Burn Bright – Marianne de Pierres (The Night Creatures #1)
Random House, 2011
306 pages
RRP: AU$18.95
ISBN: 978-1-86471-988-8

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Burn Bright is the first of an exciting new young adult series from the multi-talented author Marianne de Pierres. Having adored her Parrish Plessis and Sentients of Orion series, and the Tara Sharp books written under her pseudonym Marianne Delacourt, I couldn’t wait to read her newest release, a foray into the young adult fantasy world. Burn Bright did not disappoint, creating a dark and intriguing world of different rules and parties, reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series.

The heroine, Retra, escapes from her Sealed life of rules, punishment and obedience into Ixion, a decadent world of parties and drugs only inhabited by teenagers and their Guardians, in search of her brother. However, things are not as free and easy as the first appear. Has Retra swapped one set of regulations and watchful eyes for another?

Ixion, a world in darkness, is lushly built by de Pierres, where teenagers party in caves and reclaimed monasteries. It is a strange world of contrasts, where the pleasure is intense, but anyone stepping off the path, both metaphorical and literal, can be in grave danger. The young people rest (their “petite nuit”) in churches, and give “confession” where the night’s drugs are handed out by the Ripers, or Guardians. This mix of hedonism and religious imagery is very effective. As someone a little older than the target audience though, I found the relentless partygoing, free love and drug taking a little frenetic, especially when contrasted to the extreme regulation of Grave, Retra’s home.

Fans of de Pierres’ work, both young adults and adults alike, will enjoy Burn Bright, as the writing style is easy to read and the pacing is good, like all her novels. I am looking forward to the next instalment in the series, Angel Arias, where I hope to see the characters find some sense of peace.