Burn

Simon Mayo selected Burn as one of his favourite reads of 2020, praising: “Revenge, redemption, the Cold War and dragons. Another great tale from the master with the best opening line of any book this year…”Ness is on tip-top form here, deftly propelling a complex plot… Ness shows that although monsters exist in every world, there are many more who wish to overcome them; and that even in the smoking ruins of civilisation, there is room for hope.Award-winner Ness excels himself in this powerful allegory about a rare, fire-breathing dragon whose arrival on a mid-western U.S. farm in the Cold War 1950s incites an FBI chase, a time-slip family drama, a love story and an exposé of the racist, homophobic and sexist attitudes of the time. Incendiary stuff.Ness’s latest YA blockbuster follows prophecies of Armageddon in a world where dragons are real, prejudice bites and teens find love across the divides.PREJUDICES — racist, sexist and homophobic — underpin this extraordinary story set in 1957, during the increasingly tense Cold War. Enter dragon-worship cults, a hired assassin, FBI agents, a time-slip love story… FABULOUS in every sense of the word.

An all-consuming story of revenge, redemption and dragons from the twice Carnegie Medal-winner Patrick Ness.

“On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron Gas Station for the dragon he’d hired to help on the farm.”

This dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul but is seemingly intent on keeping her safe from the brutal attentions of Deputy Sheriff Emmett Kelby.

Kazimir knows something she doesn’t. He has arrived at the farm because of a prophecy. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents – and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.

From the bestselling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy comes a heart-stopping story of fanaticism, hope, bravery and impossible second chances, set in a world on the very brink of its own destruction.

"Exhilarating and heart-stopping." Russell T Davies

"Gloriously original and unpredictable ... Mind-bending in the best possible way.” Observer

“A clever, complex and completely engrossing story.” The Times

“[An] extraordinary story of fate, power and redemption … He is a remarkable talent.” Daily Mail

“Ness shows that although monsters exist in every world, many wish to overcome them; and even in the smoking ruins of civilisation, there is room for hope.” Guardian

“Revenge, redemption, the Cold War and dragons. Another great tale from the master with the best opening line of any book this year.” Simon Mayo

“You can always rely on Patrick Ness to surprise you, and this beautifully written urban fantasy doesn’t disappoint … an immersive, rewarding read.” Independent

“Never less than gripping ... full of charm, intriguing characters and awesome, cinematic set-pieces.” SFX

“An incredibly touching, powerful and startling read.” Female First

“A provocative Cold War-set tale of dragon worshippers, parenthood, and the apocalypse.” Entertainment Weekly

“Gripping until the end.” Irish Times

Patrick Ness is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy, A Monster Calls, More Than This, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Release and And the Ocean Was Our Sky. John Green has described him as "an insanely beautiful writer". He has won every major prize in children's fiction, including the Carnegie Medal twice. He has written the screenplay for the film of A Monster Calls and the BBC Doctor Who spin-off, Class. The first Chaos Walking film is slated for release in 2021.