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chellyfish's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
This was a fascinating and original book that is part alternate history (ie, if Jamaica had a successful revolution like Haiti) and part fantasy (but also there are dragons and a variety of magics). Faron's role as the Child Empyrean was an interesting way to explore how people carry the trauma and responsibility of earlier generations. Some folks seem to have a beef with Faron not being traumatized enough from the recent war (her main dislike for being the Child Empyrean seems to be the attention and expectations it brings). I don't share that critique and I don't wish trauma on a young Black girl. I feel similarly about the moment Reeve consciously admits he invaded the safe space of the night market - we can have some relief some times from constant depictions of racial trauma. There are much better reasons to critique the book than these moments. For instance, I'll be curious to see how Elara'safriqeenhilife's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Sisterly Struggles and World-Building Woes
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole had me intrigued with its compelling title and premise. A unique tale of two sisters, Farren and Elara, navigating a post-war world. Farren emerges as a national hero, while Elara grapples with her identity in her sister's shadow. The premise is captivating: “Are you going to save your sister? Or are you going to save the world?” However, the execution left me feeling a bit frustrated. I wish the storytelling had drawn me in more.
The struggle was real—over 12 restarts! I usually thrive on fantasy, but the world-building felt incomplete, and I didn’t grasp the magical elements fully. However, I appreciated the themes of trauma and the complex relationship between the sisters. I found it hard to connect with the characters, especially Farren. I actually actively disliked the fmc. I hope this was the authors intention…good job. The audio version made it a struggle to follow the world-building. Honestly, I was ready to give up, but I’m trying hard to support Black authors so it kept me pushing through. The story dives deep into trauma and sibling relationships, as a Black woman in America, I felt the title resonated with me on a personal level.
**Score:** 3.5/5. While I struggled the entire time, the representation in fantasy is vital, and I hope for a prequel that dives deeper into their backstory.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and War
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
pipn_t's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall enjoyable but there were some questionable choices made. The moral messaging felt about as subtle as a hammer, and the romantic side plots were both felt forced. I also question some of the logic that drove the plot a little. One character was said to have “lost his mind” who seemed perfectly rational and coherent to me. I think the author has built a really interesting world and I hope they write more, hopefully further instalments will be more polished up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
alsira98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and War
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
mythian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Racism and Slavery
hamstringy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.25
I think there’s a lot to love about this book: the characters are interesting (Faron in particular is an archetype I wish was explored more), the world is lovingly crafted, and the plot pulls you in. I think at times I wish it was a little more show and a little less tell, especially with Faron and Reeve’s relationship, but I think it ultimately wasn’t a core flaw of the book. Loved the willingness to tackle complicated questions and especially loved the problem of “an enemy wearing a friend’s face” being approached with nuance and love first.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Violence and Fire/Fire injury
ainadei's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
Okay, WOW. What a book. The premise of it all was so interesting too. Two sisters, a war, Jamaican mythology, and dragons! How could I resist?
I won't lie, the first quarter of the book was a huge struggle for me. The constant mentions of the war and the child soldiers who saved their country within it had me suspending my disbelief much more than I wanted. I really had to push through, wondering what would've been wrong with having characters who were a little older. Outside of the plot, there are also a few strange sounding metaphors and similes that made me go "huh?".
Faron was also very frustrating for me most of the book, making me wonder how she made it through the war the way that was described if she was as immature and short-sighted as she was during the book. Elara's journey and growth however was a beautiful thing to read, and I loved seeing her develop throughout the book. The strength of their bond was something so powerful that I hadn't read in a book like this before and I absolutely loved it, especially as an oldest sister who'd do anything for her younger ones.
After the first quarter of the book, the story really picked up and became something magical!! The world building is good, the plot twists are twisting, and the way it all comes together in the end has ensured that I will be reading the next book once it's out!!
If you love dragons, magic, and well written sibling bonds, this is for you! If you're the type to DNF a book quickly, this is probably not for you, lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia