Ranka has known for a while now that she'll have to move south to marry the human prince, but she doesn't want to-- she doesn't want to leave her coven, she doesn't want to leave her home, and she doesn't want to reduce herself to the weapon she's been trained to be. But when her closest friend goes missing-- yet another witch mistaken for Ranka-- she embraces her duty. She'll go south, marry the prince, kill him, and rescue her friend in the process. But when she gets to Isodal, she finds a prince and princess at odds with her expectations of them. And there's something else, a rot that's brewing in the city, a concentration of the plague that's targeting witches all over the country. Ranka is forced to make a decision: work with the twin heirs to the throne in their pursuit to better the world, or work with the witches back home in theirs.

From the beginning, I absolutely loved this book. Ranka's blood magic is fascinating and heartbreaking, and her position in both her coven and the world isolates her while elevating her above everyone else. The world, the magic, and the characters are lush, while being grounded in problems that feel very real. The group of people at the castle-- Ranka, the royal twins (Galen and Aramis), and Percy, the ambassador from one of the isles-- have a really wonderful dynamic that made me both laugh and cry at various moments.

The Ones We Burn also does a beautiful job at tackling abuse, and what it means when the people we're close with, the people we love, the people who are supposed to love us, hurt us for their own gain. There are a few lines in particular that are exactly the words I wish someone had said to me years ago, and reading them both broke my heart and inspired me to keep choosing myself, to keep telling myself that I deserve to heal. The Ones We Burn is a fun read, but it is also a deeply powerful one, and I will forever be grateful to Rebecca Mix for writing it, and for putting it out into the world.

**Spoiler Free* *Review**

This book is equal parts beautiful and equal parts brutal. The dedication in this book really hit me hard and so for everyone who has experienced some kind of childhood trauma, know that this book is for us, but please make sure you’re ready for it. Rebecca Mix delivers a stunning debut with vivid imagery, beautiful prose, and characters that will stick with you for a long time. If you love sapphic enemies to lovers romance with gritty and dazzling world building, this book is ten thousands times for you. Intimidating in size at first but with shorter chapters that each pack a punch. Surprisingly tender at moments with the kind of romantic tension that makes you squeal aloud and giggle in the best ways. I cannot stop telling everyone I know to read this book and cannot recommend it enough.