Reviews with content warning for Grief - So Let Them Burn

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

18 reviews

cryosphinx'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

4.0

What a unique spin in the YA fantasy genre, I loved the magic system and it being ancestor based. It covers tough topics such as colonialism with grace and it's clear that Cole wrote about her background with such passion but incorporated it into magic so well. I loved the sisters and their dynamic and loved the take on"I will burn the world for her" being for a sibling.

A few things I was anticipating but didn't get was background if the previous war (touched upon but not in heavy detail of what exactly Faron did), the dragons (I wanted more, MORE dragon dialogue and more than one dragon talking).

It does end on a cliffhanger and it's such a cliff hanger I very much pulled a Zuni "That's it? Where's the rest of it?!" I want the next book yesterday.

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porcupine_girl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-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

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dragonsheart8261920's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense 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

4.5

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km_kett's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

I don't know how to express how much I loved this book! The world building was so rich, yet not too complicated like some fantasy books. The bond that the sisters had was so pure and a huge driving factor of decisions that were made within the book. I instantly like Farron and Elara and my love for them only grows throughout the book as you discover who our lead characters are as people as the story progresses. The delightful LGBTQ+ representation was so lovely to see especially in a teen novel. I am so excited to see where Kamilah Cole takes this story in the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eArc.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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chronicacademia's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Pitched as Queer Jamaican Joan of Arc with dragons, So Let Them Burn might just be the YA fantasy of the year (and it’s only January). It’s a sparkling debut with relatable characters, immersive and thoughtful world-building, and an ending that will probably haunt me until book 2’s release.

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.

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thanks to Little Brown Young Readers for the free copy of this book.

- Y’all! SO LET THEM BURN is so good! Dragons! Queerness! Jamaican history and gods! Life or death stakes! Love!
- I loved Faron and Elara and crew. I love a prickly girl protagonist, and SO LET THEM BURN delivers that and shows us exactly why they feel that way.
- This book blends the joy of fantasy with a close look at the destructive effects of colonization. The plot is fast and engaging, the world is detailed, and the issues it explores are real and important.

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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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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

5.0

A gorgeously immersive, fantasy debut that captured my heart just as much as it did my imagination! The writing was phenomenally lush and the complicated but heartfelt bond between sisters (and Dual POV characters) Faron and Elara had me emotionally invested from the very start. Did I also mention, it has DRAGONS?!!!

Set within a post-war, Jamaican inspired world, where the newly independent island (San Erie) is still recovering from the war with their former oppressors—and the colonial legacy left in their wake.

I LOVED every second of this and was blown away by the level of emotion that Kamilah Cole manages to imbue. Both through her detailed and emotionally nuanced characters but also the in-depth world-building and vivid, sensory descriptions that I literally couldn’t get enough of.

Like the descriptions of Deadegg, and its fossilised dragon egg, serving as a constant reminder to Faron of the cruelty and suffering inflicted by Langley (via Faron’s incredibly evocative and emotional flashbacks.) Or The Victory Garden and its lush, verdant greenery serving as a sign of a brighter future; in a Palace that had once been a barren, death shrouded ruin.

Given how intrinsically linked the themes of anti-colonialism, genocide, war and trauma are to the narrative —it’s hard not to find similarities in current real-world events. Making for a deeply emotional and highly relevant read, so do be sure to check trigger warnings.

However, unlike most fantasy novels (which end after the big battle), I loved that Cole starts hers at the end of one. Giving us a front row seat to the resilience and hard-work that goes into not only rebuilding a country destroyed by war, but also in working through the trauma that comes from experiencing such violence and destruction.

It still boggles my mind that our protagonists were only just hitting their teens when they first headed into battle—Faron being just thirteen when she took on the mantle of The Childe Empyrean, (and her sister Elara not much older.) It’s a very real aspect of war (especially in terms of the psychological impact for survivors) and one that was explored in such a nuanced and sensitive manner—I was soo emotionally invested in both of their journeys.

Though, I do admit that Elara’s arc did resonate with me the most (especially as someone with two older sisters.) And I loved that, despite feeling like she’s living in the shadow of Faron’s (already vast) legacy, she doesn’t let it affect the love she has for her. Honestly it’s one of the most realistic (and relatable) sibling relationships I think I’ve ever read!

Overall, an emotionally powerful and action packed debut that anyone who loves epic fantasy, dragons, or books exploring complex sisterly bonds should definitely consider picking up, it’s AMAZING!

Also, a huge thank you to Katya over at Little, Brown UK for the proof

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zoepagereader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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

I was obsessed with dragons when I was in elementary school, so this book really scratched an itch for me there. It had everything third-grade me would want. I did feel that Faron’s story sort of dragged and I was sort of just rolling my eyes at her decisions the entire time. I did like Elara’s story a lot more and was excited to read her side.

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