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A review by booksandbraids
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
I don’t know how to summarize my feelings on this one. It was great, obviously, but I think I’m just going to leave my detailed thoughts in commentary form below, rather than trying to summarize. I will say that this book took me so long to get through because 1) it is very long and 2) I wasn’t able to listen to it at work because I wasn’t able to partition my brain for this one. I wasn’t willing to dedicate enough of my mind to work to successfully multitask with more than a puzzle for this one haha. And even still I need to relisten to that last bit to try to fully wrap my head around what the fuck happened with Xaden. I knew all of BookTok was freaking out over what happened. I was assuming it would be failing some major fight or battle at the end. I was absolutely not expecting what happened to happen. True spoilers ahead in the commentary!!!
- 4% let me start by saying that I love teenage attitude Andarna. And how the heck are they going to explain that she is now a different color and bigger? I know they are hiding her now, but eventually she will need to be seen.
- 6% “and clearly your discretion lacks common fucking sense” Ohhh damn! Let’s go mamma sorrengail!
- 12% please tell me that that dragon is going to be punished. He can’t get away with barbecuing a bunch of innocents. Major Varish. Do we know this asshole? I finished Fourth Wing in August and read a refresher summary before starting this but now I’m afraid I forgot important details.
- 14% Wtf just happened? Is Nadine dead? I guess that is a stupid question. He snapped her neck. But i has to do a double take a rewind to make sure
- 16% Can I just say that I hate when a couple gets together and then for one reason or another they become hands off again. why can’t he spend the night 🥺
- 17% now another black dragon is rumored to have been spotted. Seriously, what are they going to do about Andarna?!
- If it is acceptable for dragons to kill whoever they want, why can’t Tairn just eat this asshole (Varish)
- “This is unadvisable for you” says Tairn to Violet about the running landing 😂
- 18% this guy really wants to be eaten by Tairn
- 21% ONE MORE?! Are you kidding me! EAT HIM TAIRN! EAT HIM!!
- 24% oh my she better hope that his dragon doesn’t recognize her because it is probably pissed that she killed its rider
- 30% EAT HIM EAT HIM EAT HIM EAT HIM!!!!!!
- That isn’t who I wanted him to eat but that totally works
- 37% they can’t have Etos read their minds while they are tied up, can they?! 1) no one is supposed to know. 2) that feels like cheating
- 39% you are KIDDING ME. They brought this asshole back to life?! Didn’t we get enough of him in the first book?? Now Violet has to kill him AGAIN
- 42% I told myself I was going to go to bed “after this chapter”. Then “just one more”. It’s now been 2 hours and I don’t know how many chapters. I have no self control.
- 45% I have a very bad feeling about this note saying to meet the scribes whose name I can’t spell (thanks audiobook) saying to come pick up a book. Whoever picks it up is going to die…
- AGHHHHHHH PEOPLE STOP TRYING TO KILL HER!!! It is stressing me out
- Jack. Fucking. Barlow. Wtf are you doing here. Why are you saving her??
- 46% Isn’t it convenient that we have the son of the king!
- 47% “But I leave the door open in case anyone needs a quick exit” BUT THE WARDS THAT BLOCK SOUND FROM ESCAPING ONLY WORK IF THE DOOR IS SHUT? YOU FUCKING MORONS THIS IS GOING TO END BADLY!!!
- Okay maybe never mind. Maybe it was fine.
- 49% a library has never been so stressful Omg
- She is sounding way too positive. I feel like bad things are about to happen.
- Don’t drink anything that someone gives you… FUNNY YET FAMILIAR AFTER TASTE OMG NOOOOO WHY DID I NEED TO BE RIGHT
- I’m so anxious
- 51% part of me really wants Andarna to somehow come out of her sleep and save the day
- 52% I really thought Dain would be on her side once he saw the truth in her memories. My heart is breaking💔
- Oh never mind YAY DAIN! I just had to give him more time
- 53% he dropped Wyvern carcasses??genius!! Love it.
- 64% when you tell yourself that you need to take a break after this chapter and then it ends with a venin emerging from a chest…. So much for getting what I need to do done today!
- I think this counts as extreme emotional distress
- *runs around in extreme panic* AGHHHHHHH!!!! Literally pacing the living room in anticipation
- MIRA SHIELD!!!!! SHIELD SHIELD SHIELD!!!!!
- My own dragon is looking at me like I’ve lost my mind with his judgy little face lol
- 65% YAYYY VIOLET! *happy dance*
- 68% and again the chapter ends but I cannot stop because someone has just been shot
- 71% I’m envisioning rune creation like Dr. Strange using his powers
- 73% if Kat doesn’t die by the end of the book I will be extremely disappointed.
- Please take Andarna’s advice and claw her eyes out.
- I think I hate her more than the venin
- KILLLLLL HERRRRRR
- 81% this seems like a good time for Andarna/Violet to discover a second power
- 82% don’t you dare become a nice person and make me hate you less, Kat. I want to hate you.
- A signet of siphoning power seems useful to siphon power from a venin
- 83% OHHHH snap! He had a second signet?!? OHHHH SNAAAAPPPPPP
- 84% why is he asking how long she thinks it takes to fall out of love. I DON’T LIKE THIS
- What if he is a fucking mind reader like Dain.
- AGHHH I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT OMG OMG OMG
- Even Tairn didn’t know?! How did Tairn not know???
- 86% What VIOLET caused by taking half the army? The reason that happened and the reason the situation has gotten so dire is because YOU have been ignoring the problem for who knows how long! And now suddenly that the problem is at your door, NOW you want help dealing with it? Fuck these people. Let them all die. They didn’t want to fight the venin when they had a choice to try to save the continent. Let them die for their cowardice and selfishness.
- 87% “You have the heart of a rider but the mind of a scribe”
- 87% I once thought that Varrish was secretly a venin trying to make sure they were able to succeed. But then he died. But could there still be someone from within working against the riders?
- 91% there are too many names in this book, I can’t keep them all straight. So the dramatic reveal that the dragon guarding the ward stone is Baide was slightly delayed by the fact that I had to google who that dragon belonged to. I KNEW I DIDN’T LIKE JACK BARLOW FOR A REASON STILL! You made me question myself earlier with your comment!
- I guess I could have just waited 30 seconds instead of pausing to google because here he fucking is
- Honestly so much for him appreciating his new life.
- Wait. I’m confused. He just killed his dragon? Well I wasn’t expecting that.
- 92% “your opinion, as noted, is wrong”. Hasn’t anyone learned anything? When violet thinks something, she is usually at least partially right. And you should listen to her.
- 92% Brennan said “I’m not here for you” to his mother and I absolutely heard it as Eliza hamilton singing lol
- 93% “no one dies today”. Absolutely someone is going to die. Probably several someones. The question is who.
- 94% YOU ARE THE STORM!!!!
- She is feeling very Tris like. Like she is going to sacrifice herself to save everyone.
- That was a fucking ominous starting chapter quote. Kill the rider to stun the dragon long enough to kill it. Not foreshadowing at alllll
- 95% if Sawyer only loses a leg, that is an acceptable loss. Just a leg. Not his life.
- Don’t slice through your seatbelt! LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY! Don’t sacrifice yourself now.
- You can’t hold your seat how are you going to ride another dragon! How are you going to even ride Tairn again without your saddle straps
- 95% oh god I take it back I don’t want Kat to die!
- 96% the fact that they don’t want Violet dead feels like a very important fact for the next book(s)
- Andarna is going to pop out of nowhere to defend Violet
- Called it. Now just don’t die, Andarna
- Ohhhh goody you got fire! Good job, Andarna!!!!
- Is invisibility part of her magic skills? Can she become invisible? IS SHE A FUCKING CHAMELEON!! Can she change her scales?! I should have guessed! All the shifting colors all this time!
- 96% Andarna is going to be the 7th den! THE MAGICAL CAMOUFLAGE DRAGON!!!
- 97% is his family going to be involved in the venin in some way? His mother?!?
- Dear god not more secrets. Stop. With. The. Secrets.
- Iron flameeeeeeeeeee 🔥
- You are once again feeling very Tris like and it is making me nervous
- 98% Andarna!!!!
- “Say it. Out loud. Say it” even now I can’t help myself. Just because Andarna said “say it” lol
- She waited 650 years to hatch for Violet ❤️❤️❤️
- “It is why I was left behind.”
- Don’t. Be. Tris! Don’t. Be. Tris!!!! Don’t. Be. Tris!!!!!! DONT. BE. TRIS!!!
- DONNNNTTTTTT BEEEEEEEE TRISSSSSSSSSS
- If she pulls a Tris I’m going to absolutely fucking riot.
- 99% Is mamma Sorrengail going to force Sloane to sacrifice herself?! Or is mamma sorengail sacrificing herself by having Sloane suck it all out??? I completely misunderstood what was happening at first. Oh no mamma Sorrengail :(
- 99% I’m really nervous about what Xaden is looking at. And what this secret is.
- What. Is. Happening. He… is venin? But why?? Why are his eyes red?? Why would he do that??
- 100% WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?! What. Is. Wrong. With. Him! Was everyone right?!
- All of booktok was joking about how we shouldn’t get too attached to Xaden- he could be the next Tamlin. I didn’t think they would actually be right. Wtf
- I’m just going to have faith that it isn’t as bad as we think it is. He is still good. He has to be.
- my final thought is that if all we lost was mamma Sorrengail and Sawyer’s leg, I think we got off pretty easy on the casualty front. I’m not counting Xaden’s soul because obviously that is only temporary. We are going to fix that. If we better 😡
- 4% let me start by saying that I love teenage attitude Andarna. And how the heck are they going to explain that she is now a different color and bigger? I know they are hiding her now, but eventually she will need to be seen.
- 6% “and clearly your discretion lacks common fucking sense” Ohhh damn! Let’s go mamma sorrengail!
- 12% please tell me that that dragon is going to be punished. He can’t get away with barbecuing a bunch of innocents. Major Varish. Do we know this asshole? I finished Fourth Wing in August and read a refresher summary before starting this but now I’m afraid I forgot important details.
- 14% Wtf just happened? Is Nadine dead? I guess that is a stupid question. He snapped her neck. But i has to do a double take a rewind to make sure
- 16% Can I just say that I hate when a couple gets together and then for one reason or another they become hands off again. why can’t he spend the night 🥺
- 17% now another black dragon is rumored to have been spotted. Seriously, what are they going to do about Andarna?!
- If it is acceptable for dragons to kill whoever they want, why can’t Tairn just eat this asshole (Varish)
- “This is unadvisable for you” says Tairn to Violet about the running landing 😂
- 18% this guy really wants to be eaten by Tairn
- 21% ONE MORE?! Are you kidding me! EAT HIM TAIRN! EAT HIM!!
- 24% oh my she better hope that his dragon doesn’t recognize her because it is probably pissed that she killed its rider
- 30% EAT HIM EAT HIM EAT HIM EAT HIM!!!!!!
- That isn’t who I wanted him to eat but that totally works
- 37% they can’t have Etos read their minds while they are tied up, can they?! 1) no one is supposed to know. 2) that feels like cheating
- 39% you are KIDDING ME. They brought this asshole back to life?! Didn’t we get enough of him in the first book?? Now Violet has to kill him AGAIN
- 42% I told myself I was going to go to bed “after this chapter”. Then “just one more”. It’s now been 2 hours and I don’t know how many chapters. I have no self control.
- 45% I have a very bad feeling about this note saying to meet the scribes whose name I can’t spell (thanks audiobook) saying to come pick up a book. Whoever picks it up is going to die…
- AGHHHHHHH PEOPLE STOP TRYING TO KILL HER!!! It is stressing me out
- Jack. Fucking. Barlow. Wtf are you doing here. Why are you saving her??
- 46% Isn’t it convenient that we have the son of the king!
- 47% “But I leave the door open in case anyone needs a quick exit” BUT THE WARDS THAT BLOCK SOUND FROM ESCAPING ONLY WORK IF THE DOOR IS SHUT? YOU FUCKING MORONS THIS IS GOING TO END BADLY!!!
- Okay maybe never mind. Maybe it was fine.
- 49% a library has never been so stressful Omg
- She is sounding way too positive. I feel like bad things are about to happen.
- Don’t drink anything that someone gives you… FUNNY YET FAMILIAR AFTER TASTE OMG NOOOOO WHY DID I NEED TO BE RIGHT
- I’m so anxious
- 51% part of me really wants Andarna to somehow come out of her sleep and save the day
- 52% I really thought Dain would be on her side once he saw the truth in her memories. My heart is breaking💔
- Oh never mind YAY DAIN! I just had to give him more time
- 53% he dropped Wyvern carcasses??genius!! Love it.
- 64% when you tell yourself that you need to take a break after this chapter and then it ends with a venin emerging from a chest…. So much for getting what I need to do done today!
- I think this counts as extreme emotional distress
- *runs around in extreme panic* AGHHHHHHH!!!! Literally pacing the living room in anticipation
- MIRA SHIELD!!!!! SHIELD SHIELD SHIELD!!!!!
- My own dragon is looking at me like I’ve lost my mind with his judgy little face lol
- 65% YAYYY VIOLET! *happy dance*
- 68% and again the chapter ends but I cannot stop because someone has just been shot
- 71% I’m envisioning rune creation like Dr. Strange using his powers
- 73% if Kat doesn’t die by the end of the book I will be extremely disappointed.
- Please take Andarna’s advice and claw her eyes out.
- I think I hate her more than the venin
- KILLLLLL HERRRRRR
- 81% this seems like a good time for Andarna/Violet to discover a second power
- 82% don’t you dare become a nice person and make me hate you less, Kat. I want to hate you.
- A signet of siphoning power seems useful to siphon power from a venin
- 83% OHHHH snap! He had a second signet?!? OHHHH SNAAAAPPPPPP
- 84% why is he asking how long she thinks it takes to fall out of love. I DON’T LIKE THIS
- What if he is a fucking mind reader like Dain.
- AGHHH I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT OMG OMG OMG
- Even Tairn didn’t know?! How did Tairn not know???
- 86% What VIOLET caused by taking half the army? The reason that happened and the reason the situation has gotten so dire is because YOU have been ignoring the problem for who knows how long! And now suddenly that the problem is at your door, NOW you want help dealing with it? Fuck these people. Let them all die. They didn’t want to fight the venin when they had a choice to try to save the continent. Let them die for their cowardice and selfishness.
- 87% “You have the heart of a rider but the mind of a scribe”
- 87% I once thought that Varrish was secretly a venin trying to make sure they were able to succeed. But then he died. But could there still be someone from within working against the riders?
- 91% there are too many names in this book, I can’t keep them all straight. So the dramatic reveal that the dragon guarding the ward stone is Baide was slightly delayed by the fact that I had to google who that dragon belonged to. I KNEW I DIDN’T LIKE JACK BARLOW FOR A REASON STILL! You made me question myself earlier with your comment!
- I guess I could have just waited 30 seconds instead of pausing to google because here he fucking is
- Honestly so much for him appreciating his new life.
- Wait. I’m confused. He just killed his dragon? Well I wasn’t expecting that.
- 92% “your opinion, as noted, is wrong”. Hasn’t anyone learned anything? When violet thinks something, she is usually at least partially right. And you should listen to her.
- 92% Brennan said “I’m not here for you” to his mother and I absolutely heard it as Eliza hamilton singing lol
- 93% “no one dies today”. Absolutely someone is going to die. Probably several someones. The question is who.
- 94% YOU ARE THE STORM!!!!
- She is feeling very Tris like. Like she is going to sacrifice herself to save everyone.
- That was a fucking ominous starting chapter quote. Kill the rider to stun the dragon long enough to kill it. Not foreshadowing at alllll
- 95% if Sawyer only loses a leg, that is an acceptable loss. Just a leg. Not his life.
- Don’t slice through your seatbelt! LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY! Don’t sacrifice yourself now.
- You can’t hold your seat how are you going to ride another dragon! How are you going to even ride Tairn again without your saddle straps
- 95% oh god I take it back I don’t want Kat to die!
- 96% the fact that they don’t want Violet dead feels like a very important fact for the next book(s)
- Andarna is going to pop out of nowhere to defend Violet
- Called it. Now just don’t die, Andarna
- Ohhhh goody you got fire! Good job, Andarna!!!!
- Is invisibility part of her magic skills? Can she become invisible? IS SHE A FUCKING CHAMELEON!! Can she change her scales?! I should have guessed! All the shifting colors all this time!
- 96% Andarna is going to be the 7th den! THE MAGICAL CAMOUFLAGE DRAGON!!!
- 97% is his family going to be involved in the venin in some way? His mother?!?
- Dear god not more secrets. Stop. With. The. Secrets.
- Iron flameeeeeeeeeee 🔥
- You are once again feeling very Tris like and it is making me nervous
- 98% Andarna!!!!
- “Say it. Out loud. Say it” even now I can’t help myself. Just because Andarna said “say it” lol
- She waited 650 years to hatch for Violet ❤️❤️❤️
- “It is why I was left behind.”
- Don’t. Be. Tris! Don’t. Be. Tris!!!! Don’t. Be. Tris!!!!!! DONT. BE. TRIS!!!
- DONNNNTTTTTT BEEEEEEEE TRISSSSSSSSSS
- If she pulls a Tris I’m going to absolutely fucking riot.
- 99% Is mamma Sorrengail going to force Sloane to sacrifice herself?! Or is mamma sorengail sacrificing herself by having Sloane suck it all out??? I completely misunderstood what was happening at first. Oh no mamma Sorrengail :(
- 99% I’m really nervous about what Xaden is looking at. And what this secret is.
- What. Is. Happening. He… is venin? But why?? Why are his eyes red?? Why would he do that??
- 100% WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?! What. Is. Wrong. With. Him! Was everyone right?!
- All of booktok was joking about how we shouldn’t get too attached to Xaden- he could be the next Tamlin. I didn’t think they would actually be right. Wtf
- I’m just going to have faith that it isn’t as bad as we think it is. He is still good. He has to be.
- my final thought is that if all we lost was mamma Sorrengail and Sawyer’s leg, I think we got off pretty easy on the casualty front. I’m not counting Xaden’s soul because obviously that is only temporary. We are going to fix that. If we better 😡