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![The Burning [With Earphones] by Kathryn Lasky](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/vkyk4rzmpq12e4507kmscg2ycut7)
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Characters: 8/10
In The Burning, the sixth installment of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, the characters continue to shine with depth and complexity. Soren and his band feel like old friends at this point, their unique personalities making each interaction meaningful. Soren’s struggle with his brother Kludd in the climax added layers of emotional conflict, making his character even more memorable. The secondary characters like Otulissa and Twilight bring depth to the story, but the standout moment belongs to the Kielian Snake, Hoke of Hock, whose eccentricity and wisdom added a surprising charm. Some minor characters, however, felt less impactful, which slightly diminished the emotional connection.
Atmosphere/Setting: 9/10
The world-building in The Burning is incredibly immersive, transporting me to the icy landscapes of the Northern Kingdoms and the haunting chaos of the St. Aggie's canyons. The descriptions of the Ice Narrows and the Everwinter Sea were vivid and coldly beautiful, while the tension in the Beak of Glaux during the final battle crackled with energy. The settings effectively amplified the story’s themes of bravery and sacrifice, and the atmosphere of impending war was palpable throughout. The detailed environments made each scene feel alive and integral to the plot.
Writing Style: 9/10
Kathryn Lasky’s writing in The Burning is engaging and fluid, balancing action, introspection, and world-building seamlessly. Her prose has an elegant simplicity that never overwhelms but enhances the story’s emotional weight. The dialogue felt natural, particularly in the moments of camaraderie between Soren and his band. Lasky’s ability to convey emotion—whether it’s Soren’s inner conflict or Nyra’s grief—is masterful. The pacing and transitions between different character arcs were handled deftly, making the book a page-turner.
Plot: 8/10
The plot of The Burning is ambitious and mostly delivers, weaving together multiple threads that culminate in a dramatic and satisfying climax. The balance between strategic preparation, personal stakes, and large-scale conflict kept me engrossed. Highlights included the suspenseful rescue of Gylfie, the moral dilemmas faced by Soren, and the intense final battle. While the pacing sagged slightly during the middle chapters, the story regained momentum quickly. The emotional stakes were high, and the resolution—both tragic and triumphant—left me eager to see how the series would continue to evolve.
Intrigue: 9/10
I was consistently eager to pick up the book, and the interplay of personal stakes and large-scale conflict kept me invested. The looming war and the Pure Ones’ plans for domination created a constant sense of urgency. Twists, like Gylfie’s capture and daring escape, were thrilling, and the confrontation between Soren and Kludd was heartbreaking yet inevitable. Nyra’s vow for revenge in the closing chapter left me intrigued about the future of the series. The book held my attention from start to finish, rarely faltering in its grip.
Logic/Relationships: 8/10
The characters acted consistently with their established personalities, and their relationships felt authentic. Soren’s loyalty to his friends and his inner turmoil over Kludd’s betrayal were particularly compelling. The world-building remained solid, with the rules of war and alliances in the Northern Kingdoms clearly established. Some minor inconsistencies, such as the seemingly abrupt turn of certain side characters, momentarily broke the immersion but didn’t detract significantly from the story. The relationships, especially Soren’s bond with his band and his complex connection with Kludd, were emotionally resonant.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning. The mix of adventure, emotional depth, and a richly imagined world made it a highly satisfying read. The book maintained a good balance between its darker themes and moments of hope and camaraderie. The ending, with its bittersweet tone, left a lasting impression, making me appreciate the story’s depth and complexity. I would readily recommend it to anyone invested in the series or looking for a well-written fantasy with high stakes and memorable characters.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
[edited for clarity 2023-04-27]
Since the sixth book is the last book where Soren is the main protagonist, I want to summarize some of my thoughts I've been having since my first review of the series. There are three.
One: The Pure Ones' ideology of white supremacy is not convincing. This is clear from how other owls talk as a fringe belief, like a New Age cult that sprung out of the blue. Even though they're scared of the Pure Ones' cruelty, they're confused at how the Pure Ones ever got the idea that barn owls are superior to other owls.
What ultimately breaks the game is that the owl family taxonomy is manmade: it doesn't exist in nature. Human taxonomists decided that the Strigiformes family should have two genera, Tyto, to which barn owls belong, and Strigidae, to which all other kinds of owls belong. It doesn't seem like these fictional owls learned this taxonomy from the humans before the latter went extinct, nor is there a shared mythological story about the first owls separating into these two genera.
My point is, I wish Lasky had done more work to build her fictional world' culture and history so that the cruelty of the Pure Ones isn't just a homogenous group of owls who have this crazy fringe belief but instead a group of owls whose beliefs have historical roots ... just like the white supremacy in our world.
Two: Starting in Book Three, the narration gets expositional because the narrator explains an event or a character from the previous installment of the series. In *Harry Potter* J.K. Rowling gets much of the recap exposition out of the way in the first chapter, explaining that Harry Potter is not an ordinary boy, that he goes to a special school, that he is not even an ordinary boy in the magical world, etc. Perhaps the alternative is what Lasky does: intersperse the exposition throughout the narrative as the references to the past comes up. But these books are less than 200 pages, and nearly a third of the narrative prose could be taken up by expositions!
Three: The characters start to blend together. Since Soren is easily impressed, there are about four "smart" owls. Gylfie, Diggert, Otulissa, and Martin have all been noted as intelligent in one way or another by Soren. Although they are intelligent in different ways, there could have been more variety in personalities. I keep bringing up Harry Potter, but one of the things J.K. Rowling did well despite the large number of characters was making them distinguishable. (... at least within a certain range. I admit that even in Hogwarts, the farther away you get from Harry, the students start to blend together.)
Since the sixth book is the last book where Soren is the main protagonist, I want to summarize some of my thoughts I've been having since my first review of the series. There are three.
One: The Pure Ones' ideology of white supremacy is not convincing. This is clear from how other owls talk as a fringe belief, like a New Age cult that sprung out of the blue. Even though they're scared of the Pure Ones' cruelty, they're confused at how the Pure Ones ever got the idea that barn owls are superior to other owls.
What ultimately breaks the game is that the owl family taxonomy is manmade: it doesn't exist in nature. Human taxonomists decided that the Strigiformes family should have two genera, Tyto, to which barn owls belong, and Strigidae, to which all other kinds of owls belong. It doesn't seem like these fictional owls learned this taxonomy from the humans before the latter went extinct, nor is there a shared mythological story about the first owls separating into these two genera.
My point is, I wish Lasky had done more work to build her fictional world' culture and history so that the cruelty of the Pure Ones isn't just a homogenous group of owls who have this crazy fringe belief but instead a group of owls whose beliefs have historical roots ... just like the white supremacy in our world.
Two: Starting in Book Three, the narration gets expositional because the narrator explains an event or a character from the previous installment of the series. In *Harry Potter* J.K. Rowling gets much of the recap exposition out of the way in the first chapter, explaining that Harry Potter is not an ordinary boy, that he goes to a special school, that he is not even an ordinary boy in the magical world, etc. Perhaps the alternative is what Lasky does: intersperse the exposition throughout the narrative as the references to the past comes up. But these books are less than 200 pages, and nearly a third of the narrative prose could be taken up by expositions!
Three: The characters start to blend together. Since Soren is easily impressed, there are about four "smart" owls. Gylfie, Diggert, Otulissa, and Martin have all been noted as intelligent in one way or another by Soren. Although they are intelligent in different ways, there could have been more variety in personalities. I keep bringing up Harry Potter, but one of the things J.K. Rowling did well despite the large number of characters was making them distinguishable. (... at least within a certain range. I admit that even in Hogwarts, the farther away you get from Harry, the students start to blend together.)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes