Iron Flame

, #2

Hardcover, 623 pages

English language

Published Nov. 6, 2023 by Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Red Tower Books.

ISBN:
978-1-64937-417-2
Copied ISBN!
Goodreads:
90202302

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3 stars (1 review)

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

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has …

5 editions

reviewed Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (The Empyrean, #2)

Slower than Fourth Wing

3 stars

Another re-read in preparation for Onyx Storm. The writing and characters are on a par with Fourth Wing, and the juxtaposition of modern speech in a fantasy setting still amuses me, but a lot of what I enjoyed about the first book is missing.

I'm not a fan of the push and pull of the main relationship, some plot points are telegraphed strongly enough to make Violet seem dim, the characters are a bit more foolish, and it veers towards the ponderous at times.

Overall, the worst thing about Iron Flame is simply that it's less fun than Fourth Wing.

Subjects

  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Dragons
  • Fiction