*Warning: This review contains spoilers for Fourth Wing*
After seven long months of waiting for the second book of the thrilling, romantic-fantasy Empyrean series, on November 7, 2023, Rebecca Yarros finally released her 600-paged book Iron Flame, a continued journey of readers’ new favorite fantasy couple: Violet and Xaden. Soon after Fourth Wing (the first book of the Empyrean series) was released on April 5, 2023, most fantasy-lovers rushed to their nearest bookstore to get their hands on the book that everyone was raving about. Rebecca Yarros’ book became an instant New York Times Bestseller with readers all over BookTok leaving great reviews. Fourth Wing hooked readers into a world filled with war, dragons, magic, rebellion, and romance.
Rebecca Yarros’ complex yet digestible world building is present once again in Iron Flame in her vivid descriptions of the new region of Aretia. The gradual unveiling of information revolving around the main male character’s Xaden Riorson’s secrets and the “marked ones’’’ rebellion keeps the reader engrossed throughout the book. Iron Flame changes direction from Fourth Wing as the protagonist’s Violet Sorrengail’s focus shifts from surviving Basgiath War College to surviving something much bigger: Wyvern and venin– creatures previously thought to only be mythical monsters in children’s tales– attacking different cities and destroying the life and magic in them. As Violet and the rebellion go through different challenges, including fighting corrupt professors, leading a revolution, finding a way to set up wards, and continuing to learn how to manifest her powers, readers are taken through every experience within Violet’s mind and thoughts, as if they are analyzing information that can save her kingdom straight from the forbidden journals themselves. Empyrean fans follow Violet’s journey as she becomes the dragon rider everyone thought she’d never be and defeats all stereotypes that a strong body is all one needs to become a strong rider.
Although the fantasy themes and plots are engaging and suspenseful, the fear that many readers had after finishing Fourth Wing is also present in Iron Flame. With Xaden and Violet already the perfect romantic pair by the end of the first book, fans started wondering how Yarros was going to be able to keep the heat of the enemies-to-lovers romance exciting if the pair was no longer enemies by the start of the second book, especially considering that Yarros plans to make The Empyrean a five-book series. In Iron Flame, though she attempted to maintain the tensions between Violet and Xaden by introducing a continuous fight between the two involving broken trust and untold secrets, the fight goes on a little too long. It seems to go on forever, constantly repeating the same argument over the course of six hundred pages, to the point where I remember physically rolling my eyes each time the same arguments were brought up with no resolution.
Even though Iron Flame could have been many pages shorter and could use some work in the romance department, one thing Rebecca Yarros does not need any pointers on is how to drop the biggest plot twist and leave readers begging for the next book. Readers’ power of imagination can only take them so far as they’re left wondering with the suspense and anticipation of what is to come.
