Review // Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

As complicated as our connection is, it's also undeniably simple.
He's the horizon, and nothing exists beyond for me.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - The Empyrean #2
Release - November 7, 2023
Genre - Fantasy Romance
POV - single 1st person (heroine)
Heat - descriptive scenes
Source - ebook from the library
Length - 884 pages

Previous book in the series: Fourth Wing

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Find it here:
Goodreads * Amazon

My Two Cents

I am freaking DYING right now. That ending though... That freaking ending KILLED me and I need to know when I can get the next book in my hands. I don't even have the emotionally bandwidth to Google this ish!

No lie, the first half of this book was SLOW AF! And I thought I would end up bummed and disappointed. Violet couldn't help herself by sabotaging her own happiness. Girl seemed willing to cut off her nose to spite her face just to put Xaden through whatever she was trying to put him through.

I'm not ready for this to end, not ready to return to the reality where we're not together, even if I'm the one standing in our way.

However, aside from the beginning bit of boring and Vi's indecisiveness, the moving parts of this story had me flipping through these pages really fast. I read this book in TWO FREAKING DAYS!!

That's how much was going on. Every time I thought there'd be a calm minute, I was wrong. And I'm talking the second half of the book. Once you get there, I promise you, the pace picks up and you will not want to eat, sleep, nada.

I will say it here... Xaden was EVERYTHING!!

I warned you. I'm not sweet or soft or kind, and you fell anyway. This is what you get, Violet—me. The good, the bad, the unforgivable. All of it. I am yours."

So here's everything I was thinking during my read of this book. I didn't tell you this was a spoiler-free review, so if you don't want any details, STOP READING NOW.

✻ Why the heck is Violet fighting what she feels? I'm so annoyed and I get that the author wanted to drive the angst, but it needed to chill. Xaden was willing to sacrifice everything for her and it still wasn't enough? Girl please.
✻ Ooh Varrish, your arrogant ass is gonna get it. I can see that something is going to happen to you, something just right for you, and I hope your dragon gets it too. Sorry, not sorry.
✻ Wow, so much death. And I was beginning to get curious about some of these people.
✻ Dain's dad though...
✻ Thank you, Jesinia, for opening your eyes!!
✻ I love Rhi. Whenever she noticed something strange, spoke on it, and figured things out for herself, I cheered. LOVE HER!!
✻ Why am I laughing over all of these assassination attempts? And it's not funny, but come on!! Now what?
✻ I love that the prince knows the truth and is willing to do the right thing, against his family's wishes.
✻ OMG he's ALIVE?!
✻ Woo hoo!! Welcome Dain's redemption arc!
✻ I did tell you, didn't I Varrish? I told you you'd get yours.
✻ Listen, as long as Vi, Xaden, Rhi, Ridoc, Sawyer, Imogen, Bodhi, Garrett, Mira and Brennan survive, I should be okay.
✻ The book is called Iron Flame. Was I not supposed to notice that 'iron rain' was the wrong ingredient?

Okay, I'll stop. There's SO MUCH MORE going on in this book. There are so many reveals and more secrets and love and joy and pain and grief and fun and family in this book. My points are a drop in the bucket of what's going on. We learn more about the Venin and Wyvern and the wards that protect the people from this evil. I'm still a wreck over the ending and I'm hoping and praying that the next book heals all of my broken bits.

The Author

Rebecca is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifteen novels, including FOURTH WING, and is always ready to bring on the emotions. She's also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence in New Adult for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.

She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for twenty-one years. She’s the mother of six children and lives in Colorado with her family, their stubborn English bulldog, feisty chinchillas, and Maine Coon cat who rules them all. Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October.

Visit her website at www.RebeccaYarros.com for more.