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anilein's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Cursing, Violence, Gaslighting, Murder, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Grief, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Medical content, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
orakuruno's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, War, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Drug use, Gore, Death, and Blood
erkietheturkey's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content
josiee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Murder, Sexual content, Torture, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Vomit, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, War, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Medical content, Animal death, Abandonment, Ableism, Body horror, Grief, Emotional abuse, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
cmason101's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Child abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Gore, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
princessrory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Animal death, Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, War, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Excrement, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting
cait's review
- 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
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Xenophobia, Confinement, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Torture, Classism, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Colonisation, Stalking, War, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Violence, and Vomit
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Self harm, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Body shaming, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Animal death, Death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and War
vaguely_pink's review
- 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
(It's worth noting at the beginning here that this book needs a heavy trigger warning for torture, so if that's the only part of this review you read ((as if anyone reads my reviews )), I'll be okay.)
A lot of the issues I had with Fourth Wing were nonexistent here. Violet is no longer info dumping all the time. The world has been built in book one (no matter how lazily), so the lore we get here is well crafted and executed. It sort of felt like Fourth Wing was just the book she had to write so Iron Flame made sense.
The character writing is also much improved in book two. Particularly when it comes to Violet and Xaden's relationship. (Although I will never forgive Ms. Yarros for naming him Xaden.) This genre has so many male love interests that are too perfect and exist only to teach the FMC something about herself (Manic Pixie Dream Bat Boys™), but Xaden is flawed as hell. They fight and I can't take anyone's side because they're both wrong and toxic as hell sometimes. They both have major character growth throughout the book, and we love to see it.
The more minor characters are much more enjoyable too. In Fourth Wing I could barely keep everyone straight in my head, so it was hard to appreciate the found family banter. In Iron Flame, it's all there and wonderful. Would die for Ridoc.
And of course we love to see this kind of disability representation. And not only EDS, but some great PTSD portrayals in there too. As a neurodivergent disabled girlie, there was lots to warm my cold heart. And all the great family drama in there too. Juicy.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. While I could predict every single twist to Fourth Wing, I had no idea what was coming next in Iron Flame. I still maintain that the Empyrean series so far is nothing revolutionary. Despite what the blurb on the cover says, this is exactly like every fantasy you've ever read. But damn if this Divergent/Eragon/wizard-books-that-shall-not-be-named mash up isn't fucking fun. Very excited for the next installment.
Graphic: Death, Torture, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexual content, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Grief, Ableism, Body horror, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Kidnapping, and Xenophobia
Minor: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Animal death
silverhill's review
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Torture
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Ableism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, and Misogyny