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Summary
Summary
An INSTANT National Bestseller!
Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who's forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland--perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Priory of the Orange Tree.
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.
"By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole's sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists--two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond." -- Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief
Author Notes
Kamilah Cole was a writer and entertainment editor at Bustle for four years, and her nonfiction work has also appeared in Marie Claire and Seventeen. A graduate of New York University, Kamilah lives on the East Coast, where she's usually playing Kingdom Hearts for the hundredth time, quoting early SpongeBob SquarePants episodes, or crying her way through Zuko's redemption arc in Avatar: The Last Airbender
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
At 12, Faron Vincent was chosen to become the child host for the gods of her island nation San Irie, an event that successfully liberated her people from the colonizing, dragon-riding Langley Empire. Now, at 17, with no battles left to fight, she uses her abilities to win small-time bets and cause trouble for her family and the queen. Meanwhile, Faron's older sister Elara, 18, stews in the shadow of Faron's legacy. While the sisters are attending a peace summit, Elara soul bonds with one of the Empire's dragons, embroiling the siblings in an urgent matter of international politics. Knowing that one wrong move could throw San Irie back into war with the Empire--a conflict that the queen fears they might not win--Faron and Elara work to break Elara's bond, only for them to discover that her circumstances are a symptom of a much larger plot, one that expands beyond the gods's reach. Via the sisters' expertly balanced dual POVs, each imbued with a lushly wrought, moving, and action-packed narrative, Cole delivers a raucously enjoyable debut that provides an insightful look into the ways in which violence and colonization can affect a populace long after a war has ended. Characters cue as Black. Ages 12--up. Agent: Emily Forney, BookEnds Literary. (Jan.)
Horn Book Review
Seventeen-year-old Faron is the Childe Empyrean, blessed five years ago to wield the power of her island's gods. Now that San Irie's war against the colonizing Langlish and their dragons is won, Faron uses that ability to show off with classmates. Faron's sister, Elara, has no such blessings beyond the regular magic of islanders to summon ancestor spirits, but she wants to build a name for herself beyond her family's status, and to keep Faron, their country, and the island's young queen safe. When Elara unexpectedly discovers she's a "dragon Rider," the sisters and their friends are pulled deeper into machinations between the political powers and the gods. Cole's writing is vivid and rich; the depth and care placed in the world- and character-building make the novel a delight to read. The story, set years after war, feels rich and lived in. The characters have foibles, backstories, traumas, and nuances that make them as sympathetic as they can be frustrating, and their believable flaws directly fuel the narrative elements that lead toward peril. The romances the characters explore -- sapphic and demisexual -- hold charm and tension, helping to propel this magic-infused, Jamaican-inspired tale, and a cliffhanger ending with gripping plotlines yet unresolved will leave readers eager for the projected sequel. Amanda R. ToledoMarch/April 2024 p.85 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Sisters Faron, 17, and Elara, 18, are no strangers to pressure. Years ago, Faron was chosen by the gods as a conduit for their power, helping to end a war against the dragon-riding colonizers of the Langley Empire. Elara, meanwhile, was sent to the front lines, able to channel the strength and spirits of her ancestors. Since the sisters helped Queen Aveline defeat the Langlish, however, the fame and scrutiny that accompany Faron's gifts have begun to feel like a burden. Elara, too, longs to escape her assigned roles, spending her time sparring with her ex-girlfriend and dreaming of piloting war machines called drakes. When Queen Aveline unexpectedly calls the sisters to her side at an ill-advised peace summit, Elara bonds with a Langlish dragon. To survive, Elara must return to the Langley Empire, and Faron becomes forced to choose between her country and her sister in a conflict with rising stakes. An exquisite map promises a sweeping adventure, and Cole's Jamaican-inspired world building is just detailed enough to feel thoroughly lived in. With the inciting conflict in the past, there's room for uniquely nuanced and complex relationships; romantic tensions sparkle, and, though the cast is large, the sisters' dual points of view are both strong and smoothly paced. Morally ambiguous and absolutely magical Black girls take the fate of their world into their own hands in this action-packed, cleverly crafted fantasy that will leave readers clamoring to know what happens next.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Cole introduces readers to the captivating world of San Irie, where 17-year-old Faron Vincent, known as the Childe Empyrean, wields the gods' infinite power to liberate her island from the dragon-riding Langley Empire. Cole mixes Jamaican culture and influence into the narrative, bringing the cast characters to life with refreshing complexity. As Faron navigates diplomatic challenges during an international peace summit, her responsible older sister Elara unexpectedly forms a bond with an enemy dragon, setting off a chain of events that intertwine the sisters in conflicts that transcend time. The dual perspectives of the sisters, rendered in astute prose, delve into themes of family, patriotism, war, identity, and sacrifice. With rich storytelling and lushly wrought narratives, Cole's debut is not only a raucously enjoyable fantasy but also an insightful exploration of the lingering effects of violence and colonization on a populace. The characters' choices, shaped by their past and present, resonate deeply, creating a narrative that is both moving and action-packed. Most characters are Black. VERDICT Highly recommended for high fantasy teen readers, especially in libraries looking to add more diverse fantasy novels.--Helen Prince
Kirkus Review
Two sisters face near-impossible odds while trying to protect each other and their country. Five years ago, 17-year-old Faron Vincent, from the island of San Irie, became the Childe Empyrean--the one chosen by the gods to liberate her country from the colonizing Langlish. Faron has access to the gods' infinite power and is treated with reverence by her people, despite her often reckless and rebellious behavior. When San Irie hosts an international peace summit, Faron must be diplomatic toward predatory dignitaries from enemy nations. Unexpectedly, Elara, her mature, responsible 18-year-old sister, forms a bond with Zephyra, a forest green, golden-eyed dragon ridden to San Irie by a girl from the Langley Empire. When a phenomenon called the Fury turns dragons feral and deadly, the gods tell Faron that the only hope is destroying them--but doing so would also kill those bonded to them, Elara included. Faron is determined to save her sister, even if it risks betraying her country. The girls become entangled in conflicts reaching back before their time, and they're desperate to emerge alive and in a free nation. This debut alternates between the sisters' third-person perspectives and is infused with Jamaican cultural and historical influences. Cole's astute prose brings the world and its characters, who are predominantly Black, to life in refreshing and complex ways as it highlights themes of family, patriotism, war, identity, and sacrifice. An engaging new voice and a Caribbean-inspired fantasy to savor. (map) (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
