What's it about (in a nutshell):
Together We Burn is a fantasy tale about a medieval Spanish-inspired world where dragons are hunted and forced into an arena with a Dragonador who artfully recreates the hunt as only they can do. But, when Zarela's family of dragonadors comes under fire, they could lose everything – their home, their arena, and hundreds of years of tradition. Zarela stands up and fights back, determined to keep her family's legacy alive.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover is beautiful, but the only insight I see in it is the Spanish influences. The blurb on the cover, "These flames will ignite her," is intriguing. Whoever or whatever the she is, it sounds like her passions will be discovered. From the book blurb, I learn that the setting is a fantasy version of Spain where instead of Matadors, there are Dragonadors. I love that there are dragons in this story, but I'm not sure how I feel about them in the context of being hunted and part of a tradition that will end in their death. It also sounds as if the main character Zarela may become the first (?) female dragonador. Also, I have mixed feelings about that but love the whole potential female empowerment angle.
Actual Reading Experience:
I loved that the world is based on medieval Spanish culture. It's a culture very rich in the arts and very expressive in all that they do. The story reflected all of this more, even interspersing dialogue with whole sentences in Spanish. I loved that as it provided an air of authenticity to the fantasy world.
Dragons and magic are my two favorite components found in fantasy stories, and though they are both vaguely included in this story, I enjoyed what it had of them very much. The magic system is simplistic enchanting magic that magic-wielders sell to everyone who has the money to pay. The more you pay for an enchantment, the better quality of magic. The story does not delve into this system in detail, but I enjoyed what it did have. The story treated dragons very similarly. We see them in generic ways in the arena and learn of their destructive powers. It was not until later in the book that I saw the aspects that I enjoyed.
The world-building in this story did not pull me in and immerse me as I expected, and I'm not sure I had enough sensory knowledge for it to be able to succeed in that regard. But the characters are well-developed, and I loved Zarela's fiery determination and Arturo's genuine nature. Zarela tells this story in first-person narration, which gives it that personal touch that makes it relatable. The pace is not too slow but nor is it fast, and it stays at about a medium pace from start to finish.
Characters:
The characters are the most vital component of this story. Their hearts are laid bare, and their pain, hopes, and fears all come through in explosive ways that kept the story interesting to me. Arturo is my favorite character because he is a man after my own heart, and I could completely sympathize with his plight. Whereas I admired Zarela's fight and drive, I found myself unable to sympathize with her endeavors.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you enjoy exploring the Spanish culture in new and inventive ways, Together We Burn is just the fantasy tale for you.

Zarela is the heir to greatness - her mother is one of the most famous flamenco dancers to grace the stages of Hispalia, and her father is one of many in a long line of celebrated Dragonadors. Life was great for them for a while, but things started to go downhill after the death of her mother. After another tragedy strikes during the 500th anniversary show for the family’s arena, will Zarela be able to figure out what happened and save her family’s legacy before it's too late?

The main characters in this book were wonderful. I empathize with all the emotions Zarela went through when she realized the weight of her family’s legacy (on both sides) had suddenly fallen on her shoulders. I also was quite amused by the stubbornness that Arturo displayed throughout the course of the book (who doesn’t love a grumpy hero)? Ms. Ibanez nailed the emotion and the banter between Zarela and Arturo, and I’m absolute trash for the enemies to lovers romance trope so *shrug* - what more can I say?

The worldbuilding in Together We Burn was, in a single word, impressive. I loved all the little tidbits about the various dragon species that dragonadors face in the ring (and dragons in general make every story better). The political system and the way power was structured in Hispalia was super cool. I also loved learning about the history of Zarela and her family’s legacy (the arena they run has been in the family for 500 years). The author did note that the setting of the book was inspired by Medieval Spain, and the characters do use Spanish in the book, but I never had an issue understanding what was being said. As a side note, I abhor books where you have to break out Google Translate to know what’s going on (especially since translator apps never get the translation quite right).

My only complaint or reservation about the book was the level of predictability. I was never surprised by anything that was going on, and that was kind of disappointing. Despite this, I was still entranced by the story and left wanting more. I’m kind of sad that this is a standalone instead of the first book in a full series, but I think the story ended in a good place (there are no cliffhangers or loose story threads to worry about).

Overall, Together We Burn is a fantastic new young adult fantasy romance book. If a story about dragon matadors with a fierce heroine and a brooding hero sounds like your cup of tea, then don’t wait to pick up Together We Burn today!

Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is the daughter of famous parents. Her mother was the most cherished flamenco dancer in Hispalia prior to her death and her father is the most celebrated Dragonador. For a time, the family seemed to have it all. Their own arena, their own dragons and flocks of adoring spectators arriving for all of their shows.

After the tragic death of her mother, however, things begin to spiral for the Zalvidars, made worse after another tragedy strikes during their 500th-anniversary show. Zarela's father is seriously injured during the incident, as well as many others, and since it involved some of the Zalvidar's dragons, the family is being blamed. Now they face punishment from the Dragon Guild and could potentially lose their ancestral home, as well as their livelihood.

Zarela must keep the arena running on her own. She has to keep money coming in. In order to do so, she decides she needs to take her father's place in the ring. She needs to become a Dragonador. To prepare herself for the ring though, she'll need training, and more dragons. Therefore, she ends up reaching out to dragon hunter, Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, to basically beg him for his help.

While at first Arturo turns Zarela away, she is determined and not taking no for an answer. Ultimately, after an amazing show of will, he's impressed by her stubbornness. It's clear she's not leaving without a yes. Arturo agrees to help and along with two dragons, they return to Zarela's home to train and prepare for the show.

During all of this, Zarela also has suspicions that the tragedies involving her family and their shows haven't been accidents. She thinks someone is purposefully trying to bring them down and she means to get to the bottom of it.

Sweeping through this intricate and wonderfully-developed world, Together We Burn had me completely entranced from start-to-finish!

I absolutely adored this. It's not a very complicated story, but what's here is beautifully done. It's a story of family, tradition, legacy and a new generations forging their own path while simultaneously paying tribute to those who came before.

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

I found the world to be extremely creative. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. The whole concept of the dragon fights, that practice, the similarities to traditional bullfighting, was very interesting to read about.

I liked that Ibañez gave her two main characters opposing views on the practice, as that let her give voice to both sides of the controversial issue. Personally, I thought that was handled very well. At first I was a little concerned about that aspect of the story. I mean, even though dragons are fictional, I love them and don't want to see them harmed.

I also enjoyed the characters so much and the mystery that ran throughout. Zarela was a great character to follow and the dynamic between her and Arturo gave the story just the right amount of humor and romance.

Finally, I really loved how this wrapped-up. I am more of a series girl, overall, as I feel some standalones leave me wanting more, but I was so pleased with the way this concluded. I walk away a happy girl!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I can't wait to read more from Isabel Ibañez!!

I honestly didn't like this book. I knew after chapter 2 or 3 that I wasn't vibing with the writing. If it wasn't for the audiobook, I would have DNF'd. I was just confused.

Narrators Ana Osorio did a great job.

I received this audiobook and book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was super excited to read Together We Burn, but I was super let down. Althogh the premise is fantastic and had a lot of potential, and the fantasy elements are intriguing, the way the story plays out is lackluster. There was a huge lack of character development and I found myself forcing my way through the story because the author focuses so much on the settings. Unfortunately, the lack of balance made me not want to finish it - but I forced myself to, and ended up dissapointed.

Imagine…
Matadors but with DRAGONS 🐉

Flamenco dancing 💃

A sprinkle of magic ✨

A dash of spice 🌶

A story that engulfs you like a warm cup of café con leche ☕️

@isabelwriter09 truly delivers in this amazing world full of Hispanic heritage and girl power.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me early access to this wonderful world.

#togetherweburn is out 5/31

Together We Burn had a combination of romance, action, and mystery to keep me interested and curious. I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but I enjoyed this world and the characters. It takes place in Hispalia and is modeled after medieval Spain. I especially liked the dragons and the mystery of Zarela's family possibly being sabotaged.

While I did like most parts, I wish there was more details and thought when creating the magic used and a better twist at the end. I also wish there was a bit more chemistry between Zarela and Arturo, their romance was predictable.

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez had me intrigued the second I saw the beautiful cover reveal and knew I wanted to read it! The concept was very interesting and I wanted to love the characters but something just didn't quite hit the mark for me. Maybe it was the pacing or maybe the characters weren't developed enough for my liking - this is a weird one because I really cannot pinpoint what exactly I didn't like. The details and descriptions seemed to take center stage, allowing little to no room for a full plot and character development.

I was really excited to read this book and my excitement paid off! I love the world building in this book and how it takes well known traditions and applies it to this world and can I just say, dragons! I love the twist on bull fighting turned dragon fighting! Zarela is a great flamenco dancer who through tragedy must learn to conquer her fears and become a Dragonador. Enter Arturo who begrudgingly agrees to train her despite his own beliefs. While learning how to be a Dragonador, Zarela also has to figure out who is trying to destroy her family and their legacy. The slow burn romance puts the icing on the cake!

This book sounded very interesting, and I was excited to read it. But I just could not get into it. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and the pacing felt very slow. It seemed like the author was spending too much time carefully crafting the setting and descriptions, that actual events and action and plot points got left by the wayside. I love immersive descriptions and usually think that they add wonderful layers and depth to books. But in this case, all of the similes and adjectives and metaphors and everything began to border on florid and repetitious. It was too much. I got really tired of how burning hot the sand was and dazzling the dresses were and...etc. I needed more focus on the plot and the characters.

This book was so good. I love Isabel Ibañez's writing. She creates such vibrant worlds that are beautiful and magical, but also realistic because you can truly sense the culture she's drawing on. In the case of this book, she utilizes a lot of classic Spanish culture to help shape her magical world. I love that her other series was Latin America based, and now this one is Spain. Also, dragons? Throw dragons into any story and you've won me over. The writing was beautiful, the story was so good, if I had anything negative to say it would be that I felt it got a little slow in the middle, but otherwise it was an overall fantastic story that I'll definitely need copies of in my classroom!

Ibañez has crafted a beautiful story that melds so many delicious things to create a fantastic alternate world where many kinds of dragons exist, hunting in the wild and destructive of cities, deadly to their inhabitants. There is the discipline of flamenco and the romance that uses elements of tango to meld the back and forth enchantment of the main protagonists. There is dragon fighting in arenas that incorporate techniques of bullfighting. There is mirror dancing that brings to mind dog dance competitions. There are themes of animal cruelty and those who try to stop dragon fighting on the grounds it is cruel. What truly sings, however, is the burgeoning relationship between the main characters and the eventual resolution of the HEA with its mutual respect for each other’s dreams and goals. Impeccably written. Engaging. A magical tale for modern times.

Isabel Ibańez writes some of the most beautiful worlds you will ever find in standalone stories! Her world building is intrinsically natural, beautiful, bright, so full of culture and history. It’s really unparalleled to find that much depth in a standalone. I find her characters to be relatable and highly believable.

This story has dragons, dragon fighters (think bullfighting in Spain), flamenco dancing, a strong female character, and a slow burn romance to die for. It’s on the younger side of YA but I think it worked so well.

Now a caveat… pacing in standalone’s can sometimes be an issue for readers. They tend to either start out too slow or lack good time management aka the ending is rushed. I will say that this one comes out the gate fiery and action packed and yet gets a little slow. I know that doesn’t make sense but I can see some people finding it slow going. This is a book you need to be in the right mood for. I started it and stopped it twice until I was in the right frame of mind to truly appreciate and enjoy it. Once I was it just flowed beautifully. The ending as with pretty much every standalone I’ve ever read was a little quick, but it worked for the story. Over all Isabel is an auto read for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I was SO SO SO excited for this between the flamenco dancing and DRAGONS?? Like...c'mon...DANCING AND DRAGONS. I love Zarela, the main character. I think she represents such a beautiful, determined, kindred spirit. The premise of the world involves dragons that roam free with different Gremios (guilds) existing in a semi-medieval/renaissance feeling world in Spain. The dragons take the place of bulls in bullfighting arenas, and it's a LONG standing tradition. After Zarela's father is injured in the ring...after their dragons are let go....and there's destruction...a of it....Zarela has to save her family name. Enter: ARTURO! Who is such a grump but cares for the dragons. Not only is Zarela figuring out the mystery of why their dragons were let go...but she's also learning to fight dragons...and dance again...and a DARE I SAY SLOW ~~ BURN ~~ with Arturo.

The plot was really slow until about 60% into the book and then I couldn't put it down. The slow burn (sorry, just the burn pun makes me happy) between Zarela and Arturo is intoxicating, and there are some really, really beautiful quotes. There's also just a LITTLE bit of explicit spice but not too much...but enough that I was surprised for this being "YA." The twist at the end was well done, and I never saw it coming.

Star deduction mostly due to the pacing...the rest of this was MAGICAL.

Full Disclosure: This book was read as an e-ARC (Advance Reader Copy) obtained via Netgalley from the publisher in advance of the book's release on May 31, 2022 in exchange for a potential review. I give my word that this did not affect my review in any way - if I felt conflicted in any way, I would simply have declined to review the book.


Together We Burn is the latest from Young Adult Fantasy Writer Isabel Ibañez, whose last duology was the Bolivian-culture inspired Woven in Moonlight/Written in Starlight. Both books in that duology dealt with pretty predictable and well-trodden themes, but the culture showed was interesting and the second book dealt with those themes in some pretty surprising ways, with its protagonist being antagonistic to start and realizing her wrong and the horrors of the cycles of oppression in the less obvious way. So I was definitely curious in trying this next work, which trades the Bolivian inspiration for a Spanish one, taking the bullfighting culture and replacing it with dragon-fighting instead.

And Together We Burn is fine - a perfectly solidly executed YA fantasy featuring a girl desperate to save her family and its name in a dragon-fighting/dancing business, while also trying to deal with a potential romance and a conspiracy to take her family down. At the same time, it's also incredibly generic and predictable - the mystery antagonist turns out to be the obvious one any reader will have seen a million times, the romance isn't anything special, and the resolution of things comes in a way you'll likely expect as well. There's something that's often comforting in predictability or doing the same thing over and over in many novels, but you usually need something stand out in character or setting or something to accompany that predictability, and that's not here, leaving a very solid but not special book here.


------------------------------------------------Plot Summary---------------------------------------------------------
Zarela Zalvidar's mother was a legendary Flamenco dancer, known for performing prior to her father, a legendary Dragonador (Dragon-Fighter), fought a dragon in the arena. After she died in a dragon accident, Zarela has tried to make her proud by continuing her legacy...even though the fans would prefer to see Zarela dance like her mother than show off who she herself is.

But one day something does wrong, and her family's dragons get loose, her father badly injured, and she finds herself and her family with such debts that they are in danger of losing everything - their name and their fortune, as well as their lives. With everything at stake, Zarela decides that she has one choice: to put on a show the people have never seen before, with herself as the first female Dragonador, to raise the money she needs. But with her father injured, the only person who can train her is the stubborn, rude, and talented Arturo Diaz de Montserrat - a handsome young man who has sworn off dragon fighting in favor of a dream of saving dragons and giving them a place on his own.

Arturo is infuriating....and intriguing, and he might just help her save her name....if she can convince him it's worth it. But her family's bad fortune turns out to have been foul play, and she might also have to deal with the possibility that someone else will take steps to ensure that she doesn't succeed at turning it around...by any means necessary...
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Together We Burn takes place in a clearly Spanish inspired world - a world where Flamenco dancing is a prestigious art, and where fighting a beast with a red cloth in front of fans is an artform....except it isn't bullfighting, it's dragon fighting. Spanish words and dialogue are peppered throughout, but rarely more than in single phrases and sentences at a time (and never in anything beyond an elementary level so I could understand everything), so even if you don't speak Spanish, you'll have no problem understanding and it does make the world feel more like its inspiration.

At the same time, it doesn't really do anything that interesting with that inspiration, with the extent of its Spanishness being "there's Spanish, Bullfighting with Dragons, and Dancing, so that's Spain for you!". And the substitution of dragons for bulls is kind of wasted too, with the book occasionally noting the different type of dragons, but other than one type of dragon being the rare type that killed Zarela's mother, there really isn't anything special or magical about the dragons to make them special or make it feel like they almost couldn't be bulls and the story would barely change. Other than them flying and being dangerous with fire, there really isn't anything about the dragons that inspires wonder or fear, which really feels like a waste and makes the story kind of feel meh.

The same is true of the characters and the rest of the plot. Zarela is a perfectly fine heroine - stubborn and determined to save her family name, not to just sell herself off in marriage, even if that means confronting a fear of dragons she has had deep inside. When she finds something she thinks she needs - like Arturo's help - she's determined to get it no matter what, and honestly the best part of the book is the ridiculous lengths to which Zarela goes to get him to leave his job caring for dragons to come work for her. But she's not any type of heroine you won't have seen before. Similarly her chemistry with her best friend and worker Lola is rather adorable, even if the book's attempts to make Lola's mysterious secret outings with the magic guild apprentice friend she fancies don't really work.

But the other characters never feel like more than perfunctory or means to an end, whether that be the potentially jealous Dragon Guild master or the protestors against Dragon Fighting, none of whom get any depth even when there might be one. Even love interest Arturo is very generic, with his conflict over helping Zarela despite hating dragon fighting just kind of glazed over in the end when things take a predictable turn to avoid any conflict there in favor of other conflict. And the plot's mystery, about who is behind trying to ruin Zarela's family business and name,, is well super obvious such that you'll see it coming a mile away since there's a lack of suspects who get any development at all....and even the real antagonist doesn't get enough page time for his villainy to make really any impact.

Again, none of this is bad. Together We Burn's plot is perfectly functional, if unexceptional, its characters are fine, and the setting is done just well enough to work, even if not to stand out. The romance is similarly functional, with it not being particularly hot even in its sex scene and prior romantic scene, but working well. This is not a YA fantasy book anyone is going to read and probably strongly dislike. But there isn't really anything here to love either.

Together we burn weaves the famous ancestry of bullfighting and mix it with dragon-fighting and Hispanic dancing. The cultural ties in this book are rich. They are easy to imagine as you read the story of Zarela, who is willing to do anything to save her family legacy, including learning to fight in the arena. Flamenco dancing, fighting dragons to the death, this story never comes off as dull. Each time Zarela chooses to save her family arena, you can feel her determination and grit, especially the part where she refuses to leave tell she convinces the dragon tamer to help her. The solution to the bloodshed was unexpected but the perfect way to change the dragons' future and the rest of the arena's history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was incredible and was the first book that I throughly enjoyed this year. This was one of the only books I truly savored this year as I did not want this story to ever end. The world building is amazing and Ibanez created such a beautiful and lush world for her story. The slow burn romance in this novel was done very well and was great! Also anything with dragons makes me happy! This has been my favorite book in 2022 so far! I plan on making Ibanez an auto-buy author for my bookshelves.

Great idea for a story but fell short for me in the world building area, the characters and depth.
Was a short and easy read overall. Just wasn’t much of a fan. I liked it for the most part though!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the e-arc of Together We Burn.

Here are a few things I loved about this book:
• the dragons
• a fiery main character
• the strong family bonds
• enemies to lovers romance🔥

This book was a lot bloodier and darker than I anticipated! It was gritty and dangerous. I really felt transported to Santivilla.

Steam: one brief, mild open door scene
TW: blood, murder, death (burned alive)

I loved so much about this one. Zarela and her fiery determination. Grumpy Arturo. Her friendship with Lola. This colorful city and it’s ferocious dragons. The way that Spanish culture is weaved into this lush fantasy. I could not wait to see what happened - and bonus! This is a standalone.

I do think many of the plot twists were predictable, but I couldn’t stop reading, and enjoyed so much my time in Santavilla.