Isabel Ibañez has become one of my instant-buy authors. One of the things I love about her books is how much of her own culture and history she manages to infuse them her stories. She does the same with Together We Burn, bringing to the forefront, in a fantasy book filled with dragons and romance, her love for flamenco dancing. I actually read this right before traveling to Spain and getting to watch flamenco after reading the way Isabel has written it allowed me to really envision the book coming alive around me.

Centered around young Zarela who must take on the responsibility of her family’s dragon fighting business and Arturo a dragon-fighter who believes in treating the beasts humanely, this is a romance book filled with magic, mystery and some brilliant dancing.

The characters were brilliantly developed, well-fleshed out, and relatable. I especially liked Arturo. I’ve always felt that bull-fighting was a barbaric practice and the art of dragon fighting is very much similar so I really respected his character. And the fact that he and Zarela shared that conflict and were able to get past it really added to the depth of their romance.

While the outcomes and the slight plot twists were foreseeable this book is beautiful because of the way it is written. The world-building is lush and I truly felt I was immersed in a world very similar to Andalusia. The cobbled streets of Cordoba, the gilted cathedrals, the large stone structures. All of it was so medieval and it really allowed me to become one with the story.

I loved everything about this book. From the writing to the characters to the story. Five glowing stars.