A review by ambersbooknest
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

5.0

I was nervous to start Iron Flame because it had enormous shoes to fill, but while it wasn't quite as amazing as Fourth Wing, it was still an outstanding sequel. This book stressed me out from page one, but I couldn't love it more for it. I gasped, I cried, and I clutched my pearls. We are constantly reminded by Rebecca Yarros that Basgiath is ruthless and that she won't hesitate to kill characters when the mood strikes. I was on the edge of my seat throughout, and a story that holds my interest and transports me on an emotional journey is deserving of five stars. Violet and Xaden's relationship was so genuine and unadulterated, and I love that. The entire book is devoted to discussing trust, emphasising that relationships are not binary and require effort and commitment from both parties. Despite the fact that this book had more spice than the previous, Rebecca does a great job of adding just the right amount of spice to a story without going overboard. I enjoyed seeing more and more of Xaden; even though I adore his merciless side, I think my favourite side is his soft one. He wrote her letters, after all! Once again, I was enamoured with the dragons, especially Adarna in her adolescent years! Her combativeness with Tairn and her attitude were very entertaining. I really loved how close Violet and her friends had grown to be in this book. Violet's development as a character and how she evolved from Book 1 to this book were both expertly done. The development of so many characters was done excellently. Although I'm still processing everything, I was pleasantly impressed by the plot and the way it was structured into two halves. I'm devastated by the end of this story. I sobbed. My heart stopped. I'm left staring into space right now, feeling like life has no purpose. I feel unwell. When I was done, I hurled this book across the room. Rebecca Yarros Let me start by asking you a few questions. First of all, WHY???? What exactly am I meant to do at this point? Simply wait for the next one, even though it hasn't even been announced. Please just give it to me right now.

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.”