Cover Design by Karyn Lee | Illustration by Eliot Baum

An instant New York Times & Indiebound Bestseller
A Waterstones Best Fantasy of 2022
A Kids’ Indie Next Pick
An Amazon Editors’ pick for Best Young Adult

Love and duty collide in this richly imagined, atmospheric young adult debut about a witch whose dark powers put her at the center of a brewing war between the only family she’s ever known and the enemy who makes her question everything.

Monster. Butcher. Bloodwinn.

Ranka is tired of death. All she wants now is to be left alone, living out her days in Witchik’s wild north with the coven that raised her, attempting to forget the horrors of her past. But when she is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the human kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Easy enough, for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill.

Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn’t want to marry Ranka; he doesn’t want to be king at all. And it’s his sister—the wickedly smart, infuriatingly beautiful Princess Aramis—who seems to be the real threat.

But when witches start turning up dead, murdered by a mysterious, magical plague, Aramis makes Ranka an offer: help her develop a cure, and in return, she’ll help Ranka learn to contain her deadly magic. As the coup draws nearer and the plague spreads, Ranka is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her power, her past, and who she’s meant to fight for. Soon, she will have to decide between the coven that raised her and the princess who sees beyond the monster they shaped her to be.

But as the bodies pile up, a monster may be exactly what they need.

Praise for THE ONES WE BURN

“One of the freshest YA fantasies I've read in years. Every page brims with passion. Ranka, Percy, Galen and Aramis are still vivid in my imagination long after I turned the final page. Fans of diverse YA fantasy - do NOT miss this one” - Natasha Ngan, author of Girls of Paper and Fire

“The Ones We Burn is a fierce story of healing, told with teeth bared. Romantic, brutal, and hopeful, it marks Rebecca Mix as a writer to watch” - Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf

“Feral and tender at once. Rebecca Mix has created a world teeming with terrifying magic and ferocious monsters to be saved. The Ones We Burn is a story of strength, and love that is chosen” - Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights

“At once familiar and entirely fresh, Rebecca Mix's The Ones We Burn is a stunning fantasy that deftly navigates grief, love, and the powerful necessity of hope. Set in a rich, sweeping world, and penned with prose as brutal as Ranka's blood-magic, you'll find yourself lost in the thoughtful exploration of found family, the whip-smart magic system and the tender, striking sapphic romance. Ranka is the sort of heroine you can't help but root for and Aramis, Galen and Percy will linger long after the final page. I love this book. Rebecca Mix is a writer to watch” - Adrienne Tooley, author of Sweet & Bitter Magic

“The Ones We Burn is a richly woven standalone fantasy that's as beautiful as it is fierce. From its spectacularly crafted world of witches and horrifying monsters, to the most tender character arcs and a fabulous love story, Rebecca Mix has solidified her place as YA fantasy's new auto-buy author” - Adalyn Grace, author of Belladonna

“The Ones We Burn is a dark gem of a book. Burning with feral strength, like Ranka the storytelling is raw and sharp, yet inside there is also a welcome balm of tender love and healing. Rebecca Mix is officially one of my favourite authors” - Francesca May, author of Wicked and Wild Things