Book Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
After finishing Iron Flame, we genuinely don’t know what was more exhausting…… war and fighting, the dragons or listening to Violet and Xaden argue like emotionally unavailable teenagers for 600 pages.
Unpopular opinion but the two hottest people in Basgiath are also the most irritating.
Xaden and Violet are both deeply annoying in this one. Xaden’s whole “ask me the right questions and I won’t lie to you” thing?
INFURIATING. Sir, be serious. Just tell her what she wants to know.
And as for Violet… well she spends half the book emotionally spiralling and whining when everyone around her is literally trying not to die.
We said what we said.
This is a book of many emotions.
Frustration.
Rage.
Emotional damage.
Plot:
At its core, Iron Flame picks up straight after Fourth Wing, with Violet now fully aware that basically everything she thought she knew was a lie….. and don’t worry…..she reminds us every second page.
The rebellion is real.
The enemy is bigger.
The stakes are significantly worse.
But somehow, her relationship drama still manages to compete with an actual war.
Violet is forced to navigate divided loyalties, brutal training, political secrets, dragon bonds and the fact that her boyfriend seems physically incapable of giving a straight answer.
Meanwhile, Basgiath gets darker, deadlier and somehow even more emotionally traumatic.
There’s betrayal. There’s torture. There’s heartbreak. And there’s enough emotional damage to require group therapy for the entire quadrant.
Characters:
Xaden Riorson
Still hot. Unfortunately. Still shadow daddy. Still walking around looking like everyone’s worst decision.
But this book? He tests us. He is strutting around treating honesty like a legal loophole.
Violet Sorrengail
Girl. Please. We love you, but the constant emotional spiralling starts to feel like cardio.
They’re both powerful. They’re both obsessed with each other. They’re also both incredibly immature when it comes to actually functioning in a relationship and it shows.
If you hadn’t already fallen for some of the side characters in Fourth Wing then Violet and Xadens behaviour in this book will push you towards them pretty quickly.
Ridoc? Elite.
Rhiannon? Perfect.
Sawyer? Would protect at all costs.
Liam? Still ripping our heart out. No spoilers, but if you know, you know.
And then there’s Varrish.
Straight to jail. Actually, worse. There are villains you love to hate… and then there are villains that evoke a level of rage in you that you had no idea you were capable of feeling.
We have never wanted a fictional man to disappear faster in our lives. The pure fury that man causes is unmatched.
Rebecca Yarros really said let me create the most hateable man alive and she succeeded.
Spicy content:
Yes…… but honestly, the romance takes a backseat to emotional warfare.
There’s still tension. There’s still chemistry.
But most of it feels like: kiss me or tell me your secrets or maybe both.
The intimacy here is less about spice and more about trust, vulnerability and two people trying very badly to sort their shit out. Which, they are not amazing at.
Still, Xaden delivers lines that remind you exactly why we keep forgiving him.
“There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence.”
Annoying? Yes.
Hot? Also yes.
Final Thoughts
Iron Flame is chaos.
Beautiful, frustrating, rage-inducing, emotionally devastating chaos.
If you like:
· dragons
· high-stakes fantasy
· found family
· political betrayal
· emotionally damaged hot people
· characters you would die for
· and villains you would personally fight in a parking lot
Then this will absolutely keep you hooked.
Just be prepared to:
· get annoyed at Violet
· get annoyed at Xaden
· despise Varrish with your whole soul
· forgive Xaden anyway
· and have your heart stomped on all over again
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5/5
This was a tough one to rate, but we just can’t get past the level of frustration Xaden and Violet caused us.
Toy recommendations:
If Xaden Riorson’s shadow daddy energy left you feeling… a certain way…… we understand. The tension. The control. The “touch her and die” energy.
It doesn’t have to end when the book does. We’ve got a few things at Dusk & Desire that might help keep that dangerous, powerful, slightly toxic fantasy alive.
Dragonbound - Epic Fantasy Adventure for Thrill Seekers – Dusk and Desire