Book Club February Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

After ending on a high last month with sexy dragon riders and irresistible tension between Violet and Xaden, I was left with no choice but to select Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, the sequel to Fourth Wing, as February's book club pick. It was a no-brainer, since neither Kay nor I could wait any longer to continue with the series after the outrageous cliffhanger in the previous book.

I would advise those who haven't read Fourth Wing or Iron Flame yet to stop scrolling, as there might be major spoilers for both books.

After the battle with the venin, Violet wakes up to a new reality where her brother is alive, and the dark wielders from her father's fables turn out to be a real threat. Forced to accept the shocking revelations about the world, she begins her second year at Basgiath, but dangers lurk in the shadows and her goal to protect everyone she cares about is met with obstacles at every turn.

The Good Stuff

In the second book, Yarros delves deeper into the world beyond Basgiath and Navarre, focusing on Aretia and the wider politics of the continent. Through Violet's perspective, we finally see the world from the viewpoint of the gryphon fliers, who have had to fight venin without the protection of wards for centuries, and it's refreshing to see riders and fliers studying alongside each other. There are many more characters in the mix now, and I have to admit it's quite a task to remember each individual, but as long as you can pick out the main cast, you will be able to follow along.

The story progresses quite seamlessly and builds upon the strong foundation that Fourth Wing has laid, revealing secrets that were only alluded to in the first book and raising the stakes for our protagonist, who is now not only trying to survive the war college but also actively seeking a solution to the venin problem. In particular, I thought the scene in the torture chamber was an important moment in the story that deepened Violet's friendship with her squadmates and marked a turning point for Dain, shifting him from being a poor excuse of a male interest (questionable...) to beginning his redemption arc. On top of that, Yarros managed to evoke genuine sadness in me at the mention of Liam, which just proves the author's ability to create likeable characters that you can't help but root for.

Overall, Iron Flame was gripping as it expands on the world building established in the first book, and takes the reader deeper into the rich narrative.

Also, more steamy sex scenes. Enough said.

The Not So Good Stuff

Whilst I enjoyed Iron Flame and was hooked from the start, I did have a small issue with how cliché the plot felt at times. Why couldn't Violet just be strong and special because of her own qualities (her intelligence, her resilience)? Why did she have to be the first to bond with a new breed of dragon as if having two wasn't special enough? And who didn't see Xaden turning venin from a mile away? Is it the kind of plot twist I wanted to see? Probably not. But I do have hopes that Yarros will turn this major story beat into something worthwhile in the coming books. We want to see tension and maybe the promised enemies-to-lovers (or lovers-to-enemies?) arc that we were robbed of in Fourth Wing.

Another thing that seemed a bit pointless was the appearance of Cat. I was all in for the jealousy arc, ready to see some conflict between Violet and Xaden that didn't revolve around her inability to trust him or his issues with honesty. But instead, Xaden just further professed his undying love for Violet, proving yet again that he was a one-dimensional lover boy (sorry...). How realistic is it really that this gorgeous man didn't have a relationship that he cared about before he met Violet? Xaden could have loved Cat in the past and still have deeper feelings for Violet now. Why did he have to belittle his relationship with his ex-girlfriend? What was the point of that?

Rating

CY - This was a nice sequel to the first book, showing us some much needed tension (successful or not) between Violet and Xaden. It didn't live up to the hype of Fourth Wing, but I still enjoyed it. 4/5.

Kay - It was a gripping sequel to Fourth Wing, and I'm excited to read the next one. 5/5.

Fans of the Empyrean series, what did you think of the sequel? Are you as excited as we are for the third instalment?

What are your theories for the next book?

We're excited to hear your thoughts in the comments.