My heart pounds as I run to open the front door because Iron Flame is finally here. As I open the box, the shiny, freshly printed book sits like a baby in a cradle, swaddled in wrapping paper. The 640 coal black pages coat the edge of the book; the red and gold cover resembles the flame of excitement left from Fourth Wing’s cliffhanger.
Rebecca Yarros’ second book in the Empyrean series, Iron Flame, explores the world of Basgiath, a war college with dragons. Violet Sorrengail, the main character, fights to be seen as more than the general's frail daughter, using her past training as a scribe to become one of the most powerful riders. She is determined to live each day and continue fighting despite no one believing in her, an inspiring and relatable mantra. The failed rebellion led by Xaden Riorson, the son of the failed rebellion leader's son forced into Basgiath, is ruthless and protects those he cares for by any means necessary. Xaden has secrets that Violet is not privy to, establishing a nuanced character who is first seen as an enemy and potential threat. Violet and Xaden are thrown together due to their mated dragons and become romantically intertwined after Xaden shows his belief in her and her strength.
Violet’s fierce determination is swept away when she falls in love with Xaden, causing the book to lose focus on her character development. Violet’s complexity is thrown down the drain and her personality hijacked by a self-centered child. She turns from insightful and nuanced to having tunnel vision, which is quite disappointing. Violet and Xaden constantly argue about him withholding the rebellion’s sensitive information from her, which quickly becomes exhausting and prevents further character development. I wanted to see Violet mature and embrace the rebellion, but she was too focused on herself and Xaden’s ‘betrayal.’ As I was reading, it felt like the pages became waterlogged.
Though Iron Flame obliterates the strong character arcs and complexities that Yarros built, the world-building in Basigiath and the dragon realm is intriguing. It shows the structure and hierarchy in the ancient dragon society. There could have been more time keeping the complex characters, well, complex. The hype surrounding the release of Iron Flame following the overwhelming success of Fourth Wing formed an impossibly high bar that could only end in disappointment. However, it is still worth reading, even if it is just to spend more time with Xaden.
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