Firstly thank you so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book, I really appreciate it.

I appreciate that my review is rather late and apologise for this but the truth is that I thought this book sounded great and was excited to read it - as such, I started it straight away but unfortunately found that the writing style just wasn't for me and I had to DNF without getting very far. However, I fully intended on trying it again at another time because I really wanted to leave a proper review, hence leaving it on my Netgalley Shelf.

However, having now tried it for the third time and again stopped fairly quickly, I have to concede that this book just isn't for me. If I am buying a book I always read the first page or two to check I like the author's writing style as well as the sound of the story, but unfortunately that isn't possible on Netgalley and honestly I wouldn't have bought this one. It's rare that I DNF a book.

It seems very teen rather than the older YA I am more used to reading and reviewing and whilst I am sure the plot ends up being as fantastic as it sounds and hopefully the writing style improves, it's sadly a no from me. But I do very much hope that other readers love it and that the series does really well - we are all different after all.

I cannot really give a true star rating as I DNF and as such will not be reviewing anywhere else, but as I have to give one on Netgalley to be able to submit these comments, I am giving it 2 stars: 1 for what I read and 1 for the potential the rest of the book has. It's wonderful cover design will undoubtedly help it to reach the right audience.

Okay so this was one of my most anticipated reads as it sounds like exactly my type of book and it has dragons! While i did enjoy the book I still feel a little let down. I have some mixed feelings as I enjoyed some parts but other parts felt bored. I think the main issue for me was pacing. Everything seemed to happen at once then long periods where nothing really happened and made me lose interest. I did like how the story ended so i am interested to know what will happen next.

This book is so good y’all.

A major thing that this book explores is the question of what happens to chosen ones and new teenage monarchs after their stories are done? When the revolution has been won, the colonial power has been expelled, and the people of a nation are finally free to live their lives on their own terms, what happens next? When this book starts it’s been five years since Faron helped save the day. Winning that war was undoubtedly a good thing, but it wasn’t an uncomplicated happily ever after. There’s still a country to run, there are still international relations issues to be mindful of, and everyone involved in running the country is deeply aware that, back then, they almost didn’t win that war, and the cost in terms of both money and lives was incredibly high. If the fighting were to reignite it would be nothing short of a disaster. I really enjoy it when common story tropes, such as in this case the chosen one and the overthrowing of an evil empire, are investigated deeper and deconstructed in this way, and I think this book did a great job of it!

I love love LOVED the relationship between Faron and Elara! Complicated/tragic siblings are fun as well, but it was also super refreshing to see the trust that these two had in each other and kept in each other throughout despite the circumstances meaning that distrusting each other would’ve been both easy and understandable. Faron and Elara’s first priority is keeping each other safe and, for the most part, they’re both on the same page about that. They actually communicate with each other. It’s wild.

The gods in this book really do not understand humans At All, and I really enjoyed seeing their dismissive attitudes clash against a protagonist who isn’t going to bend to their will just because they’re gods. It’s their deep misunderstanding of human nature that causes a Lot of the problems for the main characters. No wonder Faron had to look elsewhere for help.

This bit is so incredibly subjective, but. I really love stories that involve possession, and I also really enjoy it when there are kind of psychic links / soul bonds where the people involved can hear each other’s thoughts, are basically unable to hide anything from each other, and as a result are in some form always with one another. This book had both of these things and, in my opinion, handled them beautifully. The latter is a lot more specific than the former, but I am a sucker for both <3

Also, there are dragons. And lesbians. And demisexual rep. Literally what more could you want? If you haven’t checked out this book yet you are so sorely missing out.

This is my absolute favourite book of the year!!! Everything about this book is absolutely incredible, it was so enthralling and so beautifully written. I loved the characters so much, and I loved their dynamics. The dynamics between the two sisters, the building Love between Elara and Signey, the subtle building change of relationship between Reeve and Faron !! That ending was so tense and I’m going to be losing my mind waiitng for book 2 to see where it goes !!!

This book was fun. The idea behind it wasn't something entirely new, I've read a few fantasies with the gods gifted/Devine One struggling to come to terms with their powers, duties responsibilities and torn between family and love. What makes this one unique is how the author added her own take on this trope. The setting made it fun, and the bond between the chosen one and her sister was lovely. The magic and the world building were well explained without info dumping, the story telling well written and compelling. Twists and turns and really makes the reader care about the characters. Looking forward to the next one,

One thing I will say is what an environment! The world building is phenomenal, and so immersive throughout the novel. Also might I add dragons to the mix?!
Following two sisters, we see their story in which they deal with their struggles, expectations and emotions, but prevailing through it all with love.
It was a slower pace in the beginning, but soon picked up and I wasn’t able to put it down!

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers

So Let Them Burn was a story of two sisters and their powerful bond. This story I felt was deep and I'm not surprised this is being described as a Jamaican Joan of Arc story. The characters were really fleshed out and the writing style was captivating.
The story pulled me in and I really enjoyed it unfolding as I was dragged into the story.

Faron Vincent, five years ago when she was twelve, had become a legend, “a living saint” when she liberated her people of the island nation from a dragon-riding colonising empire. All by being a host to the gods of San Irie, being a medium for their powers and using it as a weapon to be wielded in the service of the nation—which she did when fighting against the humongous fire-wielding creatures, the dragons. But now, with the battle left behind and the victory rejoiced, she uses her power to win bets or trivial things, and be a troublemaker, widely contrasting to the image of a ‘holy child’ she has been burdened with.

It is this post-war, post-revolution, and recent liberation that first pulls the reader into the world. The height of danger is clear from the dragons, despite the powerful drakes and Faron, the Childe Empyrean, “an internationally recognisable symbol of divine retribution”. But it’s the aftermath of years of colonisation and the collective strength that a revolutionary struggle demands that establishes San Irie as a small nation facing a post-war wrestle, entangled in deeper politics. And this sets a heavier weight on Faron’s ability, pushing her to an exploration of her purpose.

The focus on war, especially one fought with a colonising power, shows both a brutal present and a shaken aftermath through frequent remembrance of the war Iryans fought five years ago (*”Dragons would often burst over the peaks flame-first, killing the land with their blazing breath and blowing wooden shacks across the plains with their wings.”*) or the reminders still visible: “blackened patches of land that had been ravaged by dragonfire, charred soil that could never again yield new life”.

In addition, it explores the emotional trauma ingrained in a once-colonised populace, and also presents a poignant look into the sharp gravel of colonised bridges through the son of the current ruler of the Langlish Empire, Reeve. His decision, five years ago, to side with San Irie carries a significant arc that intrigues throughout and gives way to a certain tension between him and Faron.

Her older sister, Elara Vincent, had followed her little sister into the war but is growing to despise the shadow of her renowned sister, often endlessly teased by Faron for being docile. Now, at eighteen, she’s determined to become a soldier in the Iryan Military Forces by proving her skill of ‘combat summoning’: calling on an ancestral spirit to be supported in a fight, and testing to be a Drake pilot, a revered soldier who bonds with a semisentient giant flying metal war machine, only if the Drake chooses the pilot too.

Their different pathways and outlooks are merged again when Queen Aveline —a young leader who had taken the shattered country to war at just sixteen years of age— after five years of liberation and the debilitating resources, decides to go down a diplomatic path: organising a peace summit to host neighbouring nations, including the colonial empire, the Langlish. The Queen needs both the sisters to be on the port, alongside her, as a relief to the island’s population worried with the presence of the giant being, the dragons, seated at the shore due to the Langlish Empire’s arrival.

But when Elara bonds with a Langlish dragon, linked intricately enough to *feel* everything that happens to the dragon and thereby leaving her sister and other soldiers powerless as the dragons flies around, an undercurrent begins, diverging the destinies of the sisters. The many lingering effects of colonialism is hard to miss, from the oppressor’s language to the lack of respect for traditional strengths of colonised nations: “Langley has never understood or respected San Irie’s magic or its gods.” It is this magic that opens doors to someone revered as a god, someone who had taught the founders of the Langlish Empire how to bond with dragons and ride them.

Cole lets you be intrigued, as political power plays fuelled by the insidious nature of colonial empires unravel, a “Chosen One” slowly loses faith in herself, and an older sister who “wanted to matter, too” finally gets a miracle of her own but must step off San Irie and into the Langlish lands to train as a dragon co-rider. And Cole does this while painting a queernormative world with grandiose mythology and striking, rich details.

Whether it’s Faron’s summoning abilities as she “skimmed the contours of the dragon’s soul, and it felt as if she’d leashed herself to a comet” or surprisingly alluring scenes like a dragon “nuzzling its scaled head against the drake’s metal one” to display a startling affection, “an olive branch of peace”. The extensive detailing wonderfully extends to the characters, conjuring vivid paths for all yet entangling their destinies with precision. At the end, *So Let Them Burn* will feel otherworldly and enormous, just like its dragons.

Review will be posted on the blog on March 8, 2024. Link will be shared then.

Two amazing sisters with a lovely bond are involved in this fantasy, so good and captivating. So recommended

I adored this. It’s rare i read a YA novel that feels new and fresh and this managed it. Its Jamaican inspired world building was phenomenal, and i was immediately drawn into the characters and the plot. It tackles some big world issues, anti-colonialism, anti-imperialism and what happens after war, and it does them all with great skill and tact. It demonstrates PTSD incredibly well, and how war affects everyone involved, and has far-reaching effects, long past it’s end.

The magic system felt very unique in this, and yet made complete sense in the concept of the plot. Faron wielded it so well it was as if it was made and desgined for her, and her fiery, take-no-nonsense character. I really grew to love her attitude, and why she what she fought for. We even got a different take on the chosen one trope and I for one, am always open to a twist on a trope!
I already cannot wait for the sequel, the ending of this was so amazing, and yet perfectly sets up the next book and I already need answers!!

So Let Them Burn is a fun, action-packed YA fantasy that has been pitched as Jamaican Joan of Arc. The book was honestly a fun, trope-y romp that had everything: Magic! Spies! Dragons! I had a blast reading it.

The story follows two sisters, Faron and Elara. Five years ago, Faron, blessed by the Gods, saved her home island from the invasion of the Langlish Empire who have the might of dragons at their disposal. Now, a peace summit is being held on the island, but things go sideways when Faron's sister develops a bond with an enemy dragon.

This books biggest draw for me was Faron, its flawed, charismatic MC who's grappling with the responsibility of being a chosen one. Overall, I enjoyed Faron's POV far more than I did Elara's, because I found her struggle more interesting. Nevertheless, Elara's POV had a fun magic school for dragon riders, sapphic romance and spying for the enemy kingdom.

I loved the themes in this and how it dealt with the decades long scars war and colonisation leave on a country and on individuals. It didn't shy away from showing both sisters' PTSD while dealing with those topics in a sensitive manner. As such, the book is firmly anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist in its message.

My one complaint would be the pacing. Despite me being intrigued with the worldbuilding, there was quite a bit of infodumping in the first few chapters. Moreover, I felt the pace lulled a bit around the middle only to go at a break-neck speed towards the end. Still, these were only minor faults to me and I highly enjoyed reading this book.

All in all, I gave the book 4/5 stars and can't wait for the sequel!

So this was a really interesting book for many reasons. For one, it dealt with characters who had been chosen ones in their backstories. It showed a main character who had been chosen by the gods, gone to war and then come home along with a hidden queen who had discovered her heritage and been pushed onto the throne at a young age. It was really interesting that the author decided to have these things in the past and gave me echoings of a gifted child to disaster teenager storyline.

It also felt at times very much like a queer Forth Wing. Which was fantastic because Queer and dragons is definitely the genre for me. I really enjoyed the complexity of Elara’s relationship considering the bond that ties her to both the dragon and her love interest and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it develops in future books.

This book was also such an easy read. I got caught up in the story so fast and both Elara and Faron’s voices were easy to relate to. The politics was interesting and exciting and didn’t bog down the plot one bit and I just really enjoyed the story as a whole.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the eARC of So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole.

This is the first in a new Jamaican-inspired YA fantasy series featuring magic, political intrigue and plenty of betrayals. I was very excited and intrigued by this novel, the description sounded fresh, but still playing on a lot of the tropes that I love in YA.

The magic system in this world is very interesting, it features Gods and acolytes which I don’t think is that explored in the YA I’ve seen, so it felt unique. I enjoyed that despite one of the characters being a ‘Chosen One’ of sorts, the reasoning for her choosing was nicely explained and the character does really battle with this reasoning throughout the novel.

I love a good sibling relationship in YA, especially one between two sisters. The relationship between Faron and Elara is perfect, a good mix of undying support and constant competition between the two of them. There are nice developments in their relationship which I appreciated too.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance that started to develop about half way through the novel, it felt very rushed and also just a convenient plot point, that wasn’t really built on any concrete foundations. However without giving anything away, the romance doesn’t really last very long!

The only element of the novel that slightly let me down, and which was the reason for a slightly lower rating was the ending. The novel is so well plotted and written until the last quarter where everything just goes a bit haywire. The perfect pacing and plotting seems to go out of the window to allow for a lot of things to happen. It felt unnecessarily busy, like the author was slightly trying to cram everything in, and it was just really jarring compared to the rest of the novel!

Overall I did like So Let This Burn, and I am interested to see what happens in book 2, especially since the ending was so chaotic!

It has been a while since I’d read a YA fantasy book and the Jamaican influence in this one really intrigued me. As is the usual with books I request on NetGalley, I knew very little about it beyond that first line of description so I went in blind and I’m really glad I did.

Faron is the Childe Empyrean who can channel the gods’ powers, which allowed her to liberate her people five years ago. When she attends an international peace summit with her sister Elara, no one expects Elara to be the one to bond with a dragon of their enemy. Faron also didn’t expect the only way to break this bond to be for her to kill her sister. There simply must be another way, right?

My biggest issue with this book was that the writing style made it feel like a sequel. In the first few chapters, there was so much telling of what had happened in the past that I had to actually double check that I was reading the first in a series. I would have much preferred to read and experience the war through a novel of its own than simply be told about how things and people have since changed.

My favourite aspect of the book was the relationship between Elara and Faron. They are sisters who would clearly do anything for each other and it was really touching to see how much love they had. I really hope that continues in future instalments and that they don’t develop any division.

The chapters where we’re following Elara at Hearthstone Academy, where she goes in order to nurture her bond with the dragon were my favourites. I really enjoy academic settings, so I would have loved to have more time with Elara as she learned all that she needed to while falling for the beautiful Signey. I would love to see more Hearthstone Academy antics in future books in this series.

So Let Them Burn is a promising start to a new YA fantasy series with an exciting romance and a lovely sister relationship. I think I’d have liked more dragon content and perhaps more explicit Jamaican influence. I didn’t see a lot of evidence that it was definitely set in Jamaica or a land that was similar, so I’d love to be able to recognise the culture more.

I LOVED THIS. IT WAS SO GOOD. I NEED THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW!!!

This was incredibly intriguing, with a very interesting magic system that was complex but at the same time I could easily wrap my head around it which was nice. I was instantly drawn into the world - the author had fantastic, vivid writing and I felt completely immersed in these characters and this setting. I also loved both POVs of Elara and Faron; there wasn't one which I preferred over the other and I was always excited to see what each character was getting up to.

Now. The dragons! I loved the dragons, although I do wish that they had had a slightly bigger role?? That sounds silly, because of course there were a lot of scenes featuring the dragons, but I still felt like I needed more.

My one gripe with this book is that it is set after the end of an epic war. It certainly made this book stand out from other fantasy novels, and it made for a very intriguing plot, but there were times when I felt like I was missing a step, like there was a book I should have read before this, and I even went and double checked the author's Goodreads to make sure there wasn't something I was meant to have read first. And purely because I kept feeling like this throughout the book is the only reason I've docked half a star.

Apart from that however, this was so wonderful, so powerful, so gripping, and I desperately need the sequel right now!!

"So Let Them Burn" by Kamilah Cole is a YA fantasy inspired by Jamaican mythology. It follows Faron Vincent, a seventeen-year-old girl blessed with the power of the gods, and her sister, Elara Vincent, five years after the end of the war that had dramatically changed their lives. Faron, as the Child Empyrean, freed her homeland from the clutches of the Langley Empire and its dragons, but everything turns upside down when Elara forms a bond with an enemy dragon and it's up to Faron to break it.

The book explores the aftermath of the war, and what happens to its heroes. A concept that is rarely deepened in fantasy stories and I felt intrigued by these premises. Unfortunately, it didn't fully meet my expectations.
The pace was quite slow during the first half of the book. And yet when the narration sped up a little, it affected the plot and the very characters' development. Scenes that required more in-depth storytelling were dealt with too hastily, leading to the loss of pathos and making them look flat.
For example, I hoped to read more about Elara and how she tried to fit in as a Rider, her lessons, her days at the academy, and how she came to care for the bond with her den. On the other hand, the relationship between Faron and Reeve had so much potential, but again it was speeded up. Just like Reeve as a character who isn't thorough as it should have been.

The plot itself caught my attention. I liked reading how San Irie's gods and their history intertwined with the dragons and their past, and how many more questions arose as the story proceeded. But I couldn't fully appreciate the ending for the same reasons I clarified above. I'm fairly certain that with a more descriptive writing and if the author dwelled more on certain parts of the book, it would have proven to be far more engaging.

There is something that I still can't wholly understand. Faron was only a child when she was chosen by the gods, she became their weapon and won the war with their powers, but something just didn't make sense: why would Faron's parents allow Elara to follow her sister into war when she was just a child too? She didn't have any hidden ability that could help win the war, like Faron, so there's no point in the choice to make another kid fight. Is it possible that not even an adult thought about bringing Elara back to her parents? Perhaps, I missed something while reading, because otherwise I really can't justify this choice.

"So Let Them Burn" remains a well-written, intriguing debut novel, mind you.
Faron and Elara's differences and their love for each other are striking and unmistakable. The author did a great job portraying their character dissimilarities and creating two distinct individuals with battle scars ripping their very souls,
Faron is the chosen one and she despises her role as the savior and saint of her homeland because she doesn't feel as such. She still asks herself why she was gifted with the gods' powers and sees them more as a burden than as a miracle to be grateful for. Faron doesn't behave like a hero, she's scornful and doesn't hesitate to use the gods even for the silliest of reasons. But that's what made me like her more than Elara: she is the exact opposite of how I imagined her to be. I disagreed with almost all of her choices, but they were in-character decisions that could only lead to that end and therefore her character development.
On the other hand, Elara was the eldest sister, always overshadowed by Faron, always craving more. Elara wanted to be praised, to have something to call her own. Elara was a likable character, yet nothing was surprising about her, nothing that I hadn't envisioned since the beginning. I loved reading about her bond with Signey and Zephyra, and how it grew during the story, these were my favorite parts to read about her, but still, the fast pace of the story didn't let me emphasize with them as much as I wanted to.
What was lacking from their point of views were their memories from the war and how it still affected them. There are a few parts regarding their traumas, but they could have been more investigated since this war has marked much of their childhood and adolescence.

The magic system was my favorite thing to read and discover. The astral connections with their dead relatives, and the role magic played in normal life, are something I looked forward to deepening. The bond between riders and dragons couldn't compete with them. It's something fresh and new that I'm always eager to praise!

"So Let Them Burn" is a dazzling novel that will bring you into a world made of long-lost magic and unbreakable secrets. You will be torn between two sisters and their perspectives, between truths and lies. I highly recommend this book if you would love to read something fast-paced and easy to read with an original magic system and a plot full of twists and turns.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, Atom and TBRBeyondTours for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a very intriguing story and I'd love to know what happens next. To be honest what kept me reading was the world building because the characters where a little younger than the YA aspect. I loved the queer representation of the book and overall it was a fun read.

Faron Vincent... chosen by the Gods in a time of war to be their conduit, the Childe Emperyean. But the war is over now and what does a legend do in a time of peace

Elara Vincent.... desperate to serve her country but only known as the sister of the Childe Emperyean. Little does she know what part she will be playing after a chance meeting with the enemy

Both girls have roles to play and may have to make sacrifices that neither of them want in the name of duty.

This is a story with the bonds of family, friends and country and how all of these can be altered

Amazing story, what's not to love about a tale of fate, gods and dragons. I cannot wait for book two after the way this story went

This was out earlier in the month and thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown for the review copy

A fiery queer-norm YA fantasy that works in refreshing postcolonial conversation with the chosen one trope.

What an incredible read! This was a great way to kick off 2024: fantastically fun with great heart.

This is a Jamaican-inspired fantasy novel about Faron, the island of Irie’s Chosen One, except the Chosen One thing happened five years ago along with Irie’s successful revolution. Now Faron, her sister, and their queen balance a rocky peace treaty while dealing with intense PTSD from the war they fought as teens. When everything goes sideways at the Peace Summit, all bets are off.

Absolutely everything in this worked for me! I loved the different take on the Chosen One trope, the dragons (mecha and flesh-and-blood!), and the sibling bond at the centre. The worldbuilding was thorough without slowing down the plot, and the different magic systems felt fully realised and fascinating. It’s so wonderful to see a multitude of female characters who are strong in very different ways as well as flawed in different ways. I also found each character’s voice to be distinct and could see their personalities shine through the text with ease.

This is also the first YA novel I’ve read with both a demisexual protagonist and a lesbian deuteragonist! The sisters’ sexualities were handled very well in the text, with the same feel as any straight character in a typical YA romance. It was such a delight to see.

This was a wild ride from start to finish, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Please pick this up if you get a chance – you won’t regret it!