Book: We Were Meant to Burn by Nicolette Elzie
Reviewed by plotdrunk
Rating: 4.5/5
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book had me hooked, and then it broke my heart.
The worldbuilding is rich with Spanish influences, and the prose is so vivid and lyrical it pulled me right into the flames. Nix is an incredible main character: strong, confused, angry, and just trying to figure out who she is after a lifetime of lies. I was immediately intrigued by the tension between her and Malakai, and the band-of-thieves dynamic added the perfect layer of found-family chaos.
The middle forest-travel section did start to feel a bit repetitive, but once they reached Malakai’s kingdom, the plot exploded in the best way. The reveals about Nix’s parentage, the queen, and the destiny she didn’t ask for all added layers of emotional depth. And her love story with Malakai? Beautiful and gut-wrenching. That final goodbye was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve read in a long time.
And then that cliffhanger?!? We don’t even know who’s still alive! Nix is plotting revenge, and I am completely on board. I need book two now!