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dragonsheart8261920's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Colonisation, Classism, Grief, Racism, Child death, War, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
rowbooksit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Faron has exasperated my abandonment issues 😅 I'll be sending author kamilah Cole a bill for my therapy
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
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
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
queergoth_reads'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
4.5
I just finished this and all I can say is wow! This was a phenomenal book and I need the second one soon because I need to know what happens!!
The writing was so evocative and I often felt I was watching the story play it like in a movie rather than as words on a page.
I love the concept of having the story start after the chosen one has fulfilled their destiny. Seeing Faron have to live with all this power and status after being given it as a child and seeing how she copes with the expectations put on her, by her people and her gods, was so well done. It made her so much more than just your standard chosen one. It was also really interesting to see how her sister Elara copes with it, feeling like she is in her sister's shadow, as well as seeing how the both compare themselves to each other and come up feeling inadequate. They were both so human and such well rounded characters.
I think one of the most important and well done things in this book is that it doesn't shy away from the impact of colonisation and war. It highlights the lives lost, the consequences and impact the war had on the citizens of San Irie, and the impact these have on all the characters involved in the fight for San Irie's independence in the years after. They do not shy away from the blood on their hands and the consequences their actions had. The book also does not refrain from showing the realities of Elara being forced to move to the country that wanted to colonise her homeland. It talks frankly about her fear of losing her culture and the hate she faces from others there.
This is a really phenomenal book. I will be thinking about it for a long time.
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, War, and Racism
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
caseythereader's review against another edition
- 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
- 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.
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Grief, Racism, Violence, and Bullying
Moderate: Slavery and War
bookstarbri'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
This won't be a long review because I feel like the less you know about this book, the better. All that's necessary to know before going in is that it's about two sisters and the lengths they will go to protect each other and their home. This aforementioned home has recently been liberated from the imperialist Languish empire that occupied San Irie for a time before San Iris fought and won their freedom. This book is incredibly timely, I think. It's easy to be distracted by the dragons and the magic and the gods, but this book's themes are rooted in issues that we are actively facing in our real world. These themes are evident in the narrative, but so carefully woven into the story, and I just think it was beautiful how Cole told this story and made it into what it was.
The characters were amazing. The sisters, Faron and Elara, were soooo good and I loved having them as our narrators. I really liked their respective love interests as well. Plus, there's one character in particular who I'm not sure if I was supposed to fall in love with, but I did! This book is also queer (featuring asexual and sapphic rep), and I loved that these identities were discussed a little as well.
Overall, I really adored reading this. I could honestly write so much more, but like I said, it's best to go in this with little info and just be surprised by the twists and turns this story takes. I LOVED this book and already cannot wait for book 2, which I know will be phenomenal. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Little Brown for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Violence, War, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism and Physical abuse
Minor: Slavery
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