Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros
“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.
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: Against all odds, Violet Sorrengail survived her first year at Basgiath War College. But in her second year, the stakes become somehow yet higher. The lives of everyone Violet loves end up threatened, including the man she loves.
In full disclosure, I did not love the first book in this series. I thought it was fun! But not my favorite fantasy series ever. I almost didn't read book two but was curious to see what all the hype was about. I liked the way the plot builds significantly in this book, including an ending that is a *major* cliffhanger yet again. I liked Violet's bone and humorous interactions with her dragons. There is also no lack of tension or drama in this book, which is filled with high stakes battles, enemies at every turn, and heart pounding stunts and feats of magic and physical will.
However, the writing in this felt significantly rushed. This was far longer than it needed to be, as if it was rushed through the editing process to capitalize on the Book Tok buzz of the first book. I think at least a hundred pages could have easily been shaved off of this without losing much plot. I also found the relationship between Xaden and Violet incredibly annoying in this. The whole "you never asked" dynamic over and over was just juvenile and irritating.
It felt like the two redeeming elements to this for fans was 1) the infamous throne room scene: "My house. My chair. My woman." (562) and 2) the spectacular cliffhanger of an ending. I felt sure I would pass on book three for the vast majority of this book. The final chapter has me changing my mind. I am exhausted after reading all 895 pages of the kindle version of this before my library loan ended. Not my favorite fantasy series or world by a long shot but Yarros did reel me at eleventh hour of this.
Stars: 3
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