Iron Flame

Rebecca Yarros’ Iron Flame is the second part of The Empyrean Series and continues the plot that began in Fourth Wing. This novel kicks off from where the first novel stopped, showing Violet Sorrengail as she recovers from war but quickly discovers battle, she felt she understood is more dangerous and complex. From the first chapter, where Violet sits in the Aretian fortress with her brother who was perceived to be dead, the book makes it clear that the plot will be shaped by hidden history, lies and secrets. This narrative further thinkens when the tone becomes darker, the political tension swells and the war dragon riders change from a survival training to an actual war that threatens the continent. Being at the centre of a long series, this novel bears the arduous task of carrying on with the story and establishing the next one.

This book has many positive sides. First, it gives a sense that the plot’s scope will broaden, and it does so with high-level worldbuilding. The story goes beyond the war college to underscore the magic system, dragons, the rebellion and the battle against the venin. Also, the fact that the truth has been hidden for long gives the narrative more depth, and makes it feel better than a basic college fantasy. Second, the action scenes were phenomenal. They were intense and fast and create a vivid imagery of riders and dragons fighting together that makes you feel like an actual character. There are times when the plot slows down but the non-stop dangerous missions, trainings and battles make the entire reading experience completely exciting. Finally, I totally enjoyed how the characters connected emotionally to each other. How Violet struggles with trusting her brother and Xaden makes the story feel personal and balances its political and war sides. Though about wars and triumph, the author made the book engaging and quite easy to read by showing her character’s vulnerability and feelings.

Nevertheless, I spotted a few flaws that make me feel like the first book was better. The first thing I noticed was that the book has uneven pacing, and some parts feel slow or that events are rushed. For example, the introductory chapter was quite repetitive as it concentrated largely on Xaden and Violet’s arguments about secrets and trusts. There were parts where Xaden refused to be completely open with Violet due to duty, but she still demands honesty. This continued without much change, and I felt bored at some point. Additionally, the book had so many characters and with the wars or plot twists, I found it difficult to remember them all. At some point, I had to find where the characters were first mentioned to understand what role they play later in the book. This was draining and only works for readers who would read the book in one or two sitting. Also, the conversations are often to mainstream, and this reduces the feeling of being a fantasy book that is about war and old magic. I did not expect to see likes like ‘No fucking way I’m going to let them cage me here’ or ‘What. The. Fuck?’ I’d have preferred words like emberon, flamaris, drakthar, krythar, rhaegor and a lot more. But the words from the novel often feel out of place in a world with military ranks, old records and dragons. Lastly, I’d have preferred a shorter book. Some chapters are long and could be easily compressed without the story losing its taste. For instance, having read the first novel in the series, I understand the main idea. The conversations do not need to stress more about hidden war, wards, rebellion or trust.

If you enjoyed Fourth Wing, this is your book. It is also perfect for readers who love political drama, action romance and those that enjoy long books that build overtime. Additional, if you loved the Game of Thrones, and find books about authority, military training and dragons; then this is the book for you. However, if you have a short attention span and only enjoy short fantasy books, you may struggle to be interested. Consequently, I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I took out one star due to the pacing and repetition challenges, but this does not make the book any less entertaining.