A review by zanazy
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I binged read this immediately after the midnight party so full disclosure I may have missed things. Overall, this a decent follow up to Fourth Wing. The story picks up immediately after the ending of the previous book and while we get some answers, I am left with more questions, frustrations, and slight disappointment with the main character’s arc.

Brennan is alive, so is his dragon. I re-read FW and both are dead as far as Violet knows in that book. Interesting his dragon is alive, meaning all the dragons hid that. The relationship between Violet and Brennan is not fully hashed out, but they are neutral-close. I didn’t get too much about it from the story. Brennan plays a somewhat larger role in this book, but his ranking in the rebellion leadership is confusing.

Xaden and Violet’s relationship is “fixed” rather too easily, with both swapping roles and Xaden being the one not wanting intimacy without hearing Violet say I love you. Meanwhile, Violet wants him to say it. Honestly, for how much I loved them in book 1, everything between them fell flat this book. 

My favorite parts of the book are everything to do with the dragons. Andarna, Tairn, Sgaeyl… all of the, add so much and they have their story within the story. Sgaeyl and Tairn’s relationship even mirrors and rivals what Xaden and Violet have. Another big like is Cam/Aaric, the King’s son. We don’t get too much, but he is setup to play a key role and fill the void Violet feels after losing Liam.

The low points for me were everything dealing with the gryphon riders. It felt like filler content and took up way too much of the book even though they play almost no role in the end conflict. The Dain arc was too rushed & we get no follow up or depth which I think was needed. The ending conflict also feels very rushed, especially with how much info we get & how much impact it has on everyone and everything. Sloane was a let down. Her character could use more development, especially because I think she will be key in future books. I would much rather take out the gryphon details and get more time to the characters mentioned above.


Overall, still enjoyable, but lacks a bit in pace, story, and development compared to Fourth Wing. Book 3 will definitely make or break this series. 
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