A review by copper_ink
The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix

adventurous dark 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

3.25

I was so engaged in this book, I just barely managed to put it down to not miss my uni lectures.
The politics of this world were really intriguing and I was so invested in all of Ranka's choices and relationships. The battles were exciting, usually I tend to find action to be boring but there were some memorable moments in fights for me. I would recommend it, if you're looking for a witchy read with politics and discussions around power, destiny and abuse. Do check trigger warnings if you are sensitive to emotional abuse or violence.

(Major spoiler, mostly rant) 

I was annoyed however at her betrayal of the crown, it just didn't seem convincing to me that she would forget almost entirely about the knowledge she herself discovered alongside Aramis. It made me think a lot about how loyalty makes us change our reality entirely to fit a narrative we want to be true, so perhaps it worked exactly as intended and I'm just a fan of easy happy endings.