Tonight, I Burn

by Katharine J. Adams

Overview

From one of the most exciting new voices in romantasy comes the tale of a thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death who finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion—and a dangerous romance—that could destroy her coven and her soul in this dark and decadent debut. 

Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.

But one morning, Penny's favorite sister Ella doesn't return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death. 
 
Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny's world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic. 

All it takes is one witch—and one spark—to set the world ablaze.

★ "With polyamory and a strong, queer main character, this is a breathtaking must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout."―Library Journal (Starred Review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316551977
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Series:	The Witches of Halstett , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	33,933
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Katharine J. Adams is an English fantasy writer based in New Zealand. You can find her tucked away in her office in the wee small hours of the morning while the rest of the house sleeps. No matter where she is, she’s never happier than in those moments when her writing truly takes her away, and she’s in a realm where witches burn, the future is spun from silk, and Death is more than it seems.

Editorial Reviews

09/04/2023

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.)

Publishers Weekly

"With polyamory and a strong, queer main character, this is a breathtaking must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

"I absolutely loved the witchcraft of TONIGHT, I BURN. The magic, secrets, and sisterhood of the Thorn Witch Coven ensnared me immediately, and I was quickly drawn into the plot of deathscapes and spinners of fate. Highly recommended for all lovers of magical fantasies."—Kendare Blake, New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series

"Wickedly enchanting. Katharine J. Adams has crafted a spell of a book, with romance, betrayal, and mystery smoldering on every page. Readers will burn with Penny every step of the way."—Heather Walter, author of the Malice duology

"Tonight, I Burn kept me turning pages with fascinating magic, compelling dark fairytale vibes, and heart-wrenching plot twists. I can’t wait for the next one!”—Melissa Caruso, author of the Swords and Fire and Rooks and Ruin series

"Katharine J. Adams weaves a captivating debut out of life and death, darkness and light, and truth and lies. Romance, rebellion, and a twisting and turning plot will keep readers engaged to the last page of Tonight, I Burn!"—Rowenna Miller, author of The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill

“Readers will find themselves at the center of a magical rebellion and delight in the power of many kinds of love. A hard-fought ending sets the stage for a sequel that impatient readers will crave.”—Kirkus

"[A] gripping debut....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."—Publishers Weekly

"Readers will be captivated by the beautiful, evocative prose that draws you into Penny’s chaotic world of burning witches, a Spinner weaving murky fates, nightly forays to the cool grey sands of Death and dangerous plots to oust a tyrant from power. With creative worldbuilding, tantalising mysteries and interesting, ever-shifting relationship dynamics, Tonight, I Burn is a delightful dark romantic fantasy that will enchant you from the first page."—Nerd Daily

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2023

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

Library Journal

2023-08-26
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.

Kirkus Reviews