Reviews with content warning for Torture - Iron Flame - Flammengeküsst

Sorry kai 😭
I enjoyed the first book a lot but found the sequel really repetitive and formulaic, the introduction of Cat brought an interesting dynamic but the direction it took and the response between Violet and Xaden was too expected and kind of juvenile, and their dialogue started to irritate me towards the end. I think if the book would've been paced differently i'd have persevered but I sadly lost interest. Know this is a popular series for a reason but this book wasn't for me.

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clxxgs09's review against another edition

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adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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abbysingh's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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fenjaa's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was so hard to put down. I love how it focuses on the character’s and their dynamic’s while also following a great plot. Just like in Fourth Wing the plot suddenly picks up when you least expect it. And then everything happens all at once and plot twist after plot twist happens. I will forever defend these books. Rebecca Yarros has outdone herself and i cannot wait for how she’s going to destroy me with Onyx Storm.

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the_library_of_mary's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I listened to the graphic audio version of this book and it is how I plan on listening to all these books going forward.

I enjoyed the first book, even though I had heard some people say it was overhyped. This book was also enjoyable, but I saw people online saying it wasn't anything special. I thought that this book had a lot of set up and was laying ground work to some plot points that will be coming later down the road. I have seen that this is planned to be a 5 book series, so this is exactly how I would assume the second of five books to read.

Violet is a fun narrator. At times she gets a little "typical female lead-y" but overall I enjoy seeing this story through her eyes. Because she is an intelligent character, it allows a lot of lore and world building to show up and be explored which is my favorite part of these type of stories.

Xaden is one of my fave ML at the moment. Perfect amount of simp while still keeping the enemies to lovers vibe that I enjoyed so much in the first book. Obviously Violet and Xaden have realized their feelings for each other.

I got a little tired of their fights because it was literally the same fight over and over and over. I know that they kept getting interrupted, but still. It was incredibly frustrating Because both these characters are very stubborn, it leads to interesting bickering, but it almost got to be to much by the end of it. Adding in Cat's character and the whole arranged marriage story to bring in jealousy wasn't really my jam, but as bad as it sounds I liked that her character didnt give a shit about Xaden it was about getting the crown.

Fourth Wing team friendships are so fun to read and I love this team of characters that care so much for each other.

Overall this book at darker scenes and steamier scenes than I was expecting, but I enjoyed the setup and cliffhangers in the story (

Xaden as a venin noooooooooooooo

. I'm excited to see where the next book leads.

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savage_book_review's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

My initial reaction after finishing this book is that I wish I'd had it available to read immediately after 'Fourth Wing'. Not because I couldn't bear the wait to find out what happened next, or because I needed another Xaden fix, but because the break between the two made this one so much more difficult to get into. I can remember the events of book one no problem, but the intricacies and niceties of dragon riding, Basgaith War College and the general detail of worldbuilding smack you between the eyes in this book. Without the context of 'Fourth Wing' fresh in your memory, you are definitely left trying to place certain people and events and it left me a bit lost and confused in places, which I don't think would have been the case if I had been able to binge read both. It feels very technical and, I suppose, like it's being taught as a Battle Brief lesson at Basgaith (which may be what the author is going for, given the intros of each chapter).

There were a few things I'd heard about this book that I was looking forward to discovering, but upon reading they didn't do as much for me as I'd hoped. The 'throne scene', I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was more than what I got. Not that it didn't make me a little hot under the collar, but it cries out for a comparison to the ACOMAF throne scene, and I know which I found sexier. Similarly, the ending... I can understanding why those that are full on fans are rocked by it, and it's certainly a great hook into the next book, but nevertheless I felt a little underwhelmed. I will absolute be reading Onyx Storm upon its release, but I'm just not feeling that dire impatience for January to get here. I'll add it to my reserve queue at the library and see when it arrives (and make sure I do a full reread before starting it!).

I wasn't a huge fan of Violet's character in this book either. She's just a bit hypocritical and cuts her nose off to spite her face, when the whole thing could have felt more cohesive with a bit of understanding rather than her abrasive stubbornness. It seemed to me that the author had possibly introduced too many characters, what with the number that seemed to fade in and out of the background, or have moments that don't really lead anywhere. I get that every hero needs a good foil, but both Cat and Varrish are wasted; I was just starting to lean into the violent disgust of them both when the author gave them an 'easy' out. Even Andarna, sassy adolescent that she is, only gets a few good lines and not much action. The only character that seemed to stay true to the one plotted out in Fourth Wing was Xaden, and he is by far and away the most interesting character in the cast. And I could definitely do with more Bodhi in my life - he needs to be more than a secondary character!

It is a solid story and the overarching vision is a masterpiece, but it didn't hit enough of my expectations to really shine.

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gfdupont's review against another edition

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medium-paced

5.0

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