Iron Flame
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4.6 • 18.1K Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Discover the instant #1 New York Times bestseller! TV series now in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.
Accolades for Fourth Wing
Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 (Fourth Wing and Iron Flame) • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award, semi-finalist • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine's Best Books of 2023
“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.
The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Learning to ride a dragon is tough—especially when your fellow students are trying to kill you. In this fantasy adventure, Violet is training at the brutal Basgiath War College with her cantankerous dragon, Tairn (and their feisty exchanges are priceless). Her mother is a general at the school, but fatalities are frequent and Violet could easily become one of them. Plus, she has the hots for the son of a rebel leader executed by her mom, which is…awkward. If you read the first book in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series, you’ll notice a lot has changed. For one thing, the monsters Violet thought were mythical are actually real. Yarros is a world-building master, infusing the story with dragon lore and details about the war raging in the kingdom of Navarre. Magic, dragons, and romantic tension abound in this fantasy listen for grown-ups.
Customer Reviews
Great world
I loved this book! Very well written. The characters are lovable and I can’t help but cheer them all on. I can’t wait for the third book.
Not the finest
Mystified by the amount of love for these boring, poorly written, not at all thought out books. As I read them I am convinced the writer believes all readers are absolute idiots - whatever happened to “show, don’t tell,” which I thought was a basic rule of writing. Very little world building, and what is in there is often excerpts from “correspondence” or books that the moronic main characters don’t bother to learn before flying off to long tedious battles that are miraculously won at the last minute, with long and detailed sex scenes between pretty flat and one dimensional characters interspersed between. I have read much better fantasy books in the free section of the Apple Books store. But clearly I am in the minority here, so sit, kick back, and enjoy an easy read with a magic super powerful purple dragon in peace, without my bewildered and heavy dislike.
Good story, poor delivery
Entertaining story if you do not think about the details. Super smart, sweet, but physically weak and insecure hero becomes conveniently tough when getting revenge (like fight with Cat). She does not want a leadership role but takes lead during every crisis. Has negative (if any) relationship with mom but suddenly feels bonded at the end. Can’t dismount her dragon without knee injuries but jumps from dragon to dragon during battle? Never runs but somehow is the fastest in any group? Keeps secrets but gets enraged when others do? Moving on…
Magic needs rules in story telling and while there is effort here, nothing is consistent.
-Are dragons a conduit who draw it from air or the source? Depends on situation (See final battle).
-How much is too much before burnout? Depends (Stopping time is ok despite draining a dragon but mending people is limited).
-Can dragons be drained of magic? Again, depends (Holding hero in saddle is too much, but a few dozen lightening strikes in under an hour is fine).
The text is often vague and big dramatic build ups fall flat and nonsensical with the reveal (where final battle will be for example).
Why fliers, who have fought wyverns for centuries, have so little input into strategy makes no sense. Nor does the fliers’ complete ineffectiveness in any fight.
Read it if you want a fast paced story (I skipped the long and excessive sex scenes) but don’t think too much about any world building details.