Review by Booklist Review
In Adams' dark and atmospheric debut, thorn witches part the veil between life and death by burning at the stake and reviving nightly in service to the megalomaniac High Warden of Halstett. At the age of 18, Penny is ready to submit to the burnings alongside her coven when her sister's unexpected disappearance forces her to begin clandestine trips into death in order to save her. On her travels, Penny encounters the mysterious Lord Malin, who has her sister trapped and requires heavy payment for her return: spy on the Warden and report back for 30 nights. Racing against the clock, Penny finds her loyalties tested as she ingratiates herself with friends and enemies alike, makes inroads into a shadowy and growing resistance, befriends a magic weaver known as the Spinner, and ultimately attempts to save those she loves from the deadly machinations at play around them. Tonight, I Burn reads like a gothic horror of old, chilling, tense, and full of shocking reveals, but with a reinvented burn-the-witch-at-the-stake trope and a strong, queer heroine readers can't help but root for.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The veil between life and death proves thin in Adams's gripping debut. Penelope "Penny" Albright, youngest granddaughter of the Thorn Queen, matriarch of a coven of "death-walking" witches, is distraught when her favorite sister, Ella, fails to return from the realm of Death. Penny illegally crosses the veil to retrieve her sister and finds that she's being held by the mysterious yet alluring Lord Malin. He agrees to release Ella on the condition that Penny will spy on the Warden, the corrupt ruler of all five covens on the living side, for 30 nights. Though burning herself at the stake each night to sneak into the realm of Death and deliver her report proves nearly impossible, unlikely allies come to her aid, among them Alice, a beautiful enslaved seer, and the Resistance, a brewing rebellion scheming to tear down the Warden's tyrannical rule. If the Warden catches wind of Penny's activities, she and all her loved ones will be in peril. Penny's wry voice brings some fun to Adams's dark but impactful worldbuilding, while plenty of twists keep the pages turning. Fans of gothic fantasies will be hooked. Agent: Ernie Chiara, Fuse Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Adams starts strong with the first in the "Thorn Witch" trilogy, set in a world where magic is controlled by a corrupt High Warden. Penny is a member of the thorn coven, a group of witches with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death. Thorn witches patrol and protect the veil between worlds and must burn at the stake to enter Death, using their magic to return to Life. When her sister Ella doesn't return from a nightly patrol, Penny goes after her. What she finds in Death shouldn't be possible--the manor home of enigmatic Lord Malin. He offers Penny a bargain: Ella's life in exchange for information on the High Warden and Penny's return to Death for 30 nights. The bargain plunges Penny into a dangerous world, recruited by a burgeoning resistance and befriended by Alice, the High Warden's pet prophet. Penny finds herself drawn to both Malin and Alice while fighting for the future of all magic. VERDICT With polyamory and a strong, queer main character, this is a breathtaking must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout.--Lacey Tobias
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
When everything a young witch was taught about Death turn out to be false, she starts questioning everything she knows about Life. Thorn witch Penelope Albright's upcoming 21st birthday means she'll finally be of age to cross into Death and fulfill the duties of her coven--protecting the veil between Life and Death and guiding souls through Death to the horizon. Imprisoned within the walls of the Colligerate, thorn witches have two paths: They can serve the High Warden as death-walkers by periodically being burned on a pyre, or they can release their identities and become part of his soulless Gilded army. When Penny's sister Ella walks in death and doesn't return on schedule the next morning, Penny decides to go against the first rule of crossing: "always walk alone." She burns in secret to retrieve her sister. The sandy plains of Death are cold and vast, and as Penny follows Ella's lifeline, she finds a manor that shouldn't exist. What's more, the occupant, who shouldn't be there, is the bewitching Lord Malin. To free her sister and cross the veil before it's too late, Penny agrees to a deal with Malin that will have her crossing into Death for 30 nights with information on the High Warden--breaking yet another rule, because the more you walk, the more you risk losing yourself entirely. The result is a story that struggles to balance a family drama, a complex magic system, and multiple romances between characters, though there are dark and twisted delights like book sprites--haunting library creatures that will consume a person if they feel like it--to keep it from getting too bogged down in lore. Nevertheless, a hard-fought ending sets the stage for a sequel that impatient readers will crave. Readers will find themselves at the center of a magical rebellion and delight in the power of many kinds of love. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
