Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrow

Blurb

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 gruelling 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.

Review

I thought I would read Iron Flame just before Onyx Storm because then I would have the previous book fresh in my mind and my gosh I could not put it down. I absolutely loved Fourth Wing and I absolutely loved Iron Flame. 

The first thing I really liked about this book was the fact that we got to meet and learn more about the different members of the Sorrengail family. We see more of Mira in this book and how protective she is of Violet but also she appreciates that Violet is strong in her own way and not a child anymore. I also loved seeing more of Lilith Sorrengail and her relationship with her children. 

Teenage Andarna was hilarious in this book and I just loved how she drove poor Tairn around the bend. She is a typical teenager but in dragon form with a huge appetite for sheep. Tairn is trying his best to guide and care for Andarna without hitting her over the head when she winds him up. I did feel sorry for Tairn at times, he is trying to be a good mate, trying to keep Violet alive and trying to look after a teenager. He definitely had his talons full. 

We also get to learn more about signets in this book which I find fascinating. I really hope we learn more in the future about signets and how they work. Wards was another element I loved. Runes was also an interesting aspect and one that I hope we see more of. Another thing we learned more about was Gryphons and Gryphon riders. I just loved all the extra details we got and hope to see more. I love Yarros’ world building skills. 

There were a few too many squabbles between Violet and Xaden for my liking but I can understand where Violet was coming from with her arguments but she really should have come to terms with it all sooner and stopped being such a pain. 

There were quite a few new characters within this book which I thoroughly enjoyed learning about and I hope we get to see more of them in the next book. I loved this book so much and give it 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

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About the author

Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and coffee addict. She is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward. Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. A mother of six, she is currently surviving the teenage years with all four of her hockey-playing sons.

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