So Let Them Burn was one of my favourite books of 2024. As soon as I finished it, I immediately wanted to read book 2 and I was so thankful to be able to read it early. Picking up right where So Let Them Burn ended, This Ends In Embers is jam packed with action, Cole expands on the world and relationships. I’m sad to say goodbye to this world but Cole has definitely become one of my auto-buy authors.

I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as So Let Them Burn, which swept me up and entranced me. This book just fell flat. Part of it was definitely the dragons. I enjoyed the bonds that Elara had in the first book. Obviously with the bond broken, it was going to be different, but I really missed that. It’s my favourite part of dragon rider books.

I also had very little sympathy for Faron. I know she thought she was doing the right thing, a lot of her stream of consciousness was justifying herself. And I liked the route that the author seemed to be heading down, which was to show complicity and the way people can do bad things while still seeing themselves as a good guy. But it felt like the author didn’t want to commit to this. Or she didn’t want us to see Faron as a bad person. It just didn’t quite hit.

I did enjoy the queer relationship. Although Elara and her girlfriend were apart for a lot of the book and were only just starting their relationship, it was good to see a quite real depiction of romance. Two people who liked each other but were scared to commit. I enjoyed seeing that develop.

I was really sad not to enjoy this as I had really enjoyed the first, but oh well.

Kamilah Cole s back and better than ever. This brilliant follow up to So Let Them Burn (one of my favourite reads of 2024) is just as enthralling as its' predecessor and I have no doubt will be just as big as it's successor.

The Divine Traitors duology wraps up with a bang in this sequel! While I personally craved a bit more intrigue woven into the plot's progression, the character development shone. Watching Faron navigate her complex situation and Elara grapple with the weight of her responsibilities was incredibly compelling.

While I might have wished for a slightly tighter pacing in some sections, the payoff in terms of character growth was well worth it. The conclusion is impactful and provides a satisfying resolution. If you're a fan of character-driven fantasy with high emotional stakes, this book delivers. It's a testament to the strength of Faron and Elara's journeys, and I'm glad I saw their stories through to the end. A great read, even if I was left wanting just a touch more in the intrigue department!"

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This picked up right where So Let Them Burn left off, straight back into the action which made for an exciting start. Sadly, I found the pacing didn't quite keep up for me and I found myself not enjoying it as much as book one.

Overall, a good follow up and I was satisfied by the ending, but I think this suffered a little from second book syndrome. I'd still recommend this series if you're looking for a dragon book with sisters, Sapphic romance, fantastic world-building and really great lore.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really appreciate what Cole is trying to do with this novel - characters coping with trauma and recognising the ridiculousness of the 'teenager saves the world' trope - but it doesn't quite work for me. I wanted to like the characters but I couldn't quite connect with them emotionally, although I'm sure others might.

I remember loving the first book, but admittedly I was reading this sequel at a very difficult time personally which may have affected my enjoyment of it. That being said, I don't feel like this was as impressive as the first installment. There's great expanded worldbuilding and the characters are very strong as before, but the ending felt rushed, and I just didn't feel as hooked as I did with So Let Them Burn.

Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people… and she fears they might be right.

Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure?

This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.

This Ends in Embers is a fantastic conclusion to this YA fantasy duology examining the corruptive influence of power, cyclical violence, sisterhood and emerging from a devastating colonial rule. Oh and there’s dragons too.

So Let Them Burn was an incendiary debut and one of my favourite reads of last year so my expectations were sky-high for this sequel. Luckily Cole delivered.

Faron and Elara are the beating hearts of this duology. Their paths have hugely diverged from one another, pulling them into very different places. Both of them have new challenges to overcome here and must utilise their skillsets to survive. The events of the previous book have changed them forever and the way their dynamic shifts and evolves is brilliant. Cole gives each of them plenty of room to develop and grow, while keeping the pages turning. I think the decision for dual narration is perfect, as it allows you to get to spend time in each of their heads and understand their motivations a little more. It blurs the boundaries between what is considered right and wrong, good and evil. Their bond is the reason for many actions over the two books and this has such impactful ripple effects. I love that Cole ensures that everything has a consequence. It makes the stakes more tangible and increases the tension even further. You also get to see a wider perception of each of them, with a fascinating throughline about propaganda and manipulation. The public perception can change and everything can come toppling down.

Cole’s ruminations of the thin line between justice and vengeance are incredibly thought-provoking. This is not a duology that shies away from difficult topics and thrives in the ambiguities of the situation. The cycle of colonial violence continues, leaving scars on all of our characters. They are teenagers caught up in a war that involves gods and monsters. None of this should be their responsibility, yet they are the ones left shouldering the burden. Cole unpicks the Chosen One trope even further in this book—looking at what that mantle can do to a person. The weight of responsibility and legacy is heavy and the temptation for power is alluring. Throughout the duology, Cole’s characterisation shines. These really feel like three-dimensional people, infused with heart and soul. Your heart breaks alongside theirs and you root for them despite all the odds. I personally resonated with the depiction of the lasting effects of trauma and the cyclical nature of it. There are genuine consequences for every action here. It is war and that is a brutal, bloody place where mistakes get made and crucial decisions must be made. I loved the ever-increasing stakes and how this compounded the pressure heaped onto our characters.

Mirroring this is the intricate and frustrating political chess game being played. Cole digs into the fractions, the alliances and the rivalries. Power is not just won on the battlefield, it moves hands in a myriad of ways. We get to see the failings of the systems designed to protect people. In many ways, it is a book that advocates for change within the system, but also for tearing the system down to create a new one. Nothing is simple – instead we are given room for discussion and thought at every turn.

The plot itself is fast-paced, though allowing for these more introspective character building moments. It is compulsively readable with suspense and tension through the roof. Cole also expands on the already rich world-building here, furthering the lore and landscape of this immersive world. It feels like we could discover plenty more stories here. All of this culminates in a brilliant conclusion that is powerful and poignant. As you may expect, it is not clean-cut. The road ahead will be difficult and Cole does not shy away from that.

This Ends in Embers solidifies Cole as a name to watch in the YA fantasy genre with exquisite characterisation and a layered yet deeply compelling plot with plenty to say.

I really enjoyed book 1 but I found it to be a bit underwhelming, I find the underwhelming writing to be the same however the plot and characters are amazing!

This is the sequel and last book of the Divine Traitors duology. I got really excited to see this one on NetGalley so I requested it although I read the first one in French. It can be tricky to change languages in a fantasy series, but this was a smooth read. The only difficulty I encountered was that I had forgotten a lot of elements even though only 6 months had passed between the two books.
Since this is a sequel I won't enter in too many details about the story itself. The two sisters are, again, separated here, but this time they have no way of communicating with each other and have to just hope the other one is loyal to their sisterly bond.

It is very hard to see characters suffer and feel so guilty all the time, especially when you remember that these two are only teenagers. Eliana is always self-doubting her actions and thoughts, thinking she should be MORE, and on the other hand, Faron spends her time berating herself, thinking she should have known better, etc. Reading this as an adult is very different sensation than to read it as someone who is the same age, but I wish someone around them had remininded them that they were only kids with too many responsabilities for any person and give them a hug. I did like that, when Irians were protesting the queen and the Maiden Empyrean, they challenged the fact that they had followed a 13 year-old into battle because she claimed the gods had chosen her. And speaking of gods, were there no other people praying them to also end the war?? How could they be complaining afterwards that she was not mature enough to understand "the bigger picture"?? They were scared of having another Empyrean be corrupted by the first dragon, but then you don't chose a litteral KID who still doens't know who they are!

I have no problem with the Chosen One trope in YA, I know sometimes it feels ridiculous that a 15 year old is supposed to succeed where so many adults have failed, but I really don't think it is that far-fetched to think that a teenager can be a leader of change (looking at you Greta 💖). However I do need someone in the book to address that, and here, I feel like it wasn't done properly (and lovingly).

I just hope they are therapists in their world.

What a satisfying end to this duology. This is definitely a YA book and every now and then i need that. However I am in my mid twenties so sometimes I just wanted to jump into the book and help my girls out. I always up for anything dragons and stong female main characters and that's exactly what I got. All in all a good read but I think thier can be more in terms of character development and dialogue.

This Ends in Embers is a great ending. I’ve decided duologies are the perfect length for a series! The cliff ending from book one was intense so to jump right back in was perfect. I loved the dragon lore in this series, it’s an epic and vivid experience.
The sisters are dealing with the fallout and consequences throughout this book and I enjoyed both POVs and how we swapped regularly between them.
For a YA it’s jam packed with moral questions, life lessons and burdens. I enjoyed the high stakes action making this a tense and emotional read.
Definitely a book series they need to make into a film or series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This Ends in Embers is a high stake, ambitious sequel and conclusion to So Let Them Burn. Cole had a lot to do in this book to wrap up the narrative — and for the most part she did it well, with emotion, high stakes and tension, and some twists to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

I would recommend, before going in to this book, that you have recently read the prior book. I personally struggled with some of the plot in the first book, it confused me a little, and therefore I really should have given the first book a reread. Between what I couldn’t remember from the first book and what I didn’t understand from the first one, at times I found myself clueless and irritated by what was going on.

My favourite part of this duology is the investigation in to what it feels like to be the chosen one, the hero, and the impact that has. What does the hero do when they’re no longer needed? What does the hero do when their actions are now portrayed as villainous? I think Cole did a really great job at exploring this between the two sisters, Faron and Elara.

I liked how this book wrapped up, however I will say it felt a bit rushed and chaotic. At one point I was looking at the page count and thinking about the amount of conclusion left to give and was scratching my head at how it was going to be done. There was a couple of big deaths thrown in there at the end, and I think it was to try and show “look, there were high stakes! This was really bad!” But because of how late it happened in the book the death was there and gone and then sort of looked over and then the book ended.

Kamilah Cole is a great writer and if this is where she started, I’m excited to see where she goes.

What a finale! I loved So let them burn and its sequel did not disappoint.
I appreciated the depiction of the moral dilemmas the characters were facing. Who can you trust, who´s loyal to you, what are you owed after sacrificing everything? Is everything black or white or is there a grey area?
The relationships in the novel carry the plot, but there is plenty of action to go around.
I highly recommend this series and cannot wait to see what the author has in store for us next.

This book is the perfect conclusion to the Divine Traitors series. As the stakes get higher, there is even more action, dragons and intrigues. Also, the conflict inevitably involves the neighbouring countries, so we see more politics and detailed world-building. The story picks up where the cliffhanger ending of the first book finished.

The narrative continues to alternate between Faron’s and Elara’s points of view, which I enjoyed. I loved that, especially at the novel’s beginning, the sisters seemed to switch roles. It was fascinating to see Elara as the new Empyrean while Faron was forced into bonding with a dragon. The sisters’ relationship continues to be my favourite aspect of the story.

I believe the fans of the first book will also enjoy This Ends in Embers. I recommend these novels to readers looking for an original YA fantasy series.

Thank you for the publisher for approving me for this earn!

First of all, if you loved So Let Them Burn and the ending made you scream/throw up/walk to the sun… I have been there!
The sequel lives up to all the expectations! With more twisted threads of politics, hints of history and manipulating behavior of certain individuals, THIS ENDS IN EMBERS delivers the perfect closure to a high-stakes, fast paced duology.

The sisterly bond present throughout the novel made the events even more excruciatingly memorable and nail-bitingly tensed! I think everything was tied up beautifully, leaving just a little tiny open door for more,

An unforgettable read for sure and will be recommending this duology to everyone!

I have mixed feelings for this one. As much as I was excited to pick up the conclusion to Faron and Elara’s story, within the first few chapters I realized this isn’t going to be what I expected. And I don’t mind that. A book that takes you by surprise are some of the best ones but there were certain things that made this book an extremely slow one. In continuation with the first one I loved Elara and Signey. They were exactly who I expected them to be. Elara is hands down my favorite, I loved her.

Faron didn’t really have any character growth. For most of the book she felt like a side character in her own story. I don’t really expect a lot of romance in YA stories but I still need to see some bond and growth between the main characters and their love interest. And there were two such scenarios in this duology and neither of them delivered.

This book and the duology is not a lost cause, it has some very good moments and the writing is beautiful. It talks about wars but also about the emptiness and grief it leaves behind in its wake. It talks about how some people are thrown into a war they don’t want to fight and others who want nothing but destruction. People who think of themselves as better than others for any number of reasons. It talks about how some people are lucky enough to get a second chance and how others don't get it no matter how unfair it is.

The epilogue was bittersweet but one perfect for the story and I would still recommend this duology only I wish I could have enjoyed the second book as much as I enjoyed the first one.

I couldn't wait to read this, having to wait after the ending of the first book was torture! I really enjoyed reading this, it was a great follow up to the events of the first book.

The only downside is that I felt the pacing was a bit slow at times which I didn't experience while reading the first book.

The characters and worldbuilding continue to be incredible!

I can't wait to read more of Cole's work!

Following the catastrophic and heartbreaking conclusion of the first book, This Ends in Embers sees sisters Faron and Elara split apart again. This time it is Faron alone in Langley, while Elara remains in San Irie and both are dealing with the consequences of their decisions. In So Let Them Burn Faron released the first dragon, a god-like creature called Lightbringer from his imprisonment in the Empty. After just finding love in Reeve, he was taken from her when the first Empyrean, Gael, took over his body. Bound to Gael and Lightbringer, Faron stopped her sister from sending them back to the divine realm. Free to destroy the world, Lightbringer started with their home town, killing many of their friends and neighbours in the process.

Reeling from the destruction wrought by Lightbringer being free, Elara struggles with her new responsibilities as the Maiden Empyrean. The gods gave her their powers with the request that she use them to send all dragons back to the divine realm. Having previously been bound to the wise and kind dragon, Zephyra, Elara has firsthand experience of what it feels like to have that bound removed. She’s unsure how she’s going to get Langley to relinquish creatures they love and cherish, as well as how to save Faron and Reeve from the clutches of Lightbringer.

So Let Them Burn was one of my favourite books of last year, and I was looking forward to delving back into the world of the Divine Traitors duology with this sequel. I wanted to give this book a higher rating based on my love for the characters and the world, however, I have to be honest; the sequel fell a little flat for me in a few ways.

The first was the pace and flow of this book. I felt that the first book was much more balanced between the quiet moments and the action. In This Ends With Embers, there was a lot more downtime, which while necessary felt like it dragged on a bit at times. Everything was fascinating and well-written, it just felt as though everything was leading up to two big battles, one just over halfway through, and then the inevitable final battle.

The final battle was epic, and I was mesmerised by the events. I wish I could say that I felt satisfied with the conclusion. There was nothing wrong with the conclusion, it just did not work for me. I largely attribute that to my age. I read young adult and middle-grade novels for the story and world-building, so I’ll readily admit when a book is not aimed at my age group. Some of the ways the characters were written, especially about their romantic interest, felt very in line with how I felt as a teen – but as an adult, I’m shaking my head at the naivety.

Cole’s strength is in her world-building and characters, especially her insight into her characters’ feelings and experiences. There were many moments where Cole captured their experiences perfectly, in a way that hit me hard in the feels. Despite my personal feelings, This Ends in Embers is an enjoyable read, and if you enjoy dragon fantasy, you’ll love the world-building.

The stunning sequel to So Let Them Burn, this complex and enjoyable story is the perfect conclusion in this duology.