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! 

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.

This is the second book I’ve read in a row that was all tell no show with a much stronger concept than execution.

All of the elements are excellent here. This book is exploring some really compelling ideas: what does it mean to be a former chosen one or the sibling of a chosen one? What is good, what is evil, and what is the relationship between religion and morality? How do you rebuild your nation after a revolution? How do you find new relationships with your former colonial oppressors? Should you? 

The characters are set up in really compelling ways. The dragons are fun. The world is queernormative and both main characters are queer (one is demisexual, one is a lesbian). The plot is good overall. It was just way too fast and completely lacking in any subtlety whatsoever. I felt extremely spoon-fed the entire time. I also felt like the book was rushing through instead of taking its time with the characters and concepts. I wonder if it was the author’s choice to make this one extremely rushed book instead of two slower, more thoughtful ones.

If there’s a sequel I will read it because I’m invested, but I was definitely slightly disappointed.

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.