Absolutely loved this book and I’m still going crazy at the ending. I just love these characters so much, even the side characters are so fleshed out and feel like fully formed characters. 

This book kept me addicted while reading it and I need to read Onyx Storm now.  

I was not a fan of the Cat plot line, even thought she was fighting for the ‘crown’ she was still fighting over a man. However, I do enjoy that Cat and Violet formed an understanding/respect with each others talents.

Reading the graphic audio seriously takes this book to a whole new damn level!! I LOOOVE it sooo much more! & the pain hurts soooo much more!!! XADEN!!! 😭😭😭

I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed the first book in the series and wanted to know how Violet’s second year was going to go. Again, I’m really glad I waited for the paperback even if it took over a year to be released just because right now everyone is obsessing over Onyx Storm coming out and I can read Iron Flame without it being over-hyped. However, it was over-hyped, and I was disappointed.  

This book is based on Violet Sorrengail and everyone expected her to die during her first year at Basgiath War College, including Violet. 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 gruelling 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: 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, might be enough to save them in the end. 

I usually judge fantasy with how quickly I understand the book and how quickly I can get into the storyline. Unlike the first book, I struggled to get into this book because it was just a complete information overload. This book kept changing the pace, one minute it was fast-paced, and I couldn’t keep up and the next it was so slow that I kept procrastinating to get through the book. I was getting sick of Xaden and the secrets and giving them out like treats, I keep forgetting that Xaden and Violet have only been together for a few weeks and not years. The miscommunication between them and all the conflict was just driving me nuts. I thought I was going to fall into this book like returning to a world and instead I felt like I was back at step one within the fantasy world. With Xaden and Violet being separate so much, I would have loved for this to be dual POV especially with the secrets. I was getting sick of the repeated information and Xaden and Violet going round and round. I would have liked Cat to team up with Xaden and Violet from the beginning, instead of the whole other woman and jealously thing, it was just too petty and wasn’t needed. I felt like because of the information overload, there wasn’t a lot of character development besides Xaden and Violet learning to trust each other again but I wanted more from the character development.  

I still adore the found family, and I would have had a MASSIVE issue if any of them died. The way they all wanted to stick together no matter what and would have gladly followed Violet until the end of the earth made me want to cry. However, all I can think about is that Sawyer is going to become like Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. I just want all of them to make it to graduation and to have relationships with their loved ones. I love the friendship blossoming especially once they realised that Violet, Mira and Brennan aren’t like their mother. I love that Sloane was determined to hate Violet and just couldn’t after the events and for saving Liam’s letters for her. I adore the Tairn and Andarna and how they are just bicker, but they would also protect each other and Violet.  

I feel like a lot of fantasy books goes through the same kind of events: secrets, hidden worlds and identity, memory loss, massive injuries, the main character or the hero being infected or going bad. So, the ending wasn’t really a shock to me, and I have a feeling that the third book is going to be a bit predictable like From Blood and Ash. Violet is going to go to the ends of the earth to save Xaden, but Xaden is going to go rogue and keep secrets and then Violet is going to team up with Cat to save him. Oh, and Xaden’s mother is going to return out of the blue and be the biggest hero or the main headache.

i have not been this emotionally invested in a book in a long time. i’m so grateful i did not have to wait a year to be able to pick up the third book.

my notes: 

1. for such a long book, why did violet have 1 page of interaction with dain to decide she trusts him again?

2. that got very… intense and “resolved” very quickly for such a large book 

3. wtf was aoife pronounced effy on the audiobook?

4. this really needed a name/relationship glossary in the back! i was so confused, especially in the battle at the end of who was a person, who was a dragon and who’s dragon was who’s 🤣

A worthy sequel that expands the world building from the first book while also moving the plot forward. I love all the heroes and I love to hate the villains. Great cliffhanger that will make you want book 3 immediately!

Iron Flame is a great follow up to Fourth Wing. Since this book is the second in the series, the rest of my review WILL contain spoilers.
 
Iron Flame is an adventurous, suspenseful sequel in which we see the development of the war against the venin, as well as Violet’s personal growth as a rider and a person. Admittedly, Violet can be extremely annoying and grating in this novel as she struggles to find her footing, but it is also inspiring to watch her overcome the obstacles and challenges she faces. Her relationship with Xaden starts off rocky in this novel, but her and Xaden’s growth allows them to slowly overcome Xaden’s betrayal. I also really enjoy reading about Xaden groveling and being open about the depth of his feelings for Violet.

Plot wise, I think the book is solid, but slow. It often felt like the Violet and Xaden’s development happened at the expense of the plot. However, I did enjoy the overall plot and cliffhangers/plot twists in the last act of the novel.

Overall, this was a great sequel to the Empyrean series and I can’t wait to start Onyx Storm!

I rarely get this emotional over books but I could physically feel my heart speeding up and the tears behind my eyes while reading. I’m so ready for the release of book 3