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queer_bookwyrm 's review for:
So Let Them Burn (Limited Edition)
by Kamilah Cole
adventurous
dark
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:
No
4.5 ⭐ CW: Violence, blood, gore, death, war mentions, PTSD mention, bullying, slavery mention
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole is book one in The Divine Traitors duology. This was a great read! I really enjoyed the story and the characters in this one, plus it had dragons and LGBTQ representation. I love a story about sibling relationships.
We get dual povs from Faron Vincent and her sister, Elara Vincent. Faron is the Childe Empyrean, meaning the gods blessed her with their powers when she was 12 in order for San Irie to win the war against Langley. She is now 17 and just as bratty as ever. As Faron says, "She's been a liar longer than she's been a saint." Elara just wants to make a difference and help her country, and maybe get out from under her little sister's Shadow. When the Queen of San Irie invites Langley back to the island for a peace summit, bringing more dragons than expected, Elara is bonded to one and becomes a co-rider to one of the students at Hearthstone. Faron and Elara are determined to find a way to break the bond, and also must uncover what Langley is planning. Elara finds herself not wanting to leave her co-rider and dragon behind.
I really enjoyed the sister dynamic we get here. Faron is trouble, and doesn't always make the best decisions. Elara is insecure and feels useless. Both love each other and would do anything for the other. Elara is a lesbian, and I liked her budding romance, but I wasn't a huge fan of Faron's romance. Faron is clearly demisexual/demiromantic, but I just didn't agree with how her relationship went. I think this is just a me thing though. We also get some side characters who are gay and/or bisexual. Dragons! I loved the dragons and the concept of bonding with a rider and sharing a soul. The magic system with Summoning astrals was neat too.
The story really focused on the lasting impacts of war, colonialism and imperialism, and the question of is there such a thing as someone who is all good or all bad. I'm looking forward to book two and exploring some of the gray spaces, and a resolution to the cliffhanger.
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole is book one in The Divine Traitors duology. This was a great read! I really enjoyed the story and the characters in this one, plus it had dragons and LGBTQ representation. I love a story about sibling relationships.
We get dual povs from Faron Vincent and her sister, Elara Vincent. Faron is the Childe Empyrean, meaning the gods blessed her with their powers when she was 12 in order for San Irie to win the war against Langley. She is now 17 and just as bratty as ever. As Faron says, "She's been a liar longer than she's been a saint." Elara just wants to make a difference and help her country, and maybe get out from under her little sister's Shadow. When the Queen of San Irie invites Langley back to the island for a peace summit, bringing more dragons than expected, Elara is bonded to one and becomes a co-rider to one of the students at Hearthstone. Faron and Elara are determined to find a way to break the bond, and also must uncover what Langley is planning. Elara finds herself not wanting to leave her co-rider and dragon behind.
I really enjoyed the sister dynamic we get here. Faron is trouble, and doesn't always make the best decisions. Elara is insecure and feels useless. Both love each other and would do anything for the other. Elara is a lesbian, and I liked her budding romance, but I wasn't a huge fan of Faron's romance. Faron is clearly demisexual/demiromantic, but I just didn't agree with how her relationship went. I think this is just a me thing though. We also get some side characters who are gay and/or bisexual. Dragons! I loved the dragons and the concept of bonding with a rider and sharing a soul. The magic system with Summoning astrals was neat too.
The story really focused on the lasting impacts of war, colonialism and imperialism, and the question of is there such a thing as someone who is all good or all bad. I'm looking forward to book two and exploring some of the gray spaces, and a resolution to the cliffhanger.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood
Minor: Slavery, Death of parent, War