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anneliseb23's review against another edition
3.0
Really great premise, unique magic system, good world-building but the execution was just a little lacking. I wish the magic system and guilds were more developed - the former was pretty interesting, we just didn't see a lot of it; the latter would have helped with the plot's predictability. I wish there were more dragons, and I wish Zarela had more of a "see the light" moment in terms of how dragons are treated in this world (note: they are not treated well).
The characters were okay. They lacked depth and I didn't buy the romance between Zarela and Arturo. I also remember I am an adult and not the target audience for this YA novel but they admitted to loving each other after a month (?) not entirely sure how much time passed, but it was not very long - may have even been only a few weeks. But over the course of this ~month, Zarela and Arturo were more combative and snarky with one another than anything else. He's grumpy and she's stubborn and they insult one another for 75% of the book, kiss once, then love each other. They argue so much because they have fundamentally different views as to how dragons should be treated (i.e. he believes they should be cared for/protected, she believes they should be killed for sport and "art"), but this kind of just goes away once they admit they're down bad for each other. They were kind of boring when together. They really only had one moment where they got to know each other more deeply. It just wasn't a very believable progression of the relationship. I think even my YA self would have been bored and unconvinced of this relationship.
I wish the other characters, like Lola and Guillermo, had some more page time!
There was quite a bit of Spanish throughout the book too. I thought this was fine since I took Spanish classes for a while and still remember the basics, but this might throw off readers who don't know the language. Although the gist of the Spanish was typically stated in English after, that didn't always happen, and it wasn't always abundantly clear what was just said. It's a good way to learn some Spanish though!
The characters were okay. They lacked depth and I didn't buy the romance between Zarela and Arturo. I also remember I am an adult and not the target audience for this YA novel but they admitted to loving each other after a month (?) not entirely sure how much time passed, but it was not very long - may have even been only a few weeks. But over the course of this ~month, Zarela and Arturo were more combative and snarky with one another than anything else. He's grumpy and she's stubborn and they insult one another for 75% of the book, kiss once, then love each other. They argue so much because they have fundamentally different views as to how dragons should be treated (i.e. he believes they should be cared for/protected, she believes they should be killed for sport and "art"), but this kind of just goes away once they admit they're down bad for each other. They were kind of boring when together. They really only had one moment where they got to know each other more deeply. It just wasn't a very believable progression of the relationship. I think even my YA self would have been bored and unconvinced of this relationship.
I wish the other characters, like Lola and Guillermo, had some more page time!
There was quite a bit of Spanish throughout the book too. I thought this was fine since I took Spanish classes for a while and still remember the basics, but this might throw off readers who don't know the language. Although the gist of the Spanish was typically stated in English after, that didn't always happen, and it wasn't always abundantly clear what was just said. It's a good way to learn some Spanish though!
bri_is_booked's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Historical fantasy isn’t something I would normally reach for but after LOVING What the River Knows, as well as falling in love with this paperback cover, I really wanted to read more of her books.
The idea of matadors for dragons is such a fun and unique concept! It was really interesting and I loved the barbarism VS art theme throughout the book.
I really wish we had gotten a little more twists and turns but the books overall pacing was great. I loved how Zarela and her father’s relationship grow throughout the book. Her growing so confident and demanding to be respected by the men in her world is amazing.
Our main man Arturo was certainly a character. I loved his back story and how it connected with hers. I think his anguish and how it shaped his future was really great.
I’m currently reading Where the Library Hides and it’s so great! Definitely give her a try if you haven’t read her!!
xanabutt's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5) Read as part of TMB book club - this was a relatively good mix of fantasy, romance and mystery. It was definitely YA however there were points that were so beautifully described, I wish there had been more of it. The romance was not so overwhelming that it took away from the plot of the book. Although not the best writing, I liked how it got you really feeling what the characters felt, especially about the dragon fighting and the wrongs of it all. A lovely (but unexpected at points!!) ending to it.
alexangelas's review against another edition
3.0
2.5
It wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t connect to the characters or the story. I wanted to like it, especially because it has loose similarities to How to Train Your Dragon but with a twist. In this book dragons are believed to be dangerous, fearsome creatures and are hunted, but more importantly either captured or bred to fight in a ring with a dragonador (think bullfighting w/ a matador). As an animal lover I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of bullfighting so I wasn’t comfortable with that aspect of the story, but thankfully the MCs attempted to change the opinions of their people. However, by then I honestly couldn’t have cared less about anything in this book. I didn’t hate it; I’m just wildly indifferent to it all.
I don’t know what it was, because it was a decently written story, but it just didn’t resonate with me.
It wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t connect to the characters or the story. I wanted to like it, especially because it has loose similarities to How to Train Your Dragon but with a twist. In this book dragons are believed to be dangerous, fearsome creatures and are hunted, but more importantly either captured or bred to fight in a ring with a dragonador (think bullfighting w/ a matador). As an animal lover I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of bullfighting so I wasn’t comfortable with that aspect of the story, but thankfully the MCs attempted to change the opinions of their people. However, by then I honestly couldn’t have cared less about anything in this book. I didn’t hate it; I’m just wildly indifferent to it all.
I don’t know what it was, because it was a decently written story, but it just didn’t resonate with me.
shanmac28's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book. Confusing at some points but overall a really good read.
sarakgooch13's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
geekykatya's review against another edition
5.0
Why did I wait so long to read this book?! It has adventure. It has intrigue. It has a strong female lead. Fantastic grumpy sunshine romance! How can you NOT love dragons?! You MIST read it.
swarthouta's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting- not boring. But it just did t capture me.
tansuhui's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5