Title: Iron Flame
Author: Rebbecca Yarros, narrated by a full cast: Gabriel Michael, Torian Brackett, LaMont Ridgell, Taylor Coan, Jessica Lauren Ball, Chris Davenport, Henry W. Kramer, Danny Gavigan, Robb Moreira, Khaya Fraites, Amanda Forstrom.
Length: 21 hours, 5 minutes in total
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, New Adult (?)
Is this book part of a series? Yes this is book two of the Empyrean series.
I discovered this book via… an Audible recommendation
Published: May 17th, 2024 (part one) and July 12th, 2024 (part two).
Summary courtesy of Goodreads:
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.
My Thoughts:
Be adivsed, there will be spoilers ahead, I will try to keep them light.
I loved this installment! It was fast paced and intense. I especially liked that Xaden and Violet were at least talking about trying to have an adult relationship built on trust and knowing your partner… even as they kind of suck at it. Xanden’s letters were really sweet. The revolution was an interesting curve ball, and Mommy Dearest may have redeamed herself… a little. I’m gonna be hard on Vi’s mom, I do not like her character.
One thing I did not care for was that there were times where this book dragged. Now, there’s a lot to unpack, and honestly it could have been two books. Actually, I kind of like the fact that it was broken into two audiobooks here, and the ending of part one seemed perfect. I could have used less of the “other woman” drama. I get it- Violet needed to grow up, to stop being insecure, to trust in her relationship with Xaden… but was there really no other way?
The intimate scenes are good- they always had chemistry (*side note* their intimate scenes are one of the only things I didn’t like about how they did the graphic dramatization. We get it- stuff’s happening… the moaning was overdone). Then there’s the secrets- all the freaking secrets. Ask me anything… but not that, I can’t tell you that. Okay…. that got old fast. Did we not learn in book one that keeping secrets was not going to end well? I am sitting here, glaring daggers at nothing while listening to Xaden keep talking about trust while keeping her out of stuff and keeping the mother of all secrets. My poor husband probably thinks I am insane. I did love that the secondary characters from book one really popped here. Rhiannon and Imogen especially.
Then there are the dragons. Teenage Andarna? Perfection. And Tairn… seriously he must be so tired trying to keep Violet and Andarna in check. I was here for that. The constant refrain of “We do not eat our allies” is going to go through my head far longer than it should and always in LaMont Rigell’s voice. As with the first book, this is a five star experience for me. I do wonder, though, if at least two of those stars are solely because of the way I went through the books; which is why I will be waiting to listen to Onyx Storm until the second part is released in mid June even though it is killing me.
On the adult content scale, there’s language, violence and sexual content- lots of each. Trigger warning- there is torture. It’s intense. I would call this one New Adult, but it’s listed as Young Adult.
The book and both editions of the audiobook are out! How are you going to enjoy it?
Happy Reading,
Gwen
