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Burn Kindle Edition
An all-consuming story of revenge, redemption and dragons from the twice Carnegie Medal-winner Patrick Ness.
“On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron Gas Station for the dragon he’d hired to help on the farm.”
This dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul but is seemingly intent on keeping her safe from the brutal attentions of Deputy Sheriff Emmett Kelby.
Kazimir knows something she doesn’t. He has arrived at the farm because of a prophecy. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents – and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.
From the bestselling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy comes a heart-stopping story of fanaticism, hope, bravery and impossible second chances, set in a world on the very brink of its own destruction.
"Exhilarating and heart-stopping."Russell T Davies
"Gloriously original and unpredictable ... Mind-bending in the best possible way.” Observer
“A clever, complex and completely engrossing story.” The Times
“[An] extraordinary story of fate, power and redemption … He is a remarkable talent.” Daily Mail
“Ness shows that although monsters exist in every world, many wish to overcome them; and even in the smoking ruins of civilisation, there is room for hope.” Guardian
“Revenge, redemption, the Cold War and dragons. Another great tale from the master with the best opening line of any book this year.” Simon Mayo
“You can always rely on Patrick Ness to surprise you, and this beautifully written urban fantasy doesn’t disappoint … an immersive, rewarding read.” Independent
“Never less than gripping ... full of charm, intriguing characters and awesome, cinematic set-pieces.” SFX
“An incredibly touching, powerful and startling read.” Female First
“A provocative Cold War-set tale of dragon worshippers, parenthood, and the apocalypse.” Entertainment Weekly
“Gripping until the end.” Irish Times
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWalker Books
- Publication date7 May 2020
- Reading age14 years and up
- File size2.6 MB
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From the Publisher
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Product description
Review
Ness has never been afraid to push boundaries when it comes to genre exploration, but this is a truly magnificent piece of fiction.... The concept is striking, the characters compelling, and the story enthralling. Even for Ness, this is a singular effort." -- Booklist (starred review)
"The densely layered, expertly paced plot builds and twists while revealing an alternate universe that cunningly echoes our world and its history." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Ness brings together history, fantasy, and science fiction in one masterful stroke, interweaving the tropes of each genre to create a unique blend that offers readers an unpredictable but impeccably paced mind trip." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"Exciting, nonstop action and gloriously varied twists in the narrative will keep readers guessing all the way through to the breathless ending." -- School Library Journal (starred review)
"This fast-paced narrative has elements of alternate history, fantasy, multiverse, and apocalyptic literature. The many plot twists and multiple perspectives create an intensity that makes this a page-turner...A gripping, powerful novel of courage and resilience."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"A wild ride of fanaticism, redemption, assasins and dragon-worshippers. Mind-bending in the best possible way." -- The Observer (London)
"Ness brilliantly juggles these multi-layered themes and twisting plot lines while creating a world where dragons are as richly imagined as humans and engage our emotions just as forcefully. He is a remarkable talent." -- Daily Mail (UK)
"Ness's engrossing historical-fantasy adventure is at once accessible and complex, tackling both human issues--racism...war, religion--and grand fantasy action with skill." -- Horn Book Magazine
From the Back Cover
Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to.
The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe.
Because the dragon knows something she doesn’t. He has arrived at the farm with a prophecy on his mind. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents in hot pursuit―and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.
About the Author
Joniece Abbott-Pratt is an American actress and experienced audiobook narrator. With an MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa, Joniece has performed on regional theatre stages across the country including The Public Theatre in NYC. She has also appeared on numerous television shows including The Good Fight, Law & Order: SUV, Luke Cage and Orange is the New Black.
Product details
- ASIN : B08434GFWG
- Publisher : Walker Books (7 May 2020)
- Language : English
- File size : 2.6 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 389 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0062869493
- Best Sellers Rank: 245,632 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer reviews:
About the author
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Patrick Ness is the award-winning and best-selling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy, A Monster Calls, More Than This and The Rest Of Us Just Live Here. John Green has described him as "an insanely beautiful writer". He has won every major prize in children's fiction, including the Carnegie Medal twice. He's written the film of A Monster Calls as well, out 2016. He lives in London.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the plot fascinating and unusual. They appreciate the well-developed characters and fast-paced story. Readers praise the writing quality as captivating and praise the author as a great modern writer.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the plot engaging and thought-provoking. They describe the book as fast-paced, thrilling, epic, and intricately detailed. The idea behind the story is intriguing and the complex structure surprises and delights readers.
"...Ness uses a complex structure in the novel which surprises and delights, as well as horrifying and penetrating the reader's mind...." Read more
"...paced and with beautifully drawn characters, it melds the mundane with the supernatural in a story that builds to a climax you long to arrive at but..." Read more
"...the book was brilliant, the story was brilliant and I was fully immersed in it, enough that being pulled out of it, made me instantly yearn to be..." Read more
"Patrick Ness has written dome of the best novels I have ever read. This one felt rushed. I hope this is not a sign that his best work is behind him...." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and the captivating plot.
"Believable and approachable characters with whom you can sympathize if not empathize and the whole gamut of sexual, racial, cultural and existential..." Read more
"...Perfectly paced and with beautifully drawn characters, it melds the mundane with the supernatural in a story that builds to a climax you long to..." Read more
"...read more than once because it offers so much to the reader, great characterisation, an absorbing and fantastic plot and I really did not want it to..." Read more
"Not the expected quality, great concept, interesting characters to a point but left feeling empty, it could have been such a good read but fell flat." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the characters engaging and the plot exciting.
"...Perfectly paced and with beautifully drawn characters, it melds the mundane with the supernatural in a story that builds to a climax you long to..." Read more
"Oh wow I loved this book so much. It was so fast paced and a thrilling book to read. I love books about dragons which this has...." Read more
"Fantastic gripping read by Patrick Ness - characters to care about, a well-paced and exciting plot...." Read more
"Excellent, fast paced, with narrative twists and turns at one level to a satisfying resolution...." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing quality. They find it engaging and praise the author as a great modern author.
"Superb writing. Without doubt, Patrick Ness is one of today's greatest and most innovative writers...." Read more
"Loved the book. Superb imagination. Lovely humour. Captivating writing. I would love to read the next installment." Read more
"Patrick Ness is an astonishingly good writer...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Scratches and grease marks
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2020...underneath, a multi-faceted tale of homophobia, racism, and bereavement, among other things.
I have been a huge fan of Patrick Ness, since I first discovered the Chaos Walking trilogy. Each time he releases a new novel, I buy it immediately, and plough through it with deep joy. This new novel did not disappoint.
The narrator's story begins with her life on the farm that she and her father run together in the wake of a family bereavement. I felt connected to Sarah immediately, and I wanted to know more about her life. The introduction of the dragon is also intriguing!
I followed Malcolm's story with equal intensity, and soon became enraptured by his clearly indoctrinated soul.
Ness uses a complex structure in the novel which surprises and delights, as well as horrifying and penetrating the reader's mind. He creates a world, which is so similar to our own a few decades ago, that we immediately relate to the subject matter and begin to see the metaphors for what they are - comments on society.
Overall, I loved this book from start to finish, Ness never wavers from his truly spectacular form, and I can't wait to see what comes next.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2020Believable and approachable characters with whom you can sympathize if not empathize and the whole gamut of sexual, racial, cultural and existential angst very much felt in the world today, not just by the young.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 December 2020His latest might have only a fifth of the page count of his Chaos Walking trilogy, but it's every bit as epic. Perfectly paced and with beautifully drawn characters, it melds the mundane with the supernatural in a story that builds to a climax you long to arrive at but never want to reach. I think perhaps it's my favourite of all his books.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2020Have you ever read a book and got to the end.... And immediately wanted to go and read it from the beginning again IMMEDIATELY?
Because that is how this book has made me feel. For a full five minutes after finishing I just made a series of wordless noises at my partner, because the book was brilliant, the story was brilliant and I was fully immersed in it, enough that being pulled out of it, made me instantly yearn to be back in it.
Also, there are Dragons, and if that isn't a good enough reason to read the story all by itself, then I don't know what is.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2023Patrick Ness has written dome of the best novels I have ever read. This one felt rushed. I hope this is not a sign that his best work is behind him. This was the first book of his that left me flat with disappointment
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 July 2020Superb writing. Without doubt, Patrick Ness is one of today's greatest and most innovative writers. Everything he writes is of the very highest quality and for a wide range of audiences. This book is one that I will read more than once because it offers so much to the reader, great characterisation, an absorbing and fantastic plot and I really did not want it to come to an end. Patrick Ness is one of the finest writers of today. Can thoroughly recommend Burn.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2021Having just finished Ness's trilogy I found this book quite short. I thought the idea behind the story quite thought provoking . The idea of other Worlds is a mind blowing one.
However, there were 2 things that stopped me giving it the full 5 stars. Firstly, on a personal level although not homophobic I had little interest in the gay sexual content and lastly I felt the story finished prematurely- the story could have gone on to include more content.
Overall though, another cracking story from the mind of Patrick Ness.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2023Started off slow but picked up speed. Even ended on a cliffhanger. The storylines meet at just the right time and in the hero's hour of need a new courage awakens.
Top reviews from other countries
- TMMReviewed in Canada on 7 March 2022
3.0 out of 5 stars Just okay
I fail to see what everyone is so excited about. I found the book to be confusing, clunky, and rather boring until the end. And the ending could’ve been fleshed out a bit more instead of the vague way it ended. I would’ve appreciated a real resolution for him.
Part 1 was so boring that I kept going simply to finish the book since I had spent money on it. Part 2 was definitely more interesting. I suppose my confusion mirrored that of the characters which might be what the author intended but I found it annoying.
Perhaps I’m not the targeted audience and that’s why I failed to enjoy the book. I’m glad others find it fascinating and that it speaks to them.
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LilyDemarchReviewed in France on 5 November 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Le chaos.
Voici comment je résumerai ce livre : un chaos total et permanent. Surtout lorsque l'on arrive au milieu du livre. L'histoire est pour le moins originale et les personnages attachants. J'ai adoré suivre leurs aventures. Et ce chaos qui se déchaîne à partir du milieu du livre m'a tenue en haleine. J'en redemandais toujours plus. Ne jamais douter de Patrick Ness. J'avais déjà eu un coup de coeur pour sa trilogie Chaos Walking.
- openmypagesReviewed in the United States on 6 June 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Burn
Holy weird greatness, Batman! This book is set in the 1950’s and reimagines the Cold War if dragons existed. It’s super hard to review and speak about all the things I loved without giving a ton of spoilers. First, I’ll say I loved what the dragons represented and that they, like humans, were represented as complex both good and evil creatures. The moral, historical cautionary tale built within the story is fabulous - it reminded me of the Scythe series in that way.
The story had great world building; the magic and mythology all came together in a way that was just fabulous. There were several jaw dropping twists as well as some exciting action scenes.
It’s also got great representation, the main characters include a mixed race girl, a Japanese family just out of an internment camp and a young gay couple... all who deal with the horror of human judgment that was the 1950’s (and frankly is still quite relevant today!).
- iamlostinbooks.youknowReviewed in Germany on 19 May 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow wow wow
This book is my highlight of 2020 so far.
It's political, it's empowering and - it has dragons.
I didn't know what to make of the blurb but I am so glad I listened to my instinct telling me that a Patrick Ness book is always a hit.
Read it! It's obligatory. ;-)
- Mr. M. LloydReviewed in Australia on 23 June 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant writing, fabulous plot and wonderful characters.
This novel is exciting from page one until the end. It exceeds in every way the conventions of young adult fiction by forcing the reader to see familiar cultural constructs from very different directions and through the eyes of victims, dupes, innocents and bystanders.
Race out and buy a copy, you are going to want to keep it!