Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez – a Review

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Description:
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:

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez is a standalone fantasy novel.  Zarela Zalvidar, our heroine, is only 18 years old, who is a popular flamenco dancer; her mother was the best flamenco dancer, until she was tragically killed by a dragon years ago.  Zarela works closely with her father, considered the best Dragonador, who fights and kills dragons.  When disaster strikes, her father is badly injured, as someone opened the doors allowing dragons to escape; she is determined to find out who sabotaged them.  Zarela is a wonderful heroine, who will do anything to try and save the family business, as well as their reputation.  She has to face many obstacles to try and get the association to help, but she is turned down at every turn.

Arturo, our hero, was a former Dragonador,  and now a Tamer of Dragons, comes across as tough and brooding; he hunts dragons and tries to train them.  Arturo, does not believe in killing the dragons for entertainment. When Zarela tries to hire him to help train her, and be a tamer, they both get off on the wrong foot.   This is certainly a wonderful enemy to lover’s story line, that will take some time for them to team up together.  I really loved their complicated relationship, with Arturo being cold and nasty early on; but he is also fighting off his new found feelings for the lovely Zarela; with the chemistry between them escalating.  The banter between them was fun, as we watch how Arturo slowly changes as he grows closer to Zarela; and her passion for him grows.

What follows is an amazing and very different kind of fantasy, that was unique, magical, intriguing, betrayals, and romance; with a wonderful couple we rooted hard for, despite all the complications. I really loved Zarela and Arturo together; and some of the secondary characters were great, especially Lola.  There was also a surprising villain, who turned out to be very evil.

Together We Burn was a wonderful and exciting story, with a bit of everything; dragons, dance with dragons, dangerous situations, politicians threatening to destroy the family, as well as a number of twists.  Together We Burn was so very well written by Isabel Ibanez.  If you are a fantasy fan, I suggest to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher