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A review by robotnik
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don't really know how I feel about this, lol.
I didn't hate it, don't get me wrong. I did enjoy it. Most of it. Parts of it. You know. But it feels that special something that made me read Fourth Wing in a matter of days isn't in this one. In Fourth Wing, it felt like any flaws were easy for me to overlook but they stood out in glaring detail in this one.
This book could have benefited from being as much as 200 pages shorter. It was very long and I felt fatigued trying to read it that I would set it down and go do something else for a bit before going back to it. I feel like the beginning of this book happened so long ago, like it was another book or two ago. It just felt like there should have been some split somewhere or some of the bulk trimmed down.
I really loved Violet as a protagonist in Fourth Wing, but she came across acting much more immature in this one. Her entire focus was on Xaden and she related everything to him to the point that it felt like this was just a romance playing at fantasy and the actual plot didn't matter so much as her and Xaden getting to touch each other. It really made her less likable overall.
Speaking of less likable, I shipped the shit out of Violet and Xaden in Fourth Wing, but I guess getting the enemies to lovers bit out of the way in book one meant they needed some manufactured conflict between them because the plot wasn't enough drama, and the one they had in this one was absolute beyond stupid. It was exhausting having to read about them and their trust issues. In Fourth Wing, they had toxic traits but it was fun from a narrative standpoint and worked for the whole enemies to lovers thing they had going on. Now, they just feel toxic and not in a fun way.
The ending was... I don't know. I don't know if I would call it shocking or suspenseful or what. I'm just really torn because Violet and Xaden's romance is such a big part of this book, that I somehow doubt anything extreme is going to happen to Xaden and he's going to make it out of the book series just fine. You know, because Xaden called them endgame and all. Which was cringy, let's be honest. I don't think Yarros has the guts to actually kill him or turn him evil permanently and make him a real villain. If she does, I'll be surprised, but also be unimpressed because it's annoying when I'm given all this time to get to like a love interest and I do, only for them to get axed, particularly in a romance like this. I digress.
I do like parts of this. I didn't really get super fatigued with it until halfway whenthey left Basgiath behind, even if this part of the book might be better than the first half . I love the supporting cast with the exception of Catriona. I do hope she becomes a better character later on because everything about her in this book was eyeroll-inducing and seemed entirely unnecessary and just to cause relationship drama, which I'm so over.
I'm going to keep reading this series to see where it goes and hope that this is just some second book syndrome because I had such high hopes of this series.
I didn't hate it, don't get me wrong. I did enjoy it. Most of it. Parts of it. You know. But it feels that special something that made me read Fourth Wing in a matter of days isn't in this one. In Fourth Wing, it felt like any flaws were easy for me to overlook but they stood out in glaring detail in this one.
This book could have benefited from being as much as 200 pages shorter. It was very long and I felt fatigued trying to read it that I would set it down and go do something else for a bit before going back to it. I feel like the beginning of this book happened so long ago, like it was another book or two ago. It just felt like there should have been some split somewhere or some of the bulk trimmed down.
I really loved Violet as a protagonist in Fourth Wing, but she came across acting much more immature in this one. Her entire focus was on Xaden and she related everything to him to the point that it felt like this was just a romance playing at fantasy and the actual plot didn't matter so much as her and Xaden getting to touch each other. It really made her less likable overall.
Speaking of less likable, I shipped the shit out of Violet and Xaden in Fourth Wing, but I guess getting the enemies to lovers bit out of the way in book one meant they needed some manufactured conflict between them because the plot wasn't enough drama, and the one they had in this one was absolute beyond stupid. It was exhausting having to read about them and their trust issues. In Fourth Wing, they had toxic traits but it was fun from a narrative standpoint and worked for the whole enemies to lovers thing they had going on. Now, they just feel toxic and not in a fun way.
I do like parts of this. I didn't really get super fatigued with it until halfway when
I'm going to keep reading this series to see where it goes and hope that this is just some second book syndrome because I had such high hopes of this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Violence