A satisfying conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology! This Ends in Embers picks up where So Let Them Burn ends, so you can jump back into that wild cliffhanger. Two sisters, worlds apart, coping with the despair and wedge they’ve created while handling responsibilities, consequences and being teens at the end of the day. TEIE explores more of the world and lore of dragons and built off of character dynamics from the previous book.
Thanks NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the ARC!

This is a breathtaking conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology that masterfully balances heart-pounding action with deep emotional stakes.
The story picks up after the the shocking cliffhanger at the end of So Let Them Burn and follows sisters, Faron and Elara Vincent, as they wrestle with impossible decisions, shifting allegiances, and the weight of their shared history. This instalment focuses a bit more on Elara and we see more of her struggle being a big sister, her relationship with Signey and the additional role thrust upon her at the end of book one.
Kamilah 's prose is razor-sharp, painting vivid images of a dark, war-torn world where every choice comes with devastating consequences. The exploration of morality is particularly striking as Cole blurs the lines between heroism and villainy in a way that feels raw and authentic, forcing readers to constantly question what "doing the right thing" really means. The characters’ growth—especially Faron’s struggle with redemption and Elara’s fight to define her own path—feels earned and organic. The plot twists are bold and unrelenting, leaving you breathless yet eager to see how everything unfolds.
At its core, this is a story about love and sacrifice, and the lengths we go to for the people we care about. The relationships in the book—whether between sisters, allies, or enemies—are beautifully layered, filled with both tenderness and tension.
If there’s any drawback, it’s that the sheer intensity of the emotional beats and moral dilemmas can feel overwhelming at times. Some moments linger a little too long on the bleakness, but that’s a small price to pay for a story that hits as hard as this one does.
Overall, the duology is a high-stakes action-packed story with great political commentary, lots of dragons and magic.


4.5 stars, and highly recommended!

THIS ENDS IN EMBERS is action packed and full of tension between what we think is right and the consequences of our actions.

Elara and Faron find themselves on opposite sides of the way, Faron at Iya's side hoping to save Reeve but only strengthening Iya's image. Elara is trying to hold the weight of San Irie but no one trusts her and her own faith in Faron strains relationships. I've really liked how this series centres sisters, and this book is no different. Both of the girls are romantic relationships, but it's their sibling bond that is the heart of the story as they fight to get back to one another and defend the other.

The other major relationship in this book is Elara and Queen Aveline's friendship. These are two young women under a lot of pressure, who have survived one war together and are now facing another. I really liked seeing more of it and how they cope with pressure and presenting an image to the public.

I liked how Elara's storyline let us see new countries as she tries to get them onside. There's tension between needing their help and not trusting these colonial powers. Everyone is definitely looking out for themselves and trying to use the situation to boost their own power. It was a realistic look at power plays in war time.

There is plenty of action and magic in this book, once more. This time it's Faron who explores her abilities with bonds and souls, and also sees older blood magic. This leads to lots of pacy action sequences and an epic finale that has a cost and also acknowledges that while there's hope for the future, rebuilding takes time and patience and effort

a strong ending to this duology, and a lovely sequel to the cliffhanger book one had.
this books is for those who love YA books that hold to the younger aspects of things, interweaving jamaican lore in a enthralling way.
the story covers all things growing up, learning to forget mistakes, building a strong group and the cost of war, being held somewhat accountable for the choices that are made.
the reveals and twist are well paced and thought out.
a strong debut from the lovely kamilah, i cannot wait to see what she will conjure in years to come.

Thanks NetGalley, Little Brown Books and Kamilah Cole for the ARC copy of This Ends in Embers!

After leaving her home in ruins, Faron is far from her friends and family who seek to end the life of the dragon that she is bonded to, before his destruction becomes too widespread.

I loved the first book in this duology and unfortunately this sequel fell a little flat for me - it felt a little jumbled, lacking the clear thread of plot that the first book had, moving at times very slowly but then at other times racing ahead.

However, I loved Kamilah’s writing style and think that many teenagers will really enjoy this duology! Faron and Elara and the rest of the characters are interesting and usually compelling, but I did find Faron’s moral dilemma’s a little repetitive and I often didn’t understand what was driving her decision making.

Overall fairly enjoyable and I will likely read the duology again! 3 stars (rounded up from 2.5)

This Ends in Embers is the final book in this duology. It continues many of the themes from the first instalment, such as the impact of war on children, which I felt were handled and written very well. I especially enjoyed how Kamilah Cole swapped Faron and Elara’s roles - Elara now becoming the Empyrian, protector of San Ire, while Faron navigates life behind enemy lines, grappling with the loss of being worshipped. It helped the sisters understand each other better and ultimately grow closer.

Although, Faron sometimes came across as self centred and insufferable, I think that just shows the brilliant and realistic writing. At just 17, she has endured so much, been idolised for so long and is still so young so it is normal for her to have these character traits.

I also loved the romance and dragons in this book. So if you like family, dragons, sapphic romances this is the book for you.

Summary: Faron Vincent, disgraced and kidnapped, aids a tyrant’s empire, while her sister Elara struggles to save her, and San Irie.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

I haven't made it a secret that I loved So Let Them Burn so much and I am SO thankful I had an arc of This Ends In Embers so I could read it straight away because I am absolutely in love with this duology. It's made me laugh and made me sob my heart out it's beautiful and so well written.

The world building in this series is really good. I love that there is a deep lore here but also, I found the fantasy aspects really easy to follow along with and understand which is something I struggle with often but Cole has created a perfectly crafted world that people can fall in love with. I am an absolute sucker for any book with dragons in and this didn't disappoint. I also liked the use of the God's and what interesting characters they made.

I loved basically all the characters in this duology, all of them bought something to the table. Apart from Gavriel Warwick of course he can just burn. But my favourite characters wwre Elara from her first introduction in book 1, she was my favourite I don't even know why I became so attached to her so quickly but I did and I loved her journey so much and that she found a little found family for herself in her den I love them all so much. My other favourite was Reeve, oh my god Reeve I love him so much, Again I knew from early on he was one of my favourites he is indeed mu brand of character and I enjoyed reading about him so much.

I love everyone in the main cast so much, they're such a well written bunch of characters and I will carry them with me for a long time.
Overall, This Ends In Embers is such an incredible sequel and I cannot wait to read every single thing this author puts out in the future.

Rounded up from 4.5 stars.

This was a great conclusion to the duology. I felt it was a little slow to get started. There were a lot of little recap parts which were repeated a lot for the first few chapters. I think a summary of the last book at the start would have helped a bit to dive straight back in and also help me remember most things because the recap through the story wasn't always enough and I'd forgotten a fair few characters.

However, once it got about a quarter of the way in it the story really kicked off and I couldn't put it down. I really love how the author has explored the chosen one trope in this series. This Ends in Embers continued to explore it without really repeating what was seen in the first book. The parts were different characters discuss their insecurities in their abilities just made them so real, even with all their powers. I like the evolution of Faron and how she felts being chosen by the gods so young and how that's influenced her choices so much but also how other characters treat her choices without understanding her.

What a way to end a duology. I actually re-read the first book before diving into this one because I wanted the full reading experience and it was the best decision I could have made. Going from the explosive and emotional ending from book one, to the slightly slower and quieter 'after' without a break made the emotions hit that much harder, and I think I can safely say that Cole has become an insta buy author. Please note this review will contain spoilers for book one.

This Ends in Embers picks up almost directly after the ending of So Let Them Burn. Faron and Elara almost swapping positions, with Faron now being bonded to a Dragon and Elara now the maiden Empyrean. Cole's decision to flip their roles added an extra dimension to the story, not only allowing for the emotional aspects after the ending of book one, but quite literally putting the sisters in each others shoes. Allowing them to feel the weight each has carried, understand better the stresses both they and their roles put them under. We now see Elara in the role of protector, not simply of Faron, but the entirety of San Irie. She's in the spotlight more than she ever has been, and now dealing with people who don't think she should be allowed power at all. And Faron, going from being someone loved and prayed too, to someone everyone believes a traitor. She really grew in this book, acknowledging just how she abused her powers, but also acknowledging her trauma and how the God's used her at only 12 years old to be the face of a war. I'll always love these characters for many reasons, but the main one being just how human Cole makes them feel. They each have their flaws, their wants and needs that might not be seen as favourable by those they are trying to help, but what Cole does expertly is make them so real to their ages and the experiences that they have gone through.

Though we only get the POV's of Faron and Elara, Cole still allows us time to bond with her secondary characters, especially our two love interests, Sydney and Reeve. These elements added to the realness of the story, the awkwardness that can only come from teenage romance, from a kiss in the heat of the moment to... what are we now? But these relationships are also bogged down in war and politics, and Cole certainly makes them work for their happy endings. I love the relationships that are shown through this book and Cole certainly knows how to write romances of a complicated nature, two characters falling for people from the warring nation that once colonized them, without it coming across as creepy in any way.

Cole seems like the author who would laugh in the face of readers who say politics don't belong in books. She doesn't bog us down in the nitty gritty, but the undertone is there, we know what she's trying to say, and it's especially relevant through Elara's chapters. Someone who was the level headed one, the older sister whose job it was to keep Faron reigned in, but once she see's what her sister has had to deal with, these politicians who claim that this war isn't their problem, who would let San Irie stand alone against the might of Dragons, she realises why Faron and the Queen seemed so weighed down. I enjoyed the deeper dive into the political aspects, including how these really drew Elara out of her shell. But I think what Cole did so well through this book, and the series as a whole was show the real complicated nature of siblings.

We know that Faron and Elara love each other, that much was made evident in book one, but we also see Elara almost jealous of her sister, wanting to get out from under her shadow and start her life anew. Their relationship is very fitting, not just to their ages, but to the trauma they have both suffered from such young ages, and Cole really shows how lonely it can be to put that much faith into one person. Neither are willing to sacrifice the other, even if it means saving hundreds of lives, and those decisions come with real life consequences in this book. Elara really feels isolated, especially when so many people believe the worst of Faron, that she has turned against her own country, but Elara knows Faron the best, knows her reasoning is more to do with love than hatred, but it doesn't stop the sting of people assuming she is simply blinded by love.

It's a series steeped in trauma, but also one featuring so much love and I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed every second spent in this world, with these characters. Cole's writing propels the story along, helped by her twists and plenty of action to break up the slower sections. If you're looking for a YA series filled with complicated and incredibly realistic characters, the perfect blend of action and politics and two beautifully written romances, you should 100% check this out. Cole has cemented herself as an auto-buy author, and I'm already excited to pick up her next release.

I enjoyed the premise of the book and the use of dragons in the storyline. Unfortunately it is quick similar to the first one, I was hoping for more character development or depth in this second installment but unfortunately didn’t really feel it.

I did however enjoy the conversations with the dragons

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This Ends in Embers was a fitting conclusion to this duology. It continued with a lot of the themes from the first book such as the impact of war on children and how much Faron and Elara are both struggling with knowing that they will experience a second war not that long after the first.

This book also explored Elara's struggle with how unworthy she felt to be the new chosen one, the Maiden Empyrean. I enjoyed Elara's almost unwavering faith in her sister.

Faron continued to be a little bit frustrating, but then I would remember that she is only 17, I think despite her experiences, she is entitled to her naivety at times.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships in this book. Lots of representation seamlessly blended into this book. I'm glad I got to finish this duology.

This ends in embers is a great sequel, lots of dragons and sapphics. The pacing was well done and all the different relationships were more explored. This duology is really worth it.

4.5 stars

this is pretty much everything i could've asked from this book. if you haven't read so let them burn (first of all, go do that right now!), it's a YA jamaican inspired fantasy book following two sisters as they are still fighting for their country post decolonisation. it has dragons, but also its own magic system and a world building that we don't often see in fantasy. the action and the tension between the characters are absolutely worth it!

i read this first book of the divine traitors duology earlier this year and i was so happy that i got to read its sequel in advance.

the author had me at the end of so let them burn with that cliffhanger, so i was itching to get my hands on this one in february. it's a great duology conclusion to look out for in 2025 and a great addition to the YA fantasy genre. i think cole did an amazing job at writing these books in a way that reminded me of the YA books i used to read when i was younger (in a good way).

the author fed me everything i wanted from the dragons, the sapphic relationships (plural yes!), faron/reeve content and faron's complicated relationship with the gray saint. i found some moments to be a bit slow, but it did not impact my enjoyment or my opinion on the book's quality.

if the divine traitors duology is not on your radar for 2025 in terms of YA fantasy, it should be!

thank you to the publisher Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m going to be honest, this was my least favourite instalment in the duology. It felt very repetitive and was basically the first book with a different ending. Faron somehow became even more self centred and insufferable and the writing felt clunky and forced. The ending was rushed after such a big build up and I found a lot of the world building to be very confusing which wasn’t a problem in the first book. Events that were supposed to be massive were over within a page and problems were solved way too conveniently in a lot of instances which is a pet hate of mine in fantasy. I’m glad I finished the series but the conclusion was so anti climactic that I was left unsatisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC.

I was specifically reached out to for this book because I'd given a good review to the first of the series (So Let Them Burn). Unfortunately... this one just didn't hold my interest. I'm still giving it three stars because the premise is good and for its target audience of younger readers, it's probably great. However, I DNFed this one and just can't convince myself to pick it up again when I have other things to read.

The characters seemed pretty similar to themselves in the first book yet despite the fact that this book's plotline is arguably more urgent, they don't seem to have the same fire lit underneath them. Plus, all the main players are spread across the map even more than in the first one and I personally hate when that happens. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and now none of them are interacting really so... what's the point? That's more of a me problem though than a full on critique.

Although, our boy Reeve isn't there at all (at least to the point where I stopped reading). Also, severed dragon bond sucks and takes away a lot of my interest for both Elara and Signey.

Maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace for this book. Maybe I'll try again later with a physical copy. Who knows. Although I've been pretty negative in this review, I still recommend this series for the diversity and dragons.

This Ends in Embers is such a unique book! I loved this story so much! I rated it 5 stars because I loved the experience of reading this story.

A powerful finish to Cole’s duology, this offers resolution but no easy finish. Life, death, war and love; these are all complex topics explored in the story, and are treated with seriousness and care. Actions have consequences; healing is complicated; victories are not bloodless. This is a take rich in nuance.

The sisters are separated: Elara is the Maiden Empyrean, struggling to navigate the political landscape she has been thrust into, whilst Faron is striving just to survive, reluctantly bonded to the dread dragon Lightbringer and its rider Iya: the grotesque combination of the dragon’s corruption riding the soul of the Grey Saint, walking around in the body of her beloved Reeve… Can the two overcome the insurmountable to find one another again - and is victory even possible without devastating sacrifice?

The emotional strength is once again very present in Cole’s work: from the inner agonies of guilt and divided loyalties, to the anxiety and angst and passion of young relationships under stress, to the fierce tenderness of family relationships: and the equally fierce torment of family betrayal. An outstanding completion of this duology.

I was lucky enough to get early access to both instalments in this series. I enjoyed the first one so I was super excited to read this, and I am glad to say it did not disappoint. I loved the honesty throughout the story about how truly horrific war is, but at the same time, it was filled with so much hope that I couldn't stop rooting for the characters the entire time. The plot was engaging and action-packed. It was the perfect ending to the duology. I can't wait to read more of what this author brings out. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of the book

I’m so sad this story has reached it’s end, what a journey!

So many things happened in this book, the characters all followed very different but intertwining paths. My heart absolutely breaks for the devastation that this war and Iya bring upon the kingdoms.

This book really throws you into turmoil from chapter 1 and the pacing was good, it did not mess around with the action and chaos that is war. The end is wrapped up beautifully with full conclusions and no unanswered questions. The ending was a double edged sword though, some happy endings and some clear sadness at the after effects of everything that has happened.

I really loved the first book of this duology, it was such a fresh take on a dragon based story.
The sequel and final instalment of this story was just as good, it ended very well. And I loved how many strong female characters were in this story!
Would love to read more from this author in the future!