Happy belated book birthday to So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole! So excited to finally shout about this book! Thanks to TBR Beyond Tours and The Novl for my finished copy and to Libro FM for the ALC.

Y’all this book was so much fun! This Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who’s forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland. Simultaneously, her sister is off in the enemies clutches at dragon rider school after accidentally bonding with a dragon.

For my tour stop, I present to you a playlist for this book. My goal was to include the themes of island independence, war/conflict, trauma from said war/conflict, relationships both romantic and familial, self-sacrifice and magical powers. I absolutely loved this book so much and I am so desperate for the sequel!! This is not one I’ll forget soon and you absolutely should grab a copy from your favorite bookish retailer.

Playlist:
More Like a Crash – Mayday Parade
Feels by Kehlani
Suckerpunch by FLETCHER
The Sign by Lizzo
Stay by Zedd, ft Alessia Cara
MY HOUSE by Beyoncé
deep in the woods by Hayley Kiyoko
So Good Right Now by Fall Out Boy
Ribcage by Andy Black
Feel Something by Magnolia Park & Derek Sanders
Wildlife by Against the Current
I Just Wanna Run by The Downtown Fiction
deathwish by Stand Atlantic, ft nothing, nowhere.
Queen by Loren Gray
Knife Under My Pillow

Besides dragons in this book, you’ll also find magic, ancestors and divine beings, lesbians, a demisexual, and a whole lot of courtly/political intrigue!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

Wow. Honestly wow. So Let Them Burn is actually incredible. I was enticed by the cover, enamored by the description, and stayed for the story, the riveting plot, and love-able characters.

THIS IS WHY I COME BACK TO YOUNG ADULT. What a palpable, fantastic way to discuss anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism.

I cannot recommend this novel enough

What an EPIC adventure! The story was a love letter to sisters, but full of such vibrant fantasy elements. I feel like the depiction of struggles both the MC and sister deal with were so real and I empathized with both sides of the issue. AND Dragons!?! Yes please! If you grew up thinking your destiny was one thing for it all to uprooted and changed on a dime... It was a little hard to get into in the beginning, but then I couldn't put it down.

I loved the premise of this book! It was such a unique take to see what happens after ‘the chosen one’ saves the world. I loved seeing Faron’s struggle with her responsibilities, her desire to be left alone and her love for her sister.

Elara was also a great character and I loved the LGBT rep, though I wish we had seen her relationship develop a little more.

The world building was really well done and I enjoyed the dragons, gods and Jamaican-inspired world.

The cliffhanger was great and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Okay, parts of this book I liked but I found the characters pretty unlikeable and two of my absolute lease favorite tropes took over the whole plot: stupid decisions and miscommunication.

Rivals to lovers can be so entertaining but also can be done very poorly.

I did enjoy the more fantasy and worldbuilding aspects of this book, like the dragons, impacts of war and colonialism. The book captured many important issues very well bringing light to discrimination and negative effects of these things.

Faron and her magical abilities were very interesting, and she was a very strong character. She was brave and became a symbol of hope to others. She fought for her people and it was very admirable. Magic system reminded me of Avatar in some ways and was very unique.

The ending was somewhat of a cliffhanger but very exciting, I will be reading the next book and am interested to see if the things I didn’t enjoy will continue.

I search everywhere for this book forgetting I had an ARC! OMG, this was everything I wanted and more. I cannot wait to see what else Kamilah Cole has to offer.

This story was everything I wanted and more! Dragons, a diverse cast featuring bipoc and queer characters, sci-fi/fantasy elements AND an enemies to lovers arc??? This is the kind of book that folks are going to go feral over. I can't believe this is the authors debut.

A stunning debut to start off what is sure to be a bright career. Captivating, fierce, and epic, So Let Them Burn is a can’t-miss fantasy.

Wow! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! The storytelling, character development, and world building was executed beautifully. Cannot wait until the sequel.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: So Let Them Burn

Author: Kamilah Cole

Book Series: Divine Traitors book 1

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: BIPOC Jamaican inspired MCs, Sapphic MC, Sapphic side character, Black characters, Gay/Achillan side characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, dragons, mythology, Jamaican mythology

Publication Date: January 16, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (language, violence, war, anxiety and panic attacks, racism, racial slurs, slavery, genocide, colonialism, PTSD)

Explanation of Above: There is some strong language in the book. There are scenes and mentions of violence, war, genocide, colonialism, and PTSD. There are scenes with anxiety and panic attacks. There is some racism and racial slurs said. There are mentions of slavery.

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors. When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister. As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

Review: This book. THIS BOOK. Oh. My. God. I loved it so so so so so so much!!! This book is an amazing Jamaican inspired mythology with DRAGONS. The story is so well done and I loved how the book starts in the middle of a storyline, with the MCs having already faced a previous war and had all of this past storyline stuff. The story also did well to discuss war, especially how bad colonialism is and the repercussions of it. It also, most importantly, discussed genocide. The worldbuilding was also phenomenal and I can’t wait to read the second book and reread this one.

The only thing I can fault the book for is that it did feel a little rushed, but other than that it was amazing and I’m already excited to read it again.

Verdict: I love it! Highly recommend!

This was one of the best books I’ve read this year. From the mere question of “what does life look like for the chosen one when they’ve already served their ‘purpose’?”, I was HOOKED… and the rest of the book did not disappoint.

The narration and voice grabbed me and drew me in from the very first page. The Jamaican-inspired fantasy world was so unique and compelling, and it really felt like the author took great care to allow the world to live and breathe on the page like its own character. I was particularly drawn in by the postcolonial politics and how the dragons became metaphor—grappling with the question of whether these surviving vestiges of empire could ever be anything more than tools of the colonizer. As for the characters, Faron and Elara are gorgeously conflicted, fully fleshed people who make mistakes and grow—and completely steal your heart. The side characters, too, are all very well developed, layered, and lovable.

Too often, we discuss an author’s strengths as either/or: character or plot, worldbuilding or pacing, entertainment or political message. SO LET THEM BURN never sacrifices one element for another. I can’t emphasize enough that it is truly a masterfully crafted book.

My health got in the way of me finishing this book right now, but I am staggered by how stunning the word developing in these pages is. At moments sharp and witty, at others blunt and painful, it’s a special blend of songs coming together to create an opera anyone would appreciate.

Faron by rights shouldn’t be as likeable as she is. The first sentence of the book gives you a clue; Faron Vincent had been a liar for longer than she’d been a saint. And yet there’s something wonderful about her, a spiky outer casing that has been forged through pain and struggle; a girl in this world who, special powers or not, has refused to conform to the mold the world wanted her to fit. I loved her, and felt an almost sisterly / motherly concern for her as the events of the book start to escalate.

The tentative trust between some is hard won, and the ultimate test of love between sisters is going to be a huge rollercoaster. It’s a beautiful, beautiful book, and deserves endless praise; I can’t wait to finish it when I’m well enough.

Have you had any five-star reads in the month of January? If so, how many!

This month has been absolutely amazing when it comes to the quality of my reads! Every single book I have read so far has been a five-star read! One of my absolute favorites from the month so far was So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole (@wordsiren)!

Today is my stop on @tbrbeyondtours bookstagram and blog tour for So Let Them Burn! I was dying to get my hands on a copy of this book, so I was thrilled to have been selected for this tour! I’ll be sharing my review of the book here on Instagram, and my some of my favorite quotes over on my blog (link in bio) along with the full tour schedule!

So Let Them Burn is a rare dual-perspective book that had me equally invested in both perspectives! The sisters’ narratives were each compelling and unique, especially once they were separated. Elara’s journey as a girl taken from her home due to an accidental bond with an enemy dragon was one of the most interesting parts of the book. Specifically, I loved the ways she found community while away from home, thereby complicating the existing conflict between the countries by giving Elara a personal connection to the people meant to be her enemies. Faron’s journey was equally as interesting, as she struggles with what it means to be an adult after growing up as the chosen Childe Empyrean. Woven together, the sisters’ stories made for a plot with great depth and development that you won’t want to miss!

After the ending of So Let Them Burn, I am absolutely DYING for a sequel! There is a spot for one on Goodreads, but without a title or cover yet, and the suspense is killing me! Fingers crossed that we will get to continue Elara and Faron’s story in the near future!

My Recommendation:
If you need a fast-paced, immersive, and thrilling fantasy novel to add a five-star read to your list of January reads, I urge you to pick up a copy of So Let Them Burn! This book would be perfect for anyone who loves dragons, intrigue, and intelligent worldbuilding in their reads!

This book was actually amazing. It offers a fresh new perspective on the "Chosen One" trope and a taste of life after the big battle was over. The characters in this book are real in the way that I feel their struggles, pride, and love. My favorite was Elara and I was always excited to read her chapters. Even as the plot follows a nation attempting to not enter another war, a majority of this story was built on love and it was done beautifully. Elara and Faron's sisterhood was so strong and so potent that you couldn't help but feel it deep in your soul. The romantic relationships as well were fleshed out and carefully developed, something I enjoy to see. The worldbuilding was rich and new, with carefully placed tidbits of information where it didn't feel info-dumpy, making it wonderful to pick up this book. Hands down, this is a top 10 book of 2024 for me.

This is a tough review for me. I really wanted to love this one. However it just kinda fell flat. The pacing was off and I think that's what I had the hardest time with. Some parts were interesting and some were a little boring. Kinda reads like an adult fantasy but the character ages make this ya.

So Let Them Burn is a deeply thought-provoking YA read. If it weren’t for the characters age, I would say it reads as an adult fantasy book. There is a lot of information in this book but not a lot of “grab you” moments. It also reads similar to Priory of the Orange Tree with dragons, gods, and one who is in stasis or “sleeping” until awakened.

I didn’t hate the book but I also didn’t love it either. It was a middle of the road text for me.

I would have loved more suspense, intrigue, or heartbreak.

As per usual – all you have to tell me is there’s dragons in a book and I’m there. This was a good amount of dragons, they felt like proper characters and not just plot devices or there for the sake of saying “hey there’s dragons in here”. I do prefer it when the dragons are able to talk to the humans – like they do in here.

I always like it (and I mention it often) when a book is atmospheric – in its writing and description and that was the case here so I was glad to see that. I want to read a book and not want to stop reading because I’m so invested in the story. I want to feel like I’m in the story myself – experiencing the plot alongside the characters. This is Cole’s debut so we’ll see how she fares either in this sequel or another book she puts out. I am definitely interested in seeing them both (as she has both scheduled).

It’s a dual pov as the book follows 2 sisters as they end up in different places facing different issues. That way we got to experience separate locations and get to know them separately. I think I liked Elara (she bonded with a dragon) more at the start and then Faron more at the end so I definitely want to see how that changes, and how they change, in the sequel. They’re both strong and independent characters but they remain close to each other but physically apart. They felt like they were sisters and not just written to be sisters, something I’m always happy to see, as I’ve said it multiple times.

Faron and Elara use different kinds of magic and they’re both explored and explained in their respective chapters. I do think the magic system could have been explained a bit more/better but seeing as it’s the first in a duology, plus Cole’s debut, I’m fine with being a bit confused. But I am hoping I’ll understand more in the second book (and hoping it gets explained more/better).

The plot was full and rich and thankfully didn’t fall apart when moving from one sister’s chapter to the other. I think it helped that most of their plot points linked to each other so that made it easier to understand the plot. I suppose that made it okay for the magic system to be confusing if I understood the characters and plot (does that makes sense? Only for me, I think). The plot’s also very linked to the sisters’ magic – how it works, how they used their magic to further the plot.

Overall, this was a strong debut YA fantasy novel. I enjoyed two sister's relationship, although the book alternated between their two POVs and they weren't in the same place for most of the book. You could still feel the love their though. Elara was definitely my favorite of the two sisters, since Faron definitely made some questionable choices at times. I also liked the slow-burn romance plots of both the sisters and am looking forward to exploring those relationship more. This book was mostly fast-paced, particularly that ending! I will definitely be continuing on with series and am interested to see where it goes.

Okay so this was one of my most anticipated reads as it sounds like exactly my type of book and it has dragons! While i did enjoy the book I still feel a little let down. I have some mixed feelings as I enjoyed some parts but other parts felt bored. I think the main issue for me was pacing. Everything seemed to happen at once then long periods where nothing really happened and made me lose interest. I did like how the story ended so i am interested to know what will happen next.

SO LET THEM BURN is a captivating debut, hooking in readers with themes of sisterhood, anti-imperialism, and the consequences of conflict. It delves into the depths of loyalty and the lengths one is willing to go to safeguard their loved ones. This enchanting novel is a solid addition to the fantasy genre.