Together We Burn
by Isabel Ibañez
Wednesday Books (Macmillan), 2022. 354 pages.
Review written December 27, 2022, from a library book
Starred Review
Together We Burn is set in the fictional country of Hispalia, featuring a young lady named Zarela who dances flamenco in the dragon-fighting arena before her father, a Dragonador, fights the dragons. She is carrying on the tradition of her mother before her, who was killed a year earlier in dragon fire. Their family has owned the arena, the centerpiece of their town of Santivilla, for more than five hundred years.
But now someone wants to bring them to ruin. After the latest fight, some dragons were released, their wings unbound, to attack the people who came to their show. Her father is burned badly as he tries to help, and their family may well be ruined. And a few days later, the remaining dragon and their last dragon tamer are all killed in the caves below the arena.
But Zarela is determined. After giving all their funds to the dragon-fighting guild to pay fines and compensation to the victims, she has to sell treasures her mother left behind. She knows her father will disapprove, but she is determined that they will host another dragon fight. If she’ll never be able to find a dragonador to fight in their ring, well then, she’ll simply have to learn to fight dragons herself.
She hears of one place where she can purchase a dragon and someone to teach her. That potential teacher is young and arrogant and handsome, and it will take all Zarela’s determination to wear him down. He has sworn off dragon-fighting, but understands them like no one else. Even if he’ll agree to teach her, can she put aside her fear and conquer a dragon in the arena?
The writing in this book is lush and beautiful. But the beauty of the writing doesn’t stop us from quickly realizing what’s at stake, wondering how Zarela will possibly be able to save her family’s arena and her home.
Yes, it’s no surprise there’s an enemies-to-lovers plot. I somehow missed the transition there, where they switched from despising one another to not being able to keep their hands off each other, but I was able to go along with it. There’s a surprise twist toward the end with looming disaster, and I really did love the way they resolved Zarela’s need to put on a show with her growing understanding of dragons.
The fantasy world in this book was wonderfully imagined and stands out as something new, even for someone who’s read hundreds of young adult fantasy novels. A book about the world of bull-fighting — except with dragons.
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