Reviews with content warning for Slavery - So Let Them Burn

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So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

17 reviews

clovetra's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

3.0

i remember discovering this book after the debacle that was c*** c****** review-bombing fellow authors. i was super excited to read this, but i think for me it fell flat in some places.

first tho lemme say what a GREATTT character elara is. god i loved her, her chapters, and what her plot followed. she seemed cool yet down to earth, and as a fellow lesbian ofc im gonna root for my homegirl! i also really liked the characters who followed elara’s story, as they all felt fleshed out with believable personalities and character developments.

however, i didn’t like faron at ALLL, and i think that’s the main issue of this book. the book felt like it was flip flopping between her or elara being the MC…. except i really didn’t care about faron. and it’s not even like “oh i didn’t like her”. i know her character is meant to be unlikeable to some degree. i just felt nothing for her. emotionless. i did not care about her plot line, her character development, her highs and lows, none of it. ok maybe her progression with reeve but that’s because dude seems cool. shout out reeve ur not getting ur own paragraph but youre in my top 3 of characters from this book. anyways back to the topic of faron — girl irritated the hell out of me. and not in a quirky way. like i adore protagonists who are unlikeable and evil and shitheads. man i just came off the poppy war in love with rin. i just couldn’t find energy to CARE about her when all this cool interesting shit is happening with elara! especially when faron’s plot is very predictable whereas elara’s had a twinge of mystery the entire way.

and then there’s the issue i have with the plot…. everyone’s motivations feel fucking stupid. aside from reeve, elara & signey, nobody’s goals long term make any sense. i felt like when reading this i was in crazy town. like why are yall literally going scorched earth over something so inconsequential. and the “plot twists” were foreshadowed well, ill give this book that. except the plot twists themselves felt…. Lacking in emotional investment. like i know i was supposed to be going “😧” at every reveal but i was just like “…..😦…..😐”. i really didn’t care long term. idk maybe the plot points needed more time to cook? but in the same vein it felt like faron’s story was flopping around for like 60% of the book where elara was the only one getting shit done until faron’s story goes from 0-100. idk the pacing of the plot as well as the moving parts of the plot felt….. Odd! i can’t really put my finger on what issue i’m having dont sue me im on a new antidepressant my brain is full of rocks.

i defo will be tuning in for the other book because i love my girl elara!!! i need to know what happens to my homegirl!!! and reeve!!!! my boy!!!! but if it weren’t for them sorry i wouldn’t be picking up the next book. anyways im gonna go drool at some signey and elara fan art.

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bree_h_reads's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was a bit nervous given my recent track record with debut novels BUT this one was amazing.

I wasn’t expecting the book to follow characters POST a “chosen one child” story, but it was a pleasant surprise. I thought the way the book explored how the girls were impacted by that was really well done. Not just how war and colonisation changed them, but the impacts of being figureheads and symbols of hope. They’re also used to really effectively show the impacts of colonisation. Not just the trauma but the disconnect from their culture and the small resistances to keep it.

I think the characters in general were really well done. Each felt distinct and like real thought was put into WHY they are the way they are. No group felt homogeneous. Even the Langlish had variety in their views and thoughts on the war and wanting to do better. It’s not something I often see and I really enjoyed it. The characters also allowed for a solid look into how both characters suffer in conflict, but didn’t turn the oppressors into victims.

I also really liked the world building. It all felt really unique and like a lot of thought was put into it. The world felt very real.

However, there were some flaws.

The middle and end felt a little rushed. This led to what felt like some leaps of logic and not being able to connect to the supporting cast. This was especially prevent in Elara’s story where her connections to her supporting characters were so vital for emotional payoff. We just never saw enough for a proper bond.

Overall, though, it was a great book. I highly recommend and can’t wait for book two.

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mythian's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

WOW. A truly exceptional novel. I am thoroughly devastated that I cannot simply will the next book into existence. In So Let Them Burn, Kamilah Cole takes everything that can be amazing about young adult fantasy and elevates it with beautiful storytelling and entrancing world-building. I cannot wait to read more from her.

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shannahtan's review against another edition

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hopeful sad fast-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

4.25

I listened to this book on audio. I wish there was a glossary where I could see the names and places written out. It’s considered YA, but I think it’s still well suited for adults.

Things I liked:

Rooted in Jamaican history
Sapphic slow burn romance
Elements of demisexuality
Focused heavily on familial love and friendship
Characters reside in a gray area that challenges your sense of morality

Criticisms

Plot was a bit predictable
Characters didn’t have a ton of depth. Faron as the Childe Empyrean continuously made rash decisions. Elara was trying to find herself and escape her sister’s shadow.

Would recommend for fantasy readers who like to be dropped into the story and figure it out as you go. There’s not a ton of world building, and the story takes place in a post-war world where you get details of the last war slowly throughout the book.

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

3.5

First of all, I didn't realize this was about dragons until I looked closer at the cover, and I'm not mad about it! Always here for a good fantasy featuring dragons. And this is a pretty solid debut! The strongest aspect of this book is definitely the relationship between Faron and Elara and their dedication to each other. Though they are apart for a lot of the book, we can still feel that strong bond between them.

The world building was also pretty well done! The magic system felt unique, and I am definitely interested in seeing where it goes next. Especially with that ending!

However, some of the writing didn't quite feel as smooth as it should be, though the book definitely hit its stride in the last third of the story. Cole is a promising debut author, and I can't wait to see her grow from here!

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chainingbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

First of all, So Let Them Burn is a freaking amazing debut!!! A book about sisterhood is always my weakness and getting to have both Faron and Elara's POV made the book that much more emotional for this oldest sister. Their opposing stories and character growth did so much justice as they both want the same thing and have to navigate that desire in opposing ways.

This is the perfect example for what a queer-normative world should look like. We immediately know that Elara is a lesbian and her romance with Signey (her freaking dragon riding partner y'all!!!) is everything to me!!! When it is later revealed that Faron is demisexual, it was like a warm hug. She knows who she is and it's just wonderful.

Because of the differences in each countries magical abilities, the world building was super interesting too. San Irie's magic is very much based on an ancestral style of magic where they receive it by calling upon their ancestors. Whereas, LangIey is centered around the bond they share with their dragons. It made the idea of their previous battles and current outlook on political relations feel that much more recognizable. I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the dragons. That's right dragons!!! It was so much fun to see how Kamilah Cole built a world around dragons where each country had a different experience and view point on dragons.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking to be in the dragon moment while supporting BIPOC authors and stories.

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This is a Jamaican mythology-inspired YA fantasy, and in my opinion, the dragon story yall should be talking about! I love a story about sisters, and we get the dual-POV of them (Faron and Elara)!

Faron is the 17-year-old Child Empyrean, appointed by the gods as a human conduit of god-power, who is examining her post-war life and wants to be more than this famous godlike figure she has become. Five years ago, she fought against the Langlish Empire/their colonizers and is now a renowned revolutionary. Her younger sister Elara is tired of living in her infamous sister's shadow, and that's perfect because that sets us up for what comes next! I loved that both of them were yearning for something more, and they're just KIDS! *sobs in "I just want everyone to be okay" *

At a peace summit, Elara bonds with a dragon (!!!!), which is not supposed to happen, and it never has! I loved that KC used this chosen one trope, because Faron is chosen by the gods to be the Empyrean, but Elara is chosen to bond with this dragon. They're both chosen for different journeys, and while they're seemingly separate, the connection is what pulled me in.

This turn of events completely upends their lives, with war not being behind them anymore... with Elara having to enroll at the enemy Langlish military academy, and Faron being told (by the GODS! my GOD!!!!) that the only way to save their home San Irie is to betray her sister?!? WILD.

Reeve, Elara's best friend who is originally from Langley and the Langlish commander's son (!!! the drama!!!), helps Faron try to get Elara back home and unbonded from the dragon.

I adored the queer-normative world, with Elara's sapphic representation (her forced proximity to Signey -her dragon riding partner- is so delectably crafted! Going from annoyance to pining? LOVE it!), and Faron's demisexuality. With a group of characters that you really begin to root for, the found family comes naturally and I can't wait to see more of this in the next book <3

I enjoyed the contrast between the magic systems: San Irie has ancestral magic, and Langley's magic comes from the bond that riders have with their dragons. I do hope to see even more magic system explanations and world-building in the upcoming books because I'm a sucker for lore lol.

Be prepared for a cliffhanger. I wasn't! So I'm helping you by letting you know ahead of time! UGH!

Also, if you liked this, check out Kindling by Traci Chee (comes out in March 2024), as it follows a similar story premise of following child soldiers years after the war has passed, and how they are reckoning with their new realities and futures!

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