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avalon's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Great worldbuilding even if it took the entire first quarter to fully explain everything. I also loved the importance of the friendships as well as relationships; while yes there was romance, everyone was buddies and that's still uncommon in YA. Book covers super important real-world themes as well and does it beautifully. I just wish there was more of Elara and Signey, I loved their relationship and I really wanted more of their banter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
zluvsreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is my favorite book and consuming it in audio format just made me love it that much more.
Narration: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Simply such a great novel that has colonization and diversity and dragons and sapphic relationships and queer characters and morally grey characters and characters you want to hate but secretly love (hi Gael I love you I’m sorry)
Read this in preparation for the sequel that I have both the digital arc and ALC of. Can’t wait, since i have started that already. My hold expired and then i just got it back again so i quickly finished a little less than 70% of the audio in just today. So good. Highly recommend.
Narration: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Simply such a great novel that has colonization and diversity and dragons and sapphic relationships and queer characters and morally grey characters and characters you want to hate but secretly love (hi Gael I love you I’m sorry)
Read this in preparation for the sequel that I have both the digital arc and ALC of. Can’t wait, since i have started that already. My hold expired and then i just got it back again so i quickly finished a little less than 70% of the audio in just today. So good. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was such a creative take on the trope of "young woman chosen by Gods gets powers and saves her kingdom." I loved how this picked up years after the big fight with our two female main characters who are grappling with their identity, future, and place in the kingdom after everything that's happened. This unique plot had lots of action and was a unique twist on many of the typical fantasy plots that get a bit stale after so many books. It kept me on my toes the whole time and even though it's a YA, it's complex and satisfying enough for an adult audience. I appreciated the genuine/authentic representation for young women of color and queer folks and think the author did a beautiful job creating a unique world that was also steeped in Jamaican history and culture. Absolutely obsessed with this book (and the characters). The only downside was that I realized too close to the end that this was a series and not just a one-off ... I am definitely counting down the days until the sequel is released in early 2025!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Abandonment
blacksphinx's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall I had a fun time with this book but when I sat down to review it, all I could think of was that if someone asked me for an anti-colonialist fantasy novel with dragons, I would give them To Shape A Dragon's Breath instead. This was both a more action-y and a more romance-heavy book than I was expecting; depending on the ending of the duology I'd be comfortable handing it to any fantasy romance fan. What really kept me going was some interesting and unique aspects of how magic works in this world and what a "dragon" actually is. I think Kamilah Cole has a bright future as a writer and I will be checking out her next books.
When it comes to aspec representation, I think it's really important to say upfront that Faron is a demisexual character being written by a demisexual author. I think if I had just heard "aspec protag" without that context, the book would have deeply hurt me because without it, it's very easy to see Faron's character arc as "a young woman thought she was aro ace but just needed to meet the right man to fix her." This is #ownvoices so it's not the case, and as an asexual (not demi) person I can't criticize it. I wish being demi and experiencing attraction for the first time, and what that means to her/how she feels about it, was given more attention in the novel. Especially because the dual romances took up so much page count, so it's not like the romance was a small side plot.
When it comes to aspec representation, I think it's really important to say upfront that Faron is a demisexual character being written by a demisexual author. I think if I had just heard "aspec protag" without that context, the book would have deeply hurt me because without it, it's very easy to see Faron's character arc as "a young woman thought she was aro ace but just needed to meet the right man to fix her." This is #ownvoices so it's not the case, and as an asexual (not demi) person I can't criticize it. I wish being demi and experiencing attraction for the first time, and what that means to her/how she feels about it, was given more attention in the novel. Especially because the dual romances took up so much page count, so it's not like the romance was a small side plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
themdash's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bree_h_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was a bit nervous given my recent track record with debut novels BUT this one was amazing.
I wasn’t expecting the book to follow characters POST a “chosen one child” story, but it was a pleasant surprise. I thought the way the book explored how the girls were impacted by that was really well done. Not just how war and colonisation changed them, but the impacts of being figureheads and symbols of hope. They’re also used to really effectively show the impacts of colonisation. Not just the trauma but the disconnect from their culture and the small resistances to keep it.
I think the characters in general were really well done. Each felt distinct and like real thought was put into WHY they are the way they are. No group felt homogeneous. Even the Langlish had variety in their views and thoughts on the war and wanting to do better. It’s not something I often see and I really enjoyed it. The characters also allowed for a solid look into how both characters suffer in conflict, but didn’t turn the oppressors into victims.
I also really liked the world building. It all felt really unique and like a lot of thought was put into it. The world felt very real.
However, there were some flaws.
The middle and end felt a little rushed. This led to what felt like some leaps of logic and not being able to connect to the supporting cast. This was especially prevent in Elara’s story where her connections to her supporting characters were so vital for emotional payoff. We just never saw enough for a proper bond.
Overall, though, it was a great book. I highly recommend and can’t wait for book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery
goldendreams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Xenophobia and Injury/Injury detail
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
WOW. A truly exceptional novel. I am thoroughly devastated that I cannot simply will the next book into existence. In So Let Them Burn, Kamilah Cole takes everything that can be amazing about young adult fantasy and elevates it with beautiful storytelling and entrancing world-building. I cannot wait to read more from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Slavery, and Torture
kaynova's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cadence99's review
4.25
I really enjoyed this book, and, having not realized it was a series, am now deeply upset I have to wait for a resolution. The beautiful strong relationships between characters really stood out for me, I can’t wait to see where their journeys lead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail