Iron Flame

Article Written By: Lindsey

Disclaimer** This review may contain spoilers and is firmly based on my opinion**

Title: Iron Flame

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Publisher: Red Tower Books (Entangled Publishing, 2023)

Category & Genre: Adult Fantasy

Page number: 623

Tropes: secret war, ancient and powerful evil, second chance romance 

Synopsis from the book jacket:

““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.”

Why did I choose this book to read?

In preparation for Onyx Storm's debut, I was rereading Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and realized I never wrote a review for Iron Flame. Of course, I had to rectify the situation before I could even look at Onyx Storm.

What did I like about Iron Flame?

I like the shift in Violet and Xaden’s relationship. Her eyes have been opened to what the government has hidden, and she has decided which side she wants to be on. Her relationship with Xaden is forever changed. She no longer goes along with whatever he says and demands complete honesty; otherwise, she refuses to be in a relationship with him. For that reason, I gained a lot of respect for Violet’s character. 

I also really liked seeing Violet both knowing the truth and hiding it for the greater good and navigating the world when the truth finally comes out to the masses. It made for an interesting inner monologue. Violet constantly thought, “I know something you don’t know.” She was always angry, hearing how the truth was hidden and realizing how ignorant she was before. 

I was also grateful that Rebecca Yarros didn’t forget that Violet promised Liam in the first book that she would look out for his sister. After the way Liam’s death destroyed me at the end of Fourth Wing, it was sweet to see her try so hard to keep her promise to him and that we even get to see Liam still be a part of the series instead of becoming a forgotten character as so many do after their deaths. 

Where did Iron Flame go wrong for me?

Rebecca did Andarna dirty in this book, which made me mad. It drove the plot forward to a point when she was in the Dreamless Sleep and couldn’t be around for much of it, prompting Violet to suffer the consequences, so I understand. However, when she woke up, I was so upset for her to see that her growth was stunted so severely. 

I was disappointed we didn’t see more of Brennan in the second book, given that Fourth Wing's ending cliffhanger was based around him. I would’ve liked more information on his survival, how he became a council member in Aretia, what he’d been doing all the time he’d been away, etc. I also think it would’ve been nice if there was some scene where he tells Violet that even though he had to fake his death, he still checked in on her and Mira because he still cared for them. Without that, I felt like he just faked his own death without any thought to those he left behind, and that made his character seem to lack common emotion.

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

“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. And hope? That shit is harder to kill than a dragon.”

“Secrets make for poor leverage. They die with the people who keep them.”

“I chose you not as my next, but as my last, and should you fall, then I will follow.”

My character connection…

I don’t think there could be a better friend than Rhiannon throughout the series, but in Iron Flame especially. She shows her disappointment when Violet holds back from her, showing how well she knows Violet and how much she values being a part of her inner circle. She doesn’t pressure Violet to tell her the truth but reassures her several times that she knows something is wrong and that she is there for Violet when needed. And when push comes to shove, she supports and believes the truth when it’s revealed and doesn’t hesitate to follow Violet into uncertainty.

Star Rating: 3 stars

Spice Rating: 3 stars