“Being forced to learn the language of your oppressors is an oppression of the mind. They rewrite your history when you’re too young to know what you’re giving away, and before you know it, it’s too late to reclaim what you’ve lost.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole snuck up on me. After reading Fourth Wing, I wanted more dragons and I wanted sapphic characters because I may be a mood reader, but dammit I always want sapphic stories. I need them I crave them.
I devoured this book in one sitting.
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.
Author Kamilah Cole unleashed a fast-paced fantasy set in a Jamaican-inspired world. Faron is the chosen one living after the war, where she spends her time blowing off responsibilities and acting rebellious. It’s a fantastic glimpse at the way the “chosen one” figure continues after their chosen duty has ended, and Faron’s bravado is balanced perfectly with her fierce love for her family, particularly her sister Elara.
Elara became my favorite character of this story. We find her still trying to find her place in the world, particularly as the sister to the chosen one, and I adored the contrast between her more calming, sensible demeanor versus Faron’s brash attitude. Plus I enjoyed her love story with Signey and her bond with Zephyra. I really wish I had a Zephyra in my life!
I don’t read as much YA as I used to (adult fantasy is usually my go-to), but this was one I couldn’t put down. So Let Them Burn is a fast, heartwarming read with characters you can’t help but care about. It’s one of my favorite reads of 2024!
Now I just have to wait impatiently for the sequel…