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Set in a world that closely resembles our own, Burn is a story of redemption and betrayal, of family and sacrifice, which leads to the greatest question of all: how far would you go to save the ones you love?
Fifteen years ago, Felix Paracel killed his mother with fire that shot from his hands. Since then, he has hidden from forces bent on exploiting him and his fire and wind Elemental abilities. But Felix's world is about to change, because he is Findo Unum-the Split One-and his coming has been foretold for generations. Though Felix's arrival brings great joy to the Elemental world, it also heralds a coming darkness.
No one knows this better than Seven.-Seven, the mysterious man who rescued Felix from that horrible fire years ago and then disappeared; Seven, who has returned to claim what's rightfully his: Felix's heart. But even as Felix begins to trust Seven and his feelings about his place in the world, the darkness reveals itself, bringing consequences no one could have predicted.
Fifteen years ago, Felix Paracel killed his mother with fire that shot from his hands. Since then, he has hidden from forces bent on exploiting him and his fire and wind Elemental abilities. But Felix's world is about to change, because he is Findo Unum-the Split One-and his coming has been foretold for generations. Though Felix's arrival brings great joy to the Elemental world, it also heralds a coming darkness.
No one knows this better than Seven.-Seven, the mysterious man who rescued Felix from that horrible fire years ago and then disappeared; Seven, who has returned to claim what's rightfully his: Felix's heart. But even as Felix begins to trust Seven and his feelings about his place in the world, the darkness reveals itself, bringing consequences no one could have predicted.
370 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2012
90 people are currently reading
3081 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Klune
69 books61.1k followersTJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
February 6, 2012
**Alright excuse me for a moment as I geek out and at several points mention Joss Whedon and cultural references in this review. I won’t be able to really discuss the plot or use direct quotes much because almost everything would be spoilerish.**
Let me first say that I loved this book! People expecting a straightforward science fiction book or a romance won’t get that in this book. What they will get are elements of adventure, horror, romance, science fiction, and an eventual epic journey. It’s a combination of everything I love, and what gets me excited about reading.
While reading Burn I kept getting a sense of nostalgia. When I think back to those movies as a child I loved such as E.T., The Goonies, or The Neverending Story, random pieces will jar my memory. Every time I hear the score to E.T., I instantly remember the scene where they are pedaling across the moon. That’s how I felt with this book. The imagery at times is so sharp and detailed that I know many moments of this book will come back to me over and over again. The roof scene and the moment with the tree are particularly special. The author has also posted a novel playlist, and while reading certain chapters I would listen and now certain songs will always be a nostalgic trigger for Burn, especially ‘Set Fire to the Rain.’ Stories such as this invite you to make the journey along with the characters.
I love what this book makes me think and process.
As Joss Whedon wrote for Buffy: “You still don’t get it. It’s not about what’s right. It’s not about what’s wrong. It’s about power.”
This book explores this whole idea of US versus THEM in society. The Outsiders/Different Ones versus the Normals. There is the question of can someone who is ‘different’ blend in with the ‘normals’ for a time, even years, and go largely unnoticed and be happy? Can the different ones have friends and family that love them and support them regardless? If you are different, are you obligated to feel a sense of loyalty to others like yourself? Do you fight for your group as a whole or do you sit back and do nothing? These are questions our main character, Felix, asks himself in different formats and often doesn’t come up with a solid answer. Most probably because these questions are complex and very personal for each individual. The author brings in the idea of the government and its control of individuals’ rights. Can and will the government interfere with people based on their differences? The results could be deadly.
This doesn’t only extend though to the broad idea of THEM or Normals. This goes towards your family and your partner. If you’ve been told its fate that you care for these people and that its written that you must support and love them, is that all there is that binds you to them? Can you love someone so different from yourself or instantaneously? Does everything that has been tied to fate determine one’s destiny?
“Welcome home, Findo Unum,” he breathed, pushing a hidden button that raised the steel gate. It rose slowly, inevitably.”
What this book displays is that everything in life is about choices. No matter who you’ve been told to love or told what your fate is there are choices that a person has to make to choose their path. In Felix’s case, the choices are just more extreme.
Tj Klune said it best:
The choices humans make are like a ripple in a pond. They carry from one to another, bouncing, dancing. Colliding. And still they go on. But you. The choices you make are like a tsunami in the ocean.
----Burn (Elementally Evolved)
This book also has much suspense and seriously the last 30% I was nervous as hell. I don’t often get that way with books, but I was completely freaked out and waiting for the shoe to drop. I thought I had things figured out several times only to be proven I was wrong. Like waaaaaaay wrong.
“Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.” –Joss Whedon
It’s not all suspenseful though. There is much humor and adventure and the secondary characters are a blast. I cared about all of them and didn’t mind when the main characters shared time with them. Let me also make a note that I can appreciate how this author writes female characters. So often they are over the top or crazy psychos in this genre. Whether you like the females in his books or not, I can understand their reactions. The romance aspect is also rockin. Smut heaven.
I loved it, I will reread this with my friends when it becomes available, and I will reread this probably several times before the sequel is released. Gooooooo read it!!
And lastly, I leave you with this. This was me for a solid 10 minutes when I finished the book. Interpret it how you will.
http://youtu.be/A1Gy1eu-680
Let me first say that I loved this book! People expecting a straightforward science fiction book or a romance won’t get that in this book. What they will get are elements of adventure, horror, romance, science fiction, and an eventual epic journey. It’s a combination of everything I love, and what gets me excited about reading.
While reading Burn I kept getting a sense of nostalgia. When I think back to those movies as a child I loved such as E.T., The Goonies, or The Neverending Story, random pieces will jar my memory. Every time I hear the score to E.T., I instantly remember the scene where they are pedaling across the moon. That’s how I felt with this book. The imagery at times is so sharp and detailed that I know many moments of this book will come back to me over and over again. The roof scene and the moment with the tree are particularly special. The author has also posted a novel playlist, and while reading certain chapters I would listen and now certain songs will always be a nostalgic trigger for Burn, especially ‘Set Fire to the Rain.’ Stories such as this invite you to make the journey along with the characters.
I love what this book makes me think and process.
As Joss Whedon wrote for Buffy: “You still don’t get it. It’s not about what’s right. It’s not about what’s wrong. It’s about power.”
This book explores this whole idea of US versus THEM in society. The Outsiders/Different Ones versus the Normals. There is the question of can someone who is ‘different’ blend in with the ‘normals’ for a time, even years, and go largely unnoticed and be happy? Can the different ones have friends and family that love them and support them regardless? If you are different, are you obligated to feel a sense of loyalty to others like yourself? Do you fight for your group as a whole or do you sit back and do nothing? These are questions our main character, Felix, asks himself in different formats and often doesn’t come up with a solid answer. Most probably because these questions are complex and very personal for each individual. The author brings in the idea of the government and its control of individuals’ rights. Can and will the government interfere with people based on their differences? The results could be deadly.
This doesn’t only extend though to the broad idea of THEM or Normals. This goes towards your family and your partner. If you’ve been told its fate that you care for these people and that its written that you must support and love them, is that all there is that binds you to them? Can you love someone so different from yourself or instantaneously? Does everything that has been tied to fate determine one’s destiny?
“Welcome home, Findo Unum,” he breathed, pushing a hidden button that raised the steel gate. It rose slowly, inevitably.”
What this book displays is that everything in life is about choices. No matter who you’ve been told to love or told what your fate is there are choices that a person has to make to choose their path. In Felix’s case, the choices are just more extreme.
Tj Klune said it best:
The choices humans make are like a ripple in a pond. They carry from one to another, bouncing, dancing. Colliding. And still they go on. But you. The choices you make are like a tsunami in the ocean.
----Burn (Elementally Evolved)
This book also has much suspense and seriously the last 30% I was nervous as hell. I don’t often get that way with books, but I was completely freaked out and waiting for the shoe to drop. I thought I had things figured out several times only to be proven I was wrong. Like waaaaaaay wrong.
“Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke.” –Joss Whedon
It’s not all suspenseful though. There is much humor and adventure and the secondary characters are a blast. I cared about all of them and didn’t mind when the main characters shared time with them. Let me also make a note that I can appreciate how this author writes female characters. So often they are over the top or crazy psychos in this genre. Whether you like the females in his books or not, I can understand their reactions. The romance aspect is also rockin. Smut heaven.
I loved it, I will reread this with my friends when it becomes available, and I will reread this probably several times before the sequel is released. Gooooooo read it!!
And lastly, I leave you with this. This was me for a solid 10 minutes when I finished the book. Interpret it how you will.
http://youtu.be/A1Gy1eu-680
April 16, 2024
PROJECT LET RANDOM.ORG CHOOSE MY BOOK FROM ALL THE BOOKS I OWN AND READ IT REGARDLESS OF IF I WANT TO OR NOT!
Book 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~MY BRAIN IS FRIED~
I don’t know if this book is a -5 or a 5+ rating. Like I’m hella confused about my feelings. On one had, it’s TJ Klune and you know his ass is masterful, and on the other hand it was quite an exquisite amount of fuckery and I am shooketh.
JongShook
The Rundown: Felix is an Elemental, which means he’s got elemental powers. He’s quite unique because he can control two elements instead of the normal one (which means he’s damn close to calling Captain Planet) he’s also got heart ❤️ so he’s very fucking close- with all your powers combined I am Captain Planet-. Him and his dad have been hiding, because while Elemementals are known to the World they aren’t exactly liked.
Cue a few years ago where he burnt his mom to a crisp and got saved by a big ass dude who he didn’t want to lose, so he bones dude now that he’s older that has the same build as the guy that saved him. Well said guy is back, his name is Seven he’s a gigantic possessive asshole and they are destined to be together.
Shit gets real when the humans are like “let’s round up the freaks” Felix being the freakiest of all, and then some other bullshit about fighting the dark side because there can be only one, and these aren’t the droids you’re looking for. It gets crazy, my head damn nearly exploded, and I just really can’t.
Things I liked: Seven! He’s a possessive asshole but I dig that shit. What else...they might be able to call Captian Planet 🤷🏽♀️
Things I didn’t like: Felix! He’s incredibly annoying, don’t know up from down, and he’s just childish.
The story at times felt too try hard. Like too hard trying to be funny, too hard trying to be sexy, too hard trying to be plotty. It’s fucking wordy and I hate it (may be love it) I don’t know!!
So with all honesty I say this- where the fuck is book 2. Like is their going to be a 3some with twins? like what are you doing to me T.J. Klune, do I love this book or do I hate it 😭😭
~EARTH, FIRE, WIND, WATER, HEART~ WITH ALL THESE POWERS COMBINED...
Book 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~MY BRAIN IS FRIED~
I don’t know if this book is a -5 or a 5+ rating. Like I’m hella confused about my feelings. On one had, it’s TJ Klune and you know his ass is masterful, and on the other hand it was quite an exquisite amount of fuckery and I am shooketh.
JongShook
The Rundown: Felix is an Elemental, which means he’s got elemental powers. He’s quite unique because he can control two elements instead of the normal one (which means he’s damn close to calling Captain Planet) he’s also got heart ❤️ so he’s very fucking close- with all your powers combined I am Captain Planet-. Him and his dad have been hiding, because while Elemementals are known to the World they aren’t exactly liked.
Cue a few years ago where he burnt his mom to a crisp and got saved by a big ass dude who he didn’t want to lose, so he bones dude now that he’s older that has the same build as the guy that saved him. Well said guy is back, his name is Seven he’s a gigantic possessive asshole and they are destined to be together.
Shit gets real when the humans are like “let’s round up the freaks” Felix being the freakiest of all, and then some other bullshit about fighting the dark side because there can be only one, and these aren’t the droids you’re looking for. It gets crazy, my head damn nearly exploded, and I just really can’t.
Things I liked: Seven! He’s a possessive asshole but I dig that shit. What else...they might be able to call Captian Planet 🤷🏽♀️
Things I didn’t like: Felix! He’s incredibly annoying, don’t know up from down, and he’s just childish.
The story at times felt too try hard. Like too hard trying to be funny, too hard trying to be sexy, too hard trying to be plotty. It’s fucking wordy and I hate it (may be love it) I don’t know!!
So with all honesty I say this- where the fuck is book 2. Like is their going to be a 3some with twins? like what are you doing to me T.J. Klune, do I love this book or do I hate it 😭😭
~EARTH, FIRE, WIND, WATER, HEART~ WITH ALL THESE POWERS COMBINED...
January 14, 2012
“My name is Felix Paracel, and when I was nine, I became angry with my mother and killed her with fire that shot from my hands.”
There are perhaps 5,000 elementals in the United States. Fire, earth, air, water – elementals have the innate power to control and manipulate one of the forces that make up the universe. Felix is an elemental.
His dreams of fire and death and destruction make no sense. Whose voice speaks in his head? What does The Tree have to do with him? Why is his mother secretly training him in his affinity with fire?
No one knows the secret he keeps. He can control two elements - fire and air. And that makes him dangerous. And wanted. And his mother is one of those who want to use his power for her own ends.
So he lashes out and sets her on fire. But he gets trapped in fire of his own making, and is rescued by a huge teen who seems to know him. There is an immediate connection. And this is the first time Felix meets Seven.
“You are not alone in this.”
Fast forward almost 16 years. His world has changed. Felix Paracel is now Atticus Vanesco. In the aftermath of the fire, after being left by Seven, he and his father have fled to Terra City, taken on new identities, started new lives. Made new friends, like Jason, who took Addy under his protection.
And the world outside has changed too. The public is afraid of elementals. There is legislation moving through Congress to restrict their rights. The Mayor of Terra City is sponsoring the Elemental Registration Act. And only one person knows about Addy. Or so he thinks.
As he approaches his 25th birthday, Addy’s world is work, Dad, Jason and all the one night stands he has. But it all explodes. And when it does, his whole life will change. All of his assumptions will be tested. The truth of his life will be revealed. And he will be reunited with Seven.
“Somehow I knew that my old life was over and a new one was about to begin.”
Now that Addy – no, Felix – knows the truth and has met others of his kind, he begins to recognize how rare his powers are. How much of a responsibility. And how Seven will fit in his life. Be his life. His strength. His heart. The Iuratum Cor to his Findo Unum.
But there are still secrets and before Felix can make this new life work, he must trust – in Seven, in the Council that governs his kind, in his new friends, and most of all, in himself. Because that voice in his head is back, stronger than ever, still talking about The Tree and fire and secrets and lies and destruction. And Seven is there, in his heart, his mind and his soul, to soothe him.
“My world had crumbled around me, and he’d laid the foundation for something new. Now, he began to build it back up, piece by broken piece, brick by shattered brick.”
But will that be enough? When all the secrets are laid bare, will his Heart, his Findo Unum, be enough? Will lies and betrayals and deaths break him? Tear him from his mission, his fate and his destiny? And most of all, will it separate him from his beloved Seven?
This sophomore effort from TJ Klune is an instant classic. This is a wildly inventive tale set in a brave new world of fickle gods, superhuman powers and grand themes – love, friendship, secrets and the lonely shouldering of responsibility and fate.
Mr. Klune grabbed me by the throat and dragged me - very very willingly - into this funny and heart-wrenching and glorious tale. I was taken from laughter to tears to grief; this book moved me with the sacrifices and the secrets and lies and surprises. I wanted to hunt him down and drag answers from him, hug him for the beauty that blossomed unexpectedly like roses, and rip his heart out like he did mine.
And the characters. Felix is a red hot mess, an Ice Queen thrust unwillingly into a fate not of his choosing, so afraid and halting, but always willing. Seven, so heroic and sure and solid. And then they merge into each other and learn each others’ strengths and hopes and weaknesses and learn to lean on each other. And find they are mates in the purest sense of the word – made for each other, the missing piece of each others souls.
The supporting characters are so well drawn, each locking into place and completing the puzzle of this world. This world so close to our own, where any minority (gays) could be feared and vilified and gentled out of sight and then out of existence.
The themes are universal - love, sacrifice. The triumph of good over evil.
But does it?
Read and find out.
One warning. This is NOT Bear, Otter and the Kid, remix. Don’t expect it. You will be disappointed.
But this is the real thing. I kid you not. This is a step forward, sideways and through the rabbit hole.
Enjoy the ride.
Tom
There are perhaps 5,000 elementals in the United States. Fire, earth, air, water – elementals have the innate power to control and manipulate one of the forces that make up the universe. Felix is an elemental.
His dreams of fire and death and destruction make no sense. Whose voice speaks in his head? What does The Tree have to do with him? Why is his mother secretly training him in his affinity with fire?
No one knows the secret he keeps. He can control two elements - fire and air. And that makes him dangerous. And wanted. And his mother is one of those who want to use his power for her own ends.
So he lashes out and sets her on fire. But he gets trapped in fire of his own making, and is rescued by a huge teen who seems to know him. There is an immediate connection. And this is the first time Felix meets Seven.
“You are not alone in this.”
Fast forward almost 16 years. His world has changed. Felix Paracel is now Atticus Vanesco. In the aftermath of the fire, after being left by Seven, he and his father have fled to Terra City, taken on new identities, started new lives. Made new friends, like Jason, who took Addy under his protection.
And the world outside has changed too. The public is afraid of elementals. There is legislation moving through Congress to restrict their rights. The Mayor of Terra City is sponsoring the Elemental Registration Act. And only one person knows about Addy. Or so he thinks.
As he approaches his 25th birthday, Addy’s world is work, Dad, Jason and all the one night stands he has. But it all explodes. And when it does, his whole life will change. All of his assumptions will be tested. The truth of his life will be revealed. And he will be reunited with Seven.
“Somehow I knew that my old life was over and a new one was about to begin.”
Now that Addy – no, Felix – knows the truth and has met others of his kind, he begins to recognize how rare his powers are. How much of a responsibility. And how Seven will fit in his life. Be his life. His strength. His heart. The Iuratum Cor to his Findo Unum.
But there are still secrets and before Felix can make this new life work, he must trust – in Seven, in the Council that governs his kind, in his new friends, and most of all, in himself. Because that voice in his head is back, stronger than ever, still talking about The Tree and fire and secrets and lies and destruction. And Seven is there, in his heart, his mind and his soul, to soothe him.
“My world had crumbled around me, and he’d laid the foundation for something new. Now, he began to build it back up, piece by broken piece, brick by shattered brick.”
But will that be enough? When all the secrets are laid bare, will his Heart, his Findo Unum, be enough? Will lies and betrayals and deaths break him? Tear him from his mission, his fate and his destiny? And most of all, will it separate him from his beloved Seven?
This sophomore effort from TJ Klune is an instant classic. This is a wildly inventive tale set in a brave new world of fickle gods, superhuman powers and grand themes – love, friendship, secrets and the lonely shouldering of responsibility and fate.
Mr. Klune grabbed me by the throat and dragged me - very very willingly - into this funny and heart-wrenching and glorious tale. I was taken from laughter to tears to grief; this book moved me with the sacrifices and the secrets and lies and surprises. I wanted to hunt him down and drag answers from him, hug him for the beauty that blossomed unexpectedly like roses, and rip his heart out like he did mine.
And the characters. Felix is a red hot mess, an Ice Queen thrust unwillingly into a fate not of his choosing, so afraid and halting, but always willing. Seven, so heroic and sure and solid. And then they merge into each other and learn each others’ strengths and hopes and weaknesses and learn to lean on each other. And find they are mates in the purest sense of the word – made for each other, the missing piece of each others souls.
The supporting characters are so well drawn, each locking into place and completing the puzzle of this world. This world so close to our own, where any minority (gays) could be feared and vilified and gentled out of sight and then out of existence.
The themes are universal - love, sacrifice. The triumph of good over evil.
But does it?
Read and find out.
One warning. This is NOT Bear, Otter and the Kid, remix. Don’t expect it. You will be disappointed.
But this is the real thing. I kid you not. This is a step forward, sideways and through the rabbit hole.
Enjoy the ride.
Tom
April 20, 2023
*** 2018. TJ has confirmed that there will be no sequel to this story...he just doesn't have the time and it didn't sell as well as others he's written 😲. To say I was gutted when I heard the news was a HUGE understatement 😢***
HELLS BELLS. TJ. I’m very upset.
You’ve broken my heart.
Why did you do that to Seven?
He’s waited 16 years for his destiny
He is luratum Cor to the Findo Unum
And you’ve gone and split them up... again!!
Cruel, cruel man...
You’ve also made Tock a traitor!
I’m really pissed off!!
Nero & Kammy I could understand,
but not Tock. What will Tick do?
(be TICKED OFF I assume!!)
I loved this book, it was wonderful.
Felix Paracel needs to grow a pair
And get his lover back PDQ!!
Oh, and we need another book
HELLS BELLS. TJ. I’m very upset.
You’ve broken my heart.
Why did you do that to Seven?
He’s waited 16 years for his destiny
He is luratum Cor to the Findo Unum
And you’ve gone and split them up... again!!
Cruel, cruel man...
You’ve also made Tock a traitor!
I’m really pissed off!!
Nero & Kammy I could understand,
but not Tock. What will Tick do?
(be TICKED OFF I assume!!)
I loved this book, it was wonderful.
Felix Paracel needs to grow a pair
And get his lover back PDQ!!
Oh, and we need another book
September 11, 2018
I stayed up until 6:00 AM two days in a row reading Burn and being its bitch. I regret nothing.
THE PLOT
The world set was fantastic. I got vibes from other stories, tho. Like Terra City reminded me a bit of Gotham City. And the Elementals were kind of like the X-Men, with the whole Government creating list census for them, and such.
But still, I'd dare to say this story had one of the most unique plots I have ever read. It's like a YA-ish, Urban Fantasy-ish, Sci-Fi-ish book, with a gay romance. And god, isn't that just what I had been waiting for my whole life?! It's like TJ Klune wrote this book for me. All I ever wanted in a story was there. EVERYTHING.
It’s hilarious, actually. I just checked my comments while reading and you can see me going from OMG IT JUST STARTED AND IT’S ALREADY SO FUCKING GOOD to THEIR LOVE IS SO EPIC GIMME MORE to OUCH RIGHT IN THE FEELS to MOTHERFUCKER DON’T YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME! to I DON’T THINK I CAN DO THIS ANYMORE to HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SURVIVE THE WAITING NOW?!
Basically, I had no idea what my feelings were doing.
THE CHARACTERS
*** Felix Paracel ***
Felix is a big drama queen. Simple as that. And I'm not even trying to be negative here. Bless his drama queen heart. I'm starting to know TJ Klune's first voice narrative and his main guys all sound a bit similar in this aspect. They are very prone to overreact and to run when things get ugly, among other cute things.
There's something overwhelmingly irresistible and brutally appealing in Felix, tho. His magnetism is such, you can easily understand why everyone follows him around.
He also got a lot darker as the story unfolded. His angst was delicious, and I loved it.
Unfortunately, he said he didn't believe bisexuality was real and my honest to god reaction was something along the lines of
I’m sorry but, he sounded like the biggest dumbass ever saying that.
Still, I think Felix is my favorite over Bear.
*** Seven Fortis ***
I'll try to finish this review while I swoon to death.
Seven has everything I like in a man. He's freakishly tall and big, has a beard (can we stop here for a second to appreciate how fucking sexy well maintained beards are? Thank you). And he has one of the hottest combinations ever, dark hair with blue eyes.
He's protective and brave, he knows what he wants and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. He's fierce, he's not shy about showing emotions. He's level-headed, he's a lider.
I loved how dominant he was with Felix. At times I felt like I was reading a BDSM book (and then I'd check another of my all time favorites from the list).
And I loved how he could also be insecure and shy around Felix, it just undid me completely. How can such a Dom big guy be so sweet? This man was made to cling him like a tree and never let go.
*** The Clock Twins ***
WHY, WHYYYYYYYY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? Why do you make me love such funny, dynamic and awesome characters and then ruin my life like this?
My favorite twin was Tock, you know. I felt like such a dumbass for not seeing it coming. Like, is there something wrong with me that I picked the evil twin? What a mind fuck.
This book without them wouldn't have been the same, though. They give to the story the touch of humor it needed. I wanted a side story of their years before finding Seven, but after finishing the book I'm not sure my heart could take it. :(
Also, was it Tick who kept saying maybe they'd turn gay because of Felix's powers? Ha, the possibilities... *dreamy eyes*
But oh god, what- what's going to happen to Tick now?? ;____;
*** Ottis Moore ***
As far as I can remember it's the first time I cry with the story of a secondary character. And I'm talking about fat, ugly creys. Not a bit teary eyed. No. I gross sobbed with Ottis. And isn't that just the most amazing thing ever? Getting this attached to a character you barely know anything about. Kudos!!
I wish we had gotten more info about him, though. I'm still not sure about how deep his injures run. And I'd have loved to get more of his friendship with the Clock Twins before the ending, where they had those touching parts. :(
*** Kammy ***
She's the Lilith to this epic gay love story (Gratuitous Teahouse reference of the day).
But the big difference is that, I actually could relate to her. I mean, imagine you have been having sex with Seven (*swoon*) and yeah, yeah, he said it'd be over when that guy showed up but come on, you two have been "together" for years and he never had sex with anyone else but you.
Can't blame the girl for having feelings for him or for trying to fight for them. #kanyeshrug
*** Jason 'Jase' Taylor ***
Welcome to the forest of unf, where trees are hot men you can climb.
Okay, so let me go wild for a moment here and propose something: I know he's straight, but can't Jase just end up being the Iuratum Cor of Max? Please? PLEASE?
All this comes from the idea that even when he's straight, his feelings for Felix seemed a bit too intense at times. And I thought it could be because he's destined to be Felix's twin brother's heart. Wouldn't that be neat? *lunny*
*** Nero ***
He's so suspicious, it's kind of funny. And he tries so hard to be in charge, too. I don't know, from the beginning I thought he (and Kammy, too) would end up helping Felix. They were so obviously being mean, I thought they must find reason and help the Findo Unum in future books.
THE BEST
* I absolutely loved how Felix and Seven were all over each other constantly. I'm a very touchy-feely person. I have a PhD on PDA. And sometimes, when I'm reading a story and something very intense happens, I feel like the characters are being too cold for my taste.
So Felix and Seven were exactly what I was looking for. Sure, they displayed love in the most inappropriate moments, so what? It was sweet and it matched the dept of their feelings during the scenes.
* So it's 2014 and no one seems to have a problem with homosexuality anymore. Now the problem are the Elementals. They are, and I quote, "blasphemous in the eyes of God". People think they are "diseased, wrong, immoral"... Isn't that just the neatest analogy you have ever read? I get giddy just thinking of it. I wish we'd have gotten more of this.
* Written in the stars / Destined Lovers Theme.
Let me swoon first. I absolutely love this in a story. Same as reincarnation. It just hits me right in the feels. And this book pretty much destroyed me with the intensity of the two main characters' emotions, the longing and the ache and the angst and just... ugh BRB dying.
* The conversations. Do you know how fucking hard it is to write real and dynamic conversations? Especially when there are more than two characters talking. I'm in total awe at TJ Klune's skills. I felt like I was there with them!
And now
* The secondary cast. They made me laugh, they made me rage, they made me cry! I want EVERYTHING of Ottis, and Amy and Jase and oh god the Clock Twins... I just can't handle it, the whole cast of characters is flawless. Each gives to the story and the plot exactly what it needs! Even Nero and Kammy, dare I say I loved them for the conflict they brought?
* And about that: Amy Star. She's the badass motherfucker of the book. Period. She reminded me of the Black Widow. Insta love with this character!
* The bad guys. You never really know who they are, what they want or why they want it. But somehow the doubt of who is really bad and who is good is there all the time. And I just love it. The gray areas, the conflict, good people doing bad things, bad people surprising you. I don’t know, that’s life after all, isn’t it?
* The mythology. I’m a big Norse Myths’ bitch, I just love those stories. The idea of a big tree creating the world made me happy. And the story of the four demigods and their relationship with the tree was fantastic. But my favorite part was the corruption of the tree. The complexity of the situation. Again, who is good, who is bad? Is there even a difference?
* Action packed. This book should be made into a movie. At times I felt like I could almost see the fighting scenes. And JHC, writing fighting scenes is so hard, I’m in awe. Again. And the reality and brutality of what was happening in the world, to the characters. The feeling that no one is safe makes you read faster to see what happens next.
* The relationships in general. Parents with their kids, friends, families, lovers. I don’t know, it was all beautifully done. The good relationships, the hate relationships, everything. You understood the motivations and the reasons why those conflicts existed and the characters never felt flat and their actions never felt fake.
THE WEAK
* Too much anticipation. Too much "Oh god when you reach this part, oh the awful things that happened! If only I had known!" over and over. I was literally biting my nails down to the bone by the time we finally reached the final scene, and it kind of felt flat because of all the previous anticipation, IMO.
* And linked with the previous point. The narrative dragged on and on a bit. But the pace of the story during the last half of the book decreased considerably compared to the first half. I absolutely loved this book and how long it was, because that meant more story, but at some point toward the end I felt like it was taking too long. That could be a big problem for readers not as enthusiastic as me.
* The
Plot Devices:
#1: The Circle have been training for years and years and that's the best plan they could come up with for the final scene? I don't know, it felt forced, like an excuse to get them into that situation.
#2: Do you really expect me to believe someone as Seven would have waited all those years to go find Felix? I didn't get any real reason of why he'd do that. Or his father. Or anyone else. They kept saying it was to protect him, but I finished the book and I still didn't know why. The "it's customary!" reason was not good enough for me.
* Felix and Seven gave me strong Otter/Bear vibes. And I guess it's because Klune has a very specific type of couple he likes to write about. Their dynamics and even some trail of their personalities were a bit too similar. There were other similarities with BOATK, too. In both books when you reach the middle of it, the main character's love interest told him the story of his life before being together.
* The lack of sex. Well, the lack of details. You see, if you give me such an intense relationship, so full of emotions and chemistry, and then you make me invest and care about them, I'll end up expecting to get some good ol' detailed sex to satisfy my feels.
Just take in consideration I was like
So it was frustrating.
We get porno in mediocre romances all the time, and then, one time you come across the romance, and there's none. I could cry just thinking of all the possibilities. It truly saddens me. :(
* Felix's twin brother. I mean, I saw it coming almost from the beginning. I didn't really mind. But I think he appeared too late into the book. Felix hearing voices was a bit too bizarre at times. Knowing it was his twin all along would have made the reading better.
And also, his scene was a bit weak. Why should we care when it seems no one in the story cares about him? He's unimportant, the one is still Felix. Also: Why is that?
I was hoping the twin would be a girl, tbh. I thought it'd have been interesting to link that to the issue of Seven's sexuality. The conflict would have been of epic proportions. Characters, who think Seven is straight with the exception of Felix, wondering what if girl!Max is actually his heart, instead of Felix? And readers going nuts.
I know I'm
But just think of the angst! the angst! And then the "let me show you just how straight I am" delicious gay sex!
* Seven's sexuality. I understand he's sure of his feelings for Felix, but couldn't we get more details of what his sexual preferences are? Like, he feels attracted to women but he's in love with Felix and he doesn't care? Or is he bisexual? Has he ever felt any sexual attraction toward other men but Felix?
Related to the sex thing. I thought the conflict of Seven’s sexuality would play a bigger part during their first time together. I was disappointed. Again, so rushed. :(
I found the whole "woopsie, Findo Unum is not a girl this time!" so interesting, I wanted more of that! Did Seven even have a choice? Or since he's the Iuratum Cor, he's programmed/destined to have feelings for the Findo Unum no matter who that is? The concept gives you so much game to play.
* Typos. :(
* HEARTBREAKING CLIFFHANGER. AND NOT HAVING A DATE FOR THE NEXT BOOK. I can't even get comfort from counting the months until the next book. :(
CONCLUSION
This book goes to my Favorite Books Ever list. And Klune joined my Deity Authors list, meaning eye contact will be impossible from now on if we ever meet.
THE PLOT
The world set was fantastic. I got vibes from other stories, tho. Like Terra City reminded me a bit of Gotham City. And the Elementals were kind of like the X-Men, with the whole Government creating list census for them, and such.
But still, I'd dare to say this story had one of the most unique plots I have ever read. It's like a YA-ish, Urban Fantasy-ish, Sci-Fi-ish book, with a gay romance. And god, isn't that just what I had been waiting for my whole life?! It's like TJ Klune wrote this book for me. All I ever wanted in a story was there. EVERYTHING.
It’s hilarious, actually. I just checked my comments while reading and you can see me going from OMG IT JUST STARTED AND IT’S ALREADY SO FUCKING GOOD to THEIR LOVE IS SO EPIC GIMME MORE to OUCH RIGHT IN THE FEELS to MOTHERFUCKER DON’T YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME! to I DON’T THINK I CAN DO THIS ANYMORE to HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SURVIVE THE WAITING NOW?!
Basically, I had no idea what my feelings were doing.
THE CHARACTERS
*** Felix Paracel ***
Felix is a big drama queen. Simple as that. And I'm not even trying to be negative here. Bless his drama queen heart. I'm starting to know TJ Klune's first voice narrative and his main guys all sound a bit similar in this aspect. They are very prone to overreact and to run when things get ugly, among other cute things.
There's something overwhelmingly irresistible and brutally appealing in Felix, tho. His magnetism is such, you can easily understand why everyone follows him around.
He also got a lot darker as the story unfolded. His angst was delicious, and I loved it.
Unfortunately, he said he didn't believe bisexuality was real and my honest to god reaction was something along the lines of
I’m sorry but, he sounded like the biggest dumbass ever saying that.
Still, I think Felix is my favorite over Bear.
*** Seven Fortis ***
I'll try to finish this review while I swoon to death.
Seven has everything I like in a man. He's freakishly tall and big, has a beard (can we stop here for a second to appreciate how fucking sexy well maintained beards are? Thank you). And he has one of the hottest combinations ever, dark hair with blue eyes.
He's protective and brave, he knows what he wants and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. He's fierce, he's not shy about showing emotions. He's level-headed, he's a lider.
I loved how dominant he was with Felix. At times I felt like I was reading a BDSM book (and then I'd check another of my all time favorites from the list).
And I loved how he could also be insecure and shy around Felix, it just undid me completely. How can such a Dom big guy be so sweet? This man was made to cling him like a tree and never let go.
*** The Clock Twins ***
WHY, WHYYYYYYYY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? Why do you make me love such funny, dynamic and awesome characters and then ruin my life like this?
My favorite twin was Tock, you know. I felt like such a dumbass for not seeing it coming. Like, is there something wrong with me that I picked the evil twin? What a mind fuck.
This book without them wouldn't have been the same, though. They give to the story the touch of humor it needed. I wanted a side story of their years before finding Seven, but after finishing the book I'm not sure my heart could take it. :(
Also, was it Tick who kept saying maybe they'd turn gay because of Felix's powers? Ha, the possibilities... *dreamy eyes*
But oh god, what- what's going to happen to Tick now?? ;____;
*** Ottis Moore ***
As far as I can remember it's the first time I cry with the story of a secondary character. And I'm talking about fat, ugly creys. Not a bit teary eyed. No. I gross sobbed with Ottis. And isn't that just the most amazing thing ever? Getting this attached to a character you barely know anything about. Kudos!!
I wish we had gotten more info about him, though. I'm still not sure about how deep his injures run. And I'd have loved to get more of his friendship with the Clock Twins before the ending, where they had those touching parts. :(
*** Kammy ***
She's the Lilith to this epic gay love story (Gratuitous Teahouse reference of the day).
But the big difference is that, I actually could relate to her. I mean, imagine you have been having sex with Seven (*swoon*) and yeah, yeah, he said it'd be over when that guy showed up but come on, you two have been "together" for years and he never had sex with anyone else but you.
Can't blame the girl for having feelings for him or for trying to fight for them. #kanyeshrug
*** Jason 'Jase' Taylor ***
Welcome to the forest of unf, where trees are hot men you can climb.
Okay, so let me go wild for a moment here and propose something: I know he's straight, but can't Jase just end up being the Iuratum Cor of Max? Please? PLEASE?
All this comes from the idea that even when he's straight, his feelings for Felix seemed a bit too intense at times. And I thought it could be because he's destined to be Felix's twin brother's heart. Wouldn't that be neat? *lunny*
*** Nero ***
He's so suspicious, it's kind of funny. And he tries so hard to be in charge, too. I don't know, from the beginning I thought he (and Kammy, too) would end up helping Felix. They were so obviously being mean, I thought they must find reason and help the Findo Unum in future books.
THE BEST
* I absolutely loved how Felix and Seven were all over each other constantly. I'm a very touchy-feely person. I have a PhD on PDA. And sometimes, when I'm reading a story and something very intense happens, I feel like the characters are being too cold for my taste.
So Felix and Seven were exactly what I was looking for. Sure, they displayed love in the most inappropriate moments, so what? It was sweet and it matched the dept of their feelings during the scenes.
* So it's 2014 and no one seems to have a problem with homosexuality anymore. Now the problem are the Elementals. They are, and I quote, "blasphemous in the eyes of God". People think they are "diseased, wrong, immoral"... Isn't that just the neatest analogy you have ever read? I get giddy just thinking of it. I wish we'd have gotten more of this.
* Written in the stars / Destined Lovers Theme.
Let me swoon first. I absolutely love this in a story. Same as reincarnation. It just hits me right in the feels. And this book pretty much destroyed me with the intensity of the two main characters' emotions, the longing and the ache and the angst and just... ugh BRB dying.
* The conversations. Do you know how fucking hard it is to write real and dynamic conversations? Especially when there are more than two characters talking. I'm in total awe at TJ Klune's skills. I felt like I was there with them!
And now
* The secondary cast. They made me laugh, they made me rage, they made me cry! I want EVERYTHING of Ottis, and Amy and Jase and oh god the Clock Twins... I just can't handle it, the whole cast of characters is flawless. Each gives to the story and the plot exactly what it needs! Even Nero and Kammy, dare I say I loved them for the conflict they brought?
* And about that: Amy Star. She's the badass motherfucker of the book. Period. She reminded me of the Black Widow. Insta love with this character!
* The bad guys. You never really know who they are, what they want or why they want it. But somehow the doubt of who is really bad and who is good is there all the time. And I just love it. The gray areas, the conflict, good people doing bad things, bad people surprising you. I don’t know, that’s life after all, isn’t it?
* The mythology. I’m a big Norse Myths’ bitch, I just love those stories. The idea of a big tree creating the world made me happy. And the story of the four demigods and their relationship with the tree was fantastic. But my favorite part was the corruption of the tree. The complexity of the situation. Again, who is good, who is bad? Is there even a difference?
* Action packed. This book should be made into a movie. At times I felt like I could almost see the fighting scenes. And JHC, writing fighting scenes is so hard, I’m in awe. Again. And the reality and brutality of what was happening in the world, to the characters. The feeling that no one is safe makes you read faster to see what happens next.
* The relationships in general. Parents with their kids, friends, families, lovers. I don’t know, it was all beautifully done. The good relationships, the hate relationships, everything. You understood the motivations and the reasons why those conflicts existed and the characters never felt flat and their actions never felt fake.
THE WEAK
* Too much anticipation. Too much "Oh god when you reach this part, oh the awful things that happened! If only I had known!" over and over. I was literally biting my nails down to the bone by the time we finally reached the final scene, and it kind of felt flat because of all the previous anticipation, IMO.
* And linked with the previous point. The narrative dragged on and on a bit. But the pace of the story during the last half of the book decreased considerably compared to the first half. I absolutely loved this book and how long it was, because that meant more story, but at some point toward the end I felt like it was taking too long. That could be a big problem for readers not as enthusiastic as me.
* The
Plot Devices:
#1: The Circle have been training for years and years and that's the best plan they could come up with for the final scene? I don't know, it felt forced, like an excuse to get them into that situation.
#2: Do you really expect me to believe someone as Seven would have waited all those years to go find Felix? I didn't get any real reason of why he'd do that. Or his father. Or anyone else. They kept saying it was to protect him, but I finished the book and I still didn't know why. The "it's customary!" reason was not good enough for me.
* Felix and Seven gave me strong Otter/Bear vibes. And I guess it's because Klune has a very specific type of couple he likes to write about. Their dynamics and even some trail of their personalities were a bit too similar. There were other similarities with BOATK, too. In both books when you reach the middle of it, the main character's love interest told him the story of his life before being together.
* The lack of sex. Well, the lack of details. You see, if you give me such an intense relationship, so full of emotions and chemistry, and then you make me invest and care about them, I'll end up expecting to get some good ol' detailed sex to satisfy my feels.
Just take in consideration I was like
So it was frustrating.
We get porno in mediocre romances all the time, and then, one time you come across the romance, and there's none. I could cry just thinking of all the possibilities. It truly saddens me. :(
* Felix's twin brother. I mean, I saw it coming almost from the beginning. I didn't really mind. But I think he appeared too late into the book. Felix hearing voices was a bit too bizarre at times. Knowing it was his twin all along would have made the reading better.
And also, his scene was a bit weak. Why should we care when it seems no one in the story cares about him? He's unimportant, the one is still Felix. Also: Why is that?
I was hoping the twin would be a girl, tbh. I thought it'd have been interesting to link that to the issue of Seven's sexuality. The conflict would have been of epic proportions. Characters, who think Seven is straight with the exception of Felix, wondering what if girl!Max is actually his heart, instead of Felix? And readers going nuts.
I know I'm
But just think of the angst! the angst! And then the "let me show you just how straight I am" delicious gay sex!
* Seven's sexuality. I understand he's sure of his feelings for Felix, but couldn't we get more details of what his sexual preferences are? Like, he feels attracted to women but he's in love with Felix and he doesn't care? Or is he bisexual? Has he ever felt any sexual attraction toward other men but Felix?
Related to the sex thing. I thought the conflict of Seven’s sexuality would play a bigger part during their first time together. I was disappointed. Again, so rushed. :(
I found the whole "woopsie, Findo Unum is not a girl this time!" so interesting, I wanted more of that! Did Seven even have a choice? Or since he's the Iuratum Cor, he's programmed/destined to have feelings for the Findo Unum no matter who that is? The concept gives you so much game to play.
* Typos. :(
* HEARTBREAKING CLIFFHANGER. AND NOT HAVING A DATE FOR THE NEXT BOOK. I can't even get comfort from counting the months until the next book. :(
CONCLUSION
This book goes to my Favorite Books Ever list. And Klune joined my Deity Authors list, meaning eye contact will be impossible from now on if we ever meet.
悩み中
January 31, 2022since TJ Klune canceled this series and the first book apparently leaves readers on a major cliffhanger, i don’t know if it would be worth reading without a true ending in store. i need everything tied up in a nice bow….😩
dnf
February 9, 2012Let's Compartmentalize (DNF'd at 64%)
I want to start this off by saying that I respect what TJ Klune tried to accomplish with this book. If nothing else, Burn is an ambitious story.
Having said that, this book really made me question whether an author's level of talent as a whole can be separated from a singular book that they've written. I think that overall talent can definitely be separated from just one book written by that author.
An author who is very talented can miss the mark and put out a book that is not well written and that just doesn't work.
This is only TJ Klune's second book so I can't say whether or not I think he is a good writer. I can say that, in my opinion, with this book Klune has put something out there that just doesn't work.
Good writing is the sum of many parts: A good idea, a well executed plot, character development and prose.
Re: The idea
The kernel of an idea from which Burn grew is absolutely wonderful. I loved the concept of a tree that gave birth to the Elements who in turn created the world. I can honestly say that I have not seen anything like that in the M/M genre. Klune gets points for coming up with something fresh.
Re: The Plot
I'm very torn over what I think of this book's plot. It had alot of potential and I could see the journey that Klune was trying to take the reader on.
Unfortunately, the plot never reaches its full potential. It's bogged down by the romance which pops up at awkward moments. The execution of the plot is clumsy and it stumbles along like a baby who's just learning to walk. You think the baby has hit its stride and then it veers off, runs into a coffee table and ends up sprawled out on the floor.
I winced every time the plot got derailed with a poorly placed make-out session or a long scene where the dominant male character goes caveman-possessive on the more submissive character. It was painful to see the author get distracted from what it seemed like he was trying to accomplish.
Re: Character Development
The main characters in the book were a disappointment, most of all Felix. Felix was a very flat and unremarkable first-person narrator. He swung between cliche snarkiness and being annoyingly passive. The book takes a big hit due to the fact that Felix was a poorly developed character. It's very hard to successfully write a book in first-person. It's so, so important that the author creates a main character that is riveting, a character whose head you want to be in for the duration of the book. Felix was just not that kind of character.
Seven was a man who was supposed to be the ultimate protector, the ultimate alpha male. He fell short. Was he possessive? Yes. Was he bossy? Yes. The problem was that in order for me to believe a character is a take-charge-and-dominate kind of guy, I have to feel like the man has an inner strength. Simply having Seven order Felix around, and panic when Felix is not near him, does not convince me that Seven is someone who inspires loyalty and obedience.
Because Seven and Felix were so flat, I couldn't become emotionally invested in them or their relationship.
Re: The Prose
This book was overwritten. Good prose, prose that has an impact, is economical. Using as many ten cent words as you can does not automatically make your book a work of art.
"Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph."
-Mark Twain
I can't say it any better than Mark Twain.
At 64% this book had exhausted me and the bottom line was that I wasn't enjoying it. Will TJ Klune improve as time goes by? I think he will. I hope he will but this book, standing on its own, was just not a successful effort.
I want to start this off by saying that I respect what TJ Klune tried to accomplish with this book. If nothing else, Burn is an ambitious story.
Having said that, this book really made me question whether an author's level of talent as a whole can be separated from a singular book that they've written. I think that overall talent can definitely be separated from just one book written by that author.
An author who is very talented can miss the mark and put out a book that is not well written and that just doesn't work.
This is only TJ Klune's second book so I can't say whether or not I think he is a good writer. I can say that, in my opinion, with this book Klune has put something out there that just doesn't work.
Good writing is the sum of many parts: A good idea, a well executed plot, character development and prose.
Re: The idea
The kernel of an idea from which Burn grew is absolutely wonderful. I loved the concept of a tree that gave birth to the Elements who in turn created the world. I can honestly say that I have not seen anything like that in the M/M genre. Klune gets points for coming up with something fresh.
Re: The Plot
I'm very torn over what I think of this book's plot. It had alot of potential and I could see the journey that Klune was trying to take the reader on.
Unfortunately, the plot never reaches its full potential. It's bogged down by the romance which pops up at awkward moments. The execution of the plot is clumsy and it stumbles along like a baby who's just learning to walk. You think the baby has hit its stride and then it veers off, runs into a coffee table and ends up sprawled out on the floor.
I winced every time the plot got derailed with a poorly placed make-out session or a long scene where the dominant male character goes caveman-possessive on the more submissive character. It was painful to see the author get distracted from what it seemed like he was trying to accomplish.
Re: Character Development
The main characters in the book were a disappointment, most of all Felix. Felix was a very flat and unremarkable first-person narrator. He swung between cliche snarkiness and being annoyingly passive. The book takes a big hit due to the fact that Felix was a poorly developed character. It's very hard to successfully write a book in first-person. It's so, so important that the author creates a main character that is riveting, a character whose head you want to be in for the duration of the book. Felix was just not that kind of character.
Seven was a man who was supposed to be the ultimate protector, the ultimate alpha male. He fell short. Was he possessive? Yes. Was he bossy? Yes. The problem was that in order for me to believe a character is a take-charge-and-dominate kind of guy, I have to feel like the man has an inner strength. Simply having Seven order Felix around, and panic when Felix is not near him, does not convince me that Seven is someone who inspires loyalty and obedience.
Because Seven and Felix were so flat, I couldn't become emotionally invested in them or their relationship.
Re: The Prose
This book was overwritten. Good prose, prose that has an impact, is economical. Using as many ten cent words as you can does not automatically make your book a work of art.
"Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph."
-Mark Twain
I can't say it any better than Mark Twain.
At 64% this book had exhausted me and the bottom line was that I wasn't enjoying it. Will TJ Klune improve as time goes by? I think he will. I hope he will but this book, standing on its own, was just not a successful effort.
October 29, 2014
After having this book sitting on my "currently reading" shelf for 2 months, I am finally DNF-ing it with only 7% left.
The author gave away a huge spoiler in the last third of the book, which I really did not need or want. The ending is predictable as it is, given it's the first book in the series. I skimmed through the last pages and yep, there it was! Just the way I pictured it :/
This story got away from the author. Words overtook the plot. The characters rebelled and did whatever the heck they wanted, defying logic and common sense, especially when all was going to hell and everyone needed to run and save their lives. NO. They stood, glued to the most dangerous spot, staring in each others eyes, holding hands, sucking face, humping each other, professing all kinds of love or just being stand up comedians ('cause that works like a charm on bad guys - they die from laughter).In a few places the book got very Mary Calmes-ish and not in a good way.
OK, I've already spent enough time on this neverending book, I don't want to continue the agony of writing a long review about it.
One star.
The author gave away a huge spoiler in the last third of the book, which I really did not need or want. The ending is predictable as it is, given it's the first book in the series. I skimmed through the last pages and yep, there it was! Just the way I pictured it :/
This story got away from the author. Words overtook the plot. The characters rebelled and did whatever the heck they wanted, defying logic and common sense, especially when all was going to hell and everyone needed to run and save their lives. NO. They stood, glued to the most dangerous spot, staring in each others eyes, holding hands, sucking face, humping each other, professing all kinds of love or just being stand up comedians ('cause that works like a charm on bad guys - they die from laughter).In a few places the book got very Mary Calmes-ish and not in a good way.
OK, I've already spent enough time on this neverending book, I don't want to continue the agony of writing a long review about it.
One star.
not-for-me
February 9, 2012I wont be able to read this because the writing would drive me insane. Long flash backs and extreme repetitiveness just being some of the issues. Sometimes, a lot of the time “less is more” so show a story instead of rambling through pointless and wordy details trying to tell one.
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Yep this book just way too wordy for me to even try judging by the honest reviews that are now showing up.
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Yep this book just way too wordy for me to even try judging by the honest reviews that are now showing up.
February 21, 2012
About 4.5 stars. After reading many other reader's reviews, this book appears to be like black licorice - you love it or you hate it. I personally detest black licorice, but I loved this book and found it interesting that there were a few DNFs out there.
I've been putting off writing this review because I have so much to say and I exhaust myself just thinking about it. The book itself was a little exhausting. Did I love everything about it? I did not. But I loved enough about it and the things that I did love I loved SO much, that it overshadowed the misses for me.
Usually I give a brief synopsis about the book but I'm going to skip that here and just jump into my review because I have enough to say without repeating what you can just as easily read in the book description.
The Characters: I felt the character building was strong. I didn't feel that the MCs were among the stronger MCs that I've read about, but the secondary or peripheral characters were plentiful and dynamic and they helped buoy up the MCs.
Felix: Felix, the Split One, was of course exciting because of his unique skills. As the only known dual elemental with the skill of fire and wind, Felix has a strength beyond any other and a destiny that is dark and frightening. As a person, I didn't love Felix at first. He didn't have the strength or leadership that a lot of action MCs have, but I think he got much better throughout the book, especially as his powers developed.
Seven: Oh man, I am drawn to Seven and his beauty and power. He's just oozing his alpha maleness all over the damn place and I'm a sucker for that. I will say that the whole thing with Kammy though, is a little WTF.
Jason and Amy: As Felix's two best buds, Jason and Amy kick major ass. I loved everything about them. They are great friends and loyal as only best friends can be. Plus, they are both serious bad asses and huge assets in the coming war.
Otis: As Seven's best friend and most loyal companion, Otis is one of my favorite characters. I simply adored him.
Tick and Tock: The Clock twins were great characters and their comic relief was a great addition to the book. I really liked these characters.
World Building: The world the T.J. created was very interesting and exciting. Elementals and x-men like abilities are not new, but the concept of the tree was interesting. There were some parts of the world-building that got a little wordy and lengthy for me, but I loved the level of action in this book. I am a huge adrenaline junkie and I love books with spec ops and crazy fighting. PLAN C!!
Niggles: Aside from the character niggles I mentioned above, there were a few other aspects of this story that bogged the book down for me.
• I loved the overall plot, but when Seven recounted his history to Felix and he caught up to real time, I felt some of that story became redundant. That slowed the flow of the narration down for me and I was trying to get through parts of it.
• As mentioned before, a little wordy in the world building and the tree dreamscapes
• The book ends with more questions than answers. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as there's a sequel AND the sequel is forthcoming with the UTMOST ALACRITY.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and as many other people have mentioned, the last 20% of the books was simply non-stop WHAT. THE. FUCK. Action. It wasn't quite a cliffhanger ending, but the next book better be coming out SOON.
I've been putting off writing this review because I have so much to say and I exhaust myself just thinking about it. The book itself was a little exhausting. Did I love everything about it? I did not. But I loved enough about it and the things that I did love I loved SO much, that it overshadowed the misses for me.
Usually I give a brief synopsis about the book but I'm going to skip that here and just jump into my review because I have enough to say without repeating what you can just as easily read in the book description.
The Characters: I felt the character building was strong. I didn't feel that the MCs were among the stronger MCs that I've read about, but the secondary or peripheral characters were plentiful and dynamic and they helped buoy up the MCs.
Felix: Felix, the Split One, was of course exciting because of his unique skills. As the only known dual elemental with the skill of fire and wind, Felix has a strength beyond any other and a destiny that is dark and frightening. As a person, I didn't love Felix at first. He didn't have the strength or leadership that a lot of action MCs have, but I think he got much better throughout the book, especially as his powers developed.
Seven: Oh man, I am drawn to Seven and his beauty and power. He's just oozing his alpha maleness all over the damn place and I'm a sucker for that. I will say that the whole thing with Kammy though, is a little WTF.
Jason and Amy: As Felix's two best buds, Jason and Amy kick major ass. I loved everything about them. They are great friends and loyal as only best friends can be. Plus, they are both serious bad asses and huge assets in the coming war.
Otis: As Seven's best friend and most loyal companion, Otis is one of my favorite characters. I simply adored him.
Tick and Tock: The Clock twins were great characters and their comic relief was a great addition to the book. I really liked these characters.
World Building: The world the T.J. created was very interesting and exciting. Elementals and x-men like abilities are not new, but the concept of the tree was interesting. There were some parts of the world-building that got a little wordy and lengthy for me, but I loved the level of action in this book. I am a huge adrenaline junkie and I love books with spec ops and crazy fighting. PLAN C!!
Niggles: Aside from the character niggles I mentioned above, there were a few other aspects of this story that bogged the book down for me.
• I loved the overall plot, but when Seven recounted his history to Felix and he caught up to real time, I felt some of that story became redundant. That slowed the flow of the narration down for me and I was trying to get through parts of it.
• As mentioned before, a little wordy in the world building and the tree dreamscapes
• The book ends with more questions than answers. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as there's a sequel AND the sequel is forthcoming with the UTMOST ALACRITY.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and as many other people have mentioned, the last 20% of the books was simply non-stop WHAT. THE. FUCK. Action. It wasn't quite a cliffhanger ending, but the next book better be coming out SOON.
February 20, 2012
It took me a long time to come up with a review for this book. Not because I didn’t like it but because I loved it and there is just so.much. in this book. I literally think I could write pages of analysis but, will try to hit the high points…
I would be hard pressed to label this book as any one type of book. It was fantasy, it was romance, it was horror...it was one hell of a ride! This didn’t just end up being a story about Felix, “the Split One”. It was a story about Felix and Seven, “the Heart Sworn”. It was a story about Felix’ family, both those by blood and by choice. It was the story of the Elemental people; their history, their lives, their struggles. This story wove together multiple story strands in a way I thought captivating! Once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down, which is saying something as it came in around 8700 locs!!
The beginning I think was the hardest for me, not for any other reason than I was trying to get a mental handle on everyone and everything that was going on in the story but after about the first 15-20% I hit my stride and never looked back.
Felix and Seven together were delicious. Tick/Tock were hilarious, their quips and general shenanigans were some of my favorite parts of the story. Otis is my love of this story. You would think that Seven’s loyal best friend might get lost or over shadowed in this story but he shines. MORE OTIS!! = ) Amy is so kick ass, after Otis she was probably my favorite secondary character. The council, Ned, Felix’s father, Kammy (no one likes a needy whore bitch, Gothefuckaway!), Jason…I could go on and on. I loved these characters (some more than others) but all of them added another layer to this very rich story.
World building (especially with this much history involved) is a daunting task for any author- trying to find the right balance of back story combined with the overall story arc and moving everything forward without losing the reader- this was a tremendous book to read, every page packed with detail and description, not in a way I felt was too cumbersome but with that being said, I did find myself making notes and bookmarking things as I read-knowing that I was going to want to reread it again to try and catch more of the more intricate parts of the story (like I said…layers people…layers). Oh and Easter eggs…look for those. =) So fun!!
I loved this book; the diverse characters, the twists and turns of the plot (TJ Klune kept pulling the rug out from under me. Again. And again. And again.)
Was it perfect? No. Was it: engaging, thrilling, funny, held your interest, make you want to jump out of your seat, throw your kindle against the wall, scratch your head, cry and yell WHAT THE FUCK??? YES!!!!
Five stars for me.
I cannot WAIT until the next book comes out!! (You’re writing that shit with a quickness right TJ????)
I would be hard pressed to label this book as any one type of book. It was fantasy, it was romance, it was horror...it was one hell of a ride! This didn’t just end up being a story about Felix, “the Split One”. It was a story about Felix and Seven, “the Heart Sworn”. It was a story about Felix’ family, both those by blood and by choice. It was the story of the Elemental people; their history, their lives, their struggles. This story wove together multiple story strands in a way I thought captivating! Once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down, which is saying something as it came in around 8700 locs!!
The beginning I think was the hardest for me, not for any other reason than I was trying to get a mental handle on everyone and everything that was going on in the story but after about the first 15-20% I hit my stride and never looked back.
Felix and Seven together were delicious. Tick/Tock were hilarious, their quips and general shenanigans were some of my favorite parts of the story. Otis is my love of this story. You would think that Seven’s loyal best friend might get lost or over shadowed in this story but he shines. MORE OTIS!! = ) Amy is so kick ass, after Otis she was probably my favorite secondary character. The council, Ned, Felix’s father, Kammy (no one likes a needy whore bitch, Gothefuckaway!), Jason…I could go on and on. I loved these characters (some more than others) but all of them added another layer to this very rich story.
World building (especially with this much history involved) is a daunting task for any author- trying to find the right balance of back story combined with the overall story arc and moving everything forward without losing the reader- this was a tremendous book to read, every page packed with detail and description, not in a way I felt was too cumbersome but with that being said, I did find myself making notes and bookmarking things as I read-knowing that I was going to want to reread it again to try and catch more of the more intricate parts of the story (like I said…layers people…layers). Oh and Easter eggs…look for those. =) So fun!!
I loved this book; the diverse characters, the twists and turns of the plot (TJ Klune kept pulling the rug out from under me. Again. And again. And again.)
Was it perfect? No. Was it: engaging, thrilling, funny, held your interest, make you want to jump out of your seat, throw your kindle against the wall, scratch your head, cry and yell WHAT THE FUCK??? YES!!!!
Five stars for me.
I cannot WAIT until the next book comes out!! (You’re writing that shit with a quickness right TJ????)
October 22, 2013
First off, there were parts of this story that were fantastic. And there were parts that I literally spent 10-15 pages at time barely reading the first sentence of each paragraph. The world building was fantastic and I absolutely loved the cast of side characters. The overall arc of the plot was ambitious but mostly well planned out. However, the execution failed somewhat. It was rambly and too easily wandered off on random tangents and there was that time that we got to listen to Seven tell a story for like 100 pages much of which just rehashed what we already saw from inside Felix's head without really adding much. I also did not like the MCs very much. Seven was creepily obsessed and caveman and not in a sexy way. We are just supposed to dismiss him treating Felix like an object to be lugged around because of some special bond he has suffered through for many years. Yah, no. And Felix, sometimes he has such spark and seems like he could be such a great character. Then Seven growls at him and he folds back into a one dimensional caricature of what he was meant to be. To be honest, if this hadn't been picked for me for a challenge, and I weren't so fierce about finishing challenges, it would have been a did not finish. I just got so bogged down. I hate that I didn't like this because it had some shining moments of brilliance and I do truly want to know what happens next but I don't think I will be able to bring myself to read the next installment. 2.5 stars
February 18, 2012
After suffering through the teasers and trailers and evil author's baiting, I finally got to read.
Maybe because it has been years since I've read anything of this type, but I admit I struggled at the begining. I found the prologue intimataing, and some of the wording confussing. But I urge anyone thinking of giving up to persevere. While there were times in the book I felt myself getting bogged down, there were also times when the story flowed, and towards the end it rushed by.
The characters are well rounded,(I dare anyone not to fall in love with Otis LOL).
The action scenes are gripping and are easily visualized.
The story line has twists and turns, some of which you might guess at, others you will never in a million years guess at. (Yes Tj, that twist had my jaw hitting the floor lol).
There are times you will laugh, times you will cry and times you will hold your breath in anticipation.
Overall for me a 3 star start the becomes a 5 star ending(of part one), so I will split the difference and give it 4 stars all round lol.
Maybe because it has been years since I've read anything of this type, but I admit I struggled at the begining. I found the prologue intimataing, and some of the wording confussing. But I urge anyone thinking of giving up to persevere. While there were times in the book I felt myself getting bogged down, there were also times when the story flowed, and towards the end it rushed by.
The characters are well rounded,(I dare anyone not to fall in love with Otis LOL).
The action scenes are gripping and are easily visualized.
The story line has twists and turns, some of which you might guess at, others you will never in a million years guess at. (Yes Tj, that twist had my jaw hitting the floor lol).
There are times you will laugh, times you will cry and times you will hold your breath in anticipation.
Overall for me a 3 star start the becomes a 5 star ending(of part one), so I will split the difference and give it 4 stars all round lol.
dnf
February 12, 2022I would love to finish this, but I made it just 29% through when my library card expired in my old town that I can't renew since I moved. The place I live now doesn't have a copy, so I guess I will be in limbo until I stumble across a copy again.
February 13, 2012
I'm almost speechless. It's difficult to give a review worthy of the story T.J. Klune wrote. "Burn" is so very imaginative and amazingly written. The author clearly took a lot of care into building the fantastic world the story takes place in and all of its characters.
The story is told by Felix's point of view, but the author found a smart way to make the readers know Seven too, to get you to feel as close to him as you feel to Felix, to learn what Seven went through and where his choices and actions come from.
Felix is the "hero" of the story, but not a perfect one: he has fears, he has doubts, he doesn't understand, he hates that people around him won't tell him the entire truth about himself and his destiny. This makes his emotions very human, in striking contrast with the supernatural powers that are at the core of his being: the duality is interesting and makes the character never dull or predictable.
Seven is the kind of partner everyone would dream of: he loves Felix and would do anything, everything, to keep him safe.
The secondary characters are well drawn too, some are good, some are evil. I especially loved Otis, Jason and Felix's father.
The action scenes in the story are amazing, they leave you on the edge of your seat. Sometimes I found myself reading so very fast just because I couldn't stand the tension and I wanted to know how a fight would end. They were so engaging, I told myself more than once that Burn would make a great movie.
As I said in the beginning of my review, the world built by T.J. Klune is very imaginative: some aspects, in particular the nature of the Elementals' powers and humans' distrust towars them, reminded me of the X-Men series. The vibe of the book though, the writing style, some of the happenings, the use of a different language (in this case Latin) made me all think of The Neverending Story.
The book ends on a cliffhanger and usually that drives me crazy, because after being so invested in a story, the last thing I want is to wait before knowing how it ends. It didn't bother me in this book though. Of course I can't wait to read the next installament, I'm looking forward to it, but I feel like this book ended exactly when it needed to.
About the prose and the writing skills of the author, I can only say that while this story is very different from Bear, Otter, and the Kid (the author's first book), the quality of the writing, the attention to details, the ability to draw the readers into his world, are only confirmed. Paranormal stories aren't usually my cup of tea, I haven't read many and I only liked a few. I bought this book mainly because of how much I loved the author's first book and while I knew Burn would be very different, I took a chance on T.J. Klune to make even something that I usually don't like, a great experience. He did.
Last thing I want to say is a thank you to the author for providing a sountrack for the book on his blog. I read most of the story while listening to those songs and it enhanced the experience, making it even more special and unforgettable. Whenever I listen to those songs, I'll always be reminded of Burn.
The story is told by Felix's point of view, but the author found a smart way to make the readers know Seven too, to get you to feel as close to him as you feel to Felix, to learn what Seven went through and where his choices and actions come from.
Felix is the "hero" of the story, but not a perfect one: he has fears, he has doubts, he doesn't understand, he hates that people around him won't tell him the entire truth about himself and his destiny. This makes his emotions very human, in striking contrast with the supernatural powers that are at the core of his being: the duality is interesting and makes the character never dull or predictable.
Seven is the kind of partner everyone would dream of: he loves Felix and would do anything, everything, to keep him safe.
The secondary characters are well drawn too, some are good, some are evil. I especially loved Otis, Jason and Felix's father.
The action scenes in the story are amazing, they leave you on the edge of your seat. Sometimes I found myself reading so very fast just because I couldn't stand the tension and I wanted to know how a fight would end. They were so engaging, I told myself more than once that Burn would make a great movie.
As I said in the beginning of my review, the world built by T.J. Klune is very imaginative: some aspects, in particular the nature of the Elementals' powers and humans' distrust towars them, reminded me of the X-Men series. The vibe of the book though, the writing style, some of the happenings, the use of a different language (in this case Latin) made me all think of The Neverending Story.
The book ends on a cliffhanger and usually that drives me crazy, because after being so invested in a story, the last thing I want is to wait before knowing how it ends. It didn't bother me in this book though. Of course I can't wait to read the next installament, I'm looking forward to it, but I feel like this book ended exactly when it needed to.
About the prose and the writing skills of the author, I can only say that while this story is very different from Bear, Otter, and the Kid (the author's first book), the quality of the writing, the attention to details, the ability to draw the readers into his world, are only confirmed. Paranormal stories aren't usually my cup of tea, I haven't read many and I only liked a few. I bought this book mainly because of how much I loved the author's first book and while I knew Burn would be very different, I took a chance on T.J. Klune to make even something that I usually don't like, a great experience. He did.
Last thing I want to say is a thank you to the author for providing a sountrack for the book on his blog. I read most of the story while listening to those songs and it enhanced the experience, making it even more special and unforgettable. Whenever I listen to those songs, I'll always be reminded of Burn.
February 7, 2012
Remember what it's like to be lost so completely in a book that you forget to eat? No? It's been awhile for me, too. Thank God (the Tree?), Burn has arrived.
Every good supernatural tale is at its heart about self vs. the collective, responsibility vs. ability - Burn is no exception. It is an exploration of the darkness within us all. Of the role that fate and family (whether by blood or by choice) play in the decisions we make when forced into situations we should never have to face. Burn also explores themes of identity, shared humanity, the role of government in civilian life, and yet the story never becomes cliche. This is not your classic good vs. evil tale, nor will you find any of the tried-and-true alphabet soup endings here (watch out HEA and HFN fans). Looking for something formulaic? Don't look for it here.
I've recently become a fan of first person POV narration, and Felix's voice only confirms how strong this point of view can be when used the right way. The story unfolds for us as it does for Felix, building the suspense, deftly weaving the pieces of an intricate plot, leading us to an unavoidable ending. Felix is snarky, sarcastic, biting. He uses his speech as a defensive weapon, and has spent much more time honing it as a tool rather than the power he literally holds in both hands. But it is the moments where Felix talks to us, the reader, that we get a glimpse into who Felix is outside of that sarcastic veil, of who he has become because of the events of Burn. Those moments are gut-wrenching.
What can I say about the other main character, Seven? He is beautiful, broken, on the edge of sanity, always giving, asking so little in return. He is dedication and loyalty. A physical manifestation of everything that is good and right in Felix, but that Felix himself refuses to see.
Along with Felix and Seven on this journey are a cast of side characters that bring the story to life. They are the light and shade that give Felix and his heart sworn definition, tactile relief.
The world of the Elementals is, on the surface, so much like our own that I took that reality for granted. And then was surprised again and again when a new part of their world was revealed.
Klune writes prose I want to live in.
Burn ends with more questions (about the mythology of the elemental world and Felix' true purpose) than answers, and as much as I want to punch Klune in the throat for an ending that left me in tears, I'm beyond excited to explore and learn more in Burn II.
Every good supernatural tale is at its heart about self vs. the collective, responsibility vs. ability - Burn is no exception. It is an exploration of the darkness within us all. Of the role that fate and family (whether by blood or by choice) play in the decisions we make when forced into situations we should never have to face. Burn also explores themes of identity, shared humanity, the role of government in civilian life, and yet the story never becomes cliche. This is not your classic good vs. evil tale, nor will you find any of the tried-and-true alphabet soup endings here (watch out HEA and HFN fans). Looking for something formulaic? Don't look for it here.
I've recently become a fan of first person POV narration, and Felix's voice only confirms how strong this point of view can be when used the right way. The story unfolds for us as it does for Felix, building the suspense, deftly weaving the pieces of an intricate plot, leading us to an unavoidable ending. Felix is snarky, sarcastic, biting. He uses his speech as a defensive weapon, and has spent much more time honing it as a tool rather than the power he literally holds in both hands. But it is the moments where Felix talks to us, the reader, that we get a glimpse into who Felix is outside of that sarcastic veil, of who he has become because of the events of Burn. Those moments are gut-wrenching.
What can I say about the other main character, Seven? He is beautiful, broken, on the edge of sanity, always giving, asking so little in return. He is dedication and loyalty. A physical manifestation of everything that is good and right in Felix, but that Felix himself refuses to see.
Along with Felix and Seven on this journey are a cast of side characters that bring the story to life. They are the light and shade that give Felix and his heart sworn definition, tactile relief.
The world of the Elementals is, on the surface, so much like our own that I took that reality for granted. And then was surprised again and again when a new part of their world was revealed.
Klune writes prose I want to live in.
Burn ends with more questions (about the mythology of the elemental world and Felix' true purpose) than answers, and as much as I want to punch Klune in the throat for an ending that left me in tears, I'm beyond excited to explore and learn more in Burn II.
August 22, 2016
So...yeah. This one took me almost a month to finish. It was hard. I kept having to put it down and walk away, then I'd come back to it, get a chapter or two ahead and have to put it down again.
What does that mean for anyone else? Not a damned thing. It just didn't really call to me in the way TJ's books usually do.
Anyway, pretty interesting world building, and I'm interested enough to see where this will go when he releases the sequel, but definitely not one of my favorites. It was just a little too cumbersome, a little too overly descriptive and verbose, and just a smidgeon too much for me. I did like the multiple POV, and Felix and Seven, and Otis, and the rest...
Now that I think about it, I honestly don't know why this didn't resonate higher with me. Huh. Just....don't know.
What does that mean for anyone else? Not a damned thing. It just didn't really call to me in the way TJ's books usually do.
Anyway, pretty interesting world building, and I'm interested enough to see where this will go when he releases the sequel, but definitely not one of my favorites. It was just a little too cumbersome, a little too overly descriptive and verbose, and just a smidgeon too much for me. I did like the multiple POV, and Felix and Seven, and Otis, and the rest...
Now that I think about it, I honestly don't know why this didn't resonate higher with me. Huh. Just....don't know.
March 3, 2018
I love the world T.J. Klune has built in Burn. The mythology and characters in this alternate universe are well fleshed out. While parts of the book seemed to get repetitive and wordy, the overall story was excellent. Klune writes not just his main characters with depth, but all the secondary characters as well. As if there was not enough happening in the climax of this installment, he pulled the rug out from under me not once, but twice, with twists I did not see coming, then left with a cliff hanger that has me impatiently waiting for the next book.
**** Saddened to find out that we will likely not get any more of the series, but I understand the reasons why.
**** Saddened to find out that we will likely not get any more of the series, but I understand the reasons why.
February 10, 2012
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June 22, 2012
"You are not alone in this."
Where to begin? To say this is a story about Elementals is like saying the movie "E.T." is about an alien. It is just so much more than that.
Allow me to explain – all of the world building, fantastical powers and action scenes a writer’s mind can imagine mean little when they are attached to characters you are indifferent about. I dare you to watch the first Star Wars prequel and not miss Han Solo. Desperately.
To me, “Burn” is a story about the family you are born into and the family that finds you. About who you are and what (and who) you will fight for - even when it can cost you everything. And believe me when I say I cared about what happened to these characters. A lot. I loved Felix and Seven and their unlikely circle of guardians (part X-Men, part Oceans 11 - you get the picture) from the get go. Felix and Seven's bond as Findo Unum and Luratum Cor is fascinating and complex - like the intricate pieces of an ancient puzzle interlocking together.
But that doesn’t mean that the Elemental characters in this story won’t amaze, amuse, terrify and break your heart with their abilities to manipulate the elements. And the Normals! Love that sometimes they were the superheroes. The action scenes were simply fantastic. Time and time again I would stop and think “did that really just happen? did I read that right?” and have to re-read.
Klune is an uber talented and at times verbose wordsmith, and has a wonderfully unique and accessible writing style. If sparse prose is what you are looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree here (pun intended). “Burn” is a fearless, ambitious and sprawling story, wearing its heart on its sleeve and taking big risks along the way. The vast majority of time, it works. Yes, it is wordy at times. Yes, Felix talks to the reader directly at different points in the story (I loved this). Yes, there is a long flashback section where we see some events unfold from a different perspective (yep, loved this too). At times this story is like the roller coaster ride at Disneyworld that encloses you in darkness and blasts Aerosmith through the headphones – but remember the ride always ends gently, delivering you safely back. I just had to roll with it for a while, but the payoff at the end was stunning. Note: Be very careful reading about this book prior to reading it, because there are some major twists involved – I thought I had them all pretty much figured out. I was wrong.
"You are not alone in this." Indeed.
And so....the Tree.
Where to begin? To say this is a story about Elementals is like saying the movie "E.T." is about an alien. It is just so much more than that.
Allow me to explain – all of the world building, fantastical powers and action scenes a writer’s mind can imagine mean little when they are attached to characters you are indifferent about. I dare you to watch the first Star Wars prequel and not miss Han Solo. Desperately.
To me, “Burn” is a story about the family you are born into and the family that finds you. About who you are and what (and who) you will fight for - even when it can cost you everything. And believe me when I say I cared about what happened to these characters. A lot. I loved Felix and Seven and their unlikely circle of guardians (part X-Men, part Oceans 11 - you get the picture) from the get go. Felix and Seven's bond as Findo Unum and Luratum Cor is fascinating and complex - like the intricate pieces of an ancient puzzle interlocking together.
But that doesn’t mean that the Elemental characters in this story won’t amaze, amuse, terrify and break your heart with their abilities to manipulate the elements. And the Normals! Love that sometimes they were the superheroes. The action scenes were simply fantastic. Time and time again I would stop and think “did that really just happen? did I read that right?” and have to re-read.
Klune is an uber talented and at times verbose wordsmith, and has a wonderfully unique and accessible writing style. If sparse prose is what you are looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree here (pun intended). “Burn” is a fearless, ambitious and sprawling story, wearing its heart on its sleeve and taking big risks along the way. The vast majority of time, it works. Yes, it is wordy at times. Yes, Felix talks to the reader directly at different points in the story (I loved this). Yes, there is a long flashback section where we see some events unfold from a different perspective (yep, loved this too). At times this story is like the roller coaster ride at Disneyworld that encloses you in darkness and blasts Aerosmith through the headphones – but remember the ride always ends gently, delivering you safely back. I just had to roll with it for a while, but the payoff at the end was stunning. Note: Be very careful reading about this book prior to reading it, because there are some major twists involved – I thought I had them all pretty much figured out. I was wrong.
"You are not alone in this." Indeed.
And so....the Tree.
March 10, 2012
I am at a loss as to how to review this book. I will start with a disclaimer: This is SO not my type of book. I do not read these types of books. Ever. I will admit to reading it only because I loved this author's first book so much.
So, what to say without spoilers? I am not going to go into what the book is about by giving a long, drawn out description. Others have done that better than I ever could and the synopsis describes what it is about. I will say that I DID like it, though there were quite a few "huh?" moments along the way and I had to go back and reread certain parts of the story for me to fully grasp what the author was trying to say. Don't get me wrong, everything was explained well enough but my little mind still had to go back just to be sure I was getting it.
I loved most of the characters, though there was a double-standard with one of the mains that I had a hard time getting beyond. I was able to eventually but only because there was so much other stuff going on that I simply didn't care about that anymore.
I've read where another reviewer said it was an ambitious story. It was. But everything also came together in a way that blew my mind. There was one thing that I definitely did NOT see coming and I thought that was the major surprise. Not even close. What came later was not only a surprise but it made the other 95% of the book make sense in a way that it hadn't before.
Once again T.J. Klune has written a damn good story. I mentioned in one of my updates that I was concerned that the author's sense of humor wouldn't be evident in this book because of the subject matter. I was happy to see that it was definitely there. While this book is dark, it's serious, it's sad in some places and downright frustrating in others, he was able to throw in some laugh out loud moments as well. The interaction between Felix and Seven (and some of the secondary characters) had me cracking up at times. It takes a lot for an author to pull off good dialogue and Klune always manages to do it well.
I look forward to the next book in the series. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
So, what to say without spoilers? I am not going to go into what the book is about by giving a long, drawn out description. Others have done that better than I ever could and the synopsis describes what it is about. I will say that I DID like it, though there were quite a few "huh?" moments along the way and I had to go back and reread certain parts of the story for me to fully grasp what the author was trying to say. Don't get me wrong, everything was explained well enough but my little mind still had to go back just to be sure I was getting it.
I loved most of the characters, though there was a double-standard with one of the mains that I had a hard time getting beyond. I was able to eventually but only because there was so much other stuff going on that I simply didn't care about that anymore.
I've read where another reviewer said it was an ambitious story. It was. But everything also came together in a way that blew my mind. There was one thing that I definitely did NOT see coming and I thought that was the major surprise. Not even close. What came later was not only a surprise but it made the other 95% of the book make sense in a way that it hadn't before.
Once again T.J. Klune has written a damn good story. I mentioned in one of my updates that I was concerned that the author's sense of humor wouldn't be evident in this book because of the subject matter. I was happy to see that it was definitely there. While this book is dark, it's serious, it's sad in some places and downright frustrating in others, he was able to throw in some laugh out loud moments as well. The interaction between Felix and Seven (and some of the secondary characters) had me cracking up at times. It takes a lot for an author to pull off good dialogue and Klune always manages to do it well.
I look forward to the next book in the series. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
Read
April 18, 2012DNF - 30%
Attack of the PERSONAL pet-peeves!
Nothing against the story, it caught my interest and I definitely wanted to see it through. Then I got hit by a pet-peeve...and once I got a handle of that one there came another...and another...and then they were ganging up...OOWWWW!!! 
I couldn't dodge them anymore. I SURRENDER! 
Attack of the PERSONAL pet-peeves!
Nothing against the story, it caught my interest and I definitely wanted to see it through. Then I got hit by a pet-peeve...and once I got a handle of that one there came another...and another...and then they were ganging up...OOWWWW!!! I couldn't dodge them anymore. I SURRENDER! 
March 18, 2022
I was really enjoying this book when I found out the series not only ends in a cliffhanger but was never completed. At 74% I decided to preemptively end my pain. I would rather leave the book before I realize that I have to know what happens next.
February 8, 2012
Brilliant but I hate that I have to wait for the next one! Grrrr!
December 12, 2014
This is a difficult review for me. Tell Me It's Real is one of my favourite books, and I enjoyed Bear, Otter, and the Kid as well.
Which explains, why I was looking forward to reading Burn a lot. Good Urban Fantasy with gay protagonists is hard to find, and I was positively giddy with excitement when I started.
And then it became … difficult.
Be warned: There may be some (mild) spoilers below.
I loved the world-building. It's very Last Airbender meets X-Men, with a - not very subtle - parallel between the LBGTQ-struggles in the real world and the issues the elementals in the book have to deal with. Some bits didn't make a lot of sense, but that's okay and I could easily suspend my disbelief.
There's an abandoned train station in a suburb with over 30 floors, hundreds of inhabitants and no one ever notices?
The suppressor creates an electromagnetic field that affects DNA but also neuro-transmitters? And it can project that field by satellite? Riiiiight. But pseudo-science babbling is okay, no big deal for me.
The plot twists during the last 20% were awesome and I didn't see most of them coming. Overall the action scenes, especially toward the end, were great and masterfully crafted. It's quite difficult to get them right and Klune achieved that. Action sequences can be chaotic and confusing, especially with a lot of participants and special effects, but they never overstayed their welcome.
I adored the supporting cast. It's one of Klune's greatest gifts as a writer, to be able to create side-characters that are original and memorable. The dialogues between them were often funny, touching and probably my favourite part of the book.
So why did I end up disappointed?
Well, first the whole thing is waaaay to long. There are so many flashbacks and dreams and layers of time-lines and metaphysical dimensions, it ended up being just exhausting. Was it really necessary to create three meta-layers that are running at the same time, with seperate dialogues, descriptions and responses by the MC? Not only does he have to deal with what's happening in the real world during the finale, he simultaneously arguing in his head with his "oil" and Seven, and on top of that he also hallucinates a theological argument with "the tree".
Exhausting.
Then there's the very heavy-handed use of foreshadowing, ominous warnings, prophecies and dreams. I get it: Something bad is going to happen. Do you have to remind me every two pages? The red herrings were nicely placed, though. Didn't see some of the twists coming at all, thanks to a nice array of false leads.
Let's get to the part, that made me want to stop reading several times throughout the book. Honestly: It's been years since I didn't finish a novel, but this one almost brought me to that point.
The main characters, Felix and Seven, were just aweful. I haven't encountered two protagonists I disliked reading that much in forever. I felt physical revulsion while reading their romance. Several times I had to stop and do something else, because I couldn't take it anymore. Toward the end I was rooting for the bad guys and secretly hoped one or both of them would get killed. I hate "Destined Lovers". I despise the silly trope of two people being forced to be together by fate.
Felix is at best boring. I have the suspicion, that he was much younger in the first draft, probably around 18. That would explain, why he felt like a petulant teenager for most of the story. The randomly tacked on "7-year-punishment", that conveniently seperated them until he was 25, points in the same direction.
I enjoy reading first-person POVs. But the narrator has to have an entertaining voice and interesting commentary. Felix was just whiny, bland and passive. Add to that the already mentioned barrage of dreams, hallucinations and inner arguments with his "oil", and he ended up being horrible.
He certainly didn't feel like a 25-year old. He had no real agency and instead was busy whining, because everyone else made him do stuff. Not that he ever really protested. He just did what they wanted and whined about it.
On top of that he also had the two most horrible, offensive lines in the whole book. First he delves into some racism. So it's impossible to tell the age of Asian people? Wow.
Then he adds to that with some shots against other parts of the LBGTQ-community. Bisexuals don't exist? What an asshole. I'm not bi myself, but I get so angry, when people choose to put down other minorities inside our community. Sure, maybe that's only what the character thinks. But Klune chose to let him believe that and never followed up with any consequences for his behaviour.
At that point I was just hoping Felix would have an unfortunate accident and vanish from the rest of the story.
And then there is Seven and their "romance". Lovers forced together by destiny is a horrible trope. But this merged the boring and stupid "Gay-for-you" trope with it, to create a new, exciting abomination.
Why was it necessary to have Seven be straight? Right: Bisexuals don't exist and there had to be a love triangle with Kammy. Let's just declare, that magic can change sexual orientation.
It's such a problematic concept. I'm not sure how the author could think it's a good idea. If I read a novel where gay guys and lesbians were "converted back to normal" by magic, I would burn that book. Why is it okay to have straight people be converted magically to gay? Just declare he is bi and be done with it, for god's sake.
Then there are is the taste of underage/kiddie romance, that permeates their relationship. They first meet when Felix is 9 and Seven is 15. And already they both "wuv each other". Gross.
Then Seven constantly calls him "little man" as an adult. Gross.
And to add to that, the description of Felix becomes weirder with every page, once they actually meet as adults. He whimpers and makes soft sounds in his throat. He cuddles and sniffles. He let's himself be carried around like a toddler constantly. Maximum grossness imminent.
To make things even more awkward in their "relationship", there's also the added layer of obsessive stalking. I cringed violently every time Seven barked and ordered him around. If your kink is Sub/Dom: Good for you, more power to you! But I expect consent and rational discussions about limits and rules. Unfortunately this had nothing to do with sex.
I certainly didn't enjoy violent threats every time Felix dared to have one of his rare impulses to actually do something. Possessiveness is not hot. Violent threats are not hot. Obsessive stalking is not hot.
When Seven revealed, that he had sent people to break into Felix' flat, steal all his stuff and bring it into his own apartment, I had to stop reading for a few hours. Just horrible.
It was even worse, that Felix never really addressed that psychotic behaviour. Instead he became even more the whiny teenager and found it endearing?
This review is getting ridiculously long, so I'll try to wrap it up.
I enjoyed the plot, the world-building and the side-characters. There were some great plot twists and action sequences.
That's pretty much the only reason I ended up with 3 stars for this.
I hated the protagonists, and hated their "romance" even more. I had to skim over their scenes after the first hundred pages, because I couldn't take it anymore.
Sorry Mr. Klune, this didn't work for me. I love your other books, but this was disappointing.
Which explains, why I was looking forward to reading Burn a lot. Good Urban Fantasy with gay protagonists is hard to find, and I was positively giddy with excitement when I started.
And then it became … difficult.
Be warned: There may be some (mild) spoilers below.
I loved the world-building. It's very Last Airbender meets X-Men, with a - not very subtle - parallel between the LBGTQ-struggles in the real world and the issues the elementals in the book have to deal with. Some bits didn't make a lot of sense, but that's okay and I could easily suspend my disbelief.
There's an abandoned train station in a suburb with over 30 floors, hundreds of inhabitants and no one ever notices?
The suppressor creates an electromagnetic field that affects DNA but also neuro-transmitters? And it can project that field by satellite? Riiiiight. But pseudo-science babbling is okay, no big deal for me.
The plot twists during the last 20% were awesome and I didn't see most of them coming. Overall the action scenes, especially toward the end, were great and masterfully crafted. It's quite difficult to get them right and Klune achieved that. Action sequences can be chaotic and confusing, especially with a lot of participants and special effects, but they never overstayed their welcome.
I adored the supporting cast. It's one of Klune's greatest gifts as a writer, to be able to create side-characters that are original and memorable. The dialogues between them were often funny, touching and probably my favourite part of the book.
So why did I end up disappointed?
Well, first the whole thing is waaaay to long. There are so many flashbacks and dreams and layers of time-lines and metaphysical dimensions, it ended up being just exhausting. Was it really necessary to create three meta-layers that are running at the same time, with seperate dialogues, descriptions and responses by the MC? Not only does he have to deal with what's happening in the real world during the finale, he simultaneously arguing in his head with his "oil" and Seven, and on top of that he also hallucinates a theological argument with "the tree".
Exhausting.
Then there's the very heavy-handed use of foreshadowing, ominous warnings, prophecies and dreams. I get it: Something bad is going to happen. Do you have to remind me every two pages? The red herrings were nicely placed, though. Didn't see some of the twists coming at all, thanks to a nice array of false leads.
Let's get to the part, that made me want to stop reading several times throughout the book. Honestly: It's been years since I didn't finish a novel, but this one almost brought me to that point.
The main characters, Felix and Seven, were just aweful. I haven't encountered two protagonists I disliked reading that much in forever. I felt physical revulsion while reading their romance. Several times I had to stop and do something else, because I couldn't take it anymore. Toward the end I was rooting for the bad guys and secretly hoped one or both of them would get killed. I hate "Destined Lovers". I despise the silly trope of two people being forced to be together by fate.
Felix is at best boring. I have the suspicion, that he was much younger in the first draft, probably around 18. That would explain, why he felt like a petulant teenager for most of the story. The randomly tacked on "7-year-punishment", that conveniently seperated them until he was 25, points in the same direction.
I enjoy reading first-person POVs. But the narrator has to have an entertaining voice and interesting commentary. Felix was just whiny, bland and passive. Add to that the already mentioned barrage of dreams, hallucinations and inner arguments with his "oil", and he ended up being horrible.
He certainly didn't feel like a 25-year old. He had no real agency and instead was busy whining, because everyone else made him do stuff. Not that he ever really protested. He just did what they wanted and whined about it.
On top of that he also had the two most horrible, offensive lines in the whole book. First he delves into some racism. So it's impossible to tell the age of Asian people? Wow.
Then he adds to that with some shots against other parts of the LBGTQ-community. Bisexuals don't exist? What an asshole. I'm not bi myself, but I get so angry, when people choose to put down other minorities inside our community. Sure, maybe that's only what the character thinks. But Klune chose to let him believe that and never followed up with any consequences for his behaviour.
At that point I was just hoping Felix would have an unfortunate accident and vanish from the rest of the story.
And then there is Seven and their "romance". Lovers forced together by destiny is a horrible trope. But this merged the boring and stupid "Gay-for-you" trope with it, to create a new, exciting abomination.
Why was it necessary to have Seven be straight? Right: Bisexuals don't exist and there had to be a love triangle with Kammy. Let's just declare, that magic can change sexual orientation.
It's such a problematic concept. I'm not sure how the author could think it's a good idea. If I read a novel where gay guys and lesbians were "converted back to normal" by magic, I would burn that book. Why is it okay to have straight people be converted magically to gay? Just declare he is bi and be done with it, for god's sake.
Then there are is the taste of underage/kiddie romance, that permeates their relationship. They first meet when Felix is 9 and Seven is 15. And already they both "wuv each other". Gross.
Then Seven constantly calls him "little man" as an adult. Gross.
And to add to that, the description of Felix becomes weirder with every page, once they actually meet as adults. He whimpers and makes soft sounds in his throat. He cuddles and sniffles. He let's himself be carried around like a toddler constantly. Maximum grossness imminent.
To make things even more awkward in their "relationship", there's also the added layer of obsessive stalking. I cringed violently every time Seven barked and ordered him around. If your kink is Sub/Dom: Good for you, more power to you! But I expect consent and rational discussions about limits and rules. Unfortunately this had nothing to do with sex.
I certainly didn't enjoy violent threats every time Felix dared to have one of his rare impulses to actually do something. Possessiveness is not hot. Violent threats are not hot. Obsessive stalking is not hot.
When Seven revealed, that he had sent people to break into Felix' flat, steal all his stuff and bring it into his own apartment, I had to stop reading for a few hours. Just horrible.
It was even worse, that Felix never really addressed that psychotic behaviour. Instead he became even more the whiny teenager and found it endearing?
This review is getting ridiculously long, so I'll try to wrap it up.
I enjoyed the plot, the world-building and the side-characters. There were some great plot twists and action sequences.
That's pretty much the only reason I ended up with 3 stars for this.
I hated the protagonists, and hated their "romance" even more. I had to skim over their scenes after the first hundred pages, because I couldn't take it anymore.
Sorry Mr. Klune, this didn't work for me. I love your other books, but this was disappointing.
August 2, 2018
I have put off reading this book because the blurb didn't really speak to me. But I should have had faith in TJ because I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately it's been a few days since I finished it and I don't remember how it ends, exactly. I do know it's a cliffhanger, and I have heard the series isn't going to be continued so if that's true, I can imagine how the series would continue, and I can safely say - the good guys win. 😉😉
It was a very looooooong story, and honestly parts could have been cut. If the series does continue I look forward to it, but if not I'll live. 😁 4 stars.
It was a very looooooong story, and honestly parts could have been cut. If the series does continue I look forward to it, but if not I'll live. 😁 4 stars.
February 20, 2012
Sci Fi/Alternate Universe/Fantasy is not typically my thing but I really loved this. I am truly in awe of authors who can create all the details of these kinds of stories out of their heads. Even more so when it is done as well as this book is. And on top of the incredibly intricate plot, TJ Klune also manages to create a very well-developed cast of characters. A good storyline is nothing without characters that jump off the page and these characters definitely do that.
Burn is about the concept of a group of humans called Elementals that have the power to create & manipulate one of the 4 elements: Fire, earth, water or wind. The storyline revolves around how these Elementals are being discriminated against, persecuted and hunted by society and the government. Felix who has hidden himself for so many years, now discovers he is the Findo Unum, or the Split One--he controls two elements, fire & wind. The Split One is rare and revered by the Elementals.
My favorite part of the whole story was the story of Seven & Felix. The Findo Unum has one true mate, the Iuratum Cor, his heart sworn who is his protector. Seven is Felix's heart sworn. Seven discovers very early, as a child that he is Felix's heart sworn. His is a human among a family of Elementals and he believe he is nothing special. Until he discovers in himself that he has this important job. The Split One has always been a female so Seven is surprised to discover that this time the Split One is a boy. It does not change his feelings, He has a strong, intense love for Felix, even before he even meets him. He just knows they are meant to be together. As is custom, Seven waits many long years before Felix is of age, before they can be together. And when it is finally time, As Felix tries to make sense of his new life, one thing he can't deny is the strong bond he feels with Seven. I adored their love, two souls fated to be together. *sigh*
The author did a great job of really creating some shocking surprises in the ending and in keeping the reader guessing and questioning what things mean and what will happen next.
There are some issues, it's not perfect, (the story breaks in the middle, to tell Seven's side of the story of all the years he waited for Felix, and yes we needed to hear this information, but it was a long break and I kept waiting for it to be over to get back to the current storyline. But the majority of the whole book is so good, it's easy to ignore any issues.
Now I'm just DYING for the sequel... :)
Burn is about the concept of a group of humans called Elementals that have the power to create & manipulate one of the 4 elements: Fire, earth, water or wind. The storyline revolves around how these Elementals are being discriminated against, persecuted and hunted by society and the government. Felix who has hidden himself for so many years, now discovers he is the Findo Unum, or the Split One--he controls two elements, fire & wind. The Split One is rare and revered by the Elementals.
My favorite part of the whole story was the story of Seven & Felix. The Findo Unum has one true mate, the Iuratum Cor, his heart sworn who is his protector. Seven is Felix's heart sworn. Seven discovers very early, as a child that he is Felix's heart sworn. His is a human among a family of Elementals and he believe he is nothing special. Until he discovers in himself that he has this important job. The Split One has always been a female so Seven is surprised to discover that this time the Split One is a boy. It does not change his feelings, He has a strong, intense love for Felix, even before he even meets him. He just knows they are meant to be together. As is custom, Seven waits many long years before Felix is of age, before they can be together. And when it is finally time, As Felix tries to make sense of his new life, one thing he can't deny is the strong bond he feels with Seven. I adored their love, two souls fated to be together. *sigh*
The author did a great job of really creating some shocking surprises in the ending and in keeping the reader guessing and questioning what things mean and what will happen next.
There are some issues, it's not perfect, (the story breaks in the middle, to tell Seven's side of the story of all the years he waited for Felix, and yes we needed to hear this information, but it was a long break and I kept waiting for it to be over to get back to the current storyline. But the majority of the whole book is so good, it's easy to ignore any issues.
Now I'm just DYING for the sequel... :)
February 13, 2013
Warning: This review is very messy, because I’m a mess after reading Burn. Sorry.
I really don’t know where to start… I have to say that this was an ambitious and big story. The author had a great idea for this book and wrote it quite well. At first I thought it was perfect, I was truly enthralled by the whole story, but then the flashbacks started. I HATE FLASHBACKS. They’re so annoying... And honestly, the flashbacks were the only reason why I couldn’t give this 5 stars. They took too much space in the novel and I was seriously bored when I was reading them.
Okay, that’s the only thing I had to whine about, so now I can tell you about the good stuff.
The beginning. “My name is Felix Paracel, and when I was nine, I became angry at my mother and killed her with fire that shot from my hands.” What a way to begin a book! I was hooked from the start. Also, the first meeting of the main characters was incredible.
SEVEN. He was such a huge teddy bear and I just wanted to hug him all the time. He was a creepy stalker, maybe, but that was just because he wanted to keep Felix save. He just really loved his “little man”, and when he could finally talk to him after years of separation, he wanted to keep him by his side 24/7 to make sure he was okay. Their relationship was truly endearing and .
The main characters’ best friends were also amazing. Otis was very funny and adorable, but also strong and dedicated. Jason, a straight cop, who loved his friend, was the kind of a person I would love to be friends with. He accepted Felix the way he was, even when he learnt about his secrets. He cared about his friend a lot and wasn’t afraid of showing his affection.
There was quite a lot of action, which was a big plus. Also, I was a bit shocked at the end of the book, when it turned out that I think that it’s good when a book surprises you.
It was a beautiful and engaging story. It was focused on the romance, but there was still a lot of action. I really wish I could give it 5 stars… And I can’t wait for Book Two!
I really don’t know where to start… I have to say that this was an ambitious and big story. The author had a great idea for this book and wrote it quite well. At first I thought it was perfect, I was truly enthralled by the whole story, but then the flashbacks started. I HATE FLASHBACKS. They’re so annoying... And honestly, the flashbacks were the only reason why I couldn’t give this 5 stars. They took too much space in the novel and I was seriously bored when I was reading them.
Okay, that’s the only thing I had to whine about, so now I can tell you about the good stuff.
The beginning. “My name is Felix Paracel, and when I was nine, I became angry at my mother and killed her with fire that shot from my hands.” What a way to begin a book! I was hooked from the start. Also, the first meeting of the main characters was incredible.
SEVEN. He was such a huge teddy bear and I just wanted to hug him all the time. He was a creepy stalker, maybe, but that was just because he wanted to keep Felix save. He just really loved his “little man”, and when he could finally talk to him after years of separation, he wanted to keep him by his side 24/7 to make sure he was okay. Their relationship was truly endearing and .
The main characters’ best friends were also amazing. Otis was very funny and adorable, but also strong and dedicated. Jason, a straight cop, who loved his friend, was the kind of a person I would love to be friends with. He accepted Felix the way he was, even when he learnt about his secrets. He cared about his friend a lot and wasn’t afraid of showing his affection.
There was quite a lot of action, which was a big plus. Also, I was a bit shocked at the end of the book, when it turned out that I think that it’s good when a book surprises you.
It was a beautiful and engaging story. It was focused on the romance, but there was still a lot of action. I really wish I could give it 5 stars… And I can’t wait for Book Two!
June 3, 2012
This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm
I will be very honest here, I have procrastinated in reading this book because I was so very worried that I would be disappointed due to my love of his first book. I was really worried that this book just would not stand up to the hight bar that I have held the author to due to my adorations of that first book,Bear Otter and the kid. But I should have had faith in T J Klune and remembered that he writes such vivid characters that you cant help but love them and feel drawn into the world painted by this talented author. I now I wish I had read this earlier and yet while reading it I have found myself procrastinating in finishing it because I knew it would brake my heart to finish it. So coming full circle I now have another book take up inhabitance in my heart.
This book is complex and chart the life and coming together of Felix and Seven, there is something epic about this story and also something very beautiful about these two men together. Felix is conflicted and believable in his doubts. The story is told by Felix as if he is telling you personally his life story, you can almost feel the chair at your back as you sit with him as he tells you this story. There is a sense of urgency and also dread as the story progresses. So by the end of this tale you are breathless and heartbroken and desperate to know what happens next. Would I recommend this book... OMG yes I and I would say to T J Klune.. what... how... when... please .... NOW!!!
Read the book you'll see what I mean!!!!
I will be very honest here, I have procrastinated in reading this book because I was so very worried that I would be disappointed due to my love of his first book. I was really worried that this book just would not stand up to the hight bar that I have held the author to due to my adorations of that first book,Bear Otter and the kid. But I should have had faith in T J Klune and remembered that he writes such vivid characters that you cant help but love them and feel drawn into the world painted by this talented author. I now I wish I had read this earlier and yet while reading it I have found myself procrastinating in finishing it because I knew it would brake my heart to finish it. So coming full circle I now have another book take up inhabitance in my heart.
This book is complex and chart the life and coming together of Felix and Seven, there is something epic about this story and also something very beautiful about these two men together. Felix is conflicted and believable in his doubts. The story is told by Felix as if he is telling you personally his life story, you can almost feel the chair at your back as you sit with him as he tells you this story. There is a sense of urgency and also dread as the story progresses. So by the end of this tale you are breathless and heartbroken and desperate to know what happens next. Would I recommend this book... OMG yes I and I would say to T J Klune.. what... how... when... please .... NOW!!!
Read the book you'll see what I mean!!!!
February 7, 2012
I started reading thinking I will only read a couple of pages because it was 1 in the morning..... then it was 7 o'clock in the morning and I finished the book. I couldn't stop reading it. The book is fabulous; it has it's good parts, bad parts, parts that make you smile, parts that make you scared for what will happen next and the most important part is that you never know what will that be. When Tick and Tick appeared in the book I loved them instantly. The parts with them made me laugh so much I had to read it over and over again. I loved them just as much I loved Felix and Seven. When I started reading how somebody will betray them all it never occured to me who it will be. I would probably think of any other person that the one it turned out to be. When it was made known that it's Tock I was completely shocked. Most of all I couldn't stop thinking about what will happen when Tick finds out who betrayed them. That was the worst part, that other than his friends, he betrayed his family; his twin. In the end the heartbreaking scene happens where Felix and Seven are separated. Those two amazed me with their strength and vulnerability. I know I will be counting down the days until the next book comes out because I really want and think that they deserve their happy ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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