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!

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.

Being the year of the Dragon, its only right to read more Dragon themed books. So when i received So Let Them Burn I was excited to delve into the world that was filled with them. What i got was so much more than just Dragons. This Jamaican-inspired fantasy, explores the struggle of being the chosen one in War and the lifelong impact it has on people and those around you.
I really enjoyed that we got to see how Faron's PTSD effect her ever actions. To her relationships with the Gods, her family/friends, Authority figures, and Herself. Faron being the child chosen one (unwanting) from the Gods to lead her people in the war really lead this story in a direction that we don't normally get to see from children of War. We get to see how flawed the Gods were, inevitably causing for the two sisters to be placed in horrible positions to go against each other. This was explored beautiful because we really get to see Faron and Elara's amazing sisterly bond gets put to the test. They would literally go to battle for each other. Each willing to give up something they loved to ensure each other are safe from the destruction.
It also open the door for us to see how sometimes we can feel overshadowed by our love one accomplishments. It was painstaking to read about Elara's struggle to define herself from her sister's shadow. Especially when ever action she's ever made was for her sister even if it went against her wishes. Im excited in the next book for us to really see Elara come into her own identity, especially excited to see where her relationship with Signey goes.
The Dragons from the book was also another intriguing plot, as it reminds me similarly of Prority of Orange tree and Fourth Wing. We only got a small sipped of what the bonds between Dragon and Dragon riders can be so I can't wait for what's to come in the next book and action this will ensue.

I was really looking forward to this book but for some reason I could not get myself to read it.
I’m not sure if it was the writing style but I tried to read a bit for the period that it was available and I couldn’t. The writing style was very tell over show and felt very…short? Bland ? I’m not sure how to describe it.

I will definitely be trying again maybe as an audiobook or I might just borrow this book from the library after it releases.

This was so fun to read! The plot was great and the friendship/sisterhood was really interesting to follow. It was somewhat reminiscent of Elsa/Anna but more YA/fantasy, obviously. I do wish the pacing was a little bit more thought-on because it was hard to follow at times - but otherwise, this book was amazing.

Once this book got going I really liked it! It has the illusion of dropping you right into the middle of things because the main character has a lot of history with her magical powers, but it still did take some time to rev up. I enjoyed the story focusing most on sisterhood with romance only as a side bar and the magic system and political conflicts were interesting without being too confusing or unbelievable.

Overall my biggest reasons for only giving 4 stars is the fact that Faron was a pretty insufferable character for most of the book, and the fact that it ends on a big ol’ cliffhanger. I also found the way that Signey treated Elara once they got to school to be frustrating and not really in character with their first meeting. Anytime I come across a cliffhanger, though, I just really don’t want to continue on in the series when it comes out, because it feels cheap and like you are not getting a complete story. Really frustrating! Even still, I really enjoyed this book.

So let them burn is an enchanting story about what happens after the “chosen one” has saved her people. The story is steeped in Jamaican inspiration giving life to this fantasy world. It’s sapphic, diverse, and has gods and dragons. It follows two sisters in a post-revolution post-colonial world where the sisters couldn’t be more opposite but would burn the world for each other. It also beautifully handles the impact of war, and the life long implications of living through one.

This story had me from the first page. The premise and the plot had gripped me from the beginning and I absolutely adore the dynamic the two sisters had as well as the struggles that they went through during the events of the story. The concept of a chosen one saving the world already and what happens after as well as the reality of one of the sisters needing to die to break a curse was well executed. The themes of colonization as well as the very grounded-in-reality depiction of being the only POC person in a white environment added to the world-building of the story and made me feel very immersed. The magic system was also well thought out and I thought tied perfectly to the themes already present. I cannot wait for the next book of the series to be released.

This is the easiest 5 stars I have given in a while. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I had the time of my life and I never wanted it to be over. If I could have stopped devouring it so that the reading experience could have lasted longer I would have. But I could not stop reading. The representation made my heart soar - Black main characters plus sapphic and enemies to lovers romances. This has the perfect mix of complex and layered characters, fast paced action, found family, political intrigue, high stakes, a messy sister bond, romantic moments, surprising twists, heartbreaking reveals, and more. I truly left my life behind while reading this and entered the world. I forgot that I was reading. This was such a delight and I was completely immersed. I can not wait to see where this story goes and I need the next book like yesterday. I’m so excited to find another book that I love so much!! Putting on my re-read list for sure!

WOW, that was good.

I could stop my review right there, but I won’t because I have so much to say about this wonderful Jamaican-inspired debut YA fantasy novel by Kamilah Cole centered around two sisters, both compelled to fight for the safety of their country and those they hold dear, one god-chosen and the other propelled by her own sheer determination.

It is honestly hard to decide whether I love the vivid setting, entertaining plot, or the character growth more as each part felt like a stand-out. The evolution and character growth of both Elara and Faron was compelling and relatable and you found yourself rooting for their individual wants as strongly as you did for the collective good.

The queer representation in this book was also fantastic! It felt very intentional and was a TRUE queer normative world with same-sex and opposite-sex couples spread throughout it’s main and supporting characters with Elara’s sapphic sexuality and Faron’s demisexuality integrated so naturally into their character arcs.

Gods and Magic. DRAGONS. Queer Rep. Slow Burn Romance. Found Family. Sisterly Bonds. Governmental Corruption. Diverse Characters. Strong Female MC’s. ALL THE THINGS YOU WANT IN A YA NOVEL. It was an incredibly easy read and the audiobook production was top notch. I will definitely be picking up book 2 in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for the opportunity to read and review So Let Them Burn as an advanced reader copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown, and Company, and Kamilah Cole for giving me an eARC of So Let Them Burn in exchange for my honest review.

So Let The Burn is a marvelous book. It tells the story of what life is like post-war when tensions are still high. Readers follow two sisters Faron, who has the power of the gods, and Elara, her sister, who ends up bonding with an enemy dragon. On a mission to save her sister, Faron ends up going down a path that many consider to be the wrong one. Throughout the book, I was captivated by Faron and Elara's story. There are so many layers to their characters and so much more I want to know about them. I truly cannot wait for the next book because there is so much more I want to know. I love when authors can create a cliffhanger where you cannot truly see which way the book is going to go. There are so many possibilities and I think I would be happy with any of the options that I can imagine. I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of young adult fantasy. Everyone should give this book a chance. I do not want to say much because part of the intrigue is not knowing very much about what the book is about but there are elements of the story for each kind of reader, whether it be plot or character development.

Now this is THE dragon book. So Let Them Burn was an incredible debut. It weaves a story about sisters, colonialism, magic, gods, dragons, and so much more into something so magical that it's hard to put down. I really loved how the story was written after the war instead of during and that it was dual pov between the two sisters. The queer representation is also great and helps add to the characters identities but doesn't define them. I would highly recommend to readers who want a unique and brilliant experience. I can't wait for book 2!

First off, I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this book!! I can’t wait for the sequel to come out, especially after reading that cliffhanger. Kamilah Cole gives us an entertaining Jamaican-inspired fantasy world with dragons that shows what life is like AFTER the war and the Chosen One has won, which I thought was really interesting! It did also leave me wanting to read what life was like for them during that time (would love to read a short story that takes place back then!), but I understand the point of this being after the war. We see San Irie liberated from the colonizers, but we also see the effects of colonization and war, as well as how Faron and Elara struggle after giving up their childhoods to play their roles in the war.
I also loved the different types of love shown throughout the book! I don’t want to spoil too much, but each sister has their own love interests, and I was invested in each one’s love story. We also got to see queer rep (Elara is a lesbian, and Faron is demisexual). But apart from the romances, Cole also made sure to show how special the platonic love between Elara and Reeve (her best friend) is, showing how important that is as well. Also, I love that the heart of the story is the love that Faron and Elara have for each other. They’re both so different but are willing to do anything for each other.
Faron is a messy protagonist, but I feel like it’s hard to expect anyone who has been through what she has, and especially at such a young age, to have it all together. And while she’s not perfect, she loves fiercely and will do anything to protect the people she loves.
As an older sibling, Elara felt very relatable at times, and I was so glad we got to read from her POV. We get a better understanding of how she feels like she’s in Faron’s shadow, as well as how everything that they have been through affects the choices she makes and who she has become. Also, her and Faron are very different, but they’re both incredibly loyal and protective of one another.
Right when I thought I had figured things out, another twist was thrown in, keeping me wanting to read what happens next.
Overall, I give this book 4.75 stars!!

This book hooked me with a few quotes early on and it did not stop. Faron and Elara are complex and their dual POV allows the readers to really get to know both of them. I absolutely LOVED that the book starts after a war and when Faron received her powers. Seeing her try to navigate civillian life with her family, relationships with her family, and continued duties demanded of her was fascinating and such a refreshing take on the chosen one trope. Seeing Elara’s fears and frustrations at not feeling she’s enough because she’s “just the sister” resonated with me.

The choices they both have to face throughout the novel are multifaceted, complex, and cover incredibly important themes such as decolonization, impact of war, how others perceive you, and facing the greater good vs. focusing on saving the ones you love. The depiction of PTSD felt very authentic to me and I felt that each of our sisters, side characters, and even the general populace in the book, had unique reactions to the trauma of war and it was handled with great care.

The pacing had me on the edge of my seat, the tension was strong, and the stakes were high and I was so worried for the fate of our characters. This book is absolutely a must read and I cannot wait for the sequel!

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole reminded me of why I adore YA Fantasy. The action, worldbuilding, characters, and prose are top-notch, and her centering of the plot on what happens to a Chosen One after 'happily ever after' is achieved is such a fun subversion of the usual fantasy tropes. I will be waiting for the next one with bated breath!

Absolutely yes to this book!

"So Let Them Burn" follows two sisters as they navigate the aftermath of war. Faron is the Childe Empyrean: a soldier chosen by the gods to channel their divine magic. Her older sister, Elara, accompanies her, and together they face the horrors of war. The story starts in the newly-independent island nation of San Irie, showing what happens to the child heroes after the war is won.

This was a completely immersive read for me. I could feel the humid air, hear the mosquitoes, and smell the jerk chicken. Elara and Faron are equally enjoyable narrators, and I love the magic, dragons, and twists this story has to offer. Definitely recommend.

Full review will be posted on Goodreads and idleinkbooks.com on 2/1/2024.