Scan barcode
A review by ninegladiolus
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
adventurous
emotional
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
4.0
Anytime I hear dragons and sapphics, I’m in, which is why I initially picked up So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole. I really enjoyed my experience with this engaging Jamaican-inspired fantasy kept me turning the page until the end.
There’s a lot So Let Them Burn excels at. First and foremost, the relationship between sisters Faron and Elara. I’m a sucker for stories that explore all the complexities of familial relationships, especially ones that allow realistic flaws to exist, and this novel does exactly that. Both of them feel fully developed and justified in the choices they make, up to and including their worst mistakes.
I also enjoyed the way this novel undertakes complex subjects like colonization, racism, war, trauma, and child abuse and makes them a foundational part of the narrative without sacrificing any one element of storytelling. Make no mistake - this is a dark book, as it should be dealing with the aforementioned subjects. It would be fully justified in being completely heavy given the gravitas. But the moments of solidarity and hope are also present too.
The romantic relationships in this novel also worked well for me while tonally matching the rest of the book. They are both enemies to lovers relationships, but I think using that trope does it a disservice. Both Faron and Elara struggle with challenging but very real aspects of their lived experience, and I wouldn’t have liked the novel as much if those aspects had been brushed aside or painted in a rosy light. Both M/F and F/F relationships are given prominent page time in this novel.
There are a few things that missed the mark for me. It’s a story about dragons and divine entities, so some suspension of disbelief is required, but there are times the novel blows past ‘suspension’ right into ‘there is no way this would be feasible, even in a novel made for young adults’. Most of these challenges for me came around how children seemed to form the backbones of the entire military and diplomatic corps; YA often elides adults because it’s a space for young adults to see their experiences put front and center, but adults are RIGHT THERE putting children as young as 12 in the most grueling positions of violence and decision-making. Other elements of the worldbuilding were also underdeveloped.
Overall, this was a solid debut and an impactful read. I freely recommend it to YA fantasy fans who are looking for an insightful, adventurous exploration with compelling protagonists that demonstrate the bloody costs of colonization and war.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little & Brown Young Readers for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
There’s a lot So Let Them Burn excels at. First and foremost, the relationship between sisters Faron and Elara. I’m a sucker for stories that explore all the complexities of familial relationships, especially ones that allow realistic flaws to exist, and this novel does exactly that. Both of them feel fully developed and justified in the choices they make, up to and including their worst mistakes.
I also enjoyed the way this novel undertakes complex subjects like colonization, racism, war, trauma, and child abuse and makes them a foundational part of the narrative without sacrificing any one element of storytelling. Make no mistake - this is a dark book, as it should be dealing with the aforementioned subjects. It would be fully justified in being completely heavy given the gravitas. But the moments of solidarity and hope are also present too.
The romantic relationships in this novel also worked well for me while tonally matching the rest of the book. They are both enemies to lovers relationships, but I think using that trope does it a disservice. Both Faron and Elara struggle with challenging but very real aspects of their lived experience, and I wouldn’t have liked the novel as much if those aspects had been brushed aside or painted in a rosy light. Both M/F and F/F relationships are given prominent page time in this novel.
There are a few things that missed the mark for me. It’s a story about dragons and divine entities, so some suspension of disbelief is required, but there are times the novel blows past ‘suspension’ right into ‘there is no way this would be feasible, even in a novel made for young adults’. Most of these challenges for me came around how children seemed to form the backbones of the entire military and diplomatic corps; YA often elides adults because it’s a space for young adults to see their experiences put front and center, but adults are RIGHT THERE putting children as young as 12 in the most grueling positions of violence and decision-making. Other elements of the worldbuilding were also underdeveloped.
Overall, this was a solid debut and an impactful read. I freely recommend it to YA fantasy fans who are looking for an insightful, adventurous exploration with compelling protagonists that demonstrate the bloody costs of colonization and war.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little & Brown Young Readers for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.