A worthy successor and finale to what was a fantastic debut! This was an entertaining and sweeping fantasy filled with dragon battles, sisterly love, political schemes. It picks up almost right after the first book ends and had great Game of Thrones vibes, but with Jamaican inspiration (I need to eat all the food in this book). While the ending was good and done well, I do wish it had been a little less abrupt.

It was wonderful to return to this Jamaican-inspired adventure of two girls on a complicated path of destiny and blazing their own path. I appreciate the aspect of dropping into this story right where the last one left off with a few hints to remind you of the first book This Ends in Embers. The beginning is so well done that unlike my usual path i remembered the cliffhanger of the first book and immediately felt invested in this second book. Kamilah Cole does an amazing job telling this story from several perspectives while allowing you to build your own connections to each character in the story.

I was so wrapped up in the story that it was not until about just past midway that I realized this was a duology and that this lovely adventure was almost over. However, I could not have been happier with the way this journey ended (including the gift of an epilogue)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the Audio version of this book. The narrator was delightful and gave voice to an amazing story.

I did not realize this was book two when I listened to this audio. So I was a little confused in the beginning but quickly caught on.

The narrator was wonderful. 10/10. Very easy to follow while listening to it sped up and she has a great voice.

I loved the queer representation in the book. Gay, lesbian, pan. Muah!

I was a little confused by the flash backs but that's my fault for not reading book one first. My bad! I did enjoy the dragons, the mind communication, the romances (that did not overpower the plot). Now I have to go read book one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Little/Brown Books for Young Readers for this advanced copy! You can pick up This Ends in Embers on February 4, 2025.

What a satisfying conclusion to a fantastic duology! Kamilah Cole really pulled multiple storylines together in a way that kept the plot moving while still letting us sit with the characters and their emotions. I really appreciated Faron's growth in this book as Iya, Gael, and Lightbringer showed her what it means to throw away your humanity. Even though Faron had the power to do the same, her decision not to was a great moment of growth and encapsulated her journey from that girl using the gods' powers for a footrace with her rival to one choosing not to kill her enemies.

While Elara's story didn't capture me quite as much, I did appreciate the evolution of her relationship with Signey and how they navigated it without being bonded anymore. I think it was important to show that soul mates can build normal, healthy relationships too without being "cosmically bonded."

Overall, this is a great political and action-packed YA fantasy with lots of dragons, lots of magic, and some great characters.

It was so nice to return to this world. So Let Them Burn was one of my reading highlights of the year: a story of sisterhood, the cost of war, finding yourself, and learning to forgive past mistakes, all set against this wonderfully vibrant, well realised Jamaican-inspired world - with dragons! This Ends in Embers picks up where the first book left - which I'm very glad for, because that cliffhanger had me so anxious! Like any good duology, the ending of the first book served as a sort of midpoint 'oh shit' moment for the duology as a whole. I honestly can't praise the pacing of these two books enough: every reveal was so perfectly timed, every twist perfectly placed. Similarly, the character building was so stellar - Faron's character arc in particular was very impressively done. She's a complicated character with a complicated past, and watching her change and grow in this duology was a delight. While Elara was my favourite in the first book, Faron stole the second for me. Overall, a really satisfying conclusion, and well worth the wait.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the audio ARC!

This was about as perfect as a sequel as you can get. In rare cases do I think the second book shines as bright as the first book but this one blew me out of the water. Dragons, a different and unique magic system, love and betrayal. A mini rant about shitty parents and vindication for the child. This book has EVERYTHING you could possibly want and MORE for a dragon book taking on colonization.