So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole is a fantasy following the story of Faron Vincent who can channel the power of the gods.

This was such a well written story, I was completely hooked right until the end and I just couldn't get enough. I'm sad that I've finished it!

The characters are relatable and their relationships with each other were enjoyable to read about. I lived the relationship between Faron and her sister and the struggles that they had to deal with.

I adored this book and I can't wait to read Cole's next release.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with this arc.

4.5 stars

So Let Them Burn has been one of my most anticipated and I am so utterly fortunate to have a chance to read it early. It is an incredibly well-written and well-constructed fantasy adventure set in a Jamaican-inspired world. The pacing is just perfect and is pretty fast-paced. Trust me, it will keep you hooked.

This is the start of Faron’s story, former hero and legend to her island. This is also the story of Elara, Faron’s older sister. Kamilah Cole takes their sisterly bond and puts them in incredibly intense situations, which goes onto shape, twist and turn their relationship in many ways. The two have to go against everything they know and this makes for some scenes full of incredible tension and intense adventures.

I enjoyed the world building a lot. Though at the start, I was slightly confused by the magic system, it was pretty easy to grasp it as the story progresses. Cole’s writing is sharp; it’s just the right amount of descriptive, which also makes for good pacing. And that ending?? Hello?? I need to know what happens. Now.

With its incredible world-building, beautiful writing and characters who you can’t help but root for, So Let Them Burn might just end up becoming your favourite fantasy read. Don’t forget the sapphic rep either!

This was a totally absorbing fantasy read with magic and dragons in a post-war world where peace is fragile and enemies are everywhere. It’s filled with a lot of politics and strong themes of colonialism which will have you truly rooting for the small island who already overthrew their oppressors once. The mystery throughout the story drew me in completely, and not knowing who to trust and what different characters' motives were. Seeing the story from both Faron and Elara’s perspectives helps to piece together the information they need to save their country and offers great contrast in their individual plots and characters. Topping it all off with a hint of romance that’ll leave you wanting more, and a gasp-out-loud plot twist, makes this a fantastic read that you’ll want to get your hands on!
I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I loved loved LOVED this book. It's not just one of the strongest debuts but strongest YA fantasy titles full stop that I've read recently; everything from the structure to the pacing to the character work to the worldbuilding to the prose was gripping, immaculate, and polished in a way I'd expect from a veteran rather than a debut.

Something I particularly enjoyed was the author's choice of where this story begins: namely, *after* what we would expect the story to be. The whole backstory--the war, the child chosen one and her devoted sister, the young orphaned queen retaking her country from colonisers--is the story we'd usually read (and one which sounded super gripping too), but THIS story? What comes AFTER? It's one we rarely read, and I found it just so compelling and fresh. We see lots of stories about breaking the grip of empire--but what about rebuilding in a post-colonialist nation? How do you grapple with the lingering effects of your country not being your own for so long, and what kind of future do you strive for? And on a more personal level, how do you face that already difficult transition from child to adult when your childhood has been ripped from you? There was so much rich, meaty thematic material in this title and Kamilah Cole explored it with so much nuance and tenderness, and interwove the larger thematic questions with the characters and their arcs so deftly.

Speaking of the characters, they were tremendous. I loved both our leads so much, and found both their stories so powerful and compelling. Their relationship formed such a strong emotional core to the book, and then both their romantic relationships were wonderful--sweet and tender while also being used so well to dig into more *themes*. I really, really loved how properly teenaged they both felt, too, and how much this was clearly a book written FOR teens, rather than for an adult YA-loving audience.

Finally, a quick note about the worldbuilding, which is that I loved it. It was so rich and textured, and I loved the obvious Jamaican influences while also how much it felt like its own fully-realised world.

In summary, this book was incredible, and I really hope it turns into the Next Big Thing in YA. I eagerly await the sequel and in the meantime will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Huge thanks to Little, Brown UK, NetGalley and the author for the eARC!

This book was fantastic. It has everything I love in a fantasy book. A unique magic system, dragons, sapphics but also had discussion of real life topics such as war. Which honestly I did find a little difficult at times due to the current world situation. But that just shows to me how realistic is was. I really loved this book and Kamilah Cole did a great job writing it!

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. So Let Them Burn is an excellent fantasy adventure. It’s got a bit of everything, rich world building, fun and heroic characters and magic system. I loved the idea of one sister being blessed by gods, while the other was tied to dragons, I found it refreshing and unique. I hope there’s a sequel because that cliffhanger made me gasp.

I really enjoyed this book, but it felt very samey.. I just feel like the same concept has been done so many times and YA needs something a bit more fresh. HOWEVER, Kamilah's writing is excellent and the story was compelling, and I lapped it up very quickly. There wasn't really anything to dislike. Faron is a badass, and I'd love another part to this story!

Kamilah Cole has written an intriguing new world full of strong female characters and a gripping story.
Faron Vincent is a teenager who can channel powers from gods. She is a hero within her country but aoon becomes unsettled with the direction her life has taken.

So let them burn had a slow start, but gradually draws you in to this epic tale.
Thankyou to the publisher, author and netgalley for my arc copy of this book.