We Burned So Bright

Small but mighty! Per TJs usual style, you'll ugly cry (maybe it's just a me thing?) but it's oh so worth it. Best MM author out there, HANDS DOWN! (Biased, maybe? But I have read/own at least a thousand MM books, and of course, all of his) So if you need your tear ducts cleansed, grab this gem.

▪️Read this if you like:▫️speculative & dystopian fiction▫️novellas that pack a punch▫️queer representation———4.5⭐️ The way that TJ Klune’s books always manage to get me in my feels🥲This novella may be under 200 pages, but WOW did it capture a lot in such a short amount of time. I loved Don and Rodney so much, especially their grumpy/sunshine dynamic that was filled with decades of love, admiration, and simply just knowing the other. Their bond was heartwarming, and brought some much needed levity to an otherwise kinda heavy story.This whole book was a wild ride. I enjoyed seeing the vastly different people they met along their journey, loving some definitely more than others - here’s looking at you Amelia😅 I loved how each person’s story showed a different side of humanity, and how that contrasted with the “end of the world” plot.The last chapter was by far my favorite. I feel like getting Don and Rodney’s background story at the end of the book, after everything we go through with them, landed harder than if we knew it up front. Part of me wishes this wasn’t a novella, because I would have loved to get a deeper dive on this part of their lives! Regardless, the bittersweet ending had me tearing up.If you’re looking for a quicker read that still packs an emotional punch, look no further!Thank you Tor Books for the advance copy.

Amazing story, very special. I love all this authors books!

Everyone and everything is going to die. All at the same time. What a remarkable exploration of life and death, joy and sorrow,, purpose and regrets... real meaning of life stuff. And all through the eyes of two remarkable men whose love inspires and whose story invites us to really live and see the world in all its ugliness and glory. Highly recommend!

I’m a fan of TJ Klune’s incredible writing! He always captures depth and heart in his characters! “We Burned So Bright”, deals with such complex issues but with such care! Great weekend read!!! Klune never disappoints. Highly recommend :)

TJ Klune is absolutely brilliant. I leave his books after devouring them wrung out, elated, sad, thoughtful and peaceful. I usually need a few days to sort through my feelings. The same with this book. The length was perfect. I am still recovering.

WOW, just WOW! This short story follows Don and Rodney, an older married couple completing a promise that was made. There's just one problem, the world is being destroyed by a black hole in space and there's only a few weeks to complete the journey from Maine to the state of Washington. So much happens on their trip. They meet the best and worst of people and how learns how everyone is dealing with the end of their lives. It's heartbreakingly sad and yet beautiful. I'm a big fan of TJ Klune from the moment I picked up The Lightning Struck Heart. I've since read pretty much everything he's written, even short stories I've printed out like, Best Friends 5eva and Sandy and Paul's Gay Porno Adventure. He has a way to make you smile, laugh, scream and cry until your eyes are swollen. This book will make you do all of those things.

Even in the darkest night love will find away to light your way. An amazing story, about the human condition, parents questioning if they were enough or did enough for the child they loved. It will pull on your heart strings till you think they'll snap and let them bounce back to fill you with warmth. Not only does this story take you on an incredible journey, but it will tell you a story of history of what we have overcome, from the view point of us elders that help get us there.

This novel is a sweeping story of a love that endures until the very end of time, following two people as they navigate grief in all its highs and lows. It captures humanity in all its beautiful, complicated forms—the good, the bad, and the messy. The characters are imperfectly perfect, rendered with a raw honesty that makes their journey feel deeply real.As the end of the world approaches, there is a profound beauty in both the love they share and the heartbreak they endure. This is the kind of book that touches your soul, lingers long after the final page, and leaves a lasting mark. This may be a short book but it's far from a quick read, make sure to take your time and savor it.Thanks to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The loving couple of Don and Rodney set out to fulfill a task that they had put off for far too long. Once they heard the black hole was getting closer, they knew they had to go. Along the way, they met people from all walks of life. All trying to find their own way to handle the situation that the whole world found themselves in. Seeing and hearing others stories helped Don and Rodney continue their trip and reaffirm their love for their family.Tragic, sad, thought provoking, and tender. This book was a surprise to me. I have read TJ Klune before, I enjoy his ability to take an intense situation and deal with it so carefully and still leave me with a smile. The imagery is beautiful and heartbreaking. I do wish the flashbacks had been scattered through out the book instead of focused on the last bit.Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the Reviewer copy, I am so glad I got to read this the week of it's release.

What would you do if you knew a black hole was coming for earth in the next few months and everyone was going to die? For Don and Rodney, they have a promise to keep that takes them on a cross country trip in an RV.Parts of this book were really good and the storyline itself is intriguing as it and brings up the question of knowing how you will die and how you respond. Some people mourned the things they never got to do or try and some just killed themselves instead of waiting out the clock. Through the travels Don and Rodney run into several different people/groups and thats where things fell flat for me at times. Some of the stories shared were long and boring for me and I wish there had been less focus given to them. Otherwise it was still enjoyable and the audiobook narrator did a very good job.

This book will be in my Top 10 of 2026 and I cannot see anything beating it. We still have many months to go for 2026, but it really seems like We Burned So Bright will be my number one read this year. What would you find yourself doing if you only had a month left to live? There is no doubt about this fact as a black hole is coming towards Earth and the rest of our solar system, destroying everything in its path.Our story focuses on Don and Rodney, husbands who have been together for over forty years. Now in their mid-70s, with the end of the world rapidly approaching they find themselves on a cross-country trip with a final destination in mind. They are determined to complete it before Earth and everything on it says its final goodbyes. Over the course of their journey, Don and Rodney come across a variety of people each facing their grief of the inevitable end in a variety of ways.We Burned So Bright is a compelling heartbreakingly emotional read. I listened to an audio copy and the listener feels a sense of urgency: Will Don and Rodney reach their destination and goal before the end comes? The urgency increases as the novel progresses as it becomes even more apparent that this is in fact the end. The reason for their cross-country trip is slowly uncovered over the course of the novel and it is ultimately heartbreaking.The narrator Kirt Graves is seemingly a perfect fit for this novel. He helps the listener experience everything the characters do and as the novel progresses, with Graves narration I could visually see what Don and Rodney experienced in my mind. This is the sign of a great narrator and superb writing by Klune.The listener does get some LGBTQ history as we learn about Don and Rodney’s past through flashbacks of their long history together. Given they are a gay couple, the listener experiences what life was like for the two during the chaos of the time that they lived which includes the AIDS crisis. We Burned so Bright is a deeply touching novel that will stay with me for a while. Though I did not cry, I can see some readers/ listeners shedding some tears. For such a short read, it creates a lasting impact and everyone should read this one.

Nothing like taking a road trip knowing it will be your last. In Klune's latest, he didn't just bring out the emotional turmoil of all humanity facing the end of their existence but also showed what was truly important. I didn't realize it until the main characters met people from various walks of life, but it was a beautiful portrayal of what we should appreciate in life, especially the relationships we have.The mystery of their journey kept me glued. The reveal was heartbreaking. Past life. Present situation. Together. It all landed.Don and Rodney's voices came through beautifully on the page. Their distinct personalities and the depth of their 40-year relationship felt real and earned.I was moved by this book, but I didn't find myself in tears, surprisingly. Either way, this was a great read and I loved the underlying message. After all, when faced with an end-of-the-world situation, there is no one I would rather be with than my very own Rodney.Heartfelt and hopeful in the face of the end - Klune at his most thoughtful.Thanks to Tor Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book, despite its premise, is not a tragedy. It showcases the beauty and horror of humanity. Perhaps most of all, it demonstrates our tenacity - to see something through, against all odds.If you are a new fan of TJ's from the Cerulean Sea duology, you are not ready for this. Go read _Under The Whispering Door_ instead. Then read "Into the Lives of Puppets", a wild, futuristic cousin of "Pinocchio". Then read the Green Creek series ( gay werewolf romance!), Murmuration (mystery), or even the bawdy and hilarious fantasy series the Tales of Verania.*Come back* to this when you're ready for an engrossing story of loss, but also, of life and living.

TJ is the master of emotions in "We Burned so Bright."The end of the world is here. How are you going to spend your final days? This story follows Don and Rodney, lifelong partners, on their end of the world journey. They encounter many different people on their journey- some who have come to terms with the world ending, some who have not. All full of stories, both personal and retrospective, and just trying to survive what may come next.Full of beautiful prose and devastating humanity, "We Burned so Bright" is the end of the world story for those who wish to hope.Introspective and unapologetic, this story pulls no punches and gives it to you straight. If you knew the world was ending, who would you spend your final days with? I laughed out loud and cried at the end. This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story and I enjoyed every minute of it.The narrator of the audiobook does a great job of relaying the gravity of the story and the weight of the final days.Highly recommend this emotional story with the weight of the world on its shoulders.

BOOK: 𝚆𝚎 𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚘 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝AUTHOR: TJ KlunePUB DATE: April 28, 2026 by Tor BooksPAGES: 176 pagesRATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨GENRE: Suspense/Psychological Thriller🙏🏼 THANK YOU to @torbooks & @netgalley for gifting me an advanced copy of this beautifully touching story! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.📖 QUICK SYNOPSIS: This beautiful yet heart-wrenching story explores what it means to love deeply & live intensely while facing the consequences of both. TJ Klune’s signature writing once again captures the brilliance of connection; how people can light up each other’s lives while also examining how quickly that brightness can fade. This is very much a character-driven story about growing up & holding on, but also about learning when to let go.✍️QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I’m touched once again with another TJ Klune novel! I knew going in that this would tug at my heartstrings, and it’s also why I love his writing style. He always moves me with his storytelling. I immediately fell in love with our two MMCs, but I also enjoyed getting to know the people they meet along their journey before the end of the world draws near. I absolutely loved this one!

I should know by now to expect that a TJ Klune novel will make me laugh, stare off into space, consider all of my life choices, and leave me in a puddle of tears multiple times and boy does this one exceed in all of this!!! My goodness, this one hit HARD. And yet at the same time he is able to bring joy and lightness to the hardest of situations and still make you feel like there is always hope. I think that's why I love his stories so very much, what an incredible talent this is.Here we are at the end of the world; a cruising black hole has been on its way to our solar system for a year and now there's about three weeks left. Don and Rodney have married for 40 years, are in their early 70's and now the time has come to take care of a very important task before it all comes apart. Time for an epic road trip across the country in an RV and oh the people you will meet. How humanity reacts in this kind of a situation and how individuals deal with it all is seen in a series of encounters along the way and it's remarkable, frightening and heartbreaking all in one. As the trip unfolds TJ slowly unravels what it is that they need to do and how it has all come to pass, and my goodness it will break your heart and here's where the puddle of tears comes in (one of them).It is a compelling, haunting and unputdownable story that will leave you thinking about the things left unsaid and undone in your life. It is authentic, tender, and filled with such relatable characters that I think anyone who delves into this story will resonate with it and find themselves considering how they would handle an end of the world scenario like this one. Whether you read the physical book or listen to the audio it deserves for you to take your time and sit with it a while. Kirt Graves returns to narrate this story and as always, he is remarkable and brings so much to his narration, I always love listening to him. Buckle up and know you'll need to be ready feel many things as you journey with Don and Rodney to the end of the road.This is a review of the audiobook.

4.5 starsThis is a beautiful, emotional, heartwarming, sad book that will give you all the feels. I love this author’s writing and I’m not surprised that he made a story about the end of the world feel like a warm hug.A black hole is swallowing the universe and everything in it’s path, including the earth. Don, and his husband of 40 years Rodney, have one month to get from Maine to Washington to take care of some unfinished business before the world ends. While driving through back roads toward their goal, they run into a cast of characters that run the gambit of who you’d expect to meet on a road trip just before the world ends. Some interactions are a bit creepy and other’s will warm your heart.The story travels back and forth between the couple’s journey to Washington and the history of their lives together. It’s a sweet love story filled with joy, pain, heartache, and people just doing the best that they can. Their issues are universal – we’ve all gone through at least one of their experiences. What touched me is how comfortable Don and Rodney are with each other and yet still tease each other like a new couple. That’s true love.I don’t want to say too much and spoil the wonder of the book. It’s one of those that are best going in a bit blind, trusting that the author will take good care of you.I listened to a complimentary audio of this book and the narrator did an amazing job. He brought the story to life and his voice was so soothing and gentle that you forget you’re listening to a story about the end of the world.

It takes a stellar author and wordsmith to present the end of Earth with enough humor and joy to offset my tears, illuminating the grim topic. TJ Klune succeeds in “We Burned So Bright.”We follow the cross-country trek of forty-year couple Don (72) and Rodney(76) as they fulfill an undisclosed promise before a black hole devours our planet. On the way, they meet folks who are responding with varied reactions to the demise of everything they know.Mostly viewed from Don’s perspective, Mr. Klune gets to consider all points of views about impermanence, God’s existence, and whether fate exists, while showing his preferences. Yet he never seems preachy, even when airing grievances about government mistreatment of LGBTQ+. Mortality is always a difficult topic and each individual’s responses allowed me to wonder how I would react. “What’s the point of knowing the end is coming if you can’t scream and wail about it?” One character notes.I’m reminded of AIDs groups in the eighties. (Yes, I’m in Don and Rodney’s age group.) Death was a minor topic. Instead, members focused on how to live – with loved ones, with those they hated, with life’s unfairness and with death’s inevitability. “We’re all lost…I think we go through most of life feeling that way,” Don suggests.Will Don and Rodney get to their task before the end, and what message will it reveal to readers? As each encounter slows, yet enriches their journey, the tug between their “now” and the impending future keeps a tense flow. I wanted to ignore my own life to get to the end…when life ends??? What a contradiction.Here’s the miracle. Mr. Klune treats each situation the couple encounters – ordinary or extraordinary, wonderous or horrifying with his trademark gentle compassion. Yes, the author feels anger at mankind’s unkindness, calling some people “black holes.” But he accepts this fact and choses to see the best, even in those who behave heartlessly. “It’s the duality of humanity. One side, capable of great love, the other, great harm.”Acceptance, not death, is the take away. We live in ugly times. Klune gives us the how and why to keep soldiering on. As Don says of Rodney, “you could say it all comes down to love, but is that really all there is…I know (Rodney) wants what’s best for me, even if that means telling me something I don’t want to hear.” And maybe that’s what Mr. Klune is doing for us, urging us to live in reality, no matter how painful, and never “check out.” Ultimately, he indicates, we can only answer to ourselves whether we lived our best existence.I was (perhaps foolishly) left with hope. “We Burned So Bright” is a dazzlingly plea for humanity to remember. Love, trust and respect ARE all there is, qualities which live on for next generations. Thank you, Mr. Klune!

Like many readers, I first became aware of TJ Klune through his novel The House in the Cerulean Sea. That book, and its equally fantastic follow-up, showcased Klune’s ability to explore imaginative fantasy worlds through grounded characters, all while thoughtfully examining themes of found family and the persecution of the LGBTQ+ community. He has a gift for balancing heavy subject matter with warmth, humor, and heart. I became an instant fan. So when I had the opportunity to read his newest release, the adult novel We Burned So Bright, I knew I was in for something special.What would you do if you knew it was the end of the world?Don and Rodney have spent the last forty years building a life together—devoted partners who have grown old side by side, even marrying once it finally became legal. They always imagined a future together, but not one that ends like this.A black hole is tearing through the solar system, swallowing planets in its path and heading straight for Earth. There’s no stopping it. No escaping it. The end is certain.With that reality looming, Don and Rodney leave the comfort of their home in Maine and set out on a final journey west. There’s one last promise they need to keep before everything is gone.As they cross the country, they encounter others grappling with the end in their own ways—some with compassion and grace, others with fear and cruelty. But no matter what they face along the way, Don and Rodney remain determined to reach their destination before time runs out.We Burned So Bright sees TJ Klune step away from his more fantastical storytelling in favor of something quieter and more introspective. Here, he explores the depths of humanity—how we connect, the impact we have on one another, and the choices we make when faced with the inevitable.At first, I was a bit taken aback by just how inward-looking the novel is. Plot-wise, not much happens, but the emotional journey is where the story truly unfolds. This is a novel rooted in reflection, one that asks readers to consider our place in the world and the legacy we leave behind. More than anything, it highlights the enduring power of commitment, community, and the shared experience of navigating life’s highs and lows. There are moments where Klune’s message leans a bit too overt, but for the most part, its sincerity carries through. It’s a contemplative, quietly powerful story that will leave you in deep reflection even after you finish reading.

Ever since I read The House in the Cerulean Sea, I've been a big fan of TJ Klune, and We Burned So Bright did not disappoint. The story is about a husband and husband on a mission against time. Against the backdrop of the world about to end, Don and Rodney are racing to accomplish one last task (you don't find out what, exactly, they're trying to do until the end of the book) before it's too late. Along the way, they run into a whole array of different people that challenge and support them in different ways.

As an LGBTQ+ author, Klune's stories typically revolve around people in that demographic, but where WBSB differs from other Klune novels I've read is that this one doesn't feature the magic, sci-fi, fantasy concepts of his other books (besides the black hole about to consume the earth, I suppose).

This is a really beautiful story that's both heartwarming and heartbreaking.