Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Dragon Fantasy, Dragons, Historical Fantasy, Latinx Authors, Latinx Characters, OwnVoices Representation, Magic Users, Various Magic
My Rating:
Published on: 31st May 2022
Pages: 368
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Isabel Ibañez's Together We Burn is a lush, enchanting standalone fantasy inspired by medieval Spain, filled with romance, adventure and just the right amount of danger.

An ancient city plagued by dragons

Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a talented flamenco dancer and daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. People come for miles to see him fight in their arena, which will one day be hers. But disaster strikes during one celebratory show, and in the carnage, Zarela’s life changes in an instant.

A flamenco dancer who must become a dragon hunter to save her family legacy

With the Dragon Guild trying to wrest control of her inheritance from her, Zarela has no choice but to train to become a Dragonador. But when the most talented dragon hunter left in the land -- the infuriatingly handsome Arturo Díaz de Montserrat -- withholds his help, Zarela cannot take no for an answer. Without him, her world will burn.

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez is a beautiful fantasy novel that blends art and fantasy. In a world inspired by medieval Spain, dragonadors and flamenco dancers share a stage with dragons. What happens when a flamenco dancer decides to train as a dragonador to save her family’s arena? Read on to find out more!

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez is a book that combines dragons and flamenco dancing to create a riveting fantasy story with an enemies-to-lovers romance. The world that Ibañez has created is inspired by medieval Spain and is mesmerising. I’m terrible at dancing. I have zero talent for it, and have no natural rhythm when it comes to movement. Ibañez’s writing brings the passion and power of flamenco dancing to life, and every time I felt myself get lost in it. The beauty and light of flamenco dancing is juxtaposed against the brutality of the dragonadors, which is based on the controversial tradition of bull fighting. It’s a controversy that Ibañez handles well in the world of Together We Burn, blending it into the story.

There are typically three types of dragon books out there: dragons are monsters, dragons are our friends, or dragons are ancient mystical creatures. Together We Burn is something different, and the whole guild system that Ibañez has created is incredibly detailed and interesting. We only really get to see a few of the guilds in detail, although there is a list of all the guilds at the start of the book, which acts as an overview of how the guild system works.

Zarela is a great character, strong yet also young, and Ibañez shows her inexperience brilliantly, showing her struggles and doubts as she takes on the Dragon Guild. She’s a young woman standing up against a group of men; she’s at a huge disadvantage, and she knows it. As the daughter of an infamous flamenco dancer, Zarela recalls her mother’s lessons about dressing the part and uses clothes and colour to bolster her appearance and her confidence. I appreciated the fact that when she did so, the men didn’t instantly swoon over her. That was something I liked about Ibañez’s writing, her characters’ reactions and responses throughout always felt realistic. I especially felt this with the interactions between Zarela and her best friend, Lola, which were fantastic and often had me giggling.

The mystery sub-plot of who is out to ruin the Zalvidar family was quite obvious to me, and I refer to it as a sub-plot because to me, the main plot was Zarela’s aim to save their family’s next Dragonador and save their arena. There is so much more to that, and it’s entangled with the romance. There are secrets upon secrets in Together We Burn, and even if you begin to work them out as I did, the moment they come to light still makes it worth reading.

Together We Burn is a book about dragons like you’ve never read before. Come for the dragons, stay for the ingenious world Ibañez has created.

About Isabel Ibañez

Isabel Ibañez was born in Boca Raton, Florida, and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian immigrants. A true word nerd, she received her degree in creative writing and has been a Pitch Wars mentor for three years. Isabel is an avid movie goer and loves hosting family and friends around the dinner table. She currently lives in Winter Park, Florida, with her husband, their adorable dog, and a serious collection of books.

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Thanks for reading my review for Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez!

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