CATEGORIES: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, NEW ADULT, FANTASY, ROMANCE
ABOUT THE BOOK
AUTHOR: rEBECCA YARROS
GENRES: NEW ADULT, FANTASY, ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: ENTANGLED PUBLISHING
SERIES: THE EMPYREAN SERIES, BOOK 2
PUBLISHING DATE: 11/7/2023
FORMAT: hardcover
PAGE COUNT: 623 PAGES
SOURCE: SELF-PURCHASED
My Thoughts:
The wait is over. Iron Flame, the most eagerly awaited fantasy novel of 2023, has landed in bookstores and sparked a social media storm of rave reviews and heated debates.
You might recall the sensation that was Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, a book that ruled the realm of new adult romantic fantasy for months on end. Procuring a copy became akin to a treasure hunt as bookstores struggled to keep up with the demand. This time around I preordered it and got it on release day. I was awestruck by its beautiful cover and black sprayed edges.
Fourth Wing left us hanging on a cliffhanger that had fans thirsting to discover what comes next. If you need a quick recap, or if you’ve yet to dive into Fourth Wing, be sure to check out my review here.
THE PLOT
Iron Flame takes off right where we were left hanging – with Violet reeling from an attack by the Venin and the double betrayal from her lover, Xaden, and her elder brother, Brennan.
As Violet copes with the reality that Xaden deceived her from the start, she builds up her defenses. A significant chunk of the book, perhaps too much of it, is devoted to their relentless quarrels about trust and honesty. They morph into that couple that no one wants around due to their ceaseless bickering.
Their conflict becomes so tedious that at some point, my interest in their romantic arc began to wane.
The narrative was chock-full of action, with a new threat lurking in every chapter. However, the repeated climactic events eventually led me to being apathetic to the trials of the characters.
Even the grand finale lacked the emotional punch it should’ve packed, as there was no breathing room for suspense to build.
THE CHARACTERS
The real stars of the show were the dragons. They simply stole the spotlight. Tairn had his characteristic grumpy demeanor, and Andarna definitely had a bit more spunk this time around. Both dragons had me laughing out loud several times throughout the novel.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded a POV chapter from either of the dragons.
“Scratch her eyes out,” Andarna suggests. “Really. The eyes are the softest tissue. Just jab your thumbs in there—” “Andarna! Use some common sense,” Tairn snaps. “The kneecaps are a much easier target."
Violet Sorrengail has also transformed since the last book. The self-doubting girl of old is now a headstrong, courageous, and at times, a demanding young woman. Yet, she does have a tendency to be a bit whiny when it came to her issues with Xaden.
Xaden remains shrouded in mystery as he continues to withhold information about his past, sometimes for valid reasons. I never really get a grasp of who he is, a problem I also encountered in Fourth Wing.
Rhiannon has also stepped up, becoming more of a leader and an even fiercer friend.
WRITING STYLE
So, you know how some books just pull you into their world and you feel like you’re living in it? Well, this one didn’t quite hit that mark for me. There’s a whole bunch of characters and stuff happening, but I never really felt like this world was fully fleshed out. Especially the leaders – their motives and actions were a bit of a head-scratcher. It kind of felt like the author had just winged it, rather than carefully planning out the plot.
The plot was crazy fast because of all the dangers lurking around every corner. The story mostly revolved around the romance of Violet and Xaden. That’s cool, I am definitely here for romance, but their dialogue started to feel like a broken record after a while. It slowed down the story a bit during these points.
Lastly, just like in the previous book, there were some plot points that didn’t really add up, which made it hard to buy into the story. Without giving much away, here’s an example: Basgiath War College continues to push second-year students past their limits. But, the book also mentions that fewer dragons are willing to bond, so why in the heck is the college so careless with the lives of their cadets? Why would the dragons allow the school to risk the lives of their bonded riders when their lives are linked? It’s nonsensical.
THE SPICE LEVEL
"Because love, at its root, is hope. Hope for tomorrow. Hope for what could be. Hope that the someone you’ve entrusted your everything to will cradle and protect it."
“Iron Flame” kind of felt like a cupcake that’s been drowned in too much frosting. Basically, it could’ve done with a bit more tidying up. The drama and the heartfelt speeches were cranked up to eleven, and there were a bunch of scenes that didn’t really add to the central plot.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some seriously fun bits, especially the ones with the dragons. But these cool moments got lost among all the extra fluff. Plus, the world-building could’ve used a bit more love to make it more believable.
I get why some people love it – hey, some folks can’t get enough of that frosting! But me, I’m more into a smoother build-up to the big moments type of girl.
If you’ve given this book a read, I’d love to hear what you think. And if you haven’t yet, why not give it a shot and see what all the hype’s about?
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This was a really interesting review, and one that seems nice and balanced (which I really appreciate). I have heard a lot about this book series, and have yet to begin reading it as I am still making up my mind. It’s difficult sometimes to know if all the hype is genuine and organic—which a good chunk of it does seem to be—so I may just add it to my reading list.
That really means alot you enjoyed my review. I really try hard to give a good overview so people will have enough information to know if it’s something they want to read or not. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment ?