The author gave me an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review. Thank you, Amara Lynn, for your generosity and letting me get a sneak peek of this very creepy story!

Kaiden has dated men, women, and those who identify as neither, and none of have stuck around. He's "too intense" and "like sticking your head into a fire." And that's why the fiery, death glare of his classmate Avari catches his attention, and the fire-balling flinging supervillain Raven is his idol. Without really intending to or thinking about what's drawing him in, Kaiden takes to following Avari and Raven, only to find out a huge secret that will change his world forever. Worse, Avari seems to be losing his edge after meeting a certain smiling lab partner.

Lynn put trigger warnings before the story, and I was very glad because woof, what a ride. As someone who read Masks, I'm already familiar with Avari's grumpy anarch tendencies. He is a villain, after all. Kaiden is a villain too, but in a very different, more sinister way. He's the guy no one expects. It was startling how easy it was to relate to him--who hasn't gazed longingly at a romantic crush--and yet he keeps going, quietly crossing boundaries and discovering secrets that Avari wants no one to know. It made the hair on the back of my neck raise up. Lynn did a top-notch job building the character and having him dance on the line of sympathetic and unsympathetic.

All and all, a very nice short story for fans of the Masks universe. Pick up your copy of Burn and Brandish today!