Reviews with content warning for War - So Let Them Burn

Reviews tagging 'War'

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

76 reviews

sydapel's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

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

4.25

A really stunning debut novel that centers the complications of sisterhood and colonialism, plus dragons!! What more could you want?!? I've been teasing my friend that I'm going to read the Fourth Wing book just to see what all the hype is about, but she recommended this instead and it was so worth my time. My only wish is that the third act was less rushed, in reading it I felt like it left me with far more questions than answers, even though I know there will be a sequel.

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clovetra's review against another edition

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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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pipn_t's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Overall enjoyable but there were some questionable choices made. The moral messaging felt about as subtle as a hammer, and the romantic side plots were both felt forced. I also question some of the logic that drove the plot a little. One character was said to have “lost his mind” who seemed perfectly rational and coherent to me. I think the author has built a really interesting world and I hope they write more, hopefully further instalments will be more polished up.

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katischr's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This book was so beautifully written and the world building and magic systems were so amazing and unique. It frustrated me so bad every time Faron made a terrible decision and I wished that we could have seen positive character development from her, but I suppose that is all a part of the Reading A YA Novel As An Adult Experience (tm)

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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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cielosiluminado'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

“Being forced to learn the language of your oppressors is an oppression of the mind. They rewrite your history when you're too young to know what you're giving away, and before you know it, it's too late to reclaim what you've lost...”

i genuinely think this story could have been really amazing, and maybe the sequel will be, but this book lacked something i couldn’t even pinpoint in the end. i thoroughly enjoyed the influences of the jamaican and carribean folklore/fantasy that was interwoven in this story.

the initial world-building was beautiful. and the fictional cultures, a formerly occupied island-country and the occupiers, and their histories, were also so complex in the beginning but then it got to a point where we had to guess something when it came to their histories because it wasn’t previously stated.

the magic system in this story was interesting and the dragons were cute. it was some of the best fleshed out aspects of the story.

the miscommunication in this story between the two protagonists, who are sisters, made me want to rage. there was moments where i had to set the book down to take a breather lol.

despite how much it made me want to rage, the miscommunication also progressed the story and made it so dramatic and fantastical in the end, which kept me captured. a double-edged sword trope? i don’t know, but i am intrigued to read the sequel.

-----

I NEED TO PROCESS THIS — rtc

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caitlin_bookchats's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring 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

Y'all, I'm unsure whether I'll eventually settle on 5 stars

such a strong debut!

or 4

there's no ending! I'm feeling very unsure about Faron as wingleader.

What I am certain of is this is the strongest YA debut I've read in years.

This world and these characters are so fully realized with allusions to a full revolution happening years before simply adds to what we are seeing here. Cole's two points of view are distinct not just in setting but in attitude and she balances them well, switching at just the right point in the story.

I would highly recommend this to fans of fantasy with inventive magic, dragon book enjoyers, and people who have ever asked what happens 5 years _after_ the secret teen queen, her magical child warrior, and the magical child's protective sister throw off the chains of imperialism and have to, you know, actually run the country.

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alsira98's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

4.0

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ssinforshort's review

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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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infusedchai's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this book turned me into an enemies to lovers fan. beautifully written and i can’t wait for the second book!

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