An interesting and original tale that mixes Spanish into the story in a very organic way. The characters are defined and well placed making the plot straightforward and unambiguous. The writing is descriptive and measured which helps the narrative flow in a pleasing way. The magic, dragons and romance make this an excellent read!

A wholly enjoyable adventure tale with a cast of lovable characters and unique world building. I was swept away by Isabel Ibañez's Together We Burn from the start. 18-year-old Zarela Zalvidar, following in her late mother's footsteps, has become a talented flamenco dancer performing alongside her father, one of Hispalia's most famous Dragonador's. They perform dragon fights for the public, putting on a spectacle for ticket buyers, but when disaster strikes during their five hundredth anniversary show, leaving Zarela's father and many others injured, the Dragon Guild requires they pay retribution. Zarela enlists the help of a broody dragon hunter to train and prepare her as she decides to step in her father's place and save her ancestral home from ruin. But there is something or someone determined to destroy Zarela's family, and they won't stop until fire rains down on everyone.

The concept of dragon fighting in a historical society and the business behind owning and operating a dragon ring was fascinating. Ibañez mastered the world building, adding in details like dragon ring owners referring to dragons as "investments." These details helped flesh out the occupation of owning a dragon ring and made the business side of things believable. The tension between Zarela and dragon hunter Arturo was built up nicely, and one of my favorite parts of the reading experience was watching their relationship shift from enemies, to reluctant allies, to more. The fashion, food, and cultural details that were woven throughout made the story come alive in a rich, vivid way. This was such an exciting, romantic read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a very interesting read. I loved the concept and the world building was very intriguing, I would have loved for it to have gone in more depth because it was so different from most fantasy dragon books, and you could totally see the plot twist coming a mile away. Still I liked the characters and the plot keep my interest up so overall it was a good read.

Together We Burn was a very unique fantasy debut! I really loved the characters, and it’s really good Latinx representation. I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of Zoraida Cordova’s fantasy novels!

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez

348 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books
Release Date: May 31, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adults, Dragons, Flamenco

Zarela Zalvidar is eighteen years old and the daughter of a dragonslayer and a flamenco dancer. Her mother was killed when a dragon got loose. Now with the fate of the arena in jeopardy, Zarela must do what she can to save her heritage. She does not like the idea of the dragons being killed and wants to change things. By chance, she finds they respond to music but is that enough to risk her life.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The book has passion between the characters and between Zariela and flamenco. The author writes in a descriptive style, so you feel a part of the story. If you like fantasy stories with dragons, you will enjoy this book.

This was a wonderfully unique fantasy! The writing is beautiful and descriptive. The plot was engaging and the plot twist was not predictable at all!

A wonderful YA fantasy with a beautiful cover. Written by a great new to me author, but loved the Latinx representation.

What a unique story featuring flamenco dancing, dragons and family loyalty. Zarela’s father is one of the most famous dragonadors but when an event celebrating the 500th anniversary her father gets injured and now it’s up to her to keep the arena and her inheritance safe. This would seriously make an amazing tv show!
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Thank you #wednesdaybooks and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Isable Ibanez is a great author of unique stories. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a n underrepresented fantasy space and fans of romantasy type stories.

This story was fresh and rich. Sometimes, while reading the story, I forgot there were dragons because of the real-world feeling. It may not have been as in depth as some fantasies are, but it was a nice change. The story was full of emotion and twists. Some of it may have been predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read.

At eighteen, Zarela Zalvidar is a young woman going into a predominantly male world, a flamenco dancer turning into a dragonador. Trying to save her home and family legacy as her world turned upside down a second time, Zarela understood changes had to be made not only for those she loves: staff and her father, but herself too as she struggles with who she is to herself and what those want her to be. Zarela had a wonderful character arch and was well-written. She is an interesting character, and I liked her stubbornness and determination.

Arturo Díaz de Montserrat is a mysterious character. Not liked by other dragonadors because of his unorthodox method. His attitude does not help. He is just as stubborn as Zarela, but he also has a soft side. Arturo was someone that held a secret and once he opened up, you understood why he held it close. He was an interesting character.

The dragons in this story are interesting. I do not know a lot about the different dragons around the world, so I am not sure if these are the authors’ ideas, cultural, or both. It was interesting how the author described each one and what they can and cannot do. The dragon’s descriptions blended well within the story and did not feel like an information dump.

I enjoyed this story. When I started reading it, I felt the heavy Spanish influence. There was not a lot of world-build, but it did not need it. The world had a real world feeling and you can get sucked into it just fine. The matadors influenced the dragonadors and the arena. Spanish is their main language, but you can get past it when reading the surrounding text.

This story was simple, but it was fun, and I would read it again. I would recommend this to those who like simple fantasy, Spanish influence, and dragons.

Isabel Ibanez truly delired with this book! Such a familiar yet unique setting and that's what always shines the strongest in her stories. She respects the culture of the country she sets her story in while also giving her own magical twist. It brings a mix of realism into the fantasy. Such a delight!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the e-arc of “Together We Burn” by Isabel Ibañez in exchange for an honest review.
This book had me absolutely enchanted. I absolutely love the idea of being a matador to dragons rather than bulls.
This had many familiar tropes like killing of a parental figure and having that change the course of the MC’s future and having the MC be spunky and full of sarcastic wit that are typically seen in YA books but Isabel Ibañez found a way to make them feel new and exciting.
I especially love that even though her mother is killed by the fire of a dragon this doesn’t create a deep-seated hatred in Zarela.
The chemistry, banter, and passion between Zarela and Arturo, Zarela’s trainer, is the main reason why I’m so obsessed with this book. It is simply *chef’s kiss*.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This one is currently in my top ten for fantasy and enemies to lovers. Definitely top five for the year! Ibañez does a fantastic job with world building and scenery, creating diverse characters with realistic emotions, and a story that will stick with readers. I know this is a standalone, but it would be really great to have a spin off!

I was attracted to this one because it was a bit different than the typical England in the middle ages inspired fantasy (though I do love those too) and this was a fun change and I enjoyed seeing influences from another culture!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a mixed bag for me personally. The pacing and writing felt a bit slow, though it could have been balanced out by the incredible world-building. My main issues with this story were that the romance felt as if it lacked chemistry and that it felt almost obvious who the villain was. Overall, worldbuilding was the only main thing that saved this story for me. 2.5/5 stars.

I can't do it. I can't finish this book. I’ve picked it up and tried to read it exactly seven different times over the last four months.

I can't make it past page 66.

Of course I feel awful about it (even more so because it is an ARC), but it just isn't engaging enough to keep reading. Our heroine, Zarela, felt like every other YA fantasy heroine with a dead mom and daddy issues. While I loved the dragons and the Spain-inspired setting, pretty descriptions aren’t enough to save a book for me, and this one relied far too much on ✨Spanish dragon aesthetic✨ at the expense of the characters and story.

I’m genuinely sorry about it, but this one’s gonna have to be a no from me :(

I adore this story beyond belief. I truly love the way Isabel creates worlds for us to jump into and get lost in. 10/10.
Highly recommend this story. Will read it again.

This was such an epic read! I love when I can escape into a book and that’s what Isabel allowed me to do! I cannot wait to read more of her works!

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what the author releases in the future.