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ainadei's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Okay, WOW. What a book. The premise of it all was so interesting too. Two sisters, a war, Jamaican mythology, and dragons! How could I resist?
I won't lie, the first quarter of the book was a huge struggle for me. The constant mentions of the war and the child soldiers who saved their country within it had me suspending my disbelief much more than I wanted. I really had to push through, wondering what would've been wrong with having characters who were a little older. Outside of the plot, there are also a few strange sounding metaphors and similes that made me go "huh?".
Faron was also very frustrating for me most of the book, making me wonder how she made it through the war the way that was described if she was as immature and short-sighted as she was during the book. Elara's journey and growth however was a beautiful thing to read, and I loved seeing her develop throughout the book. The strength of their bond was something so powerful that I hadn't read in a book like this before and I absolutely loved it, especially as an oldest sister who'd do anything for her younger ones.
After the first quarter of the book, the story really picked up and became something magical!! The world building is good, the plot twists are twisting, and the way it all comes together in the end has ensured that I will be reading the next book once it's out!!
If you love dragons, magic, and well written sibling bonds, this is for you! If you're the type to DNF a book quickly, this is probably not for you, lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, War, and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
bucketsjen's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It was alright, but not as good as I'd been hoping. It's YA and feels like it.
There's some cool mythology, an interesting story, and it does some things in a way I haven't seen before (picking up the story of a child Chosen One as they're moving into an adult, dealing with PTSD and being a former savior who now uses her powers to cheat at footraces against other teenagers). There's themes of anticolonialism and the importance of connection. All of that was good.
Some other things are predictable (the romance setups most particularly, but I didn't mind that).
There's multiple instances where the writer had things happen off page for reasons I didn't get. One chapter, a character is keeping a major secret from the others and stressing about their bad reactions if they found out. Next chapter, the other POV character is reflecting on being told the secret and how they'd been slightly concerned but otherwise didn't react. Why the build up if there wasn't going to be any explosion or fallout, and why have it happen off-page instead of being an actual scene?
There's also a lot of "how does that work?" moments - that dragon is way too powerful for anyone to have a hope of defeating but also now a character is basically solo-ing it and winning, there's a massive battle going on but two characters have the chance to completely catch each up on what's going on, stuff like that.
The ending isn't an ending, which was exasperating. It's a complete cliffhanger and none of the plotlines or character development got resolved - this very much was a "part one", but the second book isn't out yet. And really, a book should be able to stand on its own and have its own story even if it exists within a larger tale. This didn't - it felt like I only read half a book.
There's some cool mythology, an interesting story, and it does some things in a way I haven't seen before (picking up the story of a child Chosen One as they're moving into an adult, dealing with PTSD and being a former savior who now uses her powers to cheat at footraces against other teenagers). There's themes of anticolonialism and the importance of connection. All of that was good.
Some other things are predictable (the romance setups most particularly, but I didn't mind that).
There's multiple instances where the writer had things happen off page for reasons I didn't get. One chapter, a character is keeping a major secret from the others and stressing about their bad reactions if they found out. Next chapter, the other POV character is reflecting on being told the secret and how they'd been slightly concerned but otherwise didn't react. Why the build up if there wasn't going to be any explosion or fallout, and why have it happen off-page instead of being an actual scene?
There's also a lot of "how does that work?" moments - that dragon is way too powerful for anyone to have a hope of defeating but also now a character is basically solo-ing it and winning, there's a massive battle going on but two characters have the chance to completely catch each up on what's going on, stuff like that.
The ending isn't an ending, which was exasperating. It's a complete cliffhanger and none of the plotlines or character development got resolved - this very much was a "part one", but the second book isn't out yet. And really, a book should be able to stand on its own and have its own story even if it exists within a larger tale. This didn't - it felt like I only read half a book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Racism, Colonisation, Grief, and Violence
explicit language, depictions of PTSD (nightmares, unwanted memories/flashbacks, dissociation, anxiety, mistrust, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior), explicit descriptions of war, blood, and corpses, grief (expressed in healthy and unhealthy ways), racism (challenged), minor character deaths, a near-fatal beating, and stolen body/mind autonomynerp's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The best YA fantasy Iโve read since Blood Debts/Blood Justice, The Scapegracers, and The Buried and The Bound. Why isnโt this the dragon book people are imprinting on?? Sibling love is the center of this book, and while I have some small/inconsequential worldbuilding questions, itโs phenomenal.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Colonisation, Racism, and Death
zombiezami's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
It took a little effort to get into this, but the story started to flow about 25 percent of the way in. I liked the characters quite a bit, especially Ilora. I think the book could have started stronger if it hadn't yada yada-ed the whole war that took place before the book. There was a lot of exposition that could have been more engaging in a show, not tell model.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Death, Xenophobia, War, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Gore, Murder, Racism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Child death, Alcohol, and Cursing
hellodebbies's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved it !
It is fast-paced, the plot is fluid and the characters are really great (well I admit sometimes they make us roll our eyes)
I really liked the contrast of the two sisters, on one hand we have Faron who is quite selfish and behaves like a kid (which can be understandable since she went to war at twelve ๐). On the other hand, we have Elara who is the very definition of the older sister, very serious and altruistic.
The romance (which are not the main point of the book) were good ๐ Kamilah knows how to write romance.
The idea of following the story after the "main" eventsthe first strategy, to conquer and to wake the dragon+Gael, failed but the commander found another way to reach his goal even if it took more time was a refreshing idea and was well executed. Not once, I felt lost.
Super interesting villain, especially with the gods and the parallels of the children Empyrean is interesting as well
We have to admit that if the gods had told the truth, BUT REALLY ALL THE TRUTH, Faron would have made better choices
It is fast-paced, the plot is fluid and the characters are really great (well I admit sometimes they make us roll our eyes)
I really liked the contrast of the two sisters, on one hand we have Faron who is quite selfish and behaves like a kid (which can be understandable since she went to war at twelve ๐). On the other hand, we have Elara who is the very definition of the older sister, very serious and altruistic.
The romance (which are not the main point of the book) were good ๐ Kamilah knows how to write romance.
The idea of following the story after the "main" events
Super interesting villain, especially with the gods and the parallels of the children Empyrean is interesting as well
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War, Colonisation, Racial slurs, and Violence
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When her sister becomes unexpectedly bonded to an enemy dragon and the only solution proposed is to kill her, Faron must make difficult choices that will shape not only her and her sister's lives, but the fate of the world, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Death
abby_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
๐
I had a wonderful time reading this book. I liked that it started post-independence war in a time of unsettled peace while everyone was trying to heal from the previous war. The characters were good and I adored their relationships. I liked the pacing and the plot was entertaining.
I had a wonderful time reading this book. I liked that it started post-independence war in a time of unsettled peace while everyone was trying to heal from the previous war. The characters were good and I adored their relationships. I liked the pacing and the plot was entertaining.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Death, and Blood
Minor: Racial slurs and Panic attacks/disorders
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
First of all, I didn't realize this was about dragons until I looked closer at the cover, and I'm not mad about it! Always here for a good fantasy featuring dragons. And this is a pretty solid debut! The strongest aspect of this book is definitely the relationship between Faron and Elara and their dedication to each other. Though they are apart for a lot of the book, we can still feel that strong bond between them.
The world building was also pretty well done! The magic system felt unique, and I am definitely interested in seeing where it goes next. Especially with that ending!
However, some of the writing didn't quite feel as smooth as it should be, though the book definitely hit its stride in the last third of the story. Cole is a promising debut author, and I can't wait to see her grow from here!
The world building was also pretty well done! The magic system felt unique, and I am definitely interested in seeing where it goes next. Especially with that ending!
However, some of the writing didn't quite feel as smooth as it should be, though the book definitely hit its stride in the last third of the story. Cole is a promising debut author, and I can't wait to see her grow from here!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Racism
Minor: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders
erintempleton's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
abookwormspov's review against another edition
Made it to 35% but was just really bored. Hadn't fallen in love with any of the characters yet and nothing much plot wise had happened. As a disclaimer, very much a mood reader and this was not the mood recently. Maybe will give another try someday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War, Xenophobia, and Colonisation