I loved this book so much. I was honestly surprised that it was a debut. The writing was so immersive and I felt like I was right there in the world with the characters.

I have also never read a Jamaican inspired YA fantasy so I was extremely intrigued. I will come back and edit this review when I get my thoughts together. I genuinely loved this so much and it is usually so difficult to review a book you loved so much.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I had so much fun with So Let Them Burn; Kamilah Cole does a fantastic job building a world I desperately want to explore more in the sequel. For those of us who love good anti-imperialist fantasy novel, this is the one for you. Sapphic romance is always a plus, as is the inclusion of a well-built magic system that is easy for the reader to understand.
I look forward to picking this up on publication day.

4.5 Stars

So Let Them Burn is one incredible debut novel!

Faron is the Childe Empyrean — the girl who could wield the power of the Gods. Saint to her people. Brat to those who truly know her. She’s arrogant, a self-appointed Queen of lies, and has spent the time since the war cheating at races and being bored.

Her sister, Elara, is the opposite of her sister honest and with hopes to carve her own path in life by joining the Queen’s airforce as a Drake pilot — making a name for herself. However, all this goes wrong when it’s not a Drake that chooses her but an enemy dragon.

So Let Them Burn was told through a different perspective, instead of a book leading up to a war… we start one five years after where it’s already been fought and won. There was a bit of a slower pace to the story itself, and at times I wish there was more expanse on the initial war, however, it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book. I loved the characters, the queer rep, the aftermath of a people still struggling with the trauma of the war, and the struggle the Queen, who was a teenager during it, has on maintaining peace.

The Jamaican inspired world is rich and imaginative and that ending! I also love the potentially — maybe — villainous or maybe not — Grey Saint and … oh, there’s a lot to be loved in this book! Thank you so much to Little Brown for the chance to read early!

Five years ago, Faron was 12 years old and chosen by the gods to wield their power and win a war of independence against the Langley empire that had long suppressed the people of San Irie. The war was won, thanks to Faron's power, the newfound queen Adeline, and Faron's sister Elara's work with the San Irie military. Now Faron and Elara have a new challenge on their hands, as Elara's been unwillingly bonded to one of Langley's dragons and thrust into the hands of the colonizers. Faron can still channel the power of San Irie's gods, but she's learning that their methods won't work to free Elara, and she may have to make some reckless moves to break her sister's bonds.

This Jamaican-inspired YA fantasy is intriguing, though nothing that really stands out from the crowd. It's supposed to be the first in a duology, and given the absolute cliffhanger this one ends on, I may pick up the second when it becomes available.

I read So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole. Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

This book was aggressively in the OK area for reading for me. There dragons were cool, and some of the ideas with them were interesting in how they came about and the culture that sprung up around them. The characters, well, the sister was really interesting. I liked the parts of her trying to fit in and learn in her new, hostile environment while also acting as a really bad spy. I honestly wish the book was more focused on her.

The problem was the other MC. For one thing, I kept having to remind myself that this wasn’t a sequel, or the start of a new series in an already established world, because while part of the fun in reading this is supposed to be that Faron has already had her big adventure and saved her people and this is the adventure after that, it left me needing to read the book before it. Like this book really needed to have written the first big adventure book/s before it got to this one.

Or it just could have been from her sister’s point of view, as that would have felt more natural.

Still, Faron’s parts aren’t bad, they just weren’t what I was invested in, and it felt half the time like I was getting enough of her sister trying to be this new person and navigate her new environment, because we kept going back to Faron. Like, I could have learned some of this information of how Faron (can’t actually write what happened because of spoilers).

Anyway, a fairly solid book, and I’m interested to see where it’ll go from here.

I couldn’t read this because the arc wouldn’t download on the netgalley app but it sounds interesting!

This book has gods and dragons and beautiful, complex relationships. It has multi-faceted characters, reluctant chosen ones and the people who start wars and the people who are forever changed by war. It felt like To Shape a Dragon's Breath meets Gilded Ones meets Buried and the Bound and I had such a fun time.
The characters are fantastic, the relationships were so fun to watch progress. Kamilah Cole wrote a masterclass in characters and relationships.

I would like to protect so many people in the book it was beautiful and I am going to be in agony until book 2

Oooh, this was good! I loved this cast of characters so much, even though that hurts me. I need the sequel rn.

Kamilah Cole's debut is an incredibly fresh fantasy read about sisterhood, dragons, and strength. It balances thrilling action with sincere emotion, all centered around a blazing heart. This voice is strongly needed for today's readers; with themes of anti-colonialism and taking down oppressive systems, teens will draw real-world connections to struggles they face too.

Ummmm EXCUSE ME??? WHAT WAS THAT ENDING!?!?

Excuse my screaming but that's how invested I've become with So Let Them Burn. This is such a strong debut, and a wonderful addition to the YA fantasy genre! For those wanting dragons, ancestral magic, and sapphics, this is for you.
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy was gripping and I found myself eagerly reading, time becoming nonexistent as I existed solely within these pages. A lot of this reminds me of what Legendborn did with a stereotypically Eurocentric tale and injecting it with the diverse voices and perspectives that's been sorely lacking. I can't wait for more people to read this one!

Also, I need the fan art. NOW.

"So Let Them Burn" is easily one of the best YA books I've read this year, skillfully balancing two fully realized POV characters, a dash of romance, a complex plot, and excellent pacing and prose. I especially loved that the story takes place after a revolution has been won, rather than bringing us through San Irie's war for independence--it's a choice I don't usually see in fantasy, and the aftermath of war was both intriguing and very well done. My only complaint is that with that ending, I need the second book immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for ARC. I received my copy in exchange of an honest review.

When I requested this book as ARC, I didn't know anything about it except its interesting title. Look at that! So Let Them Burn... It's attractive and badass.
The story follows two sisters. 17 years old Faron who is chosen by the Gods. And Elara, who is chosen by the enemies of their Island; The dragons!
I really enjoy reading Dragon books, especially if they could talk! So we have Zephyra in this book, A cool dragon who reminds me of Safira from Eragon series.
There was some factors in the story that gave me Furyborn and Three Dark Crowns vibes, like the Island and the Gods and Goddesses, Women in charge and Divine Powers. Don't get me wrong, There isn't any huge similarities between these books. Just vibes, that's all. But you can finde the shadow of Priory of The Orange Tree in this book, Especially about the restructured villains!
I would have liked if we can get more chapters about Hearthstone Academy and Dragon Riding. It was a bit unbelievable that Elara got through all of that Dragon Riding Studies without any mention of them in the story.
And about the plot twist, Well... It was really predictable and I was seeing it coming, So it didn't shocked me.
At the end I want to say that I enjoyed reading this book and I liked that the story started from the middle of events, not from the very beginning.
I'm going to read the sequel as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Rep: Jamaican-inspired fantasy, main sapphic characters and romance, demisexual MC

The book follows two sisters, Faron and Elara, and it takes place in a post-war, fantasy world with dragons. Both had very intriguing character arcs but they felt rushed through, and it became pretty easy to predict what was going to happen.

Elara was the easiest of the two to root for. I found Faron’s character to be very frustrating, however, I also understood why she acted the way she did. You can see how much it affected her having been chosen by the gods at such a young age to put an end to a war and save her people. That was an aspect of the book that I really liked. How it brought up topics such as child soldiers and post-war trauma.

Regarding the portrayal of Elara and Faron’s relationship, I thought that their dynamic as sisters was realistic given what they’ve both been through. I just wish we could’ve seen more of it, especially with how the book ended. That’s another thing this book struggled with: expanding on the romantic and platonic relationships. The only relationship in the book that I truly felt was solid, was the one between Elara and Reeve. I loved their friendship. The devotion and care that they had for one another was very sweet and clear from the start.

I gave this book 3 stars. I thought it was a good debut novel. The premise was really interesting but I think the story definitely needed to be fleshed out more.

CW/TW: explicit language, colonization, explicit descriptions of war, blood, and corpses, grief (expressed in healthy and unhealthy ways), depictions of PTSD (nightmares, unwanted memories/flashbacks, dissociation, anxiety, mistrust, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior), racism (challenged), violence, injury/injury detail, a near-fatal beating, minor character deaths, stolen body/mind autonomy

Amazing. I loved the story of just how far these sisters were willing to go to save each other and their country. I’ll be waiting semi-patiently for the next book to see how their story continues.

This BOOK!!!

I knew from the start that this book was gonna be something special, but I was still so delightfully surprised at how much I loved it! It's got the makings of a classic YA, but with a uniqueness that really pulls you in. I haven't felt like this since reading Legendborn for the first time. There's just something about it that has magic pouring from its every word.

Getting to know Faron and Elara through their journeys was incredible to see. And I loved the twist that this is AFTER the Chosen One did her initial duties. I don't think I've personally read a book that focuses on the aftermath of the Chosen One after the big war or terrible events. Plus, the added sisterly bond, the resentment of being a/or related to the Chosen One, and the impact of putting too much over young shoulders really added so much depth to this story. (But obviously I can't not mention how amazing it was to see dragons and drakes, the gods, the academy, and how utterly magical everything was!)

The only thing that had me pausing in the story was the pacing, and I guess the choice of scenes sometimes. Considering the type of story and the stakes presented, I expected way more action than there was. There were more scenes that felt very High School, which is not a bad thing because this is a YA book, and that's what gives it the classic YA feel for me. However, I feel like with the stakes presented, there should've been more action sequences to match the vibes. I think the only time the action really matched the stakes was near the end when Faron goes back to her home and does The Thing. But even on Elara's side of the story, I expected to see more of the consequences of the Fury.

But this was an enjoyable book, and I will be waiting for the sequel because that ending had me going "Wait wait where's the rest of it???? what do you mean this is the end???" and basically stressing at 1am

4.5 stars rounded up!

I have just completed reading Kamilah Cole’s wonderful story, and I am floored and emotionally stirred up.

This was a well written, Jamaican inspired fantasy. There was great world building, history, discovery, romance discovery, finding purpose and family and characters with depth. Oh, there was magic, dragons, gods and ancestral spirits, with kingdom politics. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book and I cannot wait for the story to continue in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Young Readers for allowing me to read this for a review. I simply relished in this world.

This was such a good read I loved it and was completely hooked from the first page. Definitely recommend

i watched cole's literary journey from Twitter of all places; from finishing her final draft to getting an agent, to editing some more, and finally the book. So Let Them Burn deals with some heavy themes: the aftermath of colonisation and war, the pains of having to grow up too quickly, accepting responsibilities for difficult decisions. However, despite this, it is not a dark or gloomy story: on the contrary, it was hopeful, with plenty of heart-warming moments and characters you can't help but love.

This is an absolutely amazing premise…let down by writing I couldn’t stand, and a flavour of stupid that is just EXHAUSTING.

It was an odd, but I don’t think bad or wrong, choice to set Let Them Burn after the big Mockingjay-esque war wherein San Irie – the Jamaica-inspired setting – fought off its colonisers, the Langley Empire. It would have been a difficult story to write, and it probably wouldn’t have stood out nearly as much from all the other rebellions we’ve seen in YA. But the downside is that Cole has to continuously info-dump us with past events, and it’s not done very skilfully.

I could probably have lived with that, though – there were decent odds it would only be an issue in the beginning and things would smooth out as the book went on. And I really liked that the two POV characters – Faron, a sort of Chosen One, and Elara – are sisters, who are very close and supportive of each other. We don’t get to see loving sibling relationships often enough, imo.

But the actual writing is just not great. It’s plain, it’s blunt, the phrasing often grates my internal sense of writing rhythm (I don’t know how to put it better than that, this is a problem I run into all the time). The dialogue is clunky and comes across as very false, very forced – aside from Faron and Elara, the dynamics between the characters were just so unconvincing, particularly the (very different) relationships both sisters have with Reeve, the son of the leader of the Langley Empire who switched sides during the war. Faron doesn’t trust him, and their meant-to-be-snarky banter is cringe-inducing; whereas Elara considers Reeve her best friend, which would be fine if not for lines like this.

<His nightmares, his guilt, his trauma were different, but she had connected with the sorrow in his eyes that matched her own.>

That is just so clunky.

More examples for you;

<Port Sol was a powder keg. It would only take an ember for it to erupt.>

There’s a reason that situations described as powder kegs are said to need a spark to erupt; a spark jumps into being when the right materials bang together, or from malfunctioning electrics, etc. A spark is easy to make and can come into being suddenly, without warning, is my point. An ember is what you get when the fire has already been burning for a while already – so it doesn’t make sense with this particular metaphor.

<broad as a building>

What -what the hell does this mean??? Buildings come in all shapes and sizes; this is completely unhelpful description. I might have let it slide if it were describing a human – you kind of vaguely understand what is meant if you describe a big person as being built like a building. But this is describing a dragon. And it’s kind of vitally important that I can picture your dragons the way you want me to – and size is a big part of that! Dragons of Deepwood Fen described the length of dragons in terms of horses; this one was six horses long, this one ten, etc. Even though horses are not all exactly the same length, they’re close enough that you can understand what the writer is going for. But broad as a building? I don’t know what that means!

Then we have passages like this

<Aveline opens the airfield to the public.” It was a stupid idea, but Faron understood the politics of it. Aveline had taken the throne as a teenager, after all, and people wouldn’t allow for her to rule from the shadows. If her every action would be scrutinized, why not allow that scrutiny on her own terms?>

For context, this is referring to the fact that the queen apparently allows the public to wander onto the military airfield as they please, so long as her guards are present. Which already strikes me as incredibly stupid. But I genuinely don’t understand what Cole is trying to say about the ruling from the shadows thing, or how it’s relevant to opening up the airfield. It reads like nonsense. People are always going to be watching what the queen is up to, so she…opens up the airfield? And this is somehow a kind of defiant thing, her exerting control on the situation? What???

But that was nothing compared to the sheer unbelievable idiocy of the riot control. See, there are trade talks going on, right? And the queen is worried about a possible riot, because a lot of her people aren’t happy about the talks. So she asks the military to step in.

Who do the military send in??? To help prevent, or manage if they can’t prevent, a fucking riot?

THE CADETS WHO SIGNED UP LITERALLY THIS MORNING.

THIS.

MORNING.

<Apparently, security detail was a job for green cadets, not experienced soldiers>

Hi, what the actual fuck??? What kind of reasoning is this?! No one with half a brain cell would EVER sign off on something like that! These kids – and they ARE kids – have had no training yet! They haven’t even been cadets for a full day at this point! AND you stuck them on horseback, despite the fact that at least some of them haven’t ridden horses very often! I can’t even count how many kinds of stupid and dangerous this is!

And it’s so obviously just to get Elara – who signed up that morning – into the capital. When I can think of half a dozen other, better ways to get her there without even trying.

Blatant and handwavey idiocy contrived because you couldn’t come up with a reasonable way of getting your characters where you need them is not something I can put up with.

I’m not even going to get into how forced and awkward the dragon-bonding scene was. Nope, nope, nope.

TL;DR: great premise written like a first draft, at best. I wish the editor or someone had asked for a few more rewrites, because damn, this could have been incredible – and instead, it’s just an incredible letdown.

Hard DNF.

"So Let Them Burn" by Kamilah Cole is a Jamaican-inspired fantasy novel that revolves around Faron Vincent, a young heroine who possesses the ability to channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, Faron used her divine magic to free her island from the dragon-riding Langley Empire. Now, at seventeen, with no wars to fight, she is revered by her people and considered a nuisance by her neighbors.

Forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron anticipates performing tricks like a trained pet and then returning home. However, things take an unexpected turn when her older sister, Elara, forms an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon. The gods claim that the only way to break this bond is to kill Elara.

As Faron searches desperately for an alternative solution, and Elara discovers shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, the sisters are faced with difficult choices that will not only shape their lives but also determine the fate of their world. The novel is described as a whip-smart and immersive fantasy, perfect for fans of "Iron Widow" and "The Priory of the Orange Tree."

The story explores themes of sacrifice, sisterhood, and the consequences of wielding great power. With sharp, clever prose, Kamilah Cole weaves a captivating tale of two remarkable sisters and the challenges they face in a world filled with magic, dragons, and political intrigue.