Together We Burn

Gr 10 Up–This fantasy novel is set in a mythical version of Spain, where instead of bullfighting, dragons are captured and brought to an arena for death at the hands of a dragonador—a dragon killer. A long tradition rooted in saving villages from the ravages of dragon attacks produces a setting that tolerates killing dragons for entertainment. When 18-year-old Zarela’s family legacy is undermined by an unknown enemy, she has to save La Giralda. She must capture more dragons, train to become a dragonador, pay off a debt, and discover who the enemy within is, all while falling in love with Arturo. The story takes a turn when Zarela challenges the tradition of killing dragons for entertainment. Instead, Zarela, with the help of Arturo, studies the dragons, learning from them. What she discovers allows her to avoid killing and still save her family’s legacy. This young adult romance-fantasy-mystery novel delivers a slow burn.