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stranger_reader's review
adventurous
medium-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
4.25
somehowcoping's review against another edition
adventurous
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
annineamundsen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5⭐ kinda had to force myself to finish this one. I liked the concept of the story being set 5 years after the chosen one saved the country, but in some ways i felt like part of the story was missing. I also didn't connect with the characters or the plot, and the romances were predictable in an unexciting way
sleepysyd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
thebooknerdscorner's review against another edition
4.0
A Jamaican inspired fantasy featuring two sisters who would tear the world apart to save one another.
Faron was chosen by the gods five years ago to save her island from the imperial Langley Empire who sought to take over her homeland and decimate her culture. Now, the gods still linger in her daily life, even during times of peace. Elara is Faron's older sister, but her people barely even know who she is. Craving attention, Elara tries to enroll in her island's military, only to be turned down. Stuck in her sister's shadow, Elara follows Faron to a prestigious international peace summit. While there, things take an unprecedented turn when Elara forms a bond with one of the people who only five years ago with their enemies. Now, the sisters are splitting for the first time in their lives, but that doesn't stop Faron from doing everything she can to bring her sister home.
This one started out a tad slow, but about halfway through the book I found myself quite invested in the plot. I wasn't a huge fan of either of the sisters right away, but they did manage to grow on me as the story progressed. I found many elements of this book to be quite predictable, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment too much.
The coolest thing about this one has to be the Jamaican inspired magic system and gods. I think it was neat how they could summon the spirits of their ancestors and how Faron could channel the gods. This system reminded me a bit of how Riordan sets up the Egyptian gods and magic in "The Kane Chronicles," though obviously they were also quite different. Throwing in classic dragons into a situation such as this was also really cool to see and felt like multiple different worlds were being blended together. The way that the dragons bonded with their riders reminded me a bit of "Eragon," so I felt very at home with many aspects of the magic that was happening in this world. It is unique that each dragon had two riders and the lore that went behind this decision was well conceived.
The themes about anti-colonialism and standing up for one's culture and homeland were strong in this one, and I very much appreciated this. I think it is great that we are seeing more authors using fantasy to inform readers about very real and often touchy subject matters. I like to see authors using their creative powers for the better.
I must say, my favorite character by far is Reeve. I relate to his love of reading (duh) and found his backstory to be extremely nuanced and complicated. I can't wait to get more of him and see how some of his issues are resolved in future installments of this series. Signey is also a pretty cool character, so I appreciate all the romantic arcs that happened in this book.
Overall, I didn't enjoy "So Let Them Burn" as much as I thought I would, but it was still a very enjoyable read. It is a unique, culturally fantasy which is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. I am interested to see where Faron and Elara's journey takes them in the future installment of this series. I would totally recommend if you love your fantasies diverse due to the Jamaican roots and the LGBTQIA+ representation.
Faron was chosen by the gods five years ago to save her island from the imperial Langley Empire who sought to take over her homeland and decimate her culture. Now, the gods still linger in her daily life, even during times of peace. Elara is Faron's older sister, but her people barely even know who she is. Craving attention, Elara tries to enroll in her island's military, only to be turned down. Stuck in her sister's shadow, Elara follows Faron to a prestigious international peace summit. While there, things take an unprecedented turn when Elara forms a bond with one of the people who only five years ago with their enemies. Now, the sisters are splitting for the first time in their lives, but that doesn't stop Faron from doing everything she can to bring her sister home.
This one started out a tad slow, but about halfway through the book I found myself quite invested in the plot. I wasn't a huge fan of either of the sisters right away, but they did manage to grow on me as the story progressed. I found many elements of this book to be quite predictable, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment too much.
The coolest thing about this one has to be the Jamaican inspired magic system and gods. I think it was neat how they could summon the spirits of their ancestors and how Faron could channel the gods. This system reminded me a bit of how Riordan sets up the Egyptian gods and magic in "The Kane Chronicles," though obviously they were also quite different. Throwing in classic dragons into a situation such as this was also really cool to see and felt like multiple different worlds were being blended together. The way that the dragons bonded with their riders reminded me a bit of "Eragon," so I felt very at home with many aspects of the magic that was happening in this world. It is unique that each dragon had two riders and the lore that went behind this decision was well conceived.
The themes about anti-colonialism and standing up for one's culture and homeland were strong in this one, and I very much appreciated this. I think it is great that we are seeing more authors using fantasy to inform readers about very real and often touchy subject matters. I like to see authors using their creative powers for the better.
I must say, my favorite character by far is Reeve. I relate to his love of reading (duh) and found his backstory to be extremely nuanced and complicated. I can't wait to get more of him and see how some of his issues are resolved in future installments of this series. Signey is also a pretty cool character, so I appreciate all the romantic arcs that happened in this book.
Overall, I didn't enjoy "So Let Them Burn" as much as I thought I would, but it was still a very enjoyable read. It is a unique, culturally fantasy which is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. I am interested to see where Faron and Elara's journey takes them in the future installment of this series. I would totally recommend if you love your fantasies diverse due to the Jamaican roots and the LGBTQIA+ representation.
bethiclaus's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abigailwantstoread_01's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sonialuto's review
adventurous
dark
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
3.25
anyashadows's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
_toristhoughts_'s review against another edition
5.0
omg I loved this so much. there's gods and DRAGONS and the COOLEST worldbuilding. there are TWO romances building and I definitely can't choose a favorite bc I love them both so much. and I loved every. single. character. seriously. even the villains had incredible character development!
this was a ten out of ten, zero complaints, immediately added to favorites and bought a physical copy - book. I was hooked from the first chapter and I literally couldn't put it down. I loved the ending and I need the next book asap!
this was a ten out of ten, zero complaints, immediately added to favorites and bought a physical copy - book. I was hooked from the first chapter and I literally couldn't put it down. I loved the ending and I need the next book asap!