**First Person ARC Review: *Burn Down the Master's House* by Clay Cane**

*Burn Down the Master’s House* hit me like a lightning strike—blunt, brilliant, and impossible to ignore. This is the kind of book that doesn’t just challenge you—it demands you sit up, pay attention, and reckon with uncomfortable truths.

Clay Cane writes with the clarity and conviction of someone who’s not here to sugarcoat a single thing. From page one, I could feel the fire behind every word—his anger, his insight, his refusal to let hypocrisy hide behind polite language. It’s part memoir, part political and cultural takedown, and all of it is razor-sharp. He calls out white supremacy, respectability politics, and the deep-rooted rot of anti-Blackness with a level of honesty that’s as necessary as it is bold.

What really stayed with me, though, was how personal this book is. Cane doesn’t just analyze systems—he lays bare his own experience within them, showing the emotional toll of trying to survive, succeed, and speak truth as a Black, queer man in America. That vulnerability mixed with righteous rage is what makes this book so powerful. It’s not just informative—it’s alive.

*Burn Down the Master’s House* is a rallying cry, a critique, and a call to action all at once. It left me fired up, reflective, and more aware of the ways we all play a role in upholding or dismantling the systems around us. If you're ready to be confronted, challenged, and changed, this book is essential.

I really enjoyed it. A true depiction of slavery and its horrors and though at first glance seems like isolated chapters comes full circle and unites the characters. It all begins at Magnolia house/ plantation -the first to be “ burned down”.
Historical fiction carefully researched and documented. Several brutal scenes -and these are not for everyone.
I read it in one sitting!!!!!!

An excellent book with an unflinching portrayal of slavery in the United States. The writing style is engaging, the stories are gripping and heartbreaking. The historical accuracy was excellent and compelled me to look up the references in the footnotes.

I was captivated by this book from start to finish. Truly - what a masterpiece. I read it in one sitting. Clay Cane blends raw, powerful nonfiction events into a plot that ties these very real events together beautifully. They perfectly highlight the stories of the unfathomably brave individuals who fought back. I was hooked on every word. No American child will hear these stories in a classroom (I know I didn't), but every American should. This book should be required reading in high school classrooms. I would rate this six stars if I could. Phenomenal.

Burn Down Master's House is a wonderfully written novel, taking multiple stories and weaving them together to follow characters through their journey through slavery, rebellion, and freedom. The characters are true life heroes that show us how to endure and how to "not let them take what they can't see." Each story stems from Magnolia Row, a notoriously perverse plantation, and follows our main characters through their stories of survival and freedom. Each story shows us the power of love and fighting for what we know is right, basic human rights.

Clay Cane has done a fabulous job of researching true stories and piecing them together in a seamless retelling of how the oppressed pushed back, took matters into their own hands, and demanded to be treated as human beings. This novel is not for the faint of heart, it is not for those who refuse to look back and acknowledge our history as a nation. It is for those who are willing to sit with the raw, inhumane way we treated slaves. There are parts where you will need to push through. However, you will find yourself rooting for our star characters and condemning our villains (potentially celebrating their bloody downfall).

My biggest fear is that my review will not do this book justice. Thank you for allowing me the privilege to read and review. This will be a book I will talk about for a long time.

[4.5 stars rounded down]

This is an incredible and well-researched collection of four connected stories about enslaved peoples revolting against their owners. Opening with a nonfiction introduction written by the author that details the importance of sharing these stories - each based on one or many real historical accounts - and explains how this is not just another slave story. Then, the meat of the novel is split into four chapters, each following a different (but connected in some way) cast and we find ourselves flung across a few decades of the Antebellum period of the USA.

Every character was well-written, including the awful ones. The lives and humanity of the enslaved characters come through so strongly and beautifully. Every bit of their lives, their relationships with others, and their hopes for the future are detailed and real. Though, of course, there is no pity given to the slave owners, but they are not written off as inhuman beasts. We see that they are just as real of people as those they are enslaving, just with more power.

The writing is third person omniscient and often flows freely between characters present in a scene (though it generally sticks to one or two characters per chapter). This is generally handled well, but there are a few points (especially in chapter one, which has the largest cast) where I found myself mixed up. However, I do think that this was the best choice for the novel and allows for so much care to be put into each of the characters. It also allows us to slip briefly into the thoughts of the enslavers without much interruption and always with a powerful effect.

I wish there was better descriptive prose at points. It's very good, don’t get me wrong, just not outstanding. Many parts are very explanatory, as in: we are told explicitly how, what, and why characters are feeling a certain way. Chapter 3 is an example of this after Charity tells Clara that (view spoiler). In this, we get very written out reasoning and explanation for Clara’s beliefs and thought processes from an out of body narrator, rather than the actual transcribed thought process going through Clara’s mind. It blends in nicely with the writing style of the rest of the novel and works for it, but it’s not a style or format that I prefer. There are still some moments of great prose, the actions and scene descriptions especially.

”For the first time, for the both of them, there was no shame, no expectation. This moment wasn’t stolen or forced, it was freely given, godlike.”

The first chapter is about Henri and Luke, two 18 year old enslaved men who build a relationship together while planning on escape. We get a beautifully done, if not a bit rushed, romance between the two male leads, the friendship growing between Henri, the newest on the plantation, and Ruby, a house slave, and a growing need to get away from there together. Somehow both too long and still slightly rushed, but a very strong opener nonetheless. (Sidenote: I really hated the way that Junior’s body was described. I felt that there were so many other ways to show us and Luke being disgusted by him without focusing on his fat rolls and heavy breathing. Like okay, he's fat, can we not spend several paragraphs on describing how grotesque we’re supposed to think that is?).

”Her girlhood, stolen and battered for years, began to unfurl inside her like a flower blooming in reverse. She felt a giddiness as she watched them - her tormentors, her captors - getting a taste of bad medicine.”

The second chapter is about Josephine (who was also present in the first chapter), an 18 year old enslaved woman who, along with Old Mama Bess, decide to get back at the family that owns them. We get a further exploration into the ways that enslaved women stick together as well as how none of the members of the enslaving family’s hands are clean. This one was my personal favorite and also one of the most concise.

”In the dark, they proved what could be possible when those marginalized, no matter how small or vast, refused to turn on one another. By working together - or simply by refusing to stand in each other’s way - could subvert the forces that sought to pit them against one another.”

The third chapter is about Charity, a black woman who is able to marry a freedman in Gettysburg and must then fight in court for her freedom that was gained legally. This gives us a picture of what the freedmen living in Pennsylvania at the time were like and how the system will not take any pity on those suffering under it. This one had a slow start, but eventually bloomed into an intense and high tension story.

”If the reward was high, he sent them back in chains, pocketing the money without a shred of shame. If the price was too low, he sold them elsewhere. Every transaction lined his pockets.”

The fourth chapter is about Nathaniel, a black man who, despite growing up in slavery, gains his freedom only to become a slave owner himself. We see how he treats the enslaved under his ownership, his obsession with whiteness, and echoes of modern criticism by black Americans against their enslaved ancestors (see: Nathaniel’s “slavery was a choice” quote via Kanye West that was also written in the intro).

Though a few parts felt unbalanced and either rushed or overly explained they do not take away from the grandeur of this piece of literature.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC! All quotes are from the ARC and may not match the published version.

One act of rebellion needed to trigger a larger uprising. People can only take so much before they break.

This book deals with themes/ triggers of slavery, physical and mental abuse, rape and murder.

We follow 4 seemingly individual story lines of struggle and resilience only to find out that they are all interconnected. Each story shows us strength and determination as well as a willingness to risk everything for freedom. Even death to have a life of their own. A life free from brutality and obsession. This book will make you feel all the emotions. From anger to sadness. Then from hope and hate in just a matter of a few sentences. Then the horror kicks in. Graphic, vibrant, angry and ready to unleash its wrath.

Clay Cane paints a vivid picture of slavery and rebellion with the stroke of his pen. It’s raw yet poetic, macabre yet beautiful.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is an incredibly well written novel, based in historical fact. Truly, with citations even. It follows a family (both in the biological and adopted senses of the word) through the world of being bought, traded, and living as slaves during the mid-late 1800s. The introduction talks about exactly the same thing I will tell you now: if we do not look at our history without blinders on, we will never learn from it or how it influences our present. It is with that in mind that this book pulls back any pretenses at softening any blows the reader might receive in reading a book in this setting. It is a raw, emotional, cold look at a prime example of what life could be like for those who should never have been in the position that they were.

If you are looking for a feel good book with a happy ending, this isn't it. This book is full of death, heartbreak, torture, revenge, and all the unpleasantness of slave life - but ramped up to 10 and presented to you in 4k detail. That said; I think it is going to be one of the most important books to read in 2026, when it is published, because of those.

Now, for the only reason I did not give this a full 5 star rating: There is not a lot of depth to the story. Yes, the story follows a group of people who have more than one connection and often keep running into each other in more than one way. However the storyline between those meetings is often glazed over and explained away in just a few sentences. The scenes switch quickly, and often move from one atrocity to the next with no gap filling or explanation in between of what was going on. Even something as simple as moving from room to room happens 'off camera' and leaves the reader struggling to keep up if they are not paying very close attention.

All in all, I think this book is going to be one that I keep on my shelf and recommend to people who are interested in a more historically accurate historical fiction, complete with citations and an attention to detail that is rarely found in historical fiction books anymore.

"Remembering is an act of resistance."

I received this ARC two days before Nottoway Plantation in Louisiana burned down, which feels like just and divine timing. Burn Down Master's House is a triumph of truth despite centuries of misinformation aiming to dilute the truth of the horrors that enslaved people in the United States were subjected to. Taking inspiration from the real lives of enslaved men and women who were nearly forgotten by history and lovingly bestowing supporting characters with the names of his own ancestors, Clay Cane's story is a gift to the reader from his heart and soul. Every character leads their own rebellion and leaves a lasting impression on the reader - Luke and Henri's pure and persevering love, Josephine's defiance and fortitude, and Charity's bravery and pursuit of a free future for herself and her daughters. The concluding tale is one of a different sort - that of Nathaniel, a Black slave owner who earned the hate of those he enslaved, trapped, and betrayed, as well as the white slave owners whom he imagined to be his peers.

Clay Cane's introduction, cited sources, and concluding author's note provided such valuable context and insight into the stories told in this novel, and I can't recommend this novel highly enough.

Burn Down Master's House is a masterpiece. In this day and age, we need to read books like this one to grasp, -through fiction- parts of what we must never forget.

Please note: Even though it's a historical fiction, the author is inspired by his family history and accounts he found (references are present in the book). This book contains violence, blood, gore (and more). If you cannot stomach the prologue, you might not be able to stomach the rest of the book.

This book has been an amazing read. I read it in 2 sittings, I couldn't put it down. Each chapter flows onto the next, til the end, and, similar to its characters, there is nothing stopping the author. It's raw, and it will leave you thinking about humanity (or the lack thereof). The characters are stronger with each page, and I loved that. This was brilliantly done.

A must-read.

Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane is a masterful, visceral tapestry of rebellion, kinship, and unyielding courage set against the brutal backdrop of the Civil War era. This novel doesn’t just tell a story—it ignites a fire within, illuminating the fierce fight for justice and freedom that echoes through history. From Luke, the intelligent and hopeful escapee, to Henri’s indomitable spirit, these characters leap off the page with authenticity and depth. Cane deftly intertwines their journeys with that of Josephine, whose silent observation becomes her most powerful weapon, and Charity, whose fight for liberation underscores the resilience of the human spirit. The complex figure of Nathaniel, a Black enslaver caught in contradictions, adds a haunting layer—challenging readers to grapple with uncomfortable truths about power and morality. What makes this novel stand out is its unflinching honesty combined with breathtaking prose. It’s a story of love and brutality, betrayal and defiance—a searing reminder that even in the darkest shadows, sparks of rebellion can ignite history-changing flames. Cane’s narrative is both timely and timeless, fighting against complacency while celebrating the indomitable will of those who dared to resist. Burn Down Master’s House is a tour de force—powerful, compassionate, and utterly necessary. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and forever changed.

"'Burn Down The Master's House' by Clay Cane is a masterful and gut-wrenching novel that will leave you breathless. The bond between Luke and Henri is the beating heart of the story, a testament to the unbreakable spirit of those who fought for freedom. Josephine's quiet determination is a powerful counterpoint, while Charity's struggles and Nathaniel's complexities add depth to the narrative. Cane's writing is evocative and immersive, transporting you to the brutal world of slavery and resistance. This is a beautifully written, period-accurate story that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Engaging and heartfelt, it's a powerful exploration of the human spirit's capacity for resilience and defiance. A must-read for anyone interested in historical fiction, slavery, and the human