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A review by dbguide2
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As per usual – all you have to tell me is there’s dragons in a book and I’m there. This was a good amount of dragons, they felt like proper characters and not just plot devices or there for the sake of saying “hey there’s dragons in here”. I do prefer it when the dragons are able to talk to the humans – like they do in here.
I always like it (and I mention it often) when a book is atmospheric – in its writing and description and that was the case here so I was glad to see that. I want to read a book and not want to stop reading because I’m so invested in the story. I want to feel like I’m in the story myself – experiencing the plot alongside the characters. This is Cole’s debut so we’ll see how she fares either in this sequel or another book she puts out. I am definitely interested in seeing them both (as she has both scheduled).
It’s a dual pov as the book follows 2 sisters as they end up in different places facing different issues. That way we got to experience separate locations and get to know them separately. I think I liked Elara (she bonded with a dragon) more at the start and then Faron more at the end so I definitely want to see how that changes, and how they change, in the sequel. They’re both strong and independent characters but they remain close to each other but physically apart. They felt like they were sisters and not just written to be sisters, something I’m always happy to see, as I’ve said it multiple times.
Faron and Elara use different kinds of magic and they’re both explored and explained in their respective chapters. I do think the magic system could have been explained a bit more/better but seeing as it’s the first in a duology, plus Cole’s debut, I’m fine with being a bit confused. But I am hoping I’ll understand more in the second book (and hoping it gets explained more/better).
The plot was full and rich and thankfully didn’t fall apart when moving from one sister’s chapter to the other. I think it helped that most of their plot points linked to each other so that made it easier to understand the plot. I suppose that made it okay for the magic system to be confusing if I understood the characters and plot (does that makes sense? Only for me, I think). The plot’s also very linked to the sisters’ magic – how it works, how they used their magic to further the plot.
I always like it (and I mention it often) when a book is atmospheric – in its writing and description and that was the case here so I was glad to see that. I want to read a book and not want to stop reading because I’m so invested in the story. I want to feel like I’m in the story myself – experiencing the plot alongside the characters. This is Cole’s debut so we’ll see how she fares either in this sequel or another book she puts out. I am definitely interested in seeing them both (as she has both scheduled).
It’s a dual pov as the book follows 2 sisters as they end up in different places facing different issues. That way we got to experience separate locations and get to know them separately. I think I liked Elara (she bonded with a dragon) more at the start and then Faron more at the end so I definitely want to see how that changes, and how they change, in the sequel. They’re both strong and independent characters but they remain close to each other but physically apart. They felt like they were sisters and not just written to be sisters, something I’m always happy to see, as I’ve said it multiple times.
Faron and Elara use different kinds of magic and they’re both explored and explained in their respective chapters. I do think the magic system could have been explained a bit more/better but seeing as it’s the first in a duology, plus Cole’s debut, I’m fine with being a bit confused. But I am hoping I’ll understand more in the second book (and hoping it gets explained more/better).
The plot was full and rich and thankfully didn’t fall apart when moving from one sister’s chapter to the other. I think it helped that most of their plot points linked to each other so that made it easier to understand the plot. I suppose that made it okay for the magic system to be confusing if I understood the characters and plot (does that makes sense? Only for me, I think). The plot’s also very linked to the sisters’ magic – how it works, how they used their magic to further the plot.