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chasingpages1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Death, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Grief, Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, War, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Chronic illness, and Classism
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, Gore, Medical trauma, Genocide, Drug use, Kidnapping, Medical content, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Cursing
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.5
I picked this up after loving "Fourth Wing" earlier this year.
"Iron Flame" is the much-anticipated sequel to "Fourth Wing". Violet and Xaden are being driven apart by their vindictive leaders, but they refuse to let some distance seperate them. Violet's second year at her college is going to be an even bigger challenge than her first, and she does not know how she is going to survive. Violet is determined to prove everyone wrong, and she is going to remind everyone that it is the dragon riders that make the rules.
I could not believe how invested I was in this story. Xaden's love for Violet is beautiful, and I love that Violet is holding her own. She is hurt by Xaden's refusal to share important details with her, and despite how much she wants to cave and be with him, she is holding firm.
Xaden's and Violet's scenes were spicy and really well done. I was so lost in their moments together that I completely lost track of what was going on around me.
After the huge cliffhanger at the end of "Fourth Wing" I was so excited to see what would happen next. Finding out that Violet's brother was still alive was incredible, and I was dying to get the whole story.
"Iron Flame" also ends in a cliffhanger, and I am so curious to see how this will play out for our characters.
I will definitely be anxiously waiting for the next book!
"Iron Flame" is the much-anticipated sequel to "Fourth Wing". Violet and Xaden are being driven apart by their vindictive leaders, but they refuse to let some distance seperate them. Violet's second year at her college is going to be an even bigger challenge than her first, and she does not know how she is going to survive. Violet is determined to prove everyone wrong, and she is going to remind everyone that it is the dragon riders that make the rules.
I could not believe how invested I was in this story. Xaden's love for Violet is beautiful, and I love that Violet is holding her own. She is hurt by Xaden's refusal to share important details with her, and despite how much she wants to cave and be with him, she is holding firm.
Xaden's and Violet's scenes were spicy and really well done. I was so lost in their moments together that I completely lost track of what was going on around me.
After the huge cliffhanger at the end of "Fourth Wing" I was so excited to see what would happen next. Finding out that Violet's brother was still alive was incredible, and I was dying to get the whole story.
"Iron Flame" also ends in a cliffhanger, and I am so curious to see how this will play out for our characters.
I will definitely be anxiously waiting for the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Bullying, War, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Hate crime, Grief, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty
nicole_cob_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Physical abuse, War, Confinement, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, and Fire/Fire injury
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Since I really don’t want to tackle any of the problems within this book (mainly the fantasy with a ton of plot-holes and the destroying of the romance of Violet and Xaden/spoiler> ), I’m instead going to make my case for a different couple: Dain and Sloane
Dain basically got a redemption arc. Once I found out that he didn’t know that he had been sending Violet off to her death in FW, I was able to get on board for a morally grey redemption arc. However, I will still never want him with Violet, no matter how toxic Rebecca Yarros made her and Xaden. So, I propose Sloane./spoiler>
Dain and Sloane really only interact on page in chapter 43, but her snapping at him was enough for me to sense enough tension for a great enemies to lovers arc. Also, their potential relationship would perfectly mirror the relationship between Violet and Xaden, all toxicity aside./spoiler>
- The age difference when they meet. Violet & Sloane: first-years; Xaden & Dain: third-years
- The chain of command forbiddeness. Both Xaden and Dain were/are the Wing Leaders of Violet/Sloane, and specifically in Fourth Wing.
- Each pairing has a child of a Tyrrish officer and a child of a Navarrean officer.
- Each pairing is equal in parent’s rank. Violet and Xaden are each the child of the military leader and Sloane and Dain are each the child of the military leader’s right-hand. Xaden even made that comparison, though with Liam instead of Sloane.
- Dain and Violet each thought they wanted their best friend. Xaden (and likely Sloane) didn’t really care about romance, but did care about revenge/the rebellion.
This kind of all hinges on if Sloane knows about Dain’s involvement in her brother’s death, but Sloane and Dain have similar reasons to be enemies as Violet and Xaden did. Violet disliked Xaden for his father having “killed” her brother. And Xaden didn’t like her because he hated her mom for killing his dad. Dain’s father definitely got Liam killed and there’s definitely an argument for still blaming Dain even after learning that he didn’t know about the ambush./spoiler> Violet and Xaden’s signets are both powerful and complimentary, with light vs dark. Sloane and Dain’s signets are also both powerful, and while not exactly complimentary, they are similar, with both being able to take from another rider and could easily be used as a weapon, which is demonstrated with Dain during Violet’s torture and Sloane with Violet’s mom./spoiler>
So yeah, I think that the next book should just ignore Violet and Xaden and whatever mess they’re in and focus on this new enemies to lovers story! And if Rebecca Yarros does ever see this, I’d love a shoutout in the acknowledgments!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Animal death, Grief, Medical content, Torture, War, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Kidnapping, and Gore
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Classism, and Toxic relationship
singingshooter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Felt a bit denser than the first one, but still a lot of twists, turns, and further world building to keep you going.
It definitely needed some more time in editing. I kinda hope the third book isn’t rushed to be published so that we can get the best book possible.
It definitely needed some more time in editing. I kinda hope the third book isn’t rushed to be published so that we can get the best book possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Vomit, Death of parent, and War
andeng's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Grief, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Gore
booking_along's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gore, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Grief, Animal cruelty, Torture, War, and Confinement
sunsetwillcome's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Unlike Fourth Wing, Iron Flame focused more on the relationship between Navarre's "most powerful" mating pair bonded riders, Violet and Xaden. Xaden graduated from the academy and Violet is starting her 2nd year in the academy. Because they are in the different years, they could not meet everyday unlike before. This pose a problem since a mating pair cannot be apart from each other for a long time. We would see the development of their relationship here. Both Xaden and Violet will try to poke and prod, and test each other's boundary since they could not really open to each other before.
Xaden's ex appears in this book and apparently there is something we largely forgot, Riorson is an aristocratic name. Xaden is the heir to the throne of their new "kingdom" and his ex is the beautiful heiress to their ally. Beautiful, cunning, and jealous of Xaden and Violet's relationship. She was not only an ex; Xaden and her was bethrothed because of old alliance clause. They "tried" for three-quarter of the year and broke up. This part is really full of YA romance where the ex taunts the female protagonist with male protagonist and ex's old relationship, female protagonist feels insecure, lashes out to everything and everyone, then male protagonist professes his undying love to her, and female protoganist be the bigger person to start working together with male protagonist's ex.
Oh there's also a hint to Violet's ex here. Apparently she dated someone in the infantry. We might see him on the next installment.
Since Violet and Xaden cannot meet everyday, Violet branches out to find more allies and friends. Now, she reaches out to her old friend in the Scribe Quadrant, Jesinia Neilwart. Violet and Jesinia were supposed to be trained together as Scribes. Alas General Sorrengail "foluntold" Violet to apply to the Riders Quadrant and be a Rider. We would see a little bit of the reasonings behind Gen. Sorrengail's action and the complex relationship between Sorrengail's family.
Violet's old tutoring in Scribes education plays a big part in unveiling the truth of Navarre's history and saving everyone.
Apparently Sorrengail is quite high in the totem pole since the third prince of Navarre is Violet's childhood friend, Violet was handpicked and trained by the Scribe's Master to become his successor, and Violet's father had several banned books in his possession (which became the start of his distrust in the government).
Being a second year means Violet and friends would see the new batch of cadets to try their luck and gamble their life in their journey to become a Rider, including Liam's younger sister, Sloane Mairi who hates Violet for her part in Liam's death. Tutoring new ducklings would pose a new problem for Violet and friends, and Violet would find how similar she is to Xaden.
Just like Fourth Wing, Iron Flame shows that betrayal could come from anywhere, anyone, and anytime. But that should not be a deterrent to try and forge new bonds since it might help us in the future. Forgiveness is also could be the key. A lot of secrets would unravel here; both humans and dragons have their secrets, secrets that could end everyone's life.
Our female protagonist, Violet, is not only magically powerful and the first human known to be bonded to two dragons, her dragons are both specials in their own way. Tairn is the Black Morningstartail which is a really powerful dragon type. Her second one, Andarna, was thought to also be a Black dragon like Tairn, but apparently she is the 7th type of the dragon which has not been seen in centuries. Either Andarna or every dragon has some kind of premonition since she tells Violet that she waited to hatch for centuries until on the 18th year of Violet's life, because Andarna knew Violet would be her rider based on her history and personality. Andarna would also be the key to save everyone and return magical protection to the land. Hopefully there would be another dragons in Andarna tribe so that they could save more people.
Oh there's also a hint to Violet's ex here. Apparently she dated someone in the infantry. We might see him on the next installment.
Since Violet and Xaden cannot meet everyday, Violet branches out to find more allies and friends. Now, she reaches out to her old friend in the Scribe Quadrant, Jesinia Neilwart. Violet and Jesinia were supposed to be trained together as Scribes. Alas General Sorrengail "foluntold" Violet to apply to the Riders Quadrant and be a Rider. We would see a little bit of the reasonings behind Gen. Sorrengail's action and the complex relationship between Sorrengail's family.
Violet's old tutoring in Scribes education plays a big part in unveiling the truth of Navarre's history and saving everyone.
Being a second year means Violet and friends would see the new batch of cadets to try their luck and gamble their life in their journey to become a Rider, including Liam's younger sister, Sloane Mairi who hates Violet for her part in Liam's death. Tutoring new ducklings would pose a new problem for Violet and friends, and Violet would find how similar she is to Xaden.
Just like Fourth Wing, Iron Flame shows that betrayal could come from anywhere, anyone, and anytime. But that should not be a deterrent to try and forge new bonds since it might help us in the future. Forgiveness is also could be the key. A lot of secrets would unravel here; both humans and dragons have their secrets, secrets that could end everyone's life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, War, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Torture
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
Do not read this in one-sitting. This book is better when you have time to digest the issues inside. Read this leisurely. You would need hot tea or cocoa to lighten your heart.
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