Book Review: Iron Flame

No doubt about it, Iron Flame and its predecessor Fourth Wing have taken over the internet. Today we’re going to do a book review of Iron Flame, but you definitely need to read Fourth Wing before you read Iron Flame.

If you haven’t read my review of Fourth Wing, you can read the review here.

Note: Spoilers ahead!

The Details

Book: Iron Flame
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Publish Date: November 7, 2023
Page Count: 640
Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis

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 taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year, 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.

Rating and Review

Rating: 4.5 stars….rounding up to 5

Spice level: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 

As a huge fan of Fourth Wing, I was so excited to read Iron Flame. I mean, I even went to the midnight premiere at Barnes and Noble! Let’s jump into the Iron Flame book review.

I struggled with choosing between 4 and 5 stars. I love the characters of Iron Flame so much, and the overall vibe of the series can’t be beat (I mean, hello dragons). 

But at the same time, there was a lot of info dumping and a lot of scenes were rushed. For me, rushed was a common theme of Iron Flame.

Fourth Wing, the predecessor, published on May 2, 2023 and Iron Flame published on November 7, 2023. While the selfish part of me is glad we had such little time between the two books, the rush to get the book published made the book itself feel rushed.

In addition, there were a lot of publishing issues with Iron Flame. Printing issues like the book spine saying Fourth Wing and missing dragons on chapter titles happened to a few people, but the good news is the publisher committed to making it right.

Ok, back to the review.

The beginning of this book had a lot of info dumping that almost turned me off. It’s definitely slow to start, but the storyline is still good. I promise, though, once you trudge through it the book improves loads. 

One of my favorite things about the first book Fourth Wing was its fast pacing. The first half, or part one, of Iron Flame didn’t share this fast pace. 

Well, the good news is that the second half does! Wow, the book picked up immensely at the halfway point. I can definitely see how Rebecca Yarros wrote the first half and second half initially as different books, because they have different pacing/plots, but still connect.

I think it was the right decision to combine them into a singular book. 

There’s definitely something about the Fourth Wing franchise that makes me want to consume the books like crazy. Though I hope Rebecca Yarros and her team are able to take their time on the third book, I can admit I’m eager to read it and the rest of the Empyrean series!

What I Liked

• The plot twists. There is just so much happening in Iron Flame, and I really enjoy how well the book keeps the reader guessing. I have to say I’m proud for correctly guessing that Xaden is an inntinnsic. However, I didn’t see so much else coming: Lilith’s death, for example.
• Change of scenery. Fourth Wing is primarily set in Basgiath College, so we get to do a lot of exploring outside of Basgiath in Iron Flame.
• Xaden. He’s just the ultimate book boyfriend. If you like morally gray characters who’d do anything for their partner, you’ll love him.

What I Didn’t Like

• The same arguments between Violet and Xaden. I feel like they had the same argument for 600 pages. They definitely grew as individual characters, so you would think that they wouldn’t be having the same spat.
• The length. There were definitely times the book dragged, and honestly, a few scenes could have been cut and I wouldn’t be sad about it.
• Awkward dialogue. I think there could have been a little more editing on some dialogue scenes. Xaden saying “endgame” was something I didn’t need to read.

Favorite Quotes

“We do not eat our allies.”

“My heart only beats as long as yours does, and when you die, I’ll meet Malek at your side.”

“Because love, at its root, is hope. Hope for tomorrow. Hope for what could be. Hope that the someone you’ve entrusted your everything to will cradle and protect it. And hope? That shit is harder to kill than a dragon.”

TL; DR

Iron Flame is an exciting sequel to Fourth Wing that will have you screaming and crying over all the main characters.

I hope this Iron Flame book review helped you determine if you want to read it!