Iron Flame, the sequel to one of the most hyped books of last year, Fourth Wing, was released in November 2023.
Unable to control myself after seeing the immense craze for these fantasy books, I decided to read them! I have already given my review of Fourth Wing, and now it’s time for the second book.
Hi! I am Priyanka from Hooked to Books, and today, I will review the second book from the Empyrean series, Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros.
This review is for the readers who have finished reading the first part and will pick the sequel next. Learn more about the overall development before diving into the next one.
Oh, and if you are done reading both books and still comparing the two, you are not alone, my friend! Have a look at my review and see for yourself.
So, let’s get started, shall we?
Synopsis of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
The most awaited book of the BookTok community, Iron Flame, was released in November 2023. It is the second book in the Empyrean series, three more to come in the upcoming years.
The book starts right from where the first book, Fourth Wing, ends. Violet’s childhood best friend, Dain, betrayed her. She fought with venins and wyverns, which led her to the verge of death, and learned her brother, who had been dead for six years, was alive.
Isn’t her life filled with surprises, huh?
From here, the story moves forward, starting with Violet confronting her brother about, well, ‘How the hell are you alive all these years and didn’t come to us?’
Later, the riders return to Basgiath War College with a foolproof plan that will obviously require hiding, chasing, fighting, and sneaking to reveal the big truth.
After graduation, Xaden is posted at Samara and allowed to meet Violet once a week because of the mating bond between Tairn and Sgaeyl.
Violet struggles to hide the truth from her friends, which eventually leads her to distance herself from them, and that raises suspicions.
Besides dealing with the already stressful situations, Violet has to face the new Vice commandment, who is determined to make her second year at Basgiath difficult and intends to kill her.
A war is waiting outside the wards of Navarre, and the marked ones, along with Violet, are trying to find some solution to protect all the nations.
But some people do not want them involved and will do anything to stop these cadets.
Now, Violet, Xaden, and the group will embark on a journey where they will fight with the enemies as well as their own people. Oh, and a new group is involved that adds up to the war environment.
My Review of Iron Flame
The second book of the Empyrean series is already out!!!
After the release of the most anticipated book, mixed reviews are floating around the reading community. Fourth Wing created enough hype, and Iron Flame added more tea to the ongoing debates.
I picked the first part of the series after the publication of the second book, so I was not in that group of people who had to wait for the second release.
I started Iron Flame immediately after finishing the first book. So, I had a good sleep without overthinking about the cliffhanger.
Fourth Wing was a satisfactory read, which I enjoyed. Due to this, I had pretty high expectations from the second part, but sadly, it didn’t live up to it.
Let me share my honest opinion on the book.
If I talk about the plot, it was good but could have been better. The story’s pace was awful, as it felt like two books had been thrust together to make a lengthy story without considering other important factors. Instead, the writers could have divided it into two books, but well, who knows what they were thinking.
The first half was pretty slow and literally dragged along the story without any major incidents to excite the readers. And suddenly, the second half picked up the pace and was so rushed that it felt overwhelming to read.
The flaws in the writing, plot, and pace were visible, which is kinda upsetting for a reader.
In this book, many extra characters were shoved into the already long list of characters we learned about in the first part. And trust me, it was difficult to remember each of them, as they popped up out of nowhere, and I was left wondering, who was this again?
I believe several character additions were unnecessary and could have been avoided. However, I loved the leading group of characters from the first book, and I still do!
The dragons were still one of the best parts of the book. Their sarcastic dialogues, loyalty and courage were very admirable.
Xaden and Violet’s chemistry felt a bit dull because of their repetitive conflicts about the same issue. After finally starting a relationship, there was not much progression to keep the excitement going. Still, they were adorable as a couple.
Fourth Wing was far better than Iron Flame, and there are many reasons behind this, so it’s understandable. While reading, it felt like I was reading the middle portion of a story and there are many more events to come.
The twists and turns in the book were unexpected but not shocking. It didn’t leave me stunned or anything. I was like, yeah, okay, and let’s read further.
So, I was disappointed with this book, as Fourth Wing was good and created a fantasy world with enough potential to be on the list of bests. However, I hope Rebecca will rectify the mistakes in the upcoming books of the series.
My review of Iron Flame might feel negative, but some people loved the book, so I suggest you should try it before forming any opinions. This was kind of a heads-up from my side.
Let’s see what we will get as the series progresses.
And this also ends with a cliffhanger!
Wrap-Up
I hope the review was helpful. It might not sound like a positive review, but do not let this discourage you from picking up the book. You may end up liking the book, as everybody has different opinions.
I have not given up on the series! I will read the other parts as soon as they are out; I just didn’t like the second part much.
Have you read Iron Flame? I will be more than happy to hear your opinions about the book. Do share in the comments!