This managed to do so many unexpected things. First, this is dual POV which you can’t tell from the synopsis and definitely matters. It follows two sisters years after a war where their country fought off a colonizing nation in which they were two key players. So this feels like what would happen after so many classic YA adventure stories. It explores sister bonds, and what makes a villain. It does so many things that I wasn’t expecting so well. I’m intrigued for the second installment! 

Pitched as Queer Jamaican Joan of Arc with dragons, So Let Them Burn might just be the YA fantasy of the year (and it’s only January). It’s a sparkling debut with relatable characters, immersive and thoughtful world-building, and an ending that will probably haunt me until book 2’s release.

I finished most of the book in one sitting this morning. While the story’s latter two-thirds are incredibly quick, I did struggle to get through the first ~70 pages. In part because I’ve been in just about the worst YA fantasy slump of my life, and partly because there’s just a lot of world-building to consume in those first several chapters. Everything from the drakes to the dragons to the Empyrean to the magic system is incredibly fleshed out at the expense of the story’s pace. I’m not complaining though, because I think the author did an excellent job of laying things out and building on them without confusing the reader by throwing too much at us all at once. And once I hit part II, I was hooked. I didn’t set the book down again until it was over (and it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye).

The characters were phenomenally written. I usually struggle with multiple POVs in a book because there’s always that one character I just don’t vibe with, but that wasn’t the case here. I adored Elara and Faron equally, though for vastly different reasons. I identified very strongly with Elara, I think because she was the eldest daughter, and I felt so much of her story very deeply. With Faron, I think I related to her undying loyalty to and love for her sister, as well as her determination to protect her. This was the sister story my heart needed.

The side characters were also fleshed out and fun to follow. Reeve was my favorite for a multitude of reasons. He was a much-needed diversion from the toxic alpha male love interests who’ve been dominating YA fantasy lately. I love to see positive masculinity and I think the author nailed it with Reeve’s story and arc.

To me, this book felt like a mashup of all the best fantasy books. It reminded me of Iron Widow but with the romance and sister aspect of Caraval and the dragons and expansive world-building of The Priory of the Orange Tree. I think fans of any one of these books will probably enjoy So Let Them Burn.

Overall, I highly recommend this one.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All views reflected are my own. 

Thanks to Little Brown Young Readers for the free copy of this book.

 - Y’all! SO LET THEM BURN is so good! Dragons! Queerness! Jamaican history and gods! Life or death stakes! Love!
- I loved Faron and Elara and crew. I love a prickly girl protagonist, and SO LET THEM BURN delivers that and shows us exactly why they feel that way.
- This book blends the joy of fantasy with a close look at the destructive effects of colonization. The plot is fast and engaging, the world is detailed, and the issues it explores are real and important.