Book Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean (Book 2)
Publication: Entangled: Red Tower Books (November 7, 2023)

Description: “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 taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

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.

My Thoughts: Violet is entering her second year of training to become a rider. Xaden has graduated and been assigned to the front lines. They need to get together every week because their dragons are mated, but the powers the be are throwing every sort of roadblock in their way. They are also dealing with their relationship because Violet wants no secrets and Xaden has lots of secrets to keep both personally and in his role as leader of a revolution. Also, Violet isn't yet good at blocking mind readers from browsing in her brain.

The second year's highlight is teaching the students how to act if they are interrogated or tortured, and a new Vice Commandant has come to the school who's infamous for his techniques and the students who die under it. He is particularly eager to have Violet submit to his attentions. But, while Violet's body is fragile, her mind and will are not. 

Despite Xaden's disapproval, Violet has read her friends in on what is really going on in the kingdom which gives her more allies. She is especially grateful that her friend in the Scribes has agreed to help her find out more of the history of wardstones despite the knowledge being censored many years previously. 

When Xaden and Violet revolt and take half of the cadets to Xaden's home which is the center of the rebellion, they need to ally with griffin riders outside their kingdom if anyone is going to survive the incursions of the venin. But Xaden's one-time betrothed who is a griffin rider and the third in line to her kingdom isn't willing to let bygones be bygones and causes Violet some problems because of her mind gift. And Violet has her own problems with her gift. It's great to be able to throw lightning but it would be even better if she could aim. 

This was an action-packed episode filled with dragons, battles, friendship and love. 

Favorite Quote:

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

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.