#the ones we burn

[so-many-ocs]

user so many ocs, my beloved, fellow Locked Tomb enjoyer, I am about to finish Nona and I am losing my mind because nothing will fill the Gideon Nav sized hole in my heart (lol). do you perchance have any recommendations of what I can read next that's similar to TLT?

ok i wanna preface this by saying i've only read GtN (i needed time to recover after the first one and left HtN at my parents' house for the semester lol but by virtue of Existing On Tumblr i know most of what happens in the series + i plan to read HtN asap)

BUT LET'S GO!! (storygraph summaries linked)

if you liked gideon the ninth, try:

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone & Amal El-Mohtar - maybe i just read these 2 really close together but Time War has time travel, space fuckery, gut-wrenching sapphic yearning, and a drily humorous tone all packed into the span of less than 200 pages.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - historical fantasy, rich worldbuilding, one of my All-Time Favorite Books (right alongside Time War and Gideon the Ninth lol)

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang - historical fantasy, political intrigue, silver possesses the ability to manifest any meaning lost in translation between languages.

Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer - graphic novel (2 books out now); princesses, politics, and gladiator-style fights, but in space!

now for books i haven't read (on my tbr) that others have recommended for fans of TLT:

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark - fantasy, desert empire, a soldier and a princess "haggling" over the price of a nation.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri - fantasy/romance, one seeking revenge, one seeking family.

The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix - fantasy, girl who is a monster (favorite trope of Ever btw), witches, kingdoms, and assassinations.

Crier's War by Nina Valera - fantasy with some sci-fi elements(?), humans vs. robots but with a twist! i want to read this so bad but have not found it anywhere

this list has some of the books i've recommended here, as well as a couple others i haven't! most of the books i've recommended are sapphic or at least lgbtq as well if that's something you're specifically interested in :)

lastly, storygraph does have a "browse similar books" feature, though i'm not sure how accurate it is as i've yet to really try it out!

i hope that was helpful !!!

#🌿 literature #gideon the ninth #book recs #this is how you lose the time war #the locked tomb #she who became the sun #babel an arcane history #cosmoknights #the unbroken #the jasmine throne #the ones we burn #crier's war #lgbtq books #🌿 asks

[justsomerandom-nerd]

Atla reference in “The Ones We Burn” By Rebecca Mix.

I cackled when I read this-

#atla #avatar the last airbender #cabbage man #the ones we burn

[goldcoqui]

You are very small…and I am very strong

Ranka and Aramis from The Ones We Burn 🫶🫶

#myart #art #digital art #krita #the ones we burn #ranka #aramis #the ones we burn fanart #wlw

[monochrome-sunsets]

picked up a novel thinking it's a lesbian dark fantasy arranged marriage. turns out it is a lesbian dark fantasy arranged marriage with themes of overcoming trauma and realizing your family was abusive and you didn't deserve that treatment and it also has taylor swift and atla references.

#anyways read the ones we burn by rebecca mix. fantastic book #11/10 stars no notes would read again #the ones we burn #rebecca mix

[reverie-quotes]

The only way out of this is to choose yourself, again and again, even when it's hard. Even when it's terrifying. Even when you feel like the most broken, unworthy, worthless person in the world.

— Rebecca Mix, The Ones We Burn

#the ones we burn #rebecca mix #quotes #literary quotes #fantasy #queer #lgbtqia #ya #literature #writing #books #spilled ink #thoughts #lit #pretty quotes #quote of the day #reverie #reverie quotes #quote #book quote #book quotes #inspiring quote #inspiring quotes #beautiful quote #beautiful quotes

[pretentiousgremlin]

For anyone who liked/loved The Owl House, I would recommend The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix. It's a very gay witchy book.

#The Ones We Burn #Rebecca Mix #The Owl House #Dana Terrace #lgbtqia #lgbtq+ #lgbtq

[hillbroski]

The ones we burn fanart

I have not rinsed the book yet but I’m like halfway through it. It is very good so far

#the sillies #the ones we burn fanart #the ones we burn #the ones we burn ranka #ranka #aramis #wlw characters #wlw #I <3 monster girls

[andipxndy-writes]

I saw that you read The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix this year and you enjoyed it. I've seen a number of people saying that its racist and antisemitic, but I noticed that a lot of those reviews are based on a twitter review that came out quite a while before the book itself. I've also seen more recent reviews (after the book was released) from both Black and Jewish readers stating those claims are false. Did you find anything like that during your read through?

Not gonna lie, as soon as I mentioned that I'd read The Ones We Burn I know someone was going to come into my ask box and ask this question so I've been waiting for something like this.

In short: No. I did not find anything like this. I am a black woman, and I did not find anything racist towards black people in this book (and I've read the HP books, I have a good idea of what racism looks and feels like in writing lmao).

Not gonna lie, this book was on my TBR list for ages and I pre-ordered, and when everything came out I was ridiculously disappointed by the number of people who would go out and slander/cancel a book without reading it simply because someone lied. And I was especially disappointed in the black people who went online and started rallying to cancel the book. The whole "reverse racism" claim was a lie, the two main characters are black because, spoiler, their mother is black and their mother was a witch from another coven (so not a white people in power constantly thing; I'm due a reread to confirm this, though). Not only that, but they're surrounded by rich white people the whole time, and there are witches with different ethnicities/skin tones throughout the whole book. I could not find ANYTHING suggesting racism or reverse racism in this book and for someone to imply that without having read the book is absolutely obtuse. (I also absolutely HATE cancel culture because some of the people I've seen get cancelled by people spreading rumours and lies. Absolutely ridiculous.)

As for the antisemitism claim, I didn't spot any of that in the book either but I actually went to research that because I wanted to know exactly what people not on twitter were saying, and I found this review which was pretty long and has links. I didn't find any, and neither did this Jewish reviewer.

Honestly, there were a lot of reviews about the book before it even came out, and even though ARCs were sent out I get the vibe that not many (if any) of the readers actually posted any of those reviews attacking the book. All those reviews came from people who were talking about another review and basically saying "this was on my tbr but because xxx said racism and antisemitism I'm taking it off bye", which isn't how reviews work but go off I guess. It got tanked on goodreads for what I believe was a couple of lying or jealous reviews that everyone jumped on as true. And people actually thought it was okay to bully someone off the Internet and send them death threats? And don't sensitivity readers usually get called in to prevent this happening when the book comes out? Sensitivity readers were called in on this book. It just baffles me that so many people cancelled the book so quickly based on a couple of pre-release reviews and probably aren't even looking at the post-release reviews because they think they've done their job or some dumb shit like that.

Anyway tl;dr: No, I didn't find any racism in the book, and any claims of racism in the book from before the release should be taken with a pinch of salt, imo. Or a load of it. The affected communities need to actually look to reviewers from their communities post-release and see what they're saying before attacking, and they certainly shouldn't be attacking before having the chance to form their own opinions.

Anyway, people are gonna come after me for this but I've said what I've said and I believe it. I've stayed away from making comments online mostly because I 1) would probably not be heard online because I tend to stay in my little corner for the sake of my own mental health; and 2) know that people are stubborn once they've formed their own opinions and didn't want to say anything before reading the book myself.

#asks #anon #the controversy surrounding this book gives me a lot of feelings #mostly anger and disappointment #i even saw a black blog on tumblr basically say #yo that had me shook #they full on disregarded the one thing people are fighting for #because they think a book they haven't read is racist #anyway happy new year!! #and thanks for the ask anon!! #i would recommend reading the book for yourself with critical eyes #before making any sort of judgement #the ones we burn #rebecca mix #towb #the ones we burn rebecca mix

[nineforthetomb-andallthatwaslost]

I just read The Ones We Burn and holy shit it was so good! I know there's a lot of controversy around this book but I promise it is not (in my reading exoerience and many other people's) racist or antisemitic. This book is so good and it deals with realizing you've been manipulated and abused by the people you loved and trusted and how to deal with that, witches, a magical plague, political power plays. And it's SAPPHIC so please please give this book a chance it was so good!

#the ones we burn #aramis #ranka #sapphic books #fantasy books

[ladymegana]

Just got wrecked by The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix. Unexpected therapy session from this book. 😭

#the ones we burn #rebecca mix #book quotes #therapy session in a book #you are not the worst thing that's ever happened to you #you are the girl who survived it

[chattyghostlovesyou]

well, a seventeen years old girl who is just fucking so scared of fighting. who just wanna rest, who just wanna be with her loved ones and rest and not suffer. I... I'm gonna go over there and cry for a while

#the ones we burn #ranka the ones we burn #what the fuck why is this book controversial somehow I thought it was healing sapphic fantasy??

[ladykailolu]

Guess what I just finished 😁

God man, there's all kinds of fucked up shit going on in this story. Some I was prepared for, some I was not. And I don't think that I have the patience to go through everything step by step, piece by piece.

It is an amazing story of a girl overcoming years of trauma and abuse and healing. You could also say that it's a story of female empowerment: powerful women as warriors and leaders, and intelligent women as scientists and doctors.

I didn't expect for it to be a therapy session in a book lmao!!!

And for those of y'all who want more queer representation in their stories, several characters in the story are lesbians or gay, including the main characters, and no, they don't actually die in the end.

#the ones we burn #rebecca mix #books #bibliophile #reading #lady k's library

[angelsaxis]

It's 2022 and white women are still writing racism role reversal stories in which Black people oppress white people.

#angel posts #the ones we burn #or some shit like that

[this-writer-d]

I'm busy reading this right now and really enjoying it!! It's got bloodwitches. A 6"2 witch named Ranka. A badass Princess called Aramis. They're also into each other. It's gay. Go read it

Ranka is tired of death. All she wants now is to be left alone, living out her days in Witchik’s wild north with the coven that raised her, attempting to forget the horrors of her past. But when she is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the human kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Easy enough, for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill. Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn’t want to marry Ranka; he doesn’t want to be king at all. And it’s his sister—the wickedly smart, infuriatingly beautiful Princess Aramis—who seems to be the real threat. But when witches start turning up dead, murdered by a mysterious, magical plague, Aramis makes Ranka an offer: help her develop a cure, and in return, she’ll help Ranka learn to contain her deadly magic. As the coup draws nearer and the plague spreads, Ranka is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her power, her past, and who she’s meant to fight for. Soon, she will have to decide between the coven that raised her and the princess who sees beyond the monster they shaped her to be. But as the bodies pile up, a monster may be exactly what they need.

#the ones we burn #rebecca mix #book rec #sapphic book rec

[elliepassmore]

The Ones We Burn review

4/5 stars Recommended if you like: magic, fantasy, witches, healing stories, enemies to lovers, Twin Crowns I don't really think it's possible to write a review of this book without addressing the 'reverse racist fantasy' and antisemitic claims. The two reviews I link below go into detail breaking them down and I recommend looking at those if you're interested: Review 1 Review 2 I liked the plague plotline in the story. It makes the book less about the witch-human conflict and overthrowing the throne and more about medicine and saving lives and realizing who your family is. I liked the bits where Ranka and co. go into the city to try and figure out what's going on. I like the parts where they discuss different strategies for fighting the disease and try to figure out how it's spreading. I wish we'd gotten a bit more details about that, even if the plague is vaguely zombie-like. I also thought the plotline with the Hands of Solomei was interesting. It's one of those things where you want to scream that they've got it wrong, but of course they can't hear you and of course some of their complaints are legitimate, it's just been twisted in the wrong hands (pun intended, lol). I definitely thought it was an interesting look at how people's genuine concerns and criticisms can so easily be turned into something nasty and even violent when a charismatic leader decides to make that their calling. I liked that it showed a splintering of the group as well, with some people taking a decidedly less radical approach than others, especially since I think that reflects real life. There's also a lot of complicated morality to go around. The witches are upset because the treaty said they could have Witchik but the land is being encroached upon and the witches hunted and starved out. That's a good reason to be upset. The humans in the borderlands are upset because the witches are stealing from them and sometimes there are skirmishes that result in people being killed. Also a good reason to be upset. The people in other areas of the country are also facing a failing crop yield and poverty because the teenage king is undertrained in his magic and can't bring much-needed rain, meaning they are both starving, poor, and overtaxed. Another very good reason to be upset. But just because everyone has a good reason for being upset doesn't mean they have good responses to it. That is how things end up so messy and the witches end up so angry at the royals and other humans, and vice versa (though the royals aren't actually upset at the witches, it turns out). This whole situation also explains why the Hands of Solomei become such a big movement and are able to wreak so much havoc. It's complicated, but I like the layers to it. That being said, this book definitely feels very similar to Twin Crowns to me. Both involve an MC who is a witch, in a country where witches are hunted, infiltrating the aristocracy with the goal of overthrowing the current power structure to instead favor the witches. Likewise, both books have a vaguely-grandmother figure who is abusive, the MC realizing it, and then attempting to stop what's coming a bit too late. Oh, and there's a ball that the witches end up attending. There are some differences, with the magic and the fact that the twins in Twin Crowns are the MCs and the twins in this book aren't, plus the disease that's happening in this book. Ranka is the main character of the story and is a blood witch. Her main interest is in living a quiet life, but she's fiercely loyal, and so when her friend/adoptive sister goes missing, presumably taken by humans as a stand-in for Ranka, Ranka decides to take up the title of Bloodwinn and go to the palace, saving her friend, and bringing down the monarchy in the process. Things aren't what they seem though, and Ranka quickly learns that everything she's been taught about the royal siblings seem to be false and, in fact, they're actively working to try and help witches. She not only battles with her own beliefs about her magic, but also with the beliefs she's been taught about herself, the world, and her family. A big part of the book is about deciding who your family is and another big part is about the mistakes you make and how you can correct them. Aramis is the princess and is immediately suspicious of Ranka. The two grow a tentative alliance about the plague though, and we get to see more of Aramis' soft side. She's immersed herself in books and science, but she's also got the mind of a political leader. She was raised to be queen, but the succession shifted after it was revealed she doesn't have magic and so her brother will be king. Aramis actually seems to be okay with this and is mostly interested in making sure her brother is safe and in protecting him from the things that would break his heart. Aramis is another character who puts loyalty pretty high up in terms of values, which is something she and Ranka can agree upon once they start getting along. The relationship between Ranka and Aramis is definitely slow. Neither trusts the other, but as they spend more time together, first training Ranka on her magic, then trying to figure out the solution to the plague, they slowly being to trust, then like one another. They have their ups and their downs, and there are definitely times when it seems like they won't make it, but they're both stubborn, and as mentioned above, loyal, so it's hard for them to stay apart for too long once they've decided to be loyal to each other. Galen is also a pretty soft character, just in a different way than Aramis. Where Aramis is sharp words and quick wit, Galen is more gentle spoken and inclined toward heartbreak. He genuinely wants to do what's best for everyone and struggles with the fact that he isn't as magically powerful as his father. Unfortunately, due to his softness, characters tend to try and coddle him, which more than once ends up making things worse rather than better. But Galen proves to be someone who is both soft and powerful, and frankly he is one of the few characters who consistently makes good decisions throughout the book. Percy is the last MC (or MC-like) character. He's from an island nation and is the ambassador (or something) to the country Aramis and Galen run. Like Aramis, he relies a lot on his intellect and wits, but like Ranka he can fight well and has made some pretty major mistakes in his life. Percy definitely provides the comic relief in the story, and he's frequently quipping about one thing or another. I actually love the dynamic between Percy and Ranka because he's such a good foil to Ranka and understands both where she's coming from and the place she'll end up if she follows through. Despite knowing what's likely going down, he lets Ranka figure things out for herself, though he does try and subtly let her know that things will turn out poorly if she does what the Skra want her to do. Percy is also pretty quick to forgive Ranka when she messes up because he's been in the same situation. Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought the plot was interesting. There's a lot of complicated morality in the book, which I always like, and I enjoyed how each group played against each other as well as how each of the characters handled it in different ways.

#book #booklr #books #bookblr #booknerd #bookstack #bookstagram #fiction book #fantasy book #ya fantasy #ya book #the ones we burn #fairyloot #fantasy #magic

[reverie-quotes]

"Sometimes," Ranka said slowly, her words coming from far away. "The people we love aren't worthy of it. They betray our history, take away hope for any future that might have been. But it doesn't change what they gave us. Not if we don't want it to. And the knowing—the truth of it, that they weren't who you thought? That you didn't know sooner? It doesn't make it any more our fault."

— Rebecca Mix, The Ones We Burn

#the ones we burn #rebecca mix #quotes #literary quotes #fantasy #queer #lgbtqia #ya #literature #writing #books #spilled ink #thoughts #lit #pretty quotes #quote of the day #reverie #reverie quotes #quote #book quote #book quotes #inspiring quote #inspiring quotes #beautiful quote #beautiful quotes