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A review by bribreez
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.25
4.25⭐️
A vibrant world set around magic, dragons, dragon hunters, action, and mystery was one that was uniquely crafted by Isabel Ibañez. This story followed, Zarela Zalvidar, a well known young woman who’s parents will widely known in Hispalia. Zarela’s mother was a famous flamenco dancer whereas her father was a Dragonador (a dragon fighter). The Zalivdar family were legendary spanning centuries from the dragons they slain, to the heroics they were known for. Until one day, a horrific tragedy occurred in the arena of the Zalvidar’s. With dragons somehow escaping their cages, and many being slaughtered, it was a massacre that left Zarela’s family in dire consequences. Now faced with a mystery of dragons being let loose, and Zarela’s home and father on the brink of destruction, she needed to take control of the situation as best as she could.
A vibrant world set around magic, dragons, dragon hunters, action, and mystery was one that was uniquely crafted by Isabel Ibañez. This story followed, Zarela Zalvidar, a well known young woman who’s parents will widely known in Hispalia. Zarela’s mother was a famous flamenco dancer whereas her father was a Dragonador (a dragon fighter). The Zalivdar family were legendary spanning centuries from the dragons they slain, to the heroics they were known for. Until one day, a horrific tragedy occurred in the arena of the Zalvidar’s. With dragons somehow escaping their cages, and many being slaughtered, it was a massacre that left Zarela’s family in dire consequences. Now faced with a mystery of dragons being let loose, and Zarela’s home and father on the brink of destruction, she needed to take control of the situation as best as she could.
Zarela had a lot of things she had to deal with. From the incident of dragons being somehow getting out of their cages, the massacre that followed, her father’s injury, and basically her family name and wellbeing all at stake, Zarela had to do anything and everything to save it all. The one thing I definitely didn’t see coming was Zarela deciding to become a Dragonador like her father. Zarela was known for being a flamenco dancer like her mother so, for her to take on this new endeavor wasn’t decided lightly. The likelihood of surviving in the ring up against a dragon was life or death, and in order to live to see another day, Zarela needed all the help she could get.
This story was uniquely written in a way that combined the danger of dragons, Spanish culture, and a strong female lead going up against surmounting odds. Zarela always tried to live up to the expectations of her family name, and throughout the book it was an exploration of Zarela finding her true self. Aside from the mystery of who was trying to sabotage Zarela’s family name, training to become a Dragonador was a new venture she didn’t expect to take on, but nonetheless came out stronger in the end. Alongside having the ever so grumpy Arturo helping Zarela, the two of them always butted heads, but there was still that great tension that built up all the way till the end that made for a satisfying slow burn romance.
Arturo was an interesting character who for a majority of the book was a mystery to me, and with the added bonus content of his chapters sprinkled throughout the book really gave me a bit more insight into what he was thinking throughout the story. Plus, seeing the way Arturo tried so hard to refrain from his growing attraction to Zarela was something that I loved to watch unfold! This man went out and caught the loose dragon that Zarela purchased and brought it back for her, helped train her to become a Dragonador, and later in the story showed her a side of himself that no one had ever seen, including a deep secret of his that blew Zarela’s mind away. The more the story progressed, the more I was caught off guard with what I learned about Arturo from his real identity, his past, his influence, and the big secret that shook Zarela. Arturo wasn’t just someone who was formerly a Dragonador, there was more to his character that I appreciated learning more little by little, as it made it more eye opening to see who he really was.
Isabel Ibañez knew how to write such a fun, fast paced, action packed story with a slow burn romance that had tension, great banter, strong and lovable characters with a unique plot, and of course, DRAGONS! Isabel Ibañez has quickly become a favorite author of mine with the way she crafts such captivating storylines that I haven’t read before. This story stood out to me with the story revolving around dragons, but also with how the world was special in how it turned out. Zarela started off in one path in the beginning of the story, but by the end she truly found her place in the world with a newfound sense of direction that combined her love of dancing, adventure, and a newfound venture that changed the way of the world she lived in. Arturo was a great love interest for Zarela as he was someone who went toe to toe with her, challenged and pushed her like no one had ever done. The romance was more in the background of the book, but when there were some moments between Zarela and Arturo, they were SOOOO GOOD! If you’re looking for a book with dragons, plot twists, unique world building, lovable characters, and a subplot of a slow burn romance, I would recommend reading this book!