Name: So Let Them Burn
Rating: 4 (6 reviews)

Kamilah Cole

So Let Them Burn

Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who’s forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Priory of the Orange Tree. Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors. When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister. As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world. "By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole’s sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists—two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond." — Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief

Let me preface by saying that I think a lot of my review is colored by the fact that I’ve been becoming more distanced from YA recently, and I may have to concede that it’s just not for me anymore. If you are a fan of YA — like it’s your primary genre — then I think you’ll really love this. Now that that’s out of the ways here’s my review:

I was very interested in the worldbuilding, especially because this is a Jamaican inspired fantasy. I’m always so excited to see Caribbean culture adapted into a fantasy setting. I think the story had the makings of something amazing, and maybe the inevitable sequel will be even stronger. The characters and their sorted histories and dynamics were interesting to me initially, and I was anxious to delve deeper into all of them. Unfortunately, I don’t think we got much more than the surface level relationships on the page. I felt no connection to any of the characters, and a lot of the plot seemed like we were being told something but not shown it. The characters lacked nuance, which is something that contributes to my enjoyment of a book.

Additionally, the plot, in my opinion, was very predictable, and I wish there was just a moment where I couldn’t figure out where something was headed. Once again, this just may be where my adult brain is working against my enjoyment of the text because someone in the target demographic might not be able to see all the pieces in front of them so clearly.

I will say, I was the most fascinated by the magic system in the book. I think I have a clear understanding of the dragon related magic, but I’m still confused by the scope of the other magic we are introduced to and would have loved to have that fleshed out a bit. But in its totality, the magic and lore was my favorite part of the story.

Finally, I think my biggest concern with this book is that so much could’ve been different if one character had just openly communicated with another. It’s so frustrating to watch everything crumble and end the way it ends from a lack of simple communication. Out of anger, I almost gave this a 2, but after sitting with my feelings for a bit longer, I came to my senses.

Overall, I definitely think this book has an audience that will love it and praise it, and I want that for the author. However, I cannot be one of those readers. If you are someone who prefers YA and more simplistic plots, then I think this is better suited for you.

Nik ✨

Let me preface by saying that I think a lot of my review is colored by the fact that I’ve been becoming more distanced from YA recently, and I may have to concede that it’s just not for me anymore. If you are a fan of YA — like it’s your primary genre — then I think you’ll really love this. Now that that’s out of the ways here’s my review:

I was very interested in the worldbuilding, especially because this is a Jamaican inspired fantasy. I’m always so excited to see Caribbean culture adapted into a fantasy setting. I think the story had the makings of something amazing, and maybe the inevitable sequel will be even stronger. The characters and their sorted histories and dynamics were interesting to me initially, and I was anxious to delve deeper into all of them. Unfortunately, I don’t think we got much more than the surface level relationships on the page. I felt no connection to any of the characters, and a lot of the plot seemed like we were being told something but not shown it. The characters lacked nuance, which is something that contributes to my enjoyment of a book.

Additionally, the plot, in my opinion, was very predictable, and I wish there was just a moment where I couldn’t figure out where something was headed. Once again, this just may be where my adult brain is working against my enjoyment of the text because someone in the target demographic might not be able to see all the pieces in front of them so clearly.

I will say, I was the most fascinated by the magic system in the book. I think I have a clear understanding of the dragon related magic, but I’m still confused by the scope of the other magic we are introduced to and would have loved to have that fleshed out a bit. But in its totality, the magic and lore was my favorite part of the story.

Finally, I think my biggest concern with this book is that so much could’ve been different if one character had just openly communicated with another. It’s so frustrating to watch everything crumble and end the way it ends from a lack of simple communication. Out of anger, I almost gave this a 2, but after sitting with my feelings for a bit longer, I came to my senses.

Overall, I definitely think this book has an audience that will love it and praise it, and I want that for the author. However, I cannot be one of those readers. If you are someone who prefers YA and more simplistic plots, then I think this is better suited for you.

Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who's forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland--perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Priory of the Orange Tree. Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She's a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors. When she's forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn't expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon--or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister. As Faron's desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other's lives, as well as the fate of their world. "By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole's sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists--two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond." -- Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief

so let them burn is a gripping fantasy about two sisters and their love for each other. while it took me a bit to get into it (i am not usually a fantasy so sometimes the worldbuilding overwhelms me), once i did, i couldn't put the book down. everything about it, from the themes that resonate with real-life issues, the main characters, the romances, everything was just absolutely fantastic and i was so deeply immersed into the story that i felt like i was part of the action. kamilah cole's writing is stunning, beautiful but not too flowery, smart but not too complicated, and so so so engaging. i couldn't recommend this book more if i tried. i received an ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

So Let Them Burn

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