This book was amazing.

A powerful novel about those who had the spark in them to fight back against slavery. Told through four interconnected stories, it follows characters like Henri, Luke, Josephine, Larkin, Charity and Solomon as they inspire one another and deliver justice to those that owned them. While the shifting perspectives can feel inconsistent at times, the message that one spark can ignite change remains throughout the novel. Very violent and graphic (if you’re a bit squeamish just keep this in mind and skim over it.) and unforgettable.

I really enjoyed reading Burn Down Master;s House. The title is so fixing, even the act of destruction. I could not put this book down. The way Mr Cane told the story of the characters and the pain they had to endure, but also he showed the humanity and strength of each person. The power and the strength of the women paving the way for others and helped others move while resisting. Old Mama Bess, so clever! Thank you for not using the n-word in this book and not using the exaggerated" yessuh massa". I agree some enslave spoke with the same accent as their enslavers. Thank you for the histroy. Can't wait to get my copy of Burn Down Master's House" in Jan. 2026. Thank you Clay Cane, great book!
"Don't let them take what they can't touch"

Four stories are contained in this book. Some characters are connected in each of the books.
The books covers the tragic dealings of the slaves, their punishments, their friendships and the hope of survival.
Each book takes us nearer to emancipation and the abolishion of slavery in USA. Some great strong characters come through the pages.

Told in powerful vignettes, Clay Cane weaves an interconnected story that passes through multiple characters. At parts graphic, this is a story that needs to be told, and a concept that needs to be wrestled with. I couldn’t put it down!

I rarely step outside of my preferred genre (fantasy) but I’d heard so much about this book from fellow bookworms that I couldn’t resist requesting an ARC from NetGalley. I’m so grateful to Kensington Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read it early. The book will hit the shelves in January 2026.
Burn Down Master’s House is a harrowing, unflinching work of historical fiction set during the American Civil War. Its title is both literal and metaphorical, serving as a powerful reflection of the story’s central themes.

The novel follows the lives of several enslaved individuals, offering intimate snapshots of their daily struggles under unimaginable brutality, violence, and dehumanization. Structured in four parts, each section centers on a different enslaved character—or group of characters—whose lives eventually intertwine. This narrative approach brings a layered depth to the story, showing the many forms resistance and survival could take.

What struck me most was how the book doesn’t only focus on survival—it’s about rebellion. Violent rebellion. We don’t often hear the stories of enslaved people who fought back with fire, force, and strategy. This is a story that refuses to sanitize history. Instead, it confronts the systemic cruelty head-on while weaving in an unshakable thread of hope, courage, and the determination to break free.

The phrase Burn Down Master’s House draws on the famous Audre Lorde quote: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” While the title nods to a literal act within the book, it also serves as a metaphor for dismantling the structures(physical, ideological, and systemic) that uphold oppression. This is as much a story about destroying the master’s home as it is about shattering the very foundation of slavery’s power.

That said, this is not an easy read. The violence is visceral and deeply disturbing in places, making it even harder to get through than other novels on slavery I’ve read before. I strongly recommend checking the content warnings before starting, as this is an emotionally and mentally heavy book.

Clay Cane has crafted a bold, unflinching, and necessary piece of historical fiction; one that reclaims the narratives of the enslaved people who refused to submit and instead chose to fight.

If you’re a reader who appreciates historical fiction that refuses to soften the truth, Burn Down Master’s House will stay with you long after the final page. It’s ideal for those who seek stories that confront the darkest parts of history while honoring the resilience, courage, and defiance of the people who lived it. If you value unflinching honesty, layered characters, and narratives that shine a light on resistance in all its forms, this is a must-read—just be prepared to face its brutality head-on.

This loosely-connected anthology of resistance stories does well to capture both the inhumanity of slavery and the humanity of those forced to live under its constraints. Charity’s story in particular was surprising, deeply painful, and made all the more powerful by its historical grounding. I love the author’s choice to build each character off of real people that history has overlooked.

At times, the pacing of stories felt unnecessarily hurried and dialogue left something wanting. Perhaps the book’s greatest weakness is that the important underlying truths motivating the narrative weren’t revealed or shown. Instead, characters’ motivations or beliefs about justice or even the author’s sense of what we should take away from a given story were explicitly written out in a way that felt clumsy and forced. “Washington Black” and “James” are examples of books that did this more organically, but I acknowledge that those two set a high bar.

It’s worth noting that the depictions of violence and sexual violence are, intentionally, quite graphic.

Note: I’m grateful to have received an ARC on NetGalley from the publisher and author.

I have always been a great advocate of reading books that make you uncomfortable, and this was a prime example of that.

Burn Down Master's House is a fictionalised account (based on true historical events) of a cast of black slaves and what they had to endure due to their skin colour. The story is told in four parts, each focused on a different group of characters.

This read was dark, raw, challenging and, above all, uncomfortable. What made it so was the fact that it tells the story of a real and horrible period of history that still haunts people nowadays. It is clear by the introduction and the footnotes included throughout the book that the author had put a lot of care into the story he was telling. It is a very much necessary read that should be studied in schools not only in the US but all around the world, because those who do not know their history, are condemned to repeat it.

The introduction sets a serious tone, reflecting the author’s refusal to dilute the brutality of the Atlantic slave trade. Though the stories are fictional, the characters are rooted in real accounts, including those of Henry, Luke and Charity Butler. The diary-style excerpts are particularly harrowing and deeply affecting.

Each chapter centres on a different enslaved person’s experience, concluding with powerful moments of resistance, reflection or escape. The writing is immersive and emotionally intense, often difficult to read but impossible to ignore. Kane does not shy away from the violence or psychological trauma, and rightly so. This is not a subject that should be softened for comfort.

Themes of survival, hope and the fight for freedom run through every page. Burn Down Master’s House is a haunting, necessary work that gives voice to the silenced and honours their endurance with unflinching honesty.

WOW this blew me away! I love a historical fiction that has footnotes to show that there is actual fact in fiction. The book follows 4 stories all intertwined with recurring characters to keep the string of realism afloat. It is brilliant, beautifully written, and horrifically gory. Clay Cane’s voice is strong and resilient and provides an atmosphere where you are screaming BURN DOWN MASTER’S HOUSE all throughout the book. There were some spacing and typo issues but I’m sure those will be caught with final editing.

Historical Fiction has been on fire this year, and Burn Down Master's House is making sure that fire rolls into 2026! 

This book delivers everything I love about intergenerational storytelling: layered truths, ancestral echoes, and a raw emotional depth that lingers. From the very first page, the author sets the tone with a powerful introduction that doesn’t just prepare you for what’s to come; it dares you to sit with it.

Clay Cane makes it clear that these stories of slavery, rebellion, and legacy are not meant to be softened or made comfortable. And thank God for that! The refusal to rinse down the graphic truths or sand the edges off this history is what makes this book so impactful. That fire? It resonated deeply with me, and it made the stories more emotional, more haunting, more real.

If you’re familiar with Nat Turner’s rebellion or feel drawn to narratives that challenge sanitized history and center Black resistance, this is a must-read. It's bold, unflinching, and necessary.

Bringing alive the long hidden stories of the enslaved, this book enables the reader to better understand the enslavement of African Americans and the generational wounds inflicted by the dehumanisation of an entire race of people.

The complexity and contradictions of slavery are dealt with unflinchingly. And due credit must be given to the writer for that.

This is a tour de force, and a must read, for anyone interested in the history of the US, but also its present predicament.

Burn Down Master's House is raw and haunting. The historical retelling of individuals' stories woven together to tell a tale of hope, strength and resistance. The Introduction and Author's note add incredible detail to the original stories and explain the changes made in the retelling. While this is an emotional read, it is a necessary read.

"Remembering is an act of resistance"

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a story in 4 parts, following 4 different slaves and ending with the stories joining into one. This was so clearly done with love and care and research. I don’t know which story I was drawn to the most, Henri and Luke’s burning hot love, Josephine’s fire and defiance, Charity and her daughters’ fight to regain their freedom, or the culmination of all three stories, burning down master’s house, even if he was a black man too. Not only did Clay take inspiration from real stories (with citations!!) but he named characters after his own enslaved ancestors. This was such a valuable, insightful and sobering read. I won’t be able to recommend this enough.

Burn Down Master's House is a historical fiction novel following the lives and stories of numerous Slaves over an extended period of time. Readers get a small snapshot into the brutality, violence, torture, and suffering Black slaves endured during these times. It is a harrowing reminder of what America's history is built up. Each chapter follows a different character (or characters) struggling to survive, ultimately leading to acts of resistance. The 2nd chapter was by far my favorite in the book.

Overall, the content here is excellent & the story is so powerful, but I feel like it could be tightened up & refined some more.

Read my full review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232209360-burn-down-master-s-house

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#BURNDOWNMASTERSHOUSE #NetGalley #ePub #ARC

"Burn Down The Master's House" had me on edge. The characters Luke, Henri, Josephine, Rubywere just a few of my favorites. This book wasn't about slavery, it was about Black People Fighting Back!!. And fighting back with tools and weapons, fire, and poisonous herbs was the only resources they had as weapons. If white people had the power to invoke fear and ownership of black bodies today 2025 they would do it. This book will sit next to all of my other favorite books and black history.. I will read it again and again to remind myself that not much has chsnge when it comes to white people.

A Phenomenal Read!

Clay Cane wrote a beautiful poetic dedication to some of the forgotten souls of slavery while also providing me with a sense of being seen during present times of this economy. I have raved so much about this story because from just the first line of introduction, my attention was completely tuned into where "Burn Down Master's House" would take me! Please do not allow my statement of saying this story features slavery, deter you from picking up this read. However, please know that this is not a fluffy dedication. There is nothing lighthearted about this and yet the way the characters are written, I was able to relate and cheer them on.

Because of this story, I will be checking out more of Clay Cane's works. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the active writing decisions that were made with this story (this information is explored via the Author's Note in the edition that I received, but I am unsure if it will be in the published edition. I truly hope it is!) along with I loved the discussion questions and the conversations I had because of them (that is yet another thing I hope makes it to the published edition).

“Burn Down Master’s House” by Clay Cane may be historical fiction, but it reflects the harsh realities of our country. This book is a collection of interwoven stories about enslaved people who not only strive to survive but also rise up, conquer their enslavers, and free themselves. While the collection is hard to read, and I recommend reviewing content warnings beforehand, it is essential for everyone to understand our history.

In a time of book bans, anti-diversity and equity initiatives, and misinformation, it is more important than ever to acknowledge our past to avoid repeating it. While this book might be seen as a revenge fantasy, it is fundamentally about collective impact, bodily autonomy, liberation, and confronting the hypocrisy, greed, and inhumane treatment of those who were enslaved.

I would recommend this book to others. It is a powerful collection and reminder. Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was not at all an easy read, but gave me so much to think about.

Resistance isn't always obvious, it can be in the form of silence when they expect you to speak, in the form of incompetence when they expect you to perform, in the form of observing when they expect you to be blind, in the form of sharing love when they expect you to feel worthless, in the form of suicide when they expect you to kneel, in the form of sharing knowledge when they expect you to be dumb, in the form of going back to your roots when they expect you to forget, and in using violence when they expect you to cower.

Burning down the house cannot only be taken as a literal burning down of the house.
It's also a metaphor for the institutions keeping us in chains, and a reminder to never stop resisting.

THIS WAS A MASTERPIECE!! I love historical fiction and this book blew my mind! I LOVED EVERY CHARACTER AND THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ASKED MYSELF WHILE READING THIS BOOK IS WHAT MADE ME LOVE THIS!! THE AUTHOR DID A PHENOMENAL JOB THE BOOK WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN, THOUGHT PROVOKING, AND INFORMATIVE!

Burn Down Master's House is impossible to put down. Incredibly well written, this historical fiction novel is about rebellion and uprising among enslaved people in the American South.

The preface of the book alone made it worth reading. Timely and an important reminder, this is a book you don't want to miss.

I wasn't a huge fan of the cover but I'm so glad I decided to pick this one up. Told through multiple stories and characters, this book tells the stories of resistance through the eyes of the enslaved.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy to enjoy.