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[katara]

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Series:
N/A

Genre:
Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Dragons, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novella, Magic, High Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Standalone

Publication Date:
May 31, 2022

Pages Numbers:
351

Read Date:
November 7th, 2023

Date Finished:
November 10th, 2023

Rating:
4.85/5

Blurb:

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 her father fight in their arena, which will one day be hers.

But disaster strikes during their five hundredth anniversary show, and in the carnage, Zarela’s father is horribly injured. Facing punishment from the Dragon Guild, Zarela must keep the arena—her ancestral home and inheritance —safe from their greedy hands. She has no choice but to take her father’s place as the next Dragonador. When the infuriatingly handsome dragon hunter, Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, withholds his help, she refuses to take no for an answer.

But even if he agrees, there’s someone out to ruin the Zalvidar family, and Zarela will have to do whatever it takes in order to prevent the Dragon Guild from taking away her birthright.

An ancient city plagued by dragons. A flamenco dancer determined to save her ancestral home. A dragon hunter refusing to teach her his ways. They don't want each other, but they need each other, and without him her world will burn.

Review:

In Hispalia, eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar comes from an impressive pedigree. Her mother was a beloved flamenco dancer and her father was one of the most famous Dragonadors. People come from far and wide to see her parents but all that changes in one instant, her mother is killed during one performance. Despite this tragedy, Zarela is prepared to take her mother's role during the five-hundredth anniversary show, but tragedy strikes again, and this time her father is horribly injured. The doctors tell Zarela that her father will never be able to perform again. Even worse, the Dragon Guild is breathing down her neck threatening to take everything her family has worked hard for from her and these strange happenings to her family may be hiding something much deeper than just accidents.

I was really surprised about how much I loved this book. I love novels that infuse culture with magic and this book does just that. Spanish history of bullfighting infused with flamenco dancing and dragons. The blending of Spanish history, bullfighting, flamenco dancing, and dragons in this book is truly unique and captivating. It adds a whole new dimension to the story, infusing it with culture, tradition, and a touch of fantasy. The way the author weaves together these elements is seamless, creating a world that feels both familiar and fantastical at the same time.

A heavy responsibility lies upon the shoulders of Zarela especially when two different occurrences happen in the family's arena. When she goes below to find the rest of her dragons dead and their caretaker murdered, Zarela knows she needs to find a way to, not only solve this mystery but also to restore the honor of her family's name. She knows she has no choice but to part with items belonging to her mother and you can feel her pain when she has to sell these items. She is attached and with good reason - these belong to her mother and they hold so many memories for her, yet she knows that her family needs money.

And while she is eighteen, this is a lot for a young woman to bear upon her shoulders. Yet, she does it with the best intentions and when she finds Arturo her best bet, she stubbornly sets her mind to gaining his help. The two clash and I think that is what makes their relationship work - they are as different as night and day. This is what makes them click.

The one thing I don't understand is why parents are usually the ones killed off - especially when it comes to mothers. While I understand that this helps push a narrative, I find it as one of the most overused storylines. This one is no different. It is literally in the first few pages of the novel.

Final Thought:

Despite all of that, I enjoyed this novel. The storyline is unique using Spanish culture and the art of bullfighting, magic, and dragons

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