Iron Flame Review

The Albatross
Jun 29, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Jul 20, 2025

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives.

The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity”

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Rating:

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Tropes & themes: Magical academia, miscommunication, betrayal, dragon riders, animal/human bond

reference my rating system here

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of The Empyrean Series

Plot: "Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College, but now the real training begins. The new vice commandant made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end."

Read if you like: Crowns of Nyaxi, ACOTAR, or From Blood and Ash.

The cover of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros — On Kindle Unlimited

The Vibe:

Our FMC enters her second year at the deadly war college, attempts to keep a good relationship with her boyfriend who she is shunning because he has secrets, while trying to stay alive because she knows government secrets that could get her killed.

What I liked:

The journal heist was a fun adventure full of high stakes and adrenaline.
The squad gets to bond a bit more in this one, plus we see more of her sister who I love.
The interrogation(s) were very interesting and I loveeeed how they played out and even more so the satisfying ending to them.
We see the beginning of a redemption arc for one of our key players that I fully support

What didn't work for me:

I HATE MISCOMMUNICATION. Violet is being such a little brat in this one simply because Xaden has secrets. Not like "oh who have you dated show me your snapscore" secrets but like big get-you-and-everyone-else-killed government secrets.
This feels like two unfinished books instead of one coherent story which was a bummer. Reallyyyy slow going, but finally picks up in the second half.
More lore & more world building should be a good thing, except when its shallow and given without context.

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Thoughts:

I absolutely hated this book the first time I read it, I thought it was slow with little action, plot development or character development.

However on my second reread I found that I enjoyed it a lot more since I knew what to expect with the pacing and the annoying miscommunication. It does still feel very much like a "bridge" book as I like to call it, when the second book of a series is meant to essentially bridge between the first one (to set the scene, the characters, and the world) and the third one where the "real" conflict really begins.

It feels like the first half of the book is just Xaden and Violet fighting and her being sad and mad and whiney. And the second half is when productivity actually starts to happen both with the rebels and their relationship.

The massive bomb drop at the end however had me dying for the third installment because we leave off on a very "this is hopeless what will we do???" scenario.

Would I recommend it?

If you loved Fourth Wing and you want to see more of Xaden and Violet living happily ever after? Then no you won't get that lol. But you will get Xaden being one of the only mature MMC's who let's his girl handle her shit, takes no shit, and doesn't make petty decisions because she made him mad or jealous so that's refreshing.

I'd say the books are best enjoyed only if you like a good romance with a side of dragons, NOT if you're looking for a good dragon fantasy book with a side of romance.