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A review by tessa_talks_books
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
4.0
What's it about (in a nutshell):
Together We Burn is a fantasy tale about a medieval Spanish-inspired world where dragons are hunted and forced into an arena with a Dragonador who artfully recreates the hunt as only they can do. But, when Zarela's family of dragonadors comes under fire, they could lose everything – their home, their arena, and hundreds of years of tradition. Zarela stands up and fights back, determined to keep her family's legacy alive.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover is beautiful, but the only insight I see in it is the Spanish influences. The blurb on the cover, "These flames will ignite her," is intriguing. Whoever or whatever the she is, it sounds like her passions will be discovered. From the book blurb, I learn that the setting is a fantasy version of Spain where instead of Matadors, there are Dragonadors. I love that there are dragons in this story, but I'm not sure how I feel about them in the context of being hunted and part of a tradition that will end in their death. It also sounds as if the main character Zarela may become the first (?) female dragonador. Also, I have mixed feelings about that but love the whole potential female empowerment angle.
Actual Reading Experience:
I loved that the world is based on medieval Spanish culture. It's a culture very rich in the arts and very expressive in all that they do. The story reflected all of this more, even interspersing dialogue with whole sentences in Spanish. I loved that as it provided an air of authenticity to the fantasy world.
Dragons and magic are my two favorite components found in fantasy stories, and though they are both vaguely included in this story, I enjoyed what it had of them very much. The magic system is simplistic enchanting magic that magic-wielders sell to everyone who has the money to pay. The more you pay for an enchantment, the better quality of magic. The story does not delve into this system in detail, but I enjoyed what it did have. The story treated dragons very similarly. We see them in generic ways in the arena and learn of their destructive powers. It was not until later in the book that I saw the aspects that I enjoyed.
The world-building in this story did not pull me in and immerse me as I expected, and I'm not sure I had enough sensory knowledge for it to be able to succeed in that regard. But the characters are well-developed, and I loved Zarela's fiery determination and Arturo's genuine nature. Zarela tells this story in first-person narration, which gives it that personal touch that makes it relatable. The pace is not too slow but nor is it fast, and it stays at about a medium pace from start to finish.
Characters:
The characters are the most vital component of this story. Their hearts are laid bare, and their pain, hopes, and fears all come through in explosive ways that kept the story interesting to me. Arturo is my favorite character because he is a man after my own heart, and I could completely sympathize with his plight. Whereas I admired Zarela's fight and drive, I found myself unable to sympathize with her endeavors.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you enjoy exploring the Spanish culture in new and inventive ways, Together We Burn is just the fantasy tale for you.
Together We Burn is a fantasy tale about a medieval Spanish-inspired world where dragons are hunted and forced into an arena with a Dragonador who artfully recreates the hunt as only they can do. But, when Zarela's family of dragonadors comes under fire, they could lose everything – their home, their arena, and hundreds of years of tradition. Zarela stands up and fights back, determined to keep her family's legacy alive.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover is beautiful, but the only insight I see in it is the Spanish influences. The blurb on the cover, "These flames will ignite her," is intriguing. Whoever or whatever the she is, it sounds like her passions will be discovered. From the book blurb, I learn that the setting is a fantasy version of Spain where instead of Matadors, there are Dragonadors. I love that there are dragons in this story, but I'm not sure how I feel about them in the context of being hunted and part of a tradition that will end in their death. It also sounds as if the main character Zarela may become the first (?) female dragonador. Also, I have mixed feelings about that but love the whole potential female empowerment angle.
Actual Reading Experience:
I loved that the world is based on medieval Spanish culture. It's a culture very rich in the arts and very expressive in all that they do. The story reflected all of this more, even interspersing dialogue with whole sentences in Spanish. I loved that as it provided an air of authenticity to the fantasy world.
Dragons and magic are my two favorite components found in fantasy stories, and though they are both vaguely included in this story, I enjoyed what it had of them very much. The magic system is simplistic enchanting magic that magic-wielders sell to everyone who has the money to pay. The more you pay for an enchantment, the better quality of magic. The story does not delve into this system in detail, but I enjoyed what it did have. The story treated dragons very similarly. We see them in generic ways in the arena and learn of their destructive powers. It was not until later in the book that I saw the aspects that I enjoyed.
The world-building in this story did not pull me in and immerse me as I expected, and I'm not sure I had enough sensory knowledge for it to be able to succeed in that regard. But the characters are well-developed, and I loved Zarela's fiery determination and Arturo's genuine nature. Zarela tells this story in first-person narration, which gives it that personal touch that makes it relatable. The pace is not too slow but nor is it fast, and it stays at about a medium pace from start to finish.
Characters:
The characters are the most vital component of this story. Their hearts are laid bare, and their pain, hopes, and fears all come through in explosive ways that kept the story interesting to me. Arturo is my favorite character because he is a man after my own heart, and I could completely sympathize with his plight. Whereas I admired Zarela's fight and drive, I found myself unable to sympathize with her endeavors.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you enjoy exploring the Spanish culture in new and inventive ways, Together We Burn is just the fantasy tale for you.