This book is stellar! I really like the YA dystopian genre and this is a stand out book among the ones I’ve read. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! In Askala, the Proving selects the Bound and Unbound. The Bound have a responsibility to bear children and protect the human race in the hostile environment that they live in. The Unbound don’t have this responsibility, but they are forced to lose the ability to bear children. This was a book I devoured very quickly and I highly recommend it!

I received an ARC from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Burning by Tamar Sloan & Heidi Catherine is the prequel novella to their dystopian series After the Thaw, setting up the world and characters. An imperfect system determines who will be allowed to rule, breed, and make decisions for the greater good of humanity….or what’s left of it. Following four teens, Burning is a fast-paced dystopian sure to please.

Magnus and Callix are brothers that couldn’t be more different. Callix is a year older and already through with his proving. He is quiet, steadfast, and highly intelligent, yet jealous of his younger brother. Magnus is about to go through his proving (in fact this is a part of the plot of this story). He is tall, muscular, and introspective. He also happens to be in love with the same girl as his brother.

Amity is one of the chosen. She is a bit naive when it comes to her responsibilities as chosen. She knows that at some point she must choose a mate, and everyone expects her to choose Callix. But it is Magnus that has her heart.

Mercy is also one of the chosen. She is on the fringes of the main group, and she likes it that way. She keeps to herself and is hiding a big secret. She also happens to be crushing on Callix.

The plot of this one revolves around these four, even alternating in their POV. It takes a look at the Proving ceremony, the Chosen, and how it can all crumble. You also get a brief look at the people who live in the Outlands. This is a great setup for the series!

Overall, while I liked some elements of Burning, there were others I didn’t. The plot at times was fast-paced to the point I felt like I couldn’t keep up, and at other times was at a standstill. The romance fell flat, despite really liking Magnus and Amity together. However I’m still invested in the series. This is just the prequel (which is currently free) and I cannot wait to see where the authors take the series. If you enjoy YA dystopian, I’d recommend it.

An exciting story for a prequel.
We discover four characters.
In a post-apocalyptic world just the choices of one perso has the biggest consequences.
This prequel present the world we will follow during the series.
The actions of one of the character sets off chain action.

What I had found very interesting in this prequel is the fact that the four characters access power practically immediately, they are the power and make the decisions ( who could be good as well as bad) instead of suffering from the power in place.

Burning was short and sweet and got you sucked right into the land of Askala. The characters were built in such a perfect way and giving the MCs chapters of there own really allowed you to get to know each of them a little bit more. The authors give you just enough info to learn about Askala and how things run in preparation of book #1 and I can’t wait to see where they will take us in the Rising!