Burn
by Patrick Ness
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Pub Date 6 May 2021 | Archive Date 25 Aug 2021
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Description
An all-consuming story of revenge, redemption and dragons from the twice Carnegie Medal-winner Patrick Ness - coming soon in paperback after a critically acclaimed hardback release in 2020.
“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.
Advance Praise
"Wonderful and mind-blowing and exhilarating and heart-stopping. What a storyteller! I loved it!" Russell T Davies
Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal
Selected by Simon Mayo as one of his favourite reads of 2020, praising: “Another great tale from the master with the best opening line of any book this year…”
“Ness is on tip-top form here, deftly propelling a complex plot… Ness shows that although monsters exist in every world, there are many more who wish to overcome them; and that even in the smoking ruins of civilisation, there is room for hope.” The Guardian, Book of the Day
“You can always rely on Patrick Ness to surprise you, and this beautifully written urban fantasy doesn't disappoint ... With multiple narrators and a complex, highly original plot, this is an immersive, rewarding read for older teens and adults.” - Independent IE
“Award-winner Ness excels himself in this powerful allegory about a rare, fire-breathing dragon whose arrival on a mid-western U.S. farm in the Cold War 1950s incites an FBI chase, a time-slip family drama, a love story and an exposé of the racist, homophobic and sexist attitudes of the time. Incendiary stuff.” The Daily Mail
“Patrick Ness writes searing YA fiction that burrows into your consciousness… Burn is imbued with huge amounts of heart and curiosity, and doesn’t recoil from politics, or a few brutal shocks that keep the pace electric. An incredibly touching, powerful and startling read.” - The Press Association
“Just what you'd expect from Patrick Ness - a skilful blending of the heartache and optimism of everyday small-town life set against the epic magnitude of a world-ending prophecy.
This is Ness at the very top of his game. Savvy, snappy dialogue is delivered by equally smart and intelligent characters whose multiple perspectives give the fast-paced narrative a filmic quality but also offer empathy and understanding.” - The School Librarian
“I'm completely gripped by this story of revenge, redemption and dragons from the double Carnegie Medal-winner.” - Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
“Ness always writes well, but he is particularly sharp and astute in this latest tale, and his depiction of teenagers caught up in an ancient battle they don’t or can’t entirely understand is gripping until the end. YA rockstar, I suppose.” The Irish Times
“It’s a clever, complex and completely engrossing story [...] Ness has great control over his plot and writes beautifully. He is particularly good on exploring our desire to destroy our own world and the possibility of hope for the future — but without sounding like a bank commercial. And that’s really something to get fired up about.”- The Times
“It's never less than gripping, and full of charm, intriguing characters and awesome, cinematic set-pieces.” - SFX
Marketing Plan
An extensive PR and marketing campaign will be in place, including a virtual events programme, to promote this multi-award winning author and his fantastic new novel, out now in paperback.
An extensive PR and marketing campaign will be in place, including a virtual events programme, to promote this multi-award winning author and his fantastic new novel, out now in paperback.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781406375503 |
| PRICE | £7.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 384 |
Featured Reviews
Sharon A, Bookseller
A new book from Patrick Ness is always much anticipated and Burn will not disappoint. Set on an Earth in 1957, very much like our own, but where dragons exist.
Dragons live in peace with humans, they have withdrawn to various wastes around the world and occasionally interact when employed by humans. This is how Sarah meets Kazimir, a Russian Blue, employed to clear some farmland, by her father. What Sarah doesn't know is that she is integral to a dragon prophecy where she will save the world and there are people who do not want this to happen.
Set in a time where prejudice is prevalent and unease and suspicion about the intention of the Russians is deeply ingrained, the actions of some of the characters makes for uncomfortable reading. Yet there is hope here too and redemption.
The power of the storytelling will pull you in, a brisk pace is set yet time is given to build a real empathy for the characters, with a dash of science to go with the magic.
Matthew B, Reviewer
‘We are in the hands of Goddesses and madmen, Sarah Dewhurst.’
‘Burn’ is one of those books where I think it’s best to go into it knowing as little as possible. It’s set in an alternate 1950s America during the Cold War and Sarah Dewhurst’s father has just hired a dragon to help on their farm. The Dragon has motives other than the money he will be paid though, Sarah is mentioned in a prophecy that could mean the end of the world.
I’d argue that there isn’t really a main character in ‘Burn’, it felt to me more like an ensemble book with three main storylines that all had some great characters. Like with many Patrick Ness books these all eventually came together in two really great climaxes which really showed off his ability to write ‘blockbuster’ pieces as well as the intimate character moments that are common in his books. The time period is used to highlight many social issues such as racism which Sarah and her friend Jason experience primarily at the hands of the towns deputy sheriff. I can’t speak for how well this is handled having not experienced this myself but this is not the main focus of these characters stories. The backdrop of the Cold War, particularly the Space Race, play a big part into the plot of ‘Burn’, in my opinion it was an excellent choice in setting.
Another of the storylines follows a boy called Malcolm who has been raised in what is essentially a cult that worships the dragons. He is being sent on a mission that is of vital importance to the cult but there are FBI agents trying to stop him achieving his goal. There was such a great plot twist here I had to take a minute and just sit and think, without spoiling anything it was. So. Good. Malcolm was definitely one of my favourite characters in the book, seeing how his life had been affected by being raised in a cult was really interesting. On his journey he comes across a guy called Nelson and they quickly form an intense relationship which did feel a little bit like insta-love but as it wasn’t the main focus of their story it wasn’t too detrimental and honestly it may not even be reciprocated love given some of the events that happen to them.
Obviously, I could not review this book and not talk about the dragons. There are two main ones in ‘Burn’ and they remain quite mysterious through the book but we slowly learn more about them and their society. The dragon that works on Sarah’s farm in particular was one of the best characters in the book in my opinion, he had a strong sense of duty and was involved in one very satisfying moment which I won’t go into because of spoilers. Both of the dragons played an integral part to the story and the way things ended with the dragons (and many of the characters) just screams out for a sequel.
I have been a big fan of Patrick Ness’ work for a while now and while his books have never disappointed me I feel this has been his best one since More Than This. The writing as always was beautiful and the plot was really intriguing with great twists. ‘Burn’ is definitely one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year. The world and characters that he has created here are so well developed and it has left me wanting more!
Thank you Walker Books for providing a proof copy of ‘Burn’.
+ LGBT+ representation (own voices)
+ Great plot twist
+ Beautiful writing
+ Dragons
Librarian 250745
Patrick Ness never takes you on the journey you expect but somehow it's always the journey you need.. This time Ness tackles dragons in the most Ness way possible. Set in a sort of alternate 50s, we have the rare blue dragon Kazimir who assists on a farm. One thing leads to another and the reader is plunged into a twisting, turning plot that arrives at a very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend.
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