Together We Burn follows Zarela, a flamenco dancer and daughter to one of the most talented Dragonadors in Hispalia. After a tragedy occurs and her father is injured, it's up to Zarela to protect her family's name and home from further damage and from the Dragon Guild. She teams up with a grumpy dragon hunter, who can teach her to be a Dragonador. But things aren't what they seem and Zarela will have to uncover the truth and hopefully find a way to save her family's home.

Full of gorgeous imagery and scrumptious food descriptions, Together We Burn is beautifully written. It's such an interesting world and I would love to see more of the magic and how everything works. Zarela is a great character and I loved how fierce and determined she was. I also loved her friendship with Lola, who was such a fun character. Zarela and Arturo are definitely a grumpy/sunshine pairing, and I liked how their relationship developed. There were a few good twists and turns, and the final showdown was very satisfying.

Fantastic book! I loved everything about it. It had all the ingredients for a winning read....dragons, romance, mystery, intrigue, friendships, family, tragedy and secrets. It was a perfect blend of it all and I ate it up.

Zarela's family has owned a dragon fighting arena for five hundred years. It's literally a family business and their legacy. When it's threatened by what is obviously tampering by an outside person, Zarela takes it upon herself to try to save it all. When it's necessary for her to ask grumpy dragon trainer, Arturo for help, things really get interesting. They have a great enemies to lovers relationship that is fraught with its own secrets and hardships.

The author creates a world where dragons are real and families have long histories participating in flamenco dancing and dragon fighting. It's a huge part of the town's economy and identity - - so, when things go wrong, it impacts everything. In addition to a wonderful fantasy world, the character development is outstanding. You definitely get a feel for each of the main characters and several side characters. Zarela and Arturo are described so well that I felt I could envision each of them and could imagine their thoughts and feelings. Absolutely wonderful

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I want to say thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.

From the very first few pages of this book, I was hooked. I'd never read a book that delved into the flamenco artform or the fact that dragons were involved in this affair. I'm absolutely blown away by the imagery the author describes and the magic used to pain this elusive world of dragons. I found the side characters to be a fun treat - Lola- and the interesting way the story could be set in our world were it not for dragons.

The ending was interesting though I did find some of the issues a bit - odd. Not bad, just kind of not what I imagined in terms of the motive. Still the overall chemistry between the two main characters was fun and entertaining. The stubborn nature added with the growing chemistry of the two I found so organic it was hard to put down.

Overall, enjoyed this story immensely and would happily read more of this world.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars! (rounded up)

I am obsessed with this book! Seriously, I love Together We Burn. Isabel Ibañaz creates such a rich and luscious atmosphere. Together We Burn mixes Game of Thrones, bullfighting, and Spanish culture. Together We Burn asks the question “what if kalessi and her dragons fought for entertainment?”

“Dragonfighting is a three-thousand-year-old Hispalian tradition. It’s an art form and part of who we are and integral to our culture. Dragonadores are artists. My father is an artist.”

Zarela will defy odds and preserve her family’s legacy and it’s heritage. With a fighting spirit, she and her very stubborn and mysterious dragon tamer Arturo pursue the art of dragon fighting.

“A fire burns in my chest, fueled by the love for family and home and legacy. I’ve finally been given a flaming torch and something to burn. I will become a Dragonador.”

I love the romance between Zarela and Arturo. I can’t stop reading. Why can’t they be together? What’s his secret? Every time I think I have it figured out, there’s a surprise thrown my way! The romance between Zarela and mysterious, brooding dragon tamer Arturo is enemies to lovers, forbidden, slow-burning, and magical with dragons that will leave you weak at the knees.

“He’s all of the warm and sultry flavors of Santivilla. I hold smoke and fire and sweet wine in my mouth. We catch on fire under a million stars. Together we burn.”

Brief summary: Zarela is the daughter of a renowned Dragonador and a famous flamenco dancer. When her family’s dragons are let loose and their reputation is reduced to ashes, Zarela must pick up the pieces and become the heir the legendary arena needs to uncover the plot against the Zalvidar’s and save her family name.

This was such a captivating, exciting book full of dragons, magic, deception, and betrayal. I loved all the magical elements in the story, and I also enjoyed the destruction and mysteries woven throughout.

Zarela is such a fun main character. She is so stubborn and witty, and I loved seeing her strength and passion carry her through the events in this book. She has so much pressure on her from both of her parents’ legacy, and I loved watching her thrive and become her own person.

Overall I had a blast reading this book. I wish it delved deeper into the different guilds, but that just means I will read anything else set in this rich world!

I recommend this book to people looking for a fun fantasy book steeped in LatinX culture and filled with dragons, passion, and love.

I was gifted an advanced ebook copy of this title by the publisher and author through Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF @ 30%

This book has so much promise, yet I found myself looking for other things to do instead of read. I love the setting and how the author did her own take on Matadors, calling them Dragonodors~dragon fighters. The Spanish heritage in the book is what originally appealed to me, and it is done very well. However the action of the story is bland and predictable.

Isabel Ibañez's writing is enchanting, lush, and lyrical. By chapter two, I was hooked as things really got action-packed. This was my first book by her and it will not be my last. Highly recommend for fans of Adrienne Young, Jurassic Park, and How to Train Your Dragon in a gorgeous Latina setting.

Overall, this is a solid story that was just missing a little something special to make it really standout. Let me start by saying that I did enjoy the characters, the story, the writing, and the romance. My biggest problem was that I didn't LOVE anything, despite really hoping I would. Finding stories by Latinx authors is always something so special for me and I will say that I love how much of my language Isabel wove in and how some cultural aspects were familiar. Personally, however, this story was just missing something. Arturo was likeable enough but also not someone I LOVED. Zarela was compelling in parts but also not in others and I left the story just feeling very meh about her. The plot could be predictable in parts and the ending wasn't as much of a twist as I was hoping/ was probably intended. I will say however, that I do really enjoy Isabel's writing style. It definitely pulled me in sooo quickly. I was hooked for about the first 40% until I got bored and less invested. Overall, this is neither a book I'd tell people to avoid nor heartedly recommend. It's just an ok read that has some stuff to love and some stuff to not enjoy.

I would never have linked flamenco dancing and dragon fighting, but honestly, it really works! This historical fantasy romance has a lot of things going for it, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

“Dragonadores exist to show the people of Hispalia that dragons can be beat. We can have victory against the formidable beasts. People are attacked every day, villages destroyed by fire, children murdered in their sleep. We fight to give hope.”


Zarela grew up in La Giralda, the most famous dragon fighting arena in Santivilla, and a child of famous parents. Her father is quite possibly the best dragonador in the city and her mother was unquestionably the best flamenco dancer. But after her death in an accident in the arena, things have been gradually falling apart. When the unthinkable happens during their 500th anniversary performance, Zarela’s father is injured and the future of La Giralda is at risk. The only answer? To fight in the arena herself. But to do that, she’ll need training and dragons. But the only person she can find doesn’t want anything to do with dragon fighting or her. With money running out and the city turning against them, can Zarela save her home and her family’s livelihood?

“You’re no quitter,” he says firmly. “I’ve never met anyone so stubborn in all my life.”
“Take a look in the mirror.”


It’s hard not to admire Zarela. She starts out as a spoiled and somewhat self-absorbed young woman. Sure, she’s worked hard to learn her mother’s dances, worked hard to give their audiences a glimpse of her mother again, but her greatest problem is never being able to do any original dances without getting booed. But when everything falls apart, she leaps into action, desperate to save the only home she’s ever known. She’s fiercely loyal to her family and everything they stand for. Tradition is a guiding force for Zarela, both in that this is the life her family chose and is famous for, and in keeping the dragonador fights going, even while others protest that it’s cruel and dangerous. But as the book progresses, Zarela slowly finds a way to stay both stay true to her heritage and make her own path. She’s brave, as well. Ever since she saw a dragon kill her mother in front of her, Zarela has been terrified of dragons. Even knowing that it’s the only way to save her family, Zarela struggles to not freeze when she sees one, but despite that, she’s still determined to learn dragon fighting.

Zarela encounters Arturo while looking to purchase dragons and, perfect, he’s a dragon hunter who trained as a dragonador! Except Arturo never wants to get in the ring again and he certainly wants nothing to do with her plan. But once Zarela stubbornly decides that he’s who she needs, well, good luck. Arturo’s prickly, scowling and stubborn – though not as stubbon as Zarela. He’s rude but he never crosses the line into cruel, and in fact goes out of his way – at great personal cost – to save her life more than once. While the reasons why he refuses to fight are just one of his many secrets, Zarela can’t help but be drawn to him, even if she’s convinced he thinks she’s nothing more than a spoiled princess who’s going to get herself killed.

“You’re impossible.”
“So are you.”
“But you are so much worse.”


It shouldn’t be a surpise by now that I adore an enemies-to-lovers romance, especially with a heroine who gives as good as she gets, and this definitely delivered on that. There’s a lot of pining, a lot of scorching glances (is it hate? is it love? why not both?) a lot of “oh no we can’t!” They antagonize each other constantly, but also in a way that pushes them closer to their goal. When it becomes obvious that they both have feelings for the other, Zarela pushes for more, but Arturo refuses, warning her that his secrets make any relationship between them impossible. Though it had some decent banter, though, it unfortunately still felt a bit lacking to me. Most of their conversations revolved around training, plus a lot of actions over words, and it left me wanting more conversations about things that were not dragons.

The worldbuilding was so unique. Based on a sort of historical Spain, it has both flamenco dancing and bits based on matador training, like the red cape. The magic, though we don’t get to see too much of it, is interesting and unusual as well, mostly consisting of wands charmed with encantos that are released when the wand is snapped. Some are good for cooling, some for repairing objects, and some for murder. I loved the food as well, lots of olives and jamón and goat cheese that had my mouth watering.

As for cons, well, it never quite lived up to its promise and was a bit cookie cutter. Dramatic parent death? Check. Plucky heroine? Check. Brooding hero-with-secrets? You guessed it, check. All the “twists” are predictable and the villain’s motivations were ridiculous. The pacing is off, as well – the beginning is slow, the middle tedious, and the last quarter jam-packed with action. Perhaps because of that the book never really sucked me in, either. But what it does have? Dragons, intrigue and a smoldering enemies-to-lovers romance, and that was enough to make it an enjoyable read for me.

Overall, 3.5 stars. While it’s not as deep as I could’ve wanted, this is another good beach read!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

An enthralling fantasy with dragons, flamenco dancing and burning love.

Zarela's the daughter of the most famous couple in Hispalia. Her mother's flamenco dancing is legendary, and her father's reknown as a Dragonador (dragon fighter) is second to none. Zarela's feared dragons since the day a runaway burned her mother to death right in front of her. She's following in her mother's footsteps, dancing as her father's opening act on their famed dragon arena. However, when the dragons escape during their 500th anniversary celebration, the dragons attack the crowd and injure Zarela's father. With the Dragon Guild threatening her with fines and more, Zarela is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the family business, even if that means facing a dragon in the ring herself.

But first, she'll have to face the only dragon tamer willing to train her: the surly Arturo, a former Dragonador who refuses to fight dragons himself anymore. Arturo's determined not to be won over by Zarela, even if her ferocity and endurance proves him wrong in calling her a spoiled little rich girl. However, Zarela quickly finds out that his grumpy exterior hides a protective heart of gold. Sparks begin to fly between these two, even as Zarela's father tells her to date anyone but Arturo. This forbidden romance brings heat and longing to the pages.

The poetic language brings the rich colors and dangers of Hispalia to life in the reader's minds. The characters live under constant threat of attack from wild dragons, despite their thinning the population by hunting dragons for the arena. However, Arturo is convinced that dragons aren't innately evil and refuses to kill them himself. My favorite part of the story was when one particular dragon's personality began to shine.

The beauty of the ending left me stunned. This was an instant favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While there were a few inconsistencies (as to be expected from an advanced reader copy), Together We Burn was an enjoyable, swoony fantasy that I would absolutely recommend to teen patrons at the library. The world building of Hispalia with it’s guilds (or gremios) was especially interesting and fun to explore. Some parts didn’t feel full developed or explored like the character or Guillermo, the mage’s guild, and Arturo’s background (which seemed a bit rushed when it was revealed), but overall a solid story that teens will love to read.

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

4.5 Stars YA (a little NA territory IMO) Spanish Fantasy

I enjoyed the world-building, representation of the Spanish culture/language - especially curse words - Dragons, and that it's a stand-alone.

Zarela Zarvidal is a talented flamenco dancer, and the daughter of one of the most famous matadors (but for Dragons) - until the accident. She has to find a way to keep the arena open, deciding to take her father's place in the ring. She needs to become a Dragonador. She has to find out the mystery of who and why someone is trying to disgrace her family name. But to do all that she needs training from Arturo Díaz de Montserrat.

Arturo is a dragon hunter/trainer who is not part of the guild. He dislikes the killing of dragons for sport/entertainment. He's the typical broody, dark, grumpy "bad boy" type, plays guitar, and is mysterious all on his own. *chef's kiss*

Enemies-to-Lovers: Zarela and Artura are both stubborn, have amazing banter, and their romance is a SLOW BURN. Starting with some hate, but progresses to points where you yell "KISS" at the book. Although marked as YA, there were times their relationship was more NA (some sultry spice 🌶️) I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom.

Overall, this book was a fun read. I would recommend if you like:
✔️ Spanish Culture
✔️ Strong female MC
✔️ Mysterious Broody male MC
✔️ Mystery + Murder
✔️ Dragons
✔️ SLOW BURN Romance
✔️ Some Spice 🌶️

Isabel Ibañez has become one of my favorite authors, MUST read! I just love her writing, her world building, her characters and their stories, and development. Together We Burn, was absolutely MAGIC. I cried instantly.. the story immediately dives into tragedy, and follows the story of Zarela, and her journey into solving the mystery that changed her life forever.
This book is binge worthy, includes Dragons, important Family/Friendship dynamic, and what do you know, a romance you won’t want to miss.
Congratulations to the author on the release of this beautifully written standalone. Readers.. you won’t want to miss this one!

Together We Burn is the first book I've read by Isabel Ibañez, and it certainly won't be the last. This book has it all: romance, wonderful characters, a good mystery, a rich setting, and of course, dragons! The story is inspired by medieval Spain and the bullfighting culture parts of the country still treasure. Except, in the fictional country of Hispalia, the fights are against the dragons that terrorize the cities and villages. Zarela and Arturo, our two main characters, have opposing and equally strong views on this tradition that their country upholds, and the author navigates these cultural heritage conversations deftly such that readers unfamiliar with the parallel conversations in our world will be exposed to both complex viewpoints.

I studied Spanish for fourteen years and I've been to Spain three times so far. I read most of this book over a weekend when I was traveling, and I felt that I was traveling back to Spain again instead of within the US. The worldbuilding made me homesick for my experiences in Spain, and especially for tortilla and paella. This is your fair warning that the food descriptions in Together We Burn will make you hungry! :)

Above all, I fell madly in love with Zarela and Arturo and the journeys that they experience, both on their own and together. These characters will be living in my heart from now on, and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet them. I would love to have more stories in this world, but I also feel like their story is properly complete in this standalone. Now I'm looking forward to going back to read Isabel Ibañez's first duology, and to keep an eye out for her future releases. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me after reading this book!

Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: You definitely need to buy this book! I have a signed and personalized preorder already in the mail on its way to me, and I'm so excited to add a physical copy to my collection. The cover is so rich in details that are important to the story, and I'm sure the colors are even more vibrant in person. I know I will want to reread this book in the future, and I'm confident that when you fall in love with the story like I did, you'll want a copy on hand to revisit the world of Hispalia over and over again. :)

Zarela is Avery talented flamenco dancer and her father is a famous fighter of dragons. On the night of their 500 anniversary, an accident goes awry and Zarela’s father is left horribly injured and carnage everywhere. Zarela decides to takes her fathers place, with the added help of dragon hunter Arturo, she does whatever she can from the Dragon Guild taking away her families name and honor.

I liked the concept and story. It was a bit slow for me until the ending and that really saved it. The build up to the next book, which I can’t wait to read the next on.. if there’s one. I’ve never been a big Dragon fantasy person, I feel it’s overplayed a lot in the fantasy category, but Isabel’s story was very well done for that category and developed an imaginative world. I loved Arturo’s character. They were opposites and it made for a good banter between them.

Definitely a well rounded, developed, YA Fantasy. Thank you Wednesday Books for letting me read an early copy.

Dragons! Flamenco! An amazing fantasy with amazing world building! I loved it a lot, and I will very highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different with dragons.

“Together We Burn,” is an atmospheric YA fantasy read with suspense, twists, turns, and some romance too. The beginning was much more fast paced than the middle, and the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, the author created a rich and detailed environment for the reader with witty banter and wonderfully detailed descriptions. The writing places you in the story, but my favorite thing about this book was the Spanish culture. I enjoyed it, It was very unique.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez is a lovely, #ownvoices fantasy inspired by medieval Spain. The story revolves around Zarela, the daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. But when tragedy strikes, it's up to Zarela to train as a Dragonador and succeed her father. Along the way, Zarela has to solve the mystery of what happened to her father. To do so, she teams up with the handsome Arturo, a fellow dragon hunter.

Here is a captivating excerpt from the Prologue:

"My mother died screaming my name.
Papá and I had traveled with her to La Bota, a theater outside Santivilla’s ancient round walls. I remember it was near an orange grove that tartly scented the air like a thick lemon wedge flavoring tea. Her performance was in celebration of the recent capture of the Escarlata, the legendary and elusive breed of dragon with scales the color of chili peppers. It was known for its fury and volatile nature, for the fire hidden deep in its belly. Only one or two are successfully brought down alive each year. We were all excited to see it up close, bound in iron."

Overall, Together We Burn is a YA/NA fantasy that will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones or Incendiary. One highlight of this book is the mystery aspect. I loved following Zarela as she tries to solve the mystery of what happened to her father. Another highlight of this book is that it is #ownvoices. The descriptions of food in the medieval Spain-inspired land had me drooling. One warning is that this book is a bit spicier than other YA books, and I would consider it NA. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of #ownvoices fantasy novels, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

This was a cute and fun read! I definitely have to give it points for originality--the concept of a matador who fight DRAGONS is fresh and exciting. But the execution and story left me wanting.

The writing style and incorporation of Spanish into the narrative and dialogue is intriguing, and the characterization of Zarela and Arturo is solid. But overall the scale just felt small. I expected an epic fantasy featuring dragons but it was largely contained to the protagonist's home in terms of setting. The conflict, romance, and antagonist all felt a bit lukewarm, and this one lacked the emotional payoff I wanted--especially in a novel that features grief and loss.

At first I was a little concerned whether I would like it not with the killings of dragons, but do NOT give up! The story is a great one.

A flamenco dancer must save her family’s legacy and dragon ring but becoming a dragon fighter herself. After discovering her family was sabotaged and risk losing everything, Zarela takes it upon herself to set things right, no matter the cost. First though….she has to find a trainer and some dragons.

I am a fan of fantasy and magic. My inner child just goes wild over it. The only drawback for me was that there was Spanish spoken through out and was not always explained. Is that bad? Nope; it just means I would have to look up a phrase if I couldn’t figure it out myself.