Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2)
Summary:
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. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
Alright, for those who have been overwhelmed by the bookstagram Iron Flame takeover, sorry not sorry for continuing with another post. Starting with the awesome – part two and beyond accelerates the story and massively sets things up for a much more complex narrative to come. I continue to enjoy the world-building and the depth of the history that is slowly revealed on the continent. I still have my fingers crossed for more exposure to the Scribes’ side of things! Violet has a lot of mental struggles as an outcome of the events of book one (hooray modern writers addressing this more!) and it was great to see that dynamic with her friends develop. Tairn is still the grumpy old man I love and Andarna is growing up with so much sass. I always want more of them.
Now for why this didn’t get the full 5-stars. It’s always hard to write sequel and even moreso when you’re setting things up for another three books. The first ~30% of the book is a bit clunky to me and included a lot of refreshers which had things feeling slow. At the same time, there were some very dense storytelling that made it difficult to keep track of names, history, and generally what was important. I think this all in all caused a few important elements such as the romance, character development, and some of the signet capabilities to be glossed over and didn’t get the depth I would have hoped for (which I am aware it sounds weird in a book over 600 pages).
Ultimately, I absolutely will be continuing the series, and it was a fantastic read, so certainly recommended if you are tempted. However, I think a little too much was forced into a single book and the story arc for Iron Flame had moments of being cut short to keep the series’ arc on track.
Warning: Contains repeated violence and sexual content
Rating: 4 stars!
Who should read it? Only those who have started with the first!
Want to read the whole series?