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bellebookcorner's review against another edition
- 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
Told in dual POVs, Elara and Faron are both sisters that lives in a post-war world where Faron as the child Empyrean saves her country but the peace didn’t last long when Elara was found bonded to a dragon from an enemy kingdom.
This story has an interesting world building between summoning gods powers and also bonding with the dragons. Having both POVs really work out great here so we could see how each powers work differently.
There’s also a slight romance blooming throughout the story for both Elara and Faron, but I’m more interested in Faron’s love interest though especially after that ending.
I can’t wait to know what will happen to them both in the next book!
Overall, this is a great start for a series.
I’m looking forward to read the sequel cause I would like to explore more about the world building and know more about the dragons!
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Racism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Slavery
destynee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, War, and Colonisation
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, and Racial slurs
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
4.0
This fantasy ya debut sucks you in and keeps you guessing till the end. Two sisters, one favored by the gods. The other bonds with the dragon from an enemy country they were most recently at war with
The different kinds of dragons, the rebellion, the topics of colonization. I enjoyed this book so much and can’t wait for the next one!
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Blood, War, and Toxic friendship
km_kett's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eArc.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Moderate: Racism, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Blood, Genocide, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Slavery
chronicacademia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finished most of the book in one sitting this morning. While the story’s latter two-thirds are incredibly quick, I did struggle to get through the first ~70 pages. In part because I’ve been in just about the worst YA fantasy slump of my life, and partly because there’s just a lot of world-building to consume in those first several chapters. Everything from the drakes to the dragons to the Empyrean to the magic system is incredibly fleshed out at the expense of the story’s pace. I’m not complaining though, because I think the author did an excellent job of laying things out and building on them without confusing the reader by throwing too much at us all at once. And once I hit part II, I was hooked. I didn’t set the book down again until it was over (and it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye).
The characters were phenomenally written. I usually struggle with multiple POVs in a book because there’s always that one character I just don’t vibe with, but that wasn’t the case here. I adored Elara and Faron equally, though for vastly different reasons. I identified very strongly with Elara, I think because she was the eldest daughter, and I felt so much of her story very deeply. With Faron, I think I related to her undying loyalty to and love for her sister, as well as her determination to protect her. This was the sister story my heart needed.
The side characters were also fleshed out and fun to follow. Reeve was my favorite for a multitude of reasons. He was a much-needed diversion from the toxic alpha male love interests who’ve been dominating YA fantasy lately. I love to see positive masculinity and I think the author nailed it with Reeve’s story and arc.
To me, this book felt like a mashup of all the best fantasy books. It reminded me of Iron Widow but with the romance and sister aspect of Caraval and the dragons and expansive world-building of The Priory of the Orange Tree. I think fans of any one of these books will probably enjoy So Let Them Burn.
Overall, I highly recommend this one.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, and War
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Genocide, Death of parent, Body horror, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, and War
zoepagereader's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, and War
butterbrioche's review against another edition
- 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
I am so thankful that I was able to receive an arc of this. When I say this, I’m not being hyperbolic: I really do believe that this will become a very popular book in 2024. It deserves to be. From the writing to the storytelling to the character work, all of it is lush and immersive. Cole has such a talent for showing! She isn’t just telling us when she’s writing and that’s why what she writes also feels so visceral.
I love, love, love a man vs. god conflict. It always gets me every single time because despite us being mere mortals we will always crave the ability to control or disrupt the ways that the strings of fate are strummed. To have so many characters included and for them to all have their unique personalities in tact is a feat.
The world-building here is amazing. The way Cole maneuvers between giving us just enough information and then having us see it. It never feels like there’s an info dump, even though I don’t always mind those.
I also think watching Faron honestly grapple with what she’s felt surrounding being the child emperyean, the trauma around it and more was very good.
I think there’s something so special about this book. A Jamaican inspired Joan of arc with dragons that addresses the cost of war, colonization, and revolution and what comes next to avoid that. How war stays deep in your bones. The choices that we make and have made in the past.
I truly believe this is one of the best books of 2024 and I cannot wait for everyone else to read it.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: War, Death, Blood, and Colonisation