Anytime I hear dragons and sapphics, I’m in, which is why I initially picked up So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole. I really enjoyed my experience with this engaging Jamaican-inspired fantasy kept me turning the page until the end.

There’s a lot So Let Them Burn excels at. First and foremost, the relationship between sisters Faron and Elara. I’m a sucker for stories that explore all the complexities of familial relationships, especially ones that allow realistic flaws to exist, and this novel does exactly that. Both of them feel fully developed and justified in the choices they make, up to and including their worst mistakes.

I also enjoyed the way this novel undertakes complex subjects like colonization, racism, war, trauma, and child abuse and makes them a foundational part of the narrative without sacrificing any one element of storytelling. Make no mistake - this is a dark book, as it should be dealing with the aforementioned subjects. It would be fully justified in being completely heavy given the gravitas. But the moments of solidarity and hope are also present too.

The romantic relationships in this novel also worked well for me while tonally matching the rest of the book. They are both enemies to lovers relationships, but I think using that trope does it a disservice. Both Faron and Elara struggle with challenging but very real aspects of their lived experience, and I wouldn’t have liked the novel as much if those aspects had been brushed aside or painted in a rosy light. Both M/F and F/F relationships are given prominent page time in this novel.

There are a few things that missed the mark for me. It’s a story about dragons and divine entities, so some suspension of disbelief is required, but there are times the novel blows past ‘suspension’ right into ‘there is no way this would be feasible, even in a novel made for young adults’. Most of these challenges for me came around how children seemed to form the backbones of the entire military and diplomatic corps; YA often elides adults because it’s a space for young adults to see their experiences put front and center, but adults are RIGHT THERE putting children as young as 12 in the most grueling positions of violence and decision-making. Other elements of the worldbuilding were also underdeveloped.

Overall, this was a solid debut and an impactful read. I freely recommend it to YA fantasy fans who are looking for an insightful, adventurous exploration with compelling protagonists that demonstrate the bloody costs of colonization and war.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little & Brown Young Readers for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Dragons and fantasy are always a great combination for me, so it was super exciting to get the opportunity to read the debut novel of Kamilah Cole, So Let Them Burn. An adventure filled story with Jamaican influences, readers join the action after the major conflict. Sisters Faron and Elara are settling into a normal life on their home island after spending years at war liberating their people. However, after a chance encounter at an international peace summit sets the sisters on separate paths on opposite sides of the war, it sets events into motion that will determine the fate of their world forever.

The worldbuilding in this novel was amazing. With the story being set after the major conflict, the characters are dealing with the aftermath of war and the lingering effects of colonialism and imperialism. Faron in particular reminded me a bit of the Avatar in the Avatar the Last Airbender universe. A child blessed by the spirits (or the gods in this case), and expected to save her people. An interesting spin on this, however, was the fact that Faron wasn’t a ‘chosen one’ from birth. When she prayed to her gods, they answered and gave her the power to enact their will. So, it was more of a ‘in the right place at the right time’ situation than anything else. Her magic (and the magic of the Iryian people) does contrast with the magic of the Langlish empire. One is more culture based (coming from ancestors and gods), whereas the other originates from the use of dragons. The way the author crafted this in the book was amazing, and had me hooked with the desire to learn more.

While this is undoubtedly a fantasy novel, the relationship at the heart of the story is one of siblings. Elara has spent most of her life in her sister’s shadow, and while not an ideal situation her bond with a dragon has given her the chance to step out of that and make her own path. Faron is one of the most powerful people in history as the Childe Empyrean, but becomes increasingly frustrated over the course of the book as all the power she’s been given isn’t enough to save the one person she cares about most. There are some minor elements of romance in the book (Elara is gay and Faron is demisexual), but those don’t drive the story to the same degree.

Overall, this was an amazing read. There’s so much drama and things happening with the story. A major twist and a very painful cliffhanger, but I’m super excited for the chance to get to read the next installment in the series as soon as it comes out. Narrators Keylor Leigh and Kamali Minter did a great job in bringing Faron and Elara’s perspectives to life with their performances in the audiobook. If you like queer, diverse fantasy reads with dragons, this would be a great choice.

Thank you to the author, the publisher Little Brown Books for Young Readers, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review So Let Them Burn immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

So Let Them Burn was an excellent tale of a complex sibling relationship, the realities of colonialism and how deep the trauma can run, and a gorgeous, heartfelt and detailed fantasy world inspired by the author's own culture. This novel is perfect for its marketed audience of young adults, and balances a compelling plot of espionage, gods and dragons, with twin, gently-slowburn romances that spark and blaze to life by the end.
At points, I felt the plot was a little confusing or convenient, characters having knowledge that they shouldn't have yet or choices being made that then felt uninformed after the knowledge the characters *did* have. I think it all could have benefited from another developmental pass to tighten up plot points. The third act is by far the strongest and most compelling, and did leave me eager for the upcoming sequel even if the journey to get there was a bit frustrating to read.

This book was stunning. The writing was INCREDIBLE and it was so easy to get lost in it. The world building is unique and intricate, the characters are so well written. I absolutely cannot wait for book two. When people ask me for an intro to fantasy book this will now be my recommendation! Love LOVE LOVE.

I absolutely ADORED this book. So much fun, and with dragons that you can really want to be around.
Plus an element of mecha as well?? Yes please.
My only complaint would be that I actually wanted MORE. I would have loved about another 100 pages of world building, but it was still a fantastic time and I am very excited to see where it all goes in the next book.

4.5 but omg for a debut especially this was so good

Faron and Elera are sisters. Elara is the oldest, but Faron is like, literally blessed and chosen by the gods, so like, the dynamic can be a little weird. I actually didn't think about it until now but I feel like QUITE often it's the older sister who is also the star so I'm glad that the little trope was subverted!!

Yeah, Faron has the ability to summon 3 gods, and she is what's known as the Childe Empyrean. She's the only one who can do it, and so she's like, pretty famous in her... I don't really understand the scale, but she's famous. She and her sister live in Deadegg, which is like, a village, and then they're also a part of a small country, I think, called San Irie, but then there's a bigger country I think called Langley that they previously were a part of but got their independence from. But everyone knows Faron is the Childe Empyrean but since she fought with San Irie in the war against Langley she's really mostly famous there.

5 years before the start of this book, when Faron and Elara were 12 and 13, they were pretty key players in that war, along with their queen, who was a teen at the time. I wish I could know more about them during the war, but I also think it's cool that it's just part of their lore and we don't know much other than the facts.

Anywho, the book starts off fairly quick with the girls, along with Elara's best friend, Reeve (Reeve is a whole other story, he's from Langley, like the son of the commander, and chooses to live in San Irie since he don't fw his parents after the whole war thing, but lots of people in San Irie think he's Langlish trash and hate him...), heading off to a big meeting between a bunch of countries, I think. Can you tell politics in books aren't for me? Like I know where they were and that's about it

Elara ends up bonded with a dragon, and then next thing you know the gods are telling Faron that all the dragons have to be killed to like, have peace, but oops, killing the dragon kills the folks the dragon is bonded to!!! So basically they're like Faron kill your sister plz and thank you

So Faron's back at the queen's place with Reeve, trying to research and figure out how to free Elara from the bond, meanwhile Elara is in an enemy country learning dragon riding with her pouty dragon partner, Signey.

There is a part where Reeve eats Faron's ass UP which is so iconic lmao they really tussle a little and I am obsessed with them. And Signey and Elara are also grumpy with each other so we just get two forced proximity ~I don't wanna be with you~ pairs and it is chef's kiss

The writing is really really good. I legit wanna reread and annotate lowkey and I NEVER do that. It did take me like a week to read but that's mainly just because I have pea brain when it comes to fantasy and that first 100 pages did it to me, once I was in it I was OBSESSED and couldn't wait to get home and read!!!

Faron and Elara both grapple with the expectations that they are held to; Faron is like basically worshipped, as close to a god as a human can get, and she's really just a kid, and then Elara has this innate need to be important and relevant because her sister is, and it's not even anything conscious, it's just there in her. The way it wraps up really does not alleviate these expectations at all, but it definitely subverts them AF, and it also is just good to see them both kind of put it into words

The supporting cast is great, the fight scenes and the suspense are so cool, Elara and Faron are both baddies, the romances are fire, Faron is demisexual and Elara is sapphic and the representation is so welcomed, and basically yeah I just cannot WAIT to read the sequel.... which is a shame because book 1 technically isn't even out yet lol help

1000% recommend as worth a read, it's giving me similar vibes to This Vicious Grace just like maybe I don't get it all but why understand fantasy aspects when character aspects r right there

*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my GOD?! I was not prepared for that ending, like at ALL. I loved every second of this book, but that ending was…WOOF SO GOOD AHHH.

This book was so good. Originally I was going to give it 4 stars because I felt the first 80 pages had a slower pace, but oh my god it was so good overall.

I’m not alone when I say I want book 2 now!

So Let Them Burn is a really gorgeous debut novel. I love the relationship between Faron and Elara. All the stories surrounding the Gods and the dragons are so rich and lush. It was such a beautiful book.

Thank you to LBYR and Netgalley for the eArc! SO LET THEM BURN is maybe my favourite recent YA fantasy that I've read. The worldbuilding was so intriguing, and the plot had me completely sucked in. The characters were definitely the highlight, though. I adored the sisters' relationship with each other as well as their friends. So so so fantastic and I can't wait to recommend this to any customer looking for a thrilling YA fantasy with a hefty spoonful of decolonial themes and a cliffhanger ending that will have you screaming.

This book was great! I loved that it engaged in real world issues through fantasy while at times using language that directly parallels our world rather than couching it in a specific fantasy plot device. It directly confronts the aftermath of colonization, imperialism and war. When the oppressed overcome the oppressors, how do they move forward as well? How do they engage with their former oppressors without becoming them?

This book offers a unique take on the "Chosen One" trope, the associated difficulties of a young personality forced into power and the personal and societal consequences of that. The relationship between the sisters and their connection over all was beautifully done. The supporting relationships and dynamics are interesting as well.

This book has EVERYTHING to love! I wanted to be swept away by something magical and Kamilah Cole did just that.

This book was a good book. I enjoyed the dragons and the magic. I did feel like there was a lot of info dumping.

I started to read this and it was interesting but then it started to get really info-dumpy and I ended up putting it down because of it. I have not finished it and I would like to give it another go in the near future. I feel this has a promising story inside. So until then!

Overall I really enjoyed this book! The characters were such a joy to get to know and the love and reverence given to the culture was amazing to see. The issues explored in this book are incredibly important and it was interesting to see the meshing of current conventions with a fantasy book. Ohhh and the main characters of this book (sisters Faron and Elara) !! Love them! They were completely different but so lovable in their own ways <3 It can be rare to have all POVs be strong, but in this case I think they were.

Also can you believe that this book was inspired by Zendaya’s 2018 Met Gala outfit?? Authors are so cool and creative.

I do think this could have been sharpened up a bit. Fairly often I had the sense that the author could have used way less words to get across the same points just as effectively. And there was a bit too much repetition in some of the descriptive idioms used, which got to be distracting.

There was a lot of anti-colonialism talk in this book - which is GREAT - but I think I prefer a bit more of a subtle feel. It felt like the author was serving it to us on a platter instead of leaving the reader to do any deeper thinking about the issues at hand. But then again this is a YA book, so maybe that’s best for this age group.

Anyway if you’re looking for a book about dragons and queer love, then do it do it do it.

Most fantasy books are not for me, however the way a book is written leads me to loving or hating it. This book was well written allowing for the image of the world of Faron to over take my mind. Although most of the problems and communication that took place could have been resolved through basic communication, thats exactly what made the book so relatable. And the symbolic meaning of the book beyond the fantasy of it. The power a person wields especially when it comes to family, and though a person does not have a tethered bond with one's family, the bond and need to love is always there.

So Let Them Burn

A sweeping fantasy with mechs, Gods, and dragons in a Jamaica inspired setting that asks some big questions about the reality of being the “chosen one.”

What a gem! ❤️

It’s not everyday we have epic fantasies with black sisterhood at the core of it. I also appreciated the characterization of both sisters (Faron and Elara) in a way that never makes it seem as though one sister magically has it more together than the other. It’s also so refreshing to have a story that features sisterhood as the primary relationship of concern here. The romance is present for both sisters, but it’s firmly in the back seat compared to these two constantly being forced to choose the impossible: the world or their sister.

My only gripe with the book is that I’m still not 100% clear on who or even what the antagonist is. Namely in that we get thrown so many plot twists (he’s an ancestor to an important character! He’s actually a person rather than a god! Then turns out he’s older than dirt itself!) that keep raising the stakes that it’s a little hard for me to keep up.

But that just means I’m even more excited for the next book in this series to clear things up. What a story, and I can’t wait to fly off with whatever Kamilah Cole cooks up next.

If you're still sitting there after hearing "jamaican dragon rider fantasy" and haven't picked this book up to devour it, get out of my face.

First, hang that title in the Louvre. So Let Them Burn is so striking and would have had me picking up this book with absolutely no other details. Thankfully, the rest of the details were very much in line with my loves so even better.

This was such a great debut! I was sucked in immediately to Faron's and Elara's story and was rooting for them from start to finish. I love a sister story, and these two were fabulous to read about. They get on each other's nerves but there is never any doubt about them loving each other. They've had each other's backs since the war five years ago and nothing, not distance nor dragon bonds nor enemy threats will come between them. Also big appreciation for the ace rep we get from Faron!

Also, can we make a little noise for the backstory of this book and its characters? I was OBSESSED with the lore that was already attached to each sister, especially Faron. Both were at the forefront of the terrible war that freed their small island from the colonizers that we face again, but Faron went from being a nobody 12-year-old to the Saint that led her home to victory simply because her prayer had been the first the gods heard. It makes her story so freakin' unique and I loved it so much!

I did get a little lost in the last quarter though. It may have been because of my own attention span issues and *life*, but as interesting as the ending was, I was struggling to read more than a few chapters at a time, so it took me a little longer to read and absorb. I also wish the world had been a bit less vague. It's got a touch of sci-fi and modern day, but it's never quite clear what the world truly looked like.

Needless to say I am very excited for the sequel and cannot wait to read that when it comes out! Thank you very much to Hachette Canada for the ARC copy!

So Let Them Burn was an incredible journey to experience from the POV of two sisters, Elara and Faron. When we see sisters—in fantasy settings especially—they are often pitted against each other morally or otherwise, OR they are overly/strangely/unrealisticly (to me at least) attached. However, this novel breaks the mold by allowing us to experience the world through both sisters' perspectives. Kamilah Cole has crafted a captivating and all-consuming story set against a rich landscape that kept me glued to the pages. I was glued to the book as early as chapter 3.

As someone who has cherished dragons since reading Eragon in elementary school, delving into a new world with fresh dragon lore was incredibly exciting. The dragons in this book felt like a unique presence that added depth to the overall narrative.

A few people compared this to Priory of the Orange Tree, but other than fantasy setting, dragons, and a sapphic FMC...I don’t see the comparison. Which for me, was soo much better because I struggled heavily with the intricacies of Priory of the Orange Tree. I feel a more fitting comparison could be made, albeit indirectly, to The Hunger Games. So Let Them Burn takes place in a dystopian, post-colonization Jamaican-inspired fantasy setting. Picture a post-Mockingjay scenario--with dragons and WAY more world-building. Although nothing truly compares, this analogy feels more true to me. Anyone who knows me will know this is high praise, given my love of the Hunger Games books—speaking of my love for things: THE ROMANCE. I don’t care that these were subplots—I was enamored with them, though I am biased toward the sapphic rep 😌

I could go on endlessly about this book, but I'll stop myself to avoid spoilers and leave you with this: I wholeheartedly loved So Let Them Burn and highly recommend it and look forward to reading the next book. Despite tackling heavy topics and themes, the overall outlook feels hopeful and resilient, portraying the rebuilding and healing process after colonization, war, and restructuring in the aftermath. Given the current state of our world, and in general, I advise readers to check trigger warnings before reading.


Thank you for this ARC!

thank you netgalley for allowi
ng me to read this early. this was a fantaastic debut filled with diverse rep. i had a few issues with the two main characters but particularly with faron as she was a little dumb at times. this book is very character driven and i wish there had been a better balance of characters and world building and political intrigue. overall i enjoyed it and will pick up book two for sure..

Gorgeously written, enthralling, and expansive. I need the next one and I need it now. I'd only read a page before knowing this was going to be something special, and it proved me right a million times over.