Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - So Let Them Burn

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So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

23 reviews

clovetra's review

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 against another edition

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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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ssinforshort's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

1.5

When at least one of the Black MC's two love interests aren't Black, I know the book isn't for me. Not only that, the love interest is the colonizing rulers son? Like, come on.

Besides that, for a fantasy I feel like more should happen. There are so few real, flushed out characters in the story, that I felt like I was reading two very long conversations.

Plus, I'm not the biggest fan of enemies to lovers, but this was just felt so forced. Paraphrasing "he's evil and my enemy... look at his beautiful blue eyes in the sunlight." Eyerolling to oblivion.

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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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ainadei's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

3.5

Okay, WOW. What a book. The premise of it all was so interesting too. Two sisters, a war, Jamaican mythology, and dragons! How could I resist?

I won't lie, the first quarter of the book was a huge struggle for me. The constant mentions of the war and the child soldiers who saved their country within it had me suspending my disbelief much more than I wanted. I really had to push through, wondering what would've been wrong with having characters who were a little older. Outside of the plot, there are also a few strange sounding metaphors and similes that made me go "huh?".

Faron was also very frustrating for me most of the book, making me wonder how she made it through the war the way that was described if she was as immature and short-sighted as she was during the book. Elara's journey and growth however was a beautiful thing to read, and I loved seeing her develop throughout the book. The strength of their bond was something so powerful that I hadn't read in a book like this before and I absolutely loved it, especially as an oldest sister who'd do anything for her younger ones.

After the first quarter of the book, the story really picked up and became something magical!! The world building is good, the plot twists are twisting, and the way it all comes together in the end has ensured that I will be reading the next book once it's out!!

If you love dragons, magic, and well written sibling bonds, this is for you! If you're the type to DNF a book quickly, this is probably not for you, lol.

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

4.0

It took a little effort to get into this, but the story started to flow about 25 percent of the way in. I liked the characters quite a bit, especially Ilora. I think the book could have started stronger if it hadn't yada yada-ed the whole war that took place before the book. There was a lot of exposition that could have been more engaging in a show, not tell model.

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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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hellodebbies's review

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challenging informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

Loved it !
It is fast-paced, the plot is fluid and the characters are really great (well I admit sometimes they make us roll our eyes)
I really liked the contrast of the two sisters, on one hand we have Faron who is quite selfish and behaves like a kid (which can be understandable since she went to war at twelve 💀). On the other hand, we have Elara who is the very definition of the older sister, very serious and altruistic.
The romance (which are not the main point of the book) were good 😌 Kamilah knows how to write romance.
The idea of following the story after the "main" events

the first strategy, to conquer and to wake the dragon+Gael, failed but the commander found another way to reach his goal even if it took more time

was a refreshing idea and was well executed. Not once, I felt lost.
Super interesting villain, especially with the gods and the parallels of the children Empyrean is interesting as well

We have to admit that if the gods had told the truth, BUT REALLY ALL THE TRUTH, Faron would have made better choices

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abby_can_read's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

📖
I had a wonderful time reading this book. I liked that it started post-independence war in a time of unsettled peace while everyone was trying to heal from the previous war. The characters were good and I adored their relationships. I liked the pacing and the plot was entertaining.

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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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