The entire concept and plot of this book is undoubtably intriguing, from the very first page you are immersed in Ness' depiction of the 1950s, full of racism, homophobia, sexism and dragons. It's a surreal reimagining of our dark past and remind us very quickly that true monsters often adopt familiar faces. The books opens draped in mystery and never fully emerges from its shroud of secrets, holding onto them until the very last few pages. Ness allows us to peek into his fascinating, richly built world through several voices. Each of these felt very distinctive and three-dimensional, though I wish I could've connected with some of them a little bit more. At the heart of the book is a really interesting discussion of fate and being able to escape what seems inevitable. It cuts to the foundations of faith, legend and destiny, challenging each aspect in minute detail. I always love how thought-provoking Ness' work is and always in such different ways. He is truly a unique voice within the genre and never fails to provide original, challenging and sometimes bordering on bizarre works that utterly capture my imagination. Trust me when I say you will not know where this book is going next. Initially I thought I had it sussed, only to be completely bamboozled by Ness' sheer imagination and creativity. Even before this, there were some really interesting narrative shifts and twists that I really enjoyed.

First, I really enjoyed this book. Dragons, magic, war, intrigue, prophecies - yep, check those are all things I enjoyed reading about. However, it was very very slow burn and then felt very quick all at the end. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I enjoyed the world building of the Cold War era setting and the fact that dragons were just normal in this universe, but it meant when I finished the book I felt almost like it wasn't enough. I needed more and it felt that the prophecy was rushed. Still, I liked the story and the concept was good. The characters were likeable and there was enough to the that they felt fleshed out - would have been great to learn more about Kazimir though.

Burn is a classic Patrick Ness story, except it was slightly weirder than usual. Not a weird in a bad way, but in a sense that it's hard to explain: this book needs to be experienced for it to make sense. Burn is rather brilliant mix of historical and fantasy, it's the Cold War in the 1950s expect there's dragons as well. There story flows very well, not that I'd expect anything else from Ness, and there's a rather large cast of characters, ranging from normal teenagers to FBI agents. I particularly liked Kazimir, who's sassiest dragon ever and had humorous tendency to not provide straight answers, and Malcolm, who's trained as assassin by a cult but is basically a big softie inside. Burn is magnificently woven story - a bizarre, very unique and fascinating story. I highly recommend it, and I believe the best way to go into this book is just take a leap and see where the story goes. There'll be surprises, heartfelt moments, fascinating twists, and compelling characters.

This was such a well constructed and compelling book. It tells the story of Sarah Dewhurst, a young girl living on a farm in 1957. When her father hires a dragon to help clear the fields, Sarah is catapulted into a world filled with FBI agents, Russian satellites and religious cults. The narrative is so well paced. Split into two parts, the action ramps up to a mid-point crescendo before slowing back down to ramp up again, ensuring that you just can't put the book down. This is not a light book about dragons. Patrick Ness introduces complex topics, such as institutional racism and bigotry and deals with them in a compassionate but unflinching manner. There is a lot going on with the plot here, but that doesn't mean that the characters are poorly drawn as a result. On the contrary, each character has depth and authenticity, with believable motivations, making them easy to root for. Overall, this is a really thought-provoking novel with a narrative pace that keeps those pages turning. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars! Such an exciting read! Ness has created an epic adventure with twists and turns I truly was not expecting. I love his characterisation, it is something he is profoundly good at. The development of all the characters, but specifically Malcolm and Kazimir, is wonderful. A fiery read that will stay with me.