story were wonderful, and I loved unraveling the threads of heartache, love, and treachery. There was always something new to discover around the corner, and Penny is the type of character who you can always count on to get into trouble no matter the cost to herself if it means saving her family. Once I hit the last few chapters, I knew Tonight, I Burn would end up being a cliffhanger ending, and I was not disappointed. I'm anxiously waiting for the next book so that I can devour it too. There were some great twists and turns throughout the story, and just when you thought you might have it figured out, the ground shifted beneath your feet and you were left wondering all over again. Great story, with characters you want to root for, and a despicable villain that rounds out the whole thing.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The synopsis sucked me in. Witches, covens, death magic, polyamory, queer characters, gimme gimme gimme.

The reality was ok, but not what it could have been. The pacing was spotty, and there were a lot of info dumps for not really giving us the nitty gritty of the world building that we needed to truly care for all the characters. So that being said, it had some moments of greatness. There were the times where our main character girlbossed her way through the shitty situation they all kinda put her in, but those moments were weighed down with a sense that the author just wanted to torture this poor girl. There were very few moments of hope, and although there was girlbossing, it did leave the impression of being a bit of a downer.

If you like dark witchy books, with the promise of queer characters, and a sense of foreboding the entire time, then this might be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an e-copy.

Thank you to Orbit for my arc!

I had no idea what to expect when going into this but what I got was absolute perfection. It’s fast paced and with romance to die for. I couldn’t put it down.

This book made me feel a range of emotions. From rage, to triumpth to heart ache. I really think the best way to describe this book is an emotional Rollercoaster. For anyone looking for a well paced, well written, emotional turmoil of a journey, I would highly recommend this. I do think it could have used a little more fleshing out of the world and characters, but overall very good.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbits for allowing me early access to the e-arc for me to read and review. This review is my honest thoughts and opinions on Tonight, I Burn.

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Tonight, I Burn is a fascinating tale of a young witch who finds herself thrust into the midst of a rebellion against the Tyrant that has destroyed their world. The story is a mesmerizing one that weaves in themes of trust, friendship, and believing in yourself with a fantastic bi/poly romantic subplot that had me happy giggling.

Overall: 5/5 🌟
Story: 5/5 🌟
Characters: 5/5 🌟
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
Enjoyment: 10/10

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Story, Plot, and Writing: This was nothing like I expected it to be. I pride myself on following foreshadowing and being able to figure out plot twists and turns before they happened, and not this time. Adams has written a story that kept me guessing and theorizing, even after last page (that ending... 🤯.

The whole world she's built is nothing like I expected it to be when I first started. The lore and mythos is unique and intriguing. The way magic works is refreshing. The world feels like a fairytale magical world gone completely wrong and I loved every second I was in it.

As to her writing, I really found myself loving Adams' descriptive storytelling voice. She's smoothly guides the reader along from one train wreck to plot reveal to another train wreck to oh-damn-didn't-see-that-coming with effortless skill. She makes you love characters, question characters, despise characters. She keeps you turning the pages with engaging dialogue and riveting action sequences, so much so it's hard to tear yourself away.

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Characters: Penny is a mixed bag for me. But that's all personal preference. For who she is, her circumstances, her age—the way she reacts to everything going on and all she's suddenly thrust into—is honestly pretty natural. She might irk me with her hesitancy and dumb choices, but every step she makes, every choice she does is all reasonable for the person Adams has introduced to us. I cannot wait to see how much more she grows in the following books. I love where she's going. Also *chefs kiss* to her as a bi/poly rep!

The surrounding characters continue to flesh out the world and push the story and Penny's character arc with natural ease. For a world devoid of color, they still bring vibrance with their wealth of personalities and fleshed out back stories. This book would absolutely pass the "if your MC dies, can a side character step up and take over the story?" test. Yes. yes it could and I'm honestly torn as to deciding which side character I'd love to see more of.

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Spice: It spiced. My biromantic butt is excited to see a FMC who has a healthy relationship with two different genders, but my Asexual side was "meh. pass" on the spice so don't ask me if it was good. There wasn't much. One scene per partner and they both didn't last very long.

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Enjoyment: Once I hit 20% in this book, it because impossible to put down. Adams did an amazing job keeping me guessing and keeping me shook by every turn of events. I highly recommend this book! And I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC of Tonight, I Burn!

Summary:
Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.

But one morning, Penny's favorite sister Ella doesn't return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death.

Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny's world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic.

Review:
I LOVED this book. I thought the world-building was INCREDIBLE! I've never read anything like it. The magic system was so interesting. Penny is such an interesting character and the book has so many twists and turns I never could guess what was coming. I cannot wait to continue the series.

First, thank you to Katherine J. Adams and Orbit Books for the ARC of Tonight, I Burn.

I wanted to really like this book, and the first half intrigued me but I struggled to finish. I need more world-building and the romance aspect fell flat, in my opinion.

Katharine J. Adams starts a trilogy controlled by an immortal autocrat who is trying to find a cure for his wound. This is a world with a thin gauze between life and death. Thorn witches protect the barrier by par\trolling it from the death side. The only way top get to death is to be burned alive, but returning restores their body. When her sister doesn’t come back from death, and there are indications she still survives, Penny Albright must secretly burn herself to go into death to find her sister. There she finds a manor with a strange man, who promises to let her sister if Penny will spy on the autocrat for a month, returning each night. It’s a case of Tonight, I Burn (paper from Orbit). I was disappointed by the cliffhanger ending, but enjoyed it well enough to wait for the next installment

Tonight, I Burn is a story about a witch with the ability to walk in death. As she comes of age, she learns that there is a lot more to the covens and the ruler they serve than she ever expected. She gets swept up in the tides of a rebellion and must find a way to come to terms with all she has learned.
This book was just ok for me. I loved the magic system and the depiction and creation of the witches, the way that they worked together, and their abilities. I have felt let down by several books featuring witches because their magic is not central to the plot, and in this book we got lots of that. I also enjoyed the rebellion against an evil ruler. I didn't enjoy the romance elements of this book. They felt, to me, convenient and they didn't feel like they matched the tone of the rest of the book. Penny at first just feels curious about the love interests, and it never felt like there was more chemistry than that.
Overall, I felt removed from the action and the characters. Despite being witness to horrible acts by the evil ruler, the events and Penny's feelings were told to us rather than shown.

There was a couple of twists that I happily predicted to happen, however I was also happily left stunned and in-shock multiple times during events that I did not see coming. Overall, it was one absolute riveting experience.

TONIGHT, I BURN by Katherine J. Adams is a book I loved while reading. I tore through it, wanting to know everything there was to know about Penny, Malin, and the High Warden. The type of magic practiced in Penny's world is frightening yet fascinating.

Except, the minute I sat down to think about TONIGHT, I BURN after finishing it, I discovered that I have issues with it. Several issues. They didn't prevent me from enjoying the reading experience, but they present concerns for the sequel.

The biggest issue with TONIGHT, I BURN is a lack of character development and backstory. We know almost nothing about the High Warden, how he came to be, why he is the despot he is, how he came to own all magic in the country and more. We know only slightly more about the various covens, but at least we know how they ended up as slaves to the Warden.

This lack of backstory makes it difficult to feel anything for Penny. We simply don't know enough to understand why Penny flouting the rules is dangerous or forbidden. And we have almost no understanding of the need for the Resistance outside of the fact that it is obvious the High Warden has too much power.

My other issue with TONIGHT, I BURN is a personal one. Namely, I'm not a fan of polyamory. Plus, it is such a sudden choice. One minute, Penny worries about giving up one of the two people to whom she's attracted. The next minute, Malin says he can share, and it's a done deal. This is before Penny consumates either relationship or even before either relationship reaches that "its fate" point. It's so...bizarre. I believe Ms. Adams does a good job representing polyamory in general. Unfortunately, the old-fashioned part of me really wishes she picked one lover and became good friends with the other.

Whenever a book makes me feel so divided, the most important question becomes whether I will continue to read the series. In the case of TONIGHT, I BURN, I think I will. TONIGHT, I BURN is not a bad debut. The images of Penny literally burning herself alive to cross over into Death are not going to leave me any time soon. The ending leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Plus, it is Ms. Adams' first novel. Her writing will continue to improve, and I hope she will include more backstories for her characters in the sequel.

Tonight, I Burn, by Katharine Adams, is the first installment in the authors Thorn Witch trilogy. Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett who basically destroyed the outside world, and forced everyone inside walls he built. The Thorn Witches are the coven with the most sacred of duties; to walk in Death and ensure that souls are guided into the Horizon, and that the veil separating Death from Life remains whole and in tact.

A simple enough task when you disregard the facts that every night a different Thorn witch must light herself on fire to get into Death, and that the veil itself is anchored to the lifeline of a once immortal tyrant who is rapidly declining in health for seemingly inexplicable reasons.
Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake.

Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all. But one morning, Penny's sister Ella doesn't return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death. Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city.

And as Penny's world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic. For 30 days, she has to visit Death every night and ends up slowly falling for Lord Malin while simultaneously falling for Alice, a witch who has been imprisoned by the Warden, during the day. It requires all three of them working together to break free from the Wardens grasp and save their covens. It also relies on not being outed or betrayed by those who are supposed to be her family and coven.

*Thoughts* This story lacked certain details like a backstory, and a deep dive into the important aspects like crystals, the covens, magic, the death realm, and the gilding who one of the characters fathers ends up being. So, if you are like me who has issues with romantic triangles, you may want to sit this one out. On the other hand, if you are perfectly okay with a bisexual character who falls for both a woman and a man, go for it.

So much happens at the end of this book, that I find myself debating whether or not I will continue. Penny is not a perfect character. In fact, she continually makes stupid mistakes that end up costing everyone. But she also ends up being stabbed in the back and basically sold into slavery by her own people. Will I read the next book? I will likely wait until the entire trilogy is released before finishing.

Penny and the rest of the Thorn Coven are prisoners of the High Warden. They are forced to patrol the veil between life and death to make sure nothing gets through. In order to do that, each night one of them must burn. They are tethered to their crystals and can follow their lifeline back.
One night Penny's sister goes on patrol and doesn't come back. Penny has never burned before, but she will now so she can bring her sister back.
What she finds in death is a shocker!
I liked this, but my big complaint is the lack of back story. How they came to serve the Warden, etc. I just wanted more of an explanation for how they got there. Other than that, it was good.

Title: Tonight I Burn (Thorn Witch #1)
Author: Katherine J. Adams
Source: DRC via NetGalley (Orbit Books, Orbit) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Why did I choose to read this book?

What can I say, I like magic systems and witches. I am a simple woman with simple tastes.

What is this book about?

Steeped deep in a universe creation story, factions of witches with different magical abilities have been gathered up and enslaved by a ruler whose life force fuels the veil between life and death. He holds this over their heads, and creates a brainwashed magical force to enforce his edicts and laws out of witches who can access magic but aren’t very powerful. The Thorn Witches use their magic to burn themselves at the stake and patrol the realm of Death so the monsters from there don’t pass into the world of the living.

This book wants to be about a single witch lighting the fire of resistance against oppression, but we can’t always get what we want.

What is notable about this story?

The introduction of polyamory into this story was done very well. I flinched every time there might be conflict, but that’s just my world lens adjusting to this new concept. You’ll expect jealousy, guilt, and confrontations but what you’ll find is sharing, acceptance, and caring. It was lovely to see the concept executed so well in the character interactions. The fact that these connections were being formed in the midst of oppression made them that much more meaningful.

Was anything not so great?

I have read so many series that fall apart due to some kind of underground rebellion that the main character just gets dragged around with.The first half of this story was very interesting – I cared about the characters and was interested in the magic, the sects, the veil, the workings of this world. Then it seemed like it would become a kind of Beauty and the Beast kind of thing, which was fine, but then in the second half came the resistance and when I say that it added too many new characters and too much doubt into a plot and cast that was just beginning to breathe I am understating the issue. It was difficult to focus on Penny, Malin, and Alice when every paragraph was a different new person that upended everything the first half the book tried to establish.

One of the twists was so obvious it made me feel like the author thought I was an idiot. The other twists felt like they were just done to get the story out of a corner, out of the blue with no clues along the way to connect them to the earlier parts of the book.

The ending was so bad, I almost stopped reading before the official end. All this build up, all these people who have been planning for years, people who are smart and capable and strong, and THAT happens??? It disrespected all the work that had been done throughout the entire book and almost puts us back to square one. This is like asking us to start over in book 2, which is not very enticing like a cliffhanger or a clear resolution with a few unanswered questions would be. Another series that I can compare this feeling to is Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series. The first book (An Ember in the Ashes) does a very similar thing to Tonight I Burn. Young girl, thrust into a resistance, tries to do what needs to be done, but everything falls apart at the end and they have to regroup and start over. As a reader, that’s not a great feeling.

What’s the verdict?

This story has good representation, okay worldbuilding, familiar magic systems, and a shaky story that, despite my quibbles, can get you through the entire book. I’m sitting at 2.5 stars but since Goodreads only goes on whole stars I’ll be generous and go with 3. It’s just ok. If you have a hole in your reading schedule and you like elemental magic check it out and let me know what you think.

Honestly, I had really high expectations for Tonight, I Burn and really loved the premise of the book, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me and I wasn't a fan.

Rating: 3.75/5
What an amazing debut novel! I was hooked immediately by the prologue and then that first scene in chapter one just solidified it for me. The premise of this book was so interesting to me and felt unique in a lot of ways. I love that there’s all these different covens (Ember, Storm, Tide, Ore and Thorn) with their own specific magic, the magic system was one of my favorite parts! The FMC Penny is a Thorn Witch which means she can burn herself alive to cross the veil into death. The author did a great job creating an atmosphere that I could see and feel, especially when Penny was crossing into the land of death. I wasn’t as interested in the romance aspect as I was the magic and world building. I felt like the romance moved pretty fast and fell flat at times, so if you’re looking for a slow burn this isn’t it. Overall I had a great time with this debut and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Thank you so much to Orbit Books for providing this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: TONIGHT, I BURN
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: Katharine J. Adams
𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: Thorn Witch Trilogy
𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑: Orbit Books
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: ⁣ November 7, 2023
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: Witches, Fantasy
Thanks to, orbitbooks_us and the author
@katharinejadams
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{𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒}
Penelope Albright is a member of the Thorn Witches Coven. They are tasked with the most sacred of duties; to walk in Death and ensure that souls are guided into the Horizon, and that the veil separating Death from Life remains whole and in tact.
Penny upcoming twenty-first birthday is not an average one. Now she will old enough to be able to cross into Death and fulfill the duties of her coven. Fine and dandy but there’s a catch, Penny must be burned on a pyre, to pass through the veil. Also now here sister Ella has returned like she was supposed to, taking things into her own hands she does the unthinkable and decides to go against the first rule of crossing: "always walk alone." Following her sisters into the veil she find things are not exactly as she expected, and she is forced to make a deal, with someone that can’t be trusted.

Oh wow this book was good from the get go. Witches, Covens, Magic, along with a Polyamorous love triangle. Twisty and darkish that made for a captivating book. Katharine J. Adams immersive writing, and creative world building, interesting and fresh magical system made for a solid debut. Excited to read the next book in this series

⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣{𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒}
⁣⁣#orbitbooks #tonightiburn #katharinejadams #thornwitchtrilogy