Reviews

This book was aggressively in the OK area for reading for me. There dragons were cool, and some of the ideas with them were interesting in how they came about and the culture that sprung up around them. The characters, well, the sister was really interesting. I liked the parts of her trying to fit in and learn in her new, hostile environment while also acting as a really bad spy. I honestly wish the book was more focused on her.

The problem was the other MC. For one thing, I kept having to remind myself that this wasn’t a sequel, or the start of a new series in an already established world, because while part of the fun in reading this is supposed to be that Faron has already had her big adventure and saved her people and this is the adventure after that, it left me needing to read the book before it. Like this book really needed to have written the first big adventure book/s before it got to this one.

Or it just could have been from her sister’s point of view, as that would have felt more natural.

Still, Faron’s parts aren’t bad, they just weren’t what I was invested in, and it felt half the time like I was getting enough of her sister trying to be this new person and navigate her new environment, because we kept going back to Faron. Like, I could have learned some of this information of how Faron (can’t actually write what happened because of spoilers).

Anyway, a fairly solid book, and I’m interested to see where it’ll go from here.

thelesbianlibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense slow-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

thebookishmindset's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

jaime_of_gryffindor's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

So Let Them Burn was a great ya fantasy read. This book’s amazing cover immediately made me want to read it. I loved the concept and storyline of this book and it was the first Jamaican-inspired book that I’ve read. I loved the dual POV between Faron and her sister Elara. This was a strong debut novel you’ll want to look out for when it comes out on January 16.

Read this if you like:

✨ YA Fantasy

✨ Dragons

✨ Chosen Ones

✨ Sisterhood

*heads up that this book does have content warnings.

natashaleighton_'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

A gorgeously immersive, fantasy debut that captured my heart just as much as it did my imagination! The writing was phenomenally lush and the complicated but heartfelt bond between sisters (and Dual POV characters) Faron and Elara had me emotionally invested from the very start. Did I also mention, it has DRAGONS?!!!

Set within a post-war, Jamaican inspired world, where the newly independent island (San Erie) is still recovering from the war with their former oppressors—and the colonial legacy left in their wake.

I LOVED every second of this and was blown away by the level of emotion that Kamilah Cole manages to imbue. Both through her detailed and emotionally nuanced characters but also the in-depth world-building and vivid, sensory descriptions that I literally couldn’t get enough of.

Like the descriptions of Deadegg, and its fossilised dragon egg, serving as a constant reminder to Faron of the cruelty and suffering inflicted by Langley (via Faron’s incredibly evocative and emotional flashbacks.) Or The Victory Garden and its lush, verdant greenery serving as a sign of a brighter future; in a Palace that had once been a barren, death shrouded ruin.

Given how intrinsically linked the themes of anti-colonialism, genocide, war and trauma are to the narrative —it’s hard not to find similarities in current real-world events. Making for a deeply emotional and highly relevant read, so do be sure to check trigger warnings.

However, unlike most fantasy novels (which end after the big battle), I loved that Cole starts hers at the end of one. Giving us a front row seat to the resilience and hard-work that goes into not only rebuilding a country destroyed by war, but also in working through the trauma that comes from experiencing such violence and destruction.

It still boggles my mind that our protagonists were only just hitting their teens when they first headed into battle—Faron being just thirteen when she took on the mantle of The Childe Empyrean, (and her sister Elara not much older.) It’s a very real aspect of war (especially in terms of the psychological impact for survivors) and one that was explored in such a nuanced and sensitive manner—I was soo emotionally invested in both of their journeys.

Though, I do admit that Elara’s arc did resonate with me the most (especially as someone with two older sisters.) And I loved that, despite feeling like she’s living in the shadow of Faron’s (already vast) legacy, she doesn’t let it affect the love she has for her. Honestly it’s one of the most realistic (and relatable) sibling relationships I think I’ve ever read!

Overall, an emotionally powerful and action packed debut that anyone who loves epic fantasy, dragons, or books exploring complex sisterly bonds should definitely consider picking up, it’s AMAZING!

Also, a huge thank you to Katya over at Little, Brown UK for the proof

Content Warnings

krp_reads's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0

tdac's review against another edition

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4.0

The parallels to bloodmarked dear god. I really enjoyed this but moreso the second half. Also loved farons pov but i was bepping for elaras. Still love her tho.

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