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melissa300594's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
arsenelouppain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had action, an intricate political plot, great world-building, and loveable characters. I wish more moments between Ranka and Aramis had been shown, because their relationship felt somewhat abrupt. I also think some of its themes were a bit heavy-handed. But, all in all, I really liked this book.
So I was shocked to see that it had been accused of perpetuating racism. I am Black, and--while I know Blackness is not a monolith--I did not pick up on any bigoted undertones.
TL;DR: I'm Black and didn't think it was racist, but I'm just one person. Read it and draw your own conclusions.
Putting aside the fact that all of the negative press I personally saw about the book was from people that hadn't read it, and had only heard about it secondhand:
The main issue people cited was that the royal twins, Aramis and Galen, were mixed, and Ranka was white. Somehow, the conclusion had been drawn that the twins were oppressing white witches, like Ranka. But this is not the case.
It is pointed out multiple times that the witches are a diverse group comprised of various races. It is also mentioned that witches have committed wrongs against humans, and neither of the two groups was fully in control of the situation.
As an aside,these claims are especially ironic considering that the twins weren't even ruling, so they had no hand in what was happening to the witches. And made even more ironic by the fact that their father, the former king, was white and abusing his power to oppress witches and humans alike.
While it is at first presented to Ranka that Galen is hell-bent on killing all witches, this turns out to be a lie told by Ranka's mentor. After meeting Galen, Ranka discovers the truth: Galen is a kind, gentle boy that has been made into a figurehead, much like herself.
If anything, this is less like reverse-racism and more like a white person who was raised in a racist environment meeting a Black person for the first time and realizing everything they'd been taught was a lie. Which is still an issue, but a separate one.
I feel like Mix's intentions were to create diverse characters in a fantasy story where the color of your skin has no impact on your societal standing. Personally, I like to enjoy stories like this on occasion; there's enough racism in the real world, and it's nice to get a break.
As a queer Black woman, I was also estatic to see someone like me reflected in the story. I know this is not a universal experience, but I would rather see imperfect representation than none at all because white people are too afraid of backlash to even include people like me as a one-off side character.
But this is just my opinion. And my thoughts do not invalidate the opinions of other Black people who actually read this book and have legitimate criticisms.
I urge anyone who is on the fence about reading The Ones We Burn because of any controversey to just give it a chance, and pass your own judgement.
So I was shocked to see that it had been accused of perpetuating racism. I am Black, and--while I know Blackness is not a monolith--I did not pick up on any bigoted undertones.
TL;DR: I'm Black and didn't think it was racist, but I'm just one person. Read it and draw your own conclusions.
Putting aside the fact that all of the negative press I personally saw about the book was from people that hadn't read it, and had only heard about it secondhand:
The main issue people cited was that the royal twins, Aramis and Galen, were mixed, and Ranka was white. Somehow, the conclusion had been drawn that the twins were oppressing white witches, like Ranka. But this is not the case.
It is pointed out multiple times that the witches are a diverse group comprised of various races. It is also mentioned that witches have committed wrongs against humans, and neither of the two groups was fully in control of the situation.
As an aside,
While it is at first presented to Ranka that Galen is hell-bent on killing all witches, this turns out to be a lie told by Ranka's mentor. After meeting Galen, Ranka discovers the truth: Galen is a kind, gentle boy that has been made into a figurehead, much like herself.
If anything, this is less like reverse-racism and more like a white person who was raised in a racist environment meeting a Black person for the first time and realizing everything they'd been taught was a lie. Which is still an issue, but a separate one.
I feel like Mix's intentions were to create diverse characters in a fantasy story where the color of your skin has no impact on your societal standing. Personally, I like to enjoy stories like this on occasion; there's enough racism in the real world, and it's nice to get a break.
As a queer Black woman, I was also estatic to see someone like me reflected in the story. I know this is not a universal experience, but I would rather see imperfect representation than none at all because white people are too afraid of backlash to even include people like me as a one-off side character.
But this is just my opinion. And my thoughts do not invalidate the opinions of other Black people who actually read this book and have legitimate criticisms.
I urge anyone who is on the fence about reading The Ones We Burn because of any controversey to just give it a chance, and pass your own judgement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
bizaleth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hihowartthou's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
verimythe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
roeckitcody's review against another edition
5.0
GOOD LORD THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER WANT I PROMISE YOU
lady_lavender_gray's review against another edition
There could have been an excellant climax, because the leading up to was great, like it made sense, but I was disappointed and the relationship between the characters change just like that.
*snap finger*
How could they go from hating each other to suddenly quite licking each other, it makes no sense. Though I love the avatar reference in it and other little Easter eggs I was quite disappointed. Lovely cover though. One of my favorite this year.
*snap finger*
How could they go from hating each other to suddenly quite licking each other, it makes no sense. Though I love the avatar reference in it and other little Easter eggs I was quite disappointed. Lovely cover though. One of my favorite this year.
thebroestofbros's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
cebege's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
itsabritt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0