I received this ARC from NetGalley. The world and story is creatively and beautifully told. I love how Isabel Ibanez incorporates Hispanic culture and magic in her books to tell an amazing story filled with magic, adventure and romance.

A thrilling, action-packed story from Isabel, and honestly, when are her books NOT thrilling and captivating? A stunning world rich in color and texture, she's created a world that allows her readers to slip in effortlessly and long to never come out.

Beautiful!

<b><i>No fire, no heart. That's not a life I want. I'd rather face a dragon. </b></i>

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

This story had everything and left me wanting more! We have enemies to lovers, family above all, food and dragons!
Zarela Zalvidar is the daughter of legends. Her mother is famous and known worldwide for her flamenco dancing, while her father is a legendary Dragonador. When tragedy strikes on their 500th anniversary show, Zarela must do everything in her power to keep the arena for her family. She embodies a strong female character and proves countless times that she's willing to do anything to keep the arena, even if it means putting her life at risk. I enjoyed every second of this, especially seeing the familial relationships. Besides the romance that develops, an aspect I loved the most was seeing the nuance that dragon hunting faces, which is a reflection of bull-running. Zarela not only faces the Dragon Guild that threatens her family, but animal welfare activists who demonize and demand the dragon hunting to end. Our mc is being challenged left and right both physically and mentally. Zarela struggles to see different perspectives, but through Arturo (her love interest) she begins to understand the other side, while still embracing her family history.
Truly a magical world to enter which encompasses new levels of fantasy that highlights Spanish traditions, transforming them into something new.


✨✨✨
Favorite Quotes:
"Dragonfighting is living history, and it takes courage and grace and honor.'
'It also takes murder. You call it history, I call it archaic.'"

"'You must think me an idiot.'
'I don't think about you much at all.' 😂

"If I can't have more, then let me have less" 🥺

Together We Burn is a reluctant romance with dragons and dancing, and a bit of sabotage and mystery.
The central romance reminded me of the one in Pride and Prejudice. Both characters are attracted to one another, but both refuse to admit it to themselves. It's frustrating, in a way that builds tension instead of being annoying.
This book has been on my TBR since it was announced, and it lived up to expectations.


I received an advanced copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My strongest impression of Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez is that it really should have started at the halfway mark. The writing was good and the overall story was interesting but the plot progression and the unacceptable lack of dragons in the first half kept it from being anything more than a decent read.

The Plot
Zarela Zalvidar is the daughter of Hispalia's most famous Dragonador, basically a matador but for dragons. Her mother was killed by a dragon a year earlier and now a year later, during a dragon fight, their other dragons escape their cages and wreak havoc on the arena, killing a bunch of spectators and wounding Zarela's father. In order to save her home and arena and keep bringing in paying spectators while her father is injured she has to learn to fight dragons herself, which means employing the help of a grumpy, sullen, mysterious, and of course super hot dragonador trainer.

The Good
The writing was good; it was recognizably a YA novel, but a well-written YA novel. The world-building too, was nothing mind blowing but it was fine. I believed this ancient Spain-like country where dragons roamed and occasionally razed villages and cities.

The magic was cool, if not fully explored. People who do magic, called Magos, can store spells in cheap wands which anyone can buy and break apart to release the spell. I haven't seen that before and I enjoyed it.

Main character Zarela was also a pretty good protagonist. She wasn't necessarily likeable but she was interesting and that made the story more interesting as a whole. She was kind of dumb too, although that didn't really bother me like I know it does others. Some people are just dumb.

The Not-So-Good
Arturo. Ugh. The Dragonador trainer/eventual love interest (I'd tag that as a spoiler but come on, the second you meet him you know) is the absolute worst. He's so boring and just such a typical grumpy-mysterious-brooding man with a chip in his shoulder who has a secret he can't tell the heroine for reasons. He and Zarela had absolutely no sexual tension and while she couldn't stop obsessing over his hair and stuff he just genuinely seemed annoyed by her existence for most of the book. None of it was sexy.

I said earlier that the world building was decent, and it was, but I think the story itself could've taken place in a much more lush setting within the world the author built. We spend so much time indoors or in the dusty arena. I expected Zarela to be riding out into the countryside, hunting wild dragons but there is exactly one scene where she interacts with a dragon outside the arena. That was disappointing.

I'm not going to say anything about the ending except that it was too saccharine for my taste, even despite the fact that someone dies. Did not approve of the ending.

Overall, Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez was an okay YA romance/fantasy that could've been so much better.

Together we Burn is a completely unique story about Zarela, the daughter of a famous flamenco dancer and dragon fighter. I enjoyed the setting of the book. I thought the writing was descriptive and capture the setting using all senses. Zarela was a strong-willed, stubborn, fiery girl with deep connection to her family and her culture. Her personality and beliefs resonated with me and I really connected with her character.

I only had two complaints with this book. First, the beginning was really slow. Up until about 30/40% I really thought I might DNF. On the flip side, there was so much crammed into the last 30% of the book that I couldn't put it down. Parts of the ending did seem rushed so I wish the pacing was a bit more consistent throughout. My second complaint is the romance scenes. As an avid romance reader, the writing of these scenes just felt disjointed, unnatural, and awkward. I liked the romance aspect, but the steamier scenes were definitely written weird.

Overall, even with this faults, this incredibly unique story was a win for me. I recommend it for anyone looking for adventure, mystery, dragons, and dancing.

The beauty of Spain (reimagined as Hispalia) mixes with the drama of dragons in this beautifully written homage to the old world. In Isabel Ibañez's new book, Together We Burn, readers meet fiery Zarela Zalvidar, the only child of a famous flamenco dancer and a Dragonador. Destined to live an uncommon life, Zarela finds herself amid a storyline that even she never saw coming. Zarela is a steady, fierce presence surrounded by strong supporting characters, moving from one unexpected moment to another. Throw in a believable love story, a compelling mystery, and a dragon or two, and you have all the pieces of a fabulous story. An enjoyable read worth adding to any library and reading again and again.

Since I had enjoyed this author’s first duology I wanted to give her latest book, a standalone, a try. Her books also have great covers and it’s really hard to not want to read them, haha. They just have a way of pulling you in! I’m not going to lie, this book didn’t intrigue as much as her others but there is still some unique qualities about this book that make it stand out from others.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Zarela Zalvidar. She comes from a long line of family who have owned an arena where Dragonadors show off their skills. Her father being a very famous one. Zarela has followed in her mother’s footsteps of dancing. She is very strong-willed, especially in the face of danger, and will stop at nothing to clear her family’s name.

It is always interesting to see what authors will do with dragons. They are such versatile creatures when it comes to writing, but you also want to make sure they are given a unique job that lets them stand out from the rest. Ibañez did just that. The dragons are a key component in the story and I liked seeing how dragonadors used them (although very sad) and what Zarela had up her sleeve when it came to them. I did like the added protestors who wanted to see dragons live as it mirrored our own world with protests of venues like SeaWorld and circuses.

There are other characters in the book but I don’t think they shined as much as Zarela. It felt like the others, say for maybe Arturo, were just not as well-developed and I don’t feel like I knew them enough to warrant any feelings when something were to happen. This is one of those issues I tend to have with standalones unfortunately. I also wasn’t much of a fan of the romance either. It felt a bit rushed but I can see the appeal for it and I am sure the two will have other readers fawning over them.

Even though the characters were a bit hit-or-miss, the plot really shines from the mystery to the dragons. It can be a bit slow in areas but it sure does pick up by the end.

My only other complaint is that I wish there would have been more world development. I wanted to see more from this city as well as those from other guilds.

Overall, this was a good and interesting read. It really gave new life to dragons which was refreshing to see.

I enjoyed reading this book! The culture is beautifully portrayed, and the descriptions of food made my mouth water. There is an enemies to more relationship, and I really liked watching their relationship develop! The mystery aspect of the story was fun too, and I liked that there were dragons in the book!

Zarela is extremely stubborn and spirited, as well as a talented dancer. I enjoyed her character! I also really liked Arturo and Zarela’s best friend, Lola.

The only thing I personally didn’t care for as much was how much romance was shown. I had heard this book would be more romantic than her previous books, but I didn’t realize that that meant more specific details would be given. There is a very detailed kissing scene, as well as one short open door scene that I had to skip. I enjoyed the romance up to that part, but would have preferred it to stay fade to black or closed door.

Content:
Mild swearing plus one moderate word
Fantasy violence (a lot of people are killed by dragons)
Detailed kissing scene and one open door scene

3.5/5 stars

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This very well might be one of my all time favorite books. Think How to Train Your Dragon, but from Astrid’s POV, with more murder, hidden identities, betrayal, and romance. It was tender yet fierce, and it satisfied almost all of my musts for a YA fantasy: dragons (I’m a sucker for dragons, and will gravitate towards anything with them, but I’m also incredibly wary of stories that just stick dragons in without really exploring their nature - this book does dragons *right*), some enemies to lovers romance, a headstrong, near-vicious heroine, a tortured love interest who only treats her well in the grand scheme of things (but also curses her out 24/7), a strong best friends friendship, some exploration of identity, and an unapologetic depiction of a beautiful culture that needs more representation on the page.

Before diving in, you have to suspend disbelief in this book. I mean, we are talking about dragons, to be fair. So sure, some of the elements are quite out there, but it’s grounded in a very believable setting (probably because the author puts so much energy into exploring comparisons to actual, similar traditions). My only comment would be, I saw the two main betrayals coming. The big secret kept from Zarela? I knew right away. And the ultimate bad guy? I suspected pretty early on, but questioned myself a few times as the book went on, only to be proven right. I don’t think this is a bad thing. For one, it’s about Zarela coming to terms with these betrayals, and honestly, the first betrayal is for her own good and is resolved pretty neatly, in a way that I think makes sense for her character and her healing. The second betrayal I wanted a little more from. The “ah-ha” scene was a little heavy handed with the explanations as to why they did what they did, and I wish I had seen a little more of that hinted in the text.

But other than that, this book was such a balm to my How to Train Your Dragon loving heart, to see such maturity mapped onto this story, with twists that really morphed this into its own exploration of human arrogance versus tradition, violence versus spectacle, self versus world. Arturo and Zarela really met in the middle, having come from two very opposed views of dragons, and actually found a middle ground wherein their beliefs truly changed and matured, rather than just compromising in name for each other. The growth was there, and I only wish we had more growth with Zarela and the dragons.


I will cherish this book forever, and you’ll hear me shouting it from every rooftop, and every platform I have. This is one to read, to love. My most anticipated book of the year did not disappoint.

This was an enjoyable book. But it’s not the best I’ve read. A nice quick read that entertaining. The plot was okay, the characters were okay. Personally my favorite character were Lola and I wish we had gone more in depth with her relationship.
The plot was okay. Like I sense the vibe, but I wasn’t like 😩😩omg. The plot was unexpected and I actually liked it. The author made the villain literally insane and that was very entertaining. I got a little lost, because at first Zarela was like “dragon fighting is traditional, dragons are evil, we can’t change” then all of a sudden she suddenly never wants to fight one. That was a sudden jump and I feel like it just wasn’t looked into that deeply. Also at the end it says the epilogue is a few weeks later, and they mention Lola getting an internship and finishing in those few weeks. That just makes no sense logistically.
I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers, but I feel like the lovers happened quickly. Like one moment Arturo literally hates Zarela, then the next moment they all of a sudden want to kiss. I feel like there should have been more interactions where we see them actually falling in love. It felt very sudden, but there were still some cute moments, like the cave scene and him Sneaking into her room.
Overall I would recommend it, despite those few things it was relatively entertaining and I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers.

A fascinating tale spiced with lush culture, evocative prose, a relatable heroine, and heart-pounding stakes, Together We Burn is sure to please.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc for an honest opinion.

Please take in mind it’s my opinion, and everyone is allowed to have one.

This book included DRAGONS so it was an instant like for me. The world building was so great, very interesting story as well and the plot??? I was shocked, didn’t expect that. And the slow burn romance? The tension was killing me!

Zarela was such a strong, independent character, wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, YOU GO QUEEN! I also liked the other characters, they were all so unique.

So if you’re in for a fast read with a great world building, amazing characters, DRAGONS, and a slow burn romance? This is it!

Zarela Zalvidar is a popular flamenco dancer and the daughter of a famous Dragonador, which is similar to a matador except with dragons. When tragedy strikes during one of their shows and her father is injured, saving their home and the arena falls to Zarela. But as another accident occurs, Zarela suspects that foul play is involved. Many people would love to see the Zalvidar family fail, including political enemies, activists, and more. But who targeted her family?

Zarela knows she must open the arena as quickly as possible in order to earn enough money to pay their debts or risk losing everything. She decides to take her father’s place as Draganador, but with little experience and in need of new dragons, Zarela needs assistance. She enlists the begrudging help of dragon hunter Arturo Díaz de Montserra, but their growing and contradictory relationship complicates things. Will they be able to save Zare;a’s home and arena before it’s too late, and will they figure out who is targeting the family? Plus, what secrets is Arturo hiding, and how do they connect to Zarela?

I loved this book! It was one of my most anticipated YA fantasy reads of 2022, and it surpassed my expectations. I love the author’s writing style and how the story pulls you in from the very beginning. Set in a unique fantasy world inspired by medieval Spain, the story is rich in culture and super immersive. The story is so vivid and detailed, and the author’s use of dialogue, symbolism, and sensory and figurative language is exceptional. I found myself writing a lot of notes and highlighting many poignant and thought-provoking passages throughout my reading because I enjoyed the writing so much. I also like how balanced the book is. The world-building, plot, and character development are all well-developed and intriguing, yet none detracts or overshadows the others. Ibañez has a gift for storytelling, that’s for sure!

The plot is well-developed and intriguing, and betrayals, life-threatening situations, and several twists and turns create a suspenseful and exciting story. Between dragons escaping, underhanded politicians threatening Zarela’s livelihood, and Zarela’s dangerous mission to save her family, there is never a dull moment in the book.

Zarela is such a compelling protagonist, and I loved her story. Smart, determined, and driven, Zarela will do whatever it takes to keep the family business afloat and protect her family’s reputation. Zarela is fiercely loyal to her family, and she loves her parents more than anything. She grieves the loss of her mother deeply, which is something I totally related to. I thought her feelings about her mother and the grief she is burdened with were very realistic, and it resonated so much with me. Zarela often lives in the shadow of her parents’ fame, and I liked seeing her slowly define herself as an individual and not just as her parent’s daughter. She is tested and questioned and doubted, but she faces all obstacles and roadblocks with grit, passion, and a drive to prove herself and save her family.

Arturo is super swoon-worthy!! He is so mysterious and secretive, yet beneath that prickly exterior, he is also good and kind and ethical. I always love a handsome, conflicted, brooding hero, and Arturo is all that and more. He is an amazingly talented dragon trainer, and he has very strong views about dragons and their treatment. Though he has a gruff, closed-off demeanor, he slowly reveals the complex and dynamic man he is. I love his quiet strength, patience, and how he slowly changes as he grows closer to Zarela.

The slow-building, enemies-to-lovers romance between Zarela and Arturo is one of my favorite parts of the story (no shock there!). This pair has so much chemistry, and I love how their love story unfolds and grows. They have a fantastic love-hate connection, and their relationship is emotionally charged from their first meeting. So many secrets stand in their way, but there is also a ton of passion between them. And they have such fabulous banter. Whenever they’re together, whether they’re working or arguing or doing something mundane, the sparks always fly. They antagonize each other, commiserate together, and show each other possibilities they never anticipated. And when Arturo plays the guitar for Zarela – sa-woon!!!

The secondary characters are great too, and I especially like Lola. Lola is a good friend, and she has an intriguing story too. She is so witty and protective, and I loved the scenes with her in them. The story also includes a complex social structure, conflicting political and ethical beliefs, the battle between tradition and the desire for change, and themes of family, honor, forgiveness, identity, and more. There are so many thought-provoking and relevant topics woven into this layered, magical, and captivating story.

I adored Together We Burn (Ahhh – that title!! One of my favorite parts of the book has this line in it, and it’s fan-tastic!!). It’s a unique, magical, and intriguing story, and I loved the characters and the romance! I highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy rich, immersive, and romantic YA or NA fantasy. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and the author for providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What a multicultural mashup! So instead of a bullfight with Matadore, we have a dragonfight with a Dragonador! And, dancing and bright colors and family coliseums! At the forefront of all the action, is family and courage. Great, fast-moving plot and unforgettable characters! Can't wait to pass this along to other readers.

First off- this cover is AMAZING.

Secondly- what’s not to like? Great banter, cool world building, romance, and DRAGONS!

Pacing was a little weird, but that’s a minor fuss for a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the review copy!

I had such high expectations and they did fall short here. I love dragons and the idea of the plot, but the execution wasn’t what I had hoped. I read one of the authors’ other novels before and I was totally encapsulated in the story and magic. This one I did not feel the same about. The romance was subpar but I think the cover is so stunning.

I enjoyed reading this unique story! The world the author built was richly detailed with a complex social hierarchy, and very cool dragons. The themes of family and honor were incorporated into the story through the character's actions well. I liked the romance between Zarela and Arturo, with the exception of the two fairly explicit sexual scenes that were inappropriate for a YA book marketed to 13–18-year-old children.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this arc.

Although this was slightly predictable I enjoyed it. All you had to say was dragons and you had me. This was a great story that was super fun to read. I hope that we get more books set in this world.

Together We Burn follows Zarela Zalvidar, daughter of a famous dragonadore (think bullfighting but with dragons) and a renowned flamenco dancer, set in a fantasy world inspired by medieval Spain. Tragedy strikes Zarela’s family when a dragon fight goes awry resulting in her mother’s death – but the show must go on. Dragon fighting is a dangerous sport after all, and no one in the stands is truly safe. While healing from the loss, Zarela’s family suffers another devastating blow when all their dragons escape during a show resulting in casualties and the injuring of her father. But all is not what it seems, and this accident may be more nefarious – but who would want to do harm to her family? Zarela must step up to clear her family’s name, keep the doors of their arena open before it’s too late. To help her she enlists Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, a reluctant participant in her quest and a once-famous dragon fighter turned dragon hunter with a secretive past.

Zarela is a wonderful character with lots of drive, with the core motivation of protecting her family and ancestral home above all else. She’s lived a somewhat privileged life thus far with lots of luxuries, but when that is all in jeopardy, she is more than willing to step outside of her comfort zone and do what’s needed to further her cause. With this motivation comes wonderfully rich relationships with her father, friend Lola, and caretaker Ofelia. These relationships and conversations are some of the best parts of this book and seeing the inclusion of strong secondary relationships outside of only romance in a YA book are always refreshing. Zarela is a character that is easy to root for, and Ibañez does a phenomenal job of making readers emotionally invested in her quest to clear her family’s name from defamation.

While our heroine Zarela is a fiery passionate character, her love interest Arturo, lacked something to connect readers to him. Ibañez gives Arturo a rich backstory with lots of details, but there was no inclusion of his POV chapters as it is Zarela’s story so he’s not quite as compelling of a character and lacks reader investment Together, Zarela’s and Arturo’s romance would fall under the tropes of “slow burn” and “hate-to-love”, but lacked some banter and tension. Their moment of passion and giving in really fell flat without the proper lead-up and it was much like a flip had been switched from a reader’s perspective for Arturo’s change of heart toward Zarela. Truly, the believability of the romance suffered without insight into his thoughts through POV chapters.

In the real-world, bullfighting has long been a hotly debated topic. The brutality of the sport is too much for some, but others argue for the long-held tradition that contains cultural significance. Ibañez does a fantastic job presenting the dichotomy that exists in the real world through this dragon-fighting fantasy. Readers will feel at the deaths of dragons even though they are only ever presented as animals in this story and never truly humanized. Even though a dragon is never given the “Disney treatment” and made to be a beloved character, you can’t help but feel sympathy for every dragon death in the arena.

Finally, Ibañez’s true strength is in her worldbuilding and descriptions. Every meal is full of rich and wonderful food descriptions that leave readers’ mouths watering and in search of a snack. Every journey Zarela takes transports the reader to Hispalia. She truly is a phenomenal writer of details without being too wordy and creates tangible, fleshed-out fantasy worlds with tons of lore, culture, and atmosphere.