Format: Paperback, 448 pages
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy / Romance
A thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and
Death 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.
Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett.
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.
Tonight, I Burn, by Katharine Adams, is the first installment in the authors Thorn Witch trilogy. Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett who basically destroyed the outside world, and forced everyone inside walls he built. The Thorn Witches are the coven with the most sacred of duties; to walk in Death and ensure that souls are guided into the Horizon, and that the veil separating Death from Life remains whole and in tact.
A simple
enough task when you disregard the facts that every night a different
Thorn witch must light herself on fire to get into Death, and that the
veil itself is anchored to the lifeline of a once immortal tyrant who is
rapidly declining in health for seemingly inexplicable reasons.
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 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. For 30 days, she has to visit Death every night and ends up slowly falling for Lord Malin while simultaneously falling for Alice, a witch who has been imprisoned by the Warden, during the day. It requires all three of them working together to break free from the Wardens grasp and save their covens. It also relies on not being outed or betrayed by those who are supposed to be her family and coven.
*Thoughts* This story lacked certain details like a backstory, and a deep dive into the important aspects like crystals, the covens, magic, the death realm, and the gilding who one of the characters fathers ends up being. So, if you are like me who has issues with romantic triangles, you may want to sit this one out. On the other hand, if you are perfectly okay with a bisexual character who falls for both a woman and a man, go for it.
So much happens at the end of this book, that I find myself debating whether or not I will continue. Penny is not a perfect character. In fact, she continually makes stupid mistakes that end up costing everyone. But she also ends up being stabbed in the back and basically sold into slavery by her own people. Will I read the next book? I will likely wait until the entire trilogy is released before finishing.
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