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.

This is a really great entry into a YA fiction. We have the aftermath of a war, two sisters who are still young women having spent the last several years of their childhood fighting for their country. One is considered a saint to her people but is a rebel at heart. We have an enemy heir whose rebellion against his father and betrayal against his people sealed the victory. These three intertwined figures must navigate their impending adulthood. What THEY want instead of what their world has made of them. There is magic, intrigue and constant fear their enemy will return. It is a fast paced story with strong Afro-centric themes. It's beautifully written with a strong backstory and well defined world. Very good start to a series. I will enjoy reading the next book in this series. Thanks netgalley and the author for letting me read this book.

Beautiful and terrible, So Let Them Burn explores how a people can heal after colonialism and throwing off their oppressors. Cole's prose is so lush, I couldn't bear for it to end. Pick this up for the dragons--stay for the powerful story of devotion between sisters.

What an incredible debut! I loved pretty much everything about this one, with a special shoutout to the sister bond at its heart, and will be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

This book was UNBELIEVABLE. The drama, the action, the plot, the romance—so freaking good. Hands down one of the best dragon books out there. I feel so fortunate to have received an early copy.

Faron and Elara are two sisters who have barely recovered from a war they were too young to have been involved in. 5 years out from their victory, new challenges arise as they try to settle into life post-conflict. Faron, the god-channeling Childe Empyrean, is still connected to her godly powers with nowhere to focus them. Elara, the older sister, is a powerful channeled in her own right, but is seeking to find her own path out of her sister’s shadow. When the impossible happens, chaos ensues.

One sister heads down a dark path, while the other heads down a path of glory. At times, it’s anyone’s guess which is which. This is what makes this story so JUICY.

I loved the dynamic of the two sisters, and related to their struggles in different ways. Faron has that gifted kid burnout energy, not gonna lie. And despite being the older sibling, Elara has that younger sibling energy. I loved them both so much.

This story has the best characters, great romantic subplots, fantastic commentary on war and international relations, and so much more. Plus sapphic AND demisexual rep that both feel so natural? Ugh. Perfection.

I truly can’t wait for the next installment, I’m on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“She was their chosen champion. She was their connection to the mortal plane. She was the weapon they had pointed at the Langley Empire and their beasts of fire, and what had she ever gotten in return?”

Five years ago, Faron Vincent of Jamaica-inspired San Irie channeled the power of the gods to protect her country from the onslaught of the Langley Empire and their dragons in a brutal war. Her older sister, Elara, fought in the war as a simple ground soldier, but she wants more—her own mark on history. When Elara bonds with a Langlish dragon during an international peace summit, she gets way more than she asked. Aveline, the Iryan queen, asks Elara to spy on Langley under the guise of training as a dragon Rider. Meanwhile, the gods command Faron to kill her sister. Desperate for another solution, Faron barters with an imprisoned god, Elara uncovers shocking secrets within the Langley Empire, and both sisters make pivotal choices that will shape the fates of themselves and their country.

The fascinating premise for So Let Them Burn sent my expectations soaring but, unfortunately, this book was a huge disappointment. Let’s start with the good: Cole undoubtedly knows how to craft intricate descriptions that befit a fantasy novel, and her determination to tackle colonization and its lingering effects is admirable. However, I found the execution lacking, particularly the world-building and characterization. The author’s choice to set this book after a major historical event in this world, the first war between San Irie and Langley, kind of necessitates the book’s constant info-dumping, but it doesn’t make it less tedious. We’re only given glimpses of this war—which sounds much more interesting than the actual plot—through long, awkwardly thrown-in paragraphs.

The characters also suffer from poor writing choices. Elara went through (what should’ve been) emotional, world-shattering scenes, but they fell completely flat. For instance, she loses her hereditary Iryan magic of astral-calling when she bonds with the Langlish dragon, but she barely spares a paragraph’s worth of thought on it. Faron is continually angry at everyone’s perception of her as a childish brat, but she never does anything to disprove this notion. Her immense godly powers are wasted on her inability to critically think about the consequences of her actions. I wasn’t interested in the sisters as much as I was in Aveline, a child-queen forced to lead her people to victory in the first war and shoulder the weight of fraught diplomatic relations with a colonizing empire. I would’ve loved to see more of her. Additionally, the flat characterization of primordial beings such as gods and dragons is such a tragedy. Cole attempted to portray the Iryan gods as otherworldly and unfathomable, but they instead come across as boring, insipid, and painfully shallow. The characters revere the dragons as wise, inhumanely powerful beasts, but nothing in the book proves that sentiment. For all their supposed wisdom, the dragons still fight on behalf of colonizers. I have to assume that this is their choice, if apparently they are far mightier than humans and cannot be forced to work against their will.

Despite my disappointment with So Let Them Burn, Kamilah Cole has the potential to breathe novelty into the fantasy genre with her unique ideas, and I look forward to future works from her.

The war is over. Her home is free, but at what cost? Faron Vincent has the power to channel the Gods, but with the war won, she now must live as a legend when, in reality, she’s more a liar than a saint.

It can feel impossible to measure up when your younger sister has been chosen by the gods. Elara Vincent wants to be more than just the older sister of a saint, and maybe joining the military to keep her homeland free will help her find her place in the world.

Both sisters get called to an international peace summit where they must face old enemies and question the future of their homeland.

My thoughts:

I LOVED THIS BOOK. The writing style keeps you on your toes while also keeping a fast pace. The dual POV is well written, and the characters come off as real people with characteristics that allow the readers to empathize with them while also having understandable flaws. I will 100% be reading the next installment of this series when it comes out.

This was such a good start to a series! I loved the world, the dragons and sister relationship Faron and Elara. They would do anything for one another. The story progressed at a steady pace with the majority of the action happening in the last 25% of the book. Loved the subtle romance each sister had and can't wait to see how those relationships progress. Loved the unique magic with unique gods. Dual pov is always my preferred method of story telling in fantasy novels and this did not disappoint. Counting down the days till book 2.

Some things I wished were included in the book:

More interaction with their parents, they were only mentioned in the beginning and then they were non-existent which I felt was not believable. Especially when they were described as having a lot of anxiety to losing their daughters after the war

A prequel highlighting some of the events of the war! i felt like there were some information that felt like info dumping that could have been avoided had that story been told on it's own.

I enjoyed this book, just not quite enough to make it 5 stars. The world building was fascinating but it dragged at moments and took me a while to get into.

I did absolutely love the characters though and would love to have a physical copy of this book. Once the ball got rolling, it was a really interesting read, it just took a minute.

Take this review as a its me, not you thing.

Though I am very excited about the author and her debut, the book was okay. It wasn't a bad story. I actually enjoyed it. I just had trouble sticking with it. My disconnect comes from the story after a war, and because the trials and tribulations of that war are mentioned so much, we're missing the full strength of the mission at hand while reading this current story. In other words, this book would be a fire ass sequel.

The book does read younger than usual at times. There were times I questioned the ages of the sisters. Faron I could understand; she's the younger bratty sister with power. Her older sister, Elara, sounded like she was the baby of the family, and it didn't sit well with her "soldier-like" character profile.

TBH, I danced between rating this book with either a 3 or 3.5 stars. I am still very interested in checking out the next book in the series, now that I know what to expect.

As far as young adult fantasy novels go, this was a pretty decent introduction to a new series. What I loved most about So Let Them Burn (and what piqued my interest in this book) was the incorporation of Caribbean culture into the setting and world building. In this debut novel, we follow two sisters; one is a warrior and the other desperately wants to no longer live in her sister’s shadows. This story is set in a Jamaican-inspired fantastical world, where racism and war ravage the countries. There is a fair amount of politicking taking place, as the backbone of everything that happens throughout the book stems from the after effects of a war that took place five years ago because of said racism. Without being spoilery, the magic system is founded in ancestral magic, where individuals are able to ‘call’ on the spirits of their ancestors to aid them in carrying out tasks (and to aid in fighting). There are also dragons and a dragon riding school! This story is told from the dual perspective of both sisters, one of which I enjoyed significantly more than the other. There were slight issues with the worldbuilding and some plot holes in the story, but I don’t think that they are unredeemable considering that this is the first book in the series. I do want to continue on with the rest of the books and I look forward to seeing where the author goes with these characters and this world!

What I loved:
✨Sisterly Bonds: Faron & Elara (our dual POVs) - I love these two. These sisters are fierce, strong, wise beyond their years, and determined to save their country and each other. I liked Elara’s character a *tiny* bit more because of her innate desire to help people with no voice, power, or chance in the world. But their bond makes me crave more sister stories! ❤️
✨ Heavy topics without feeling dense or hopeless: Colonialism, imperialism, the aftermath of war, and PTSD to name a few.
✨Cole’s writing: vivid, immersive, textured, and intense. She doesn’t overly complicate the world-building but provides enough history that the reader quickly becomes invested in the fight for San Irie. Even with a large cast, she fully develops each one of the characters. You can't help but fall in love with these badass sisters and the young orphaned Queen who is trying to save her island! Finally, Cole leaves the right amount of loose threads. I feel fully satisfied at the conclusion of Book One, but yet cannot wait for Book Two. Bravo! Excellent debut!!!

Other quick highlights: Jamaican Joan of Arc, sapphic romance subplot, demisexual character, dragons & their bonds with their riders, Gods and their true nature, and a fantastic ending!

WOW! An absolutely amazing debut by Kamilah Cole. Everything from the world building to the lore and the characters was so well done. I enjoyed the pace of the story and how the action really picked up about halfway through. Initially I thought maybe Elara secretly resented Faron but as time went on I began to see that wasn't the case at all. She just didn't like being cast in her little sister's shadow and wanted people to see her for her and what she could offer. It was deeply relatable. I also couldn't blame Faron at all for how she handled trying to save her sister's life and making the decisions she did even if it did lead to some very disastrous results. I'm a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope and the blossoming relationship between Faron and Reeve did NOT disappoint. The utter glee on my face when they finally kissed!!! Overall the story itself about a people fighting for their freedom and just trying to exist peacefully is one that will always need to be told and Kamilah Cole did such a beautiful job with it. I can't wait to see what comes next in this duology and from the author.

A great start that got disjointed. The concept was good but I would’ve liked to see more development in the characters and relationships. The worldbuilding was phenomenal, from the magic to the dragons and everything in between. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers and this book ended with one. The ending was great though. It’s well worth the read and I’d be interested to hear more thoughts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 4.5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!

So Let Them Burn follows two sisters after a brutal war is finally over. Faron, who became famous for channeling the power of the gods and end the war, and her older sister Elara, who wants to be remembered as more than the sister of Faron.

“As I said many suns ago, the two of you have the same soul. You both want to fight for something that you truly believe in.”

I love reading mythology books and add in dragons and you have a perfect recipe for an amazing story and this one did not disappoint!

The first thing that I noticed about this story was the really intriguing magic system! I loved the idea that they could channel their ancestors and access their powers to help them. It was a beautiful connection to one’s roots. I also really liked the philosophy behind it that those who are able to do this is because their soul isn’t whole and when bonding to a dragon, it becomes that.

The plot was very interesting as well. It was interesting to see the aftermath of a brutal war that went on for a long time and see how, even when the physical fighting has ended, it still takes a lot of healing. Add in the political unrest and it became a very layered plot, but at the same time it became a plot that kept my attention from start to finish!

I loved the sisters and especially the sibling bond between the two was beautiful to watch. Seeing them go the far distance for the other was beautiful and admirable to see, even if they made mistakes, they always acted in a way they thought would be best for both. I also loved seeing Faron’s growth, learning to let go of her anger and realising mistakes she made and consequences they can have. Also, Elara really accepting herself and starting to live for herself and not what is expected was awesome!

I liked the bond with the dragon, which made it rather fun to see that dynamic between the riders bloom as well. It made for a lot of fun moments and humour throughout the serious events that happened. Also, the romance that slowly bloomed for both sisters was nice to see.

The story was a bit predictable to me, the ending didn’t really take me by surprise as much as I would’ve liked. At the same time, I did think that this book was a standalone and with that ending, that just can’t be true haha. I will most definitely be checking out the sequel!

Overall, I really enjoyed this beautiful world created in So Let Them Burn, the amazing cast of characters and intriguing magic system it has!

Interesting and compelling premise that explores the aftermath of a war fought by our main characters as children. A story of sisterhood and colonialism that involves dragons, I found the novel to be a fun read and look forward to seeing how Cole develops the world and mythology in the following book. I really adore stories that explore the tension present in relationships between siblings and this delivers.

This book skillfully delved into complex issues while delivering a captivating and thrilling narrative. It seamlessly incorporated numerous elements that I adore:
- Sister bonds
- Entrancing magical elements
-Dragons!
-Sapphic themes
-YA fantasy
- Jamaican influence
-Ace representation
-Strong BIPOC female main characters
-Slowburn lust
-Cliffhanger
I was utterly captivated by this book, and my sole grievance is the absence of a Kindle version. Reading it on my phone took much longer than it should have, but I plan to acquire a physical copy for a re-read before the second book's release!

Being the pretty cynical person I am, I'm wary when I see a lot of hype around a book, but upon starting this one, it became very clear very quickly that every ounce of hype it has is VERY deserved.

The prose is strong, commanding, captivating, and immediately drew me in, while the quick pacing kept me turning pages, and the twists had me gasping. The world is vibrant and fun, while simultaneously dealing with the heavy topics of the impact of war and imperialism in a thoughtful and nuanced manner. The characters are well fleshed-out, and their relationships with each other are equally fleshed-out, believable and compelling. (Honestly, the fact that I liked Faron as much as I liked Elara is a testament to the development of them both because Elara's character spoke so deeply to me on a personal level--the responsible lesbian older sister in her famous younger sibling's shadow helloooooo.)

There's a certain comforting familiarity to be found in the numerous big fantasy tropes to be found in this book (Chosen One, DRAGONS, etc), and yet, they're handled in such a fresh and thoughtful way that the book manages to feel both like a warm, familiar blanket, and something completely breathtakingly new.

Who should pick up this book: anyone and everyone who enjoys YA fantasy. Full stop.

This book was so good. The character relationships & plot twists & betrayals & young love, everything about this book was really good.

✨ Review ✨ So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

FIVE Reasons to read So Let Them Burn
1. Like Fourth Wing but Feminist
2. Like Fourth Wing but Anti-Colonial
3. Like Fourth Wing but no dragon sex
4. Like Fourth Wing but Jamaican-inspired
5. Like Fourth Wing but deeper characters

Okay, but more seriously, this book reminded me a bit of Fourth Wing in its setup - young adult / new adult book about a girl/s and about dragons. There's a dragon academy and competing factions and love stories -- there are definite similarities here.

But it diverged pretty significantly in its themes and messaging. Faron and Elara grew up on San Irie which has long been colonized by the Langlish empire (which has dragons!) and others before it. Recently having fought for and having won their independence, San Irie is struggling to protect its territory and maintain this freedom. It all almost spins out of control though during a peace summit when there's a bit of a dragon incident. Oh yeah, and Faron is the Childe Empyrian, which means she can channel the power of the gods.

This book is slower to get going than Fourth Wing and maybe doesn't have that same Fourth Wing/ACOTAR binge-ability, but I found the messaging to be so much more meaningful here re: race and feminism and queer love and anti-colonialism. I also loved that the different regions had different systems of magic and power, and I'm excited to see how this plays out in the sequel.

All in all, if you love dragons and magic world-building and the Caribbean, give this book a shot!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: YA fantasy
Setting: a fictional Jamaican-inspired island
Pub Date: Jan 16, 2024

Thanks to Little Brown, @TBRandBeyond, @wordsiren, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!