What the Margins Carried- So Let Them Burn, Kamilah Cole
Autumn, 2025, I was out n’ aboot when we waltzed into Bookin’ It in downtown Casper, Wyoming.
Of course, if you’re into books at all, you’ll understand the state of excitement when surrounded by thousands of them. So I wasn’t thinking entirely clearly when I swept up a book, carefully wrapped in gorgeous glittering paper, with cute goodies tucked into its lapel and a description about lesbian dragon-fighting… missing the “YA” label, denoting its slant toward younger readers. It took me a moment to get to, but gotten-to, it has been!
Before I cut into this, I wanted to warm up this blog series. What the Margins Carried is something I’ve had on my heart for some time, but didn’t have the energy to commit to. I woke up this year, after a hiatus in late 2025 after the loss of my grandfather.
The concept is simple…. I love reading, I love supporting these works. I read, and then I come here to share my takeaways. The intent is to spark discussion, open perspectives, and share what we love about what we’re reading! To me, love in reading looks like learning, growing, self-actualizing, inspiring, leading, guiding, warming, tenderness, compassion. I love leaning into the raw moments of works, and pulling away from the immersion with gems of data to help inspire or grow myself.
My hope is that, in sharing these titles and works with you, that you’ll go support the work and read or take a listen for yourself, and that you’ll want to talk about your own notes, too.~ This is a community of reading and casual enrichment, breaking free from the hustle and grind culture to focus on things that genuinely spark something within us.
Now, to the fun stuff!
Cover of So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole.
When I peeled the wrapping paper away, the burst of blues and purples from the cover art pushed through, almost like a beacon of light… “A DRAGON TOOK HER SISTER— SHE’LL SET THE WORLD ON FIRE TO BRING HER BACK.” in a bold yellow across the cover’s brow.
Obviously, I love dragons, I am a rainbow soul, I’m about it.
Kamilah Cole’s Jamaican roots shine vibrantly in her debut novel, So Let Them Burn. I actually had to flip to the back to read her bio, at a point in which I was like “I am too sure this is a parallel or metaphor for Jamaica” to confirm that, indeed! Jamaica is close to heart when this was written.
You get a clear picture of the character of the main ladies right away; though, the society feels a bit matriarchal, so there’s maybe more “main ladies” than what I’m thinking of off the top of my head.
To me, the emotion comes out a bit forced/performed, but the scenes between siblings make me a bit fuzzy for my own. It’s a VERY fast read if you’re into it, despite the apparent volume!
The reading felt very aligned to what one of my own kiddos would appreciate, with the bits of— without spoiling anything— dragons, particularly. There’s some fun elements, the characters are fleshed-out without the story going stale to get there, but my personal favorite portions included anything discussing the food (Cole’s pull on Jamaican cuisine makes me VERY hungry!) and the way the humans throughout are described. You get a sense of someone, and everything they do seems to back it up. There’s nothing to figure out; it reads as an excellent book for making that transition into more mature reads.
Indeed, I DNF’d at Chapter 12, but will be passing this to Aformentioned Child to (eventually) get their thoughts on it! Something just a lil’ different, for ya. If you’re seeking something culturally fresh, this is an easy pull.
You can buy a copy where available, just scroll to the shops she’s listed in:
https://www.kamilah-cole.com/soletthemburn
Thanks for reading with me! I’ll catch you in the next margin’s notes!~
