Series: The Empyrean
(#2)
Format: Hardcover, 640 pages
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Source: Library
Genre: Epic FantasyEveryone 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 first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity."
Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame is the second installment in the authors The Empyrean series. This book picks up right where Fourth Wing left off. Cadet Violet Sorrengail has done the near impossible. She managed to survive the grueling tests as a first year at Basgaith War College and bonded with not one dragon (Tairn), but two (Andaran) and survived a battle between her squad, venin, and wyvern. She's also caught the attention of a powerful villain who is eager to get his hands on her.
The first part of the book focuses once again on the War College and the new changes that has everyone wondering what is going on. Changes that see Violet constantly being harassed by the powers that be while her own mother (General Sorrengail) is nowhere to be found, while her sister, (Mira Sorrengail) has been transferred to the front lines. Violet, as a second year, now has more worries to add to her heavy burden. She has to try to keep Andaran away from the twisted leader who seems to interested in the dragon.
A dragon that is apparently something miraculous which we slowly learn right up to the final battle in this book. She also has to deal with Liam's sister, Sloan, who somehow manages to show up at the College to be a dragon rider. The second part of the book really dives deeply into those who are part of the Rebellion, like Cat and Sylvia, and Violet's attempt to uncover a deep mystery as to how to protect people who are being ignored. But the most important part of Violet's
experience has been discovering someone who is supposed to be dead.
Someone who apparently is working with the rebellion against Violet's
mother and gets a nice knuckle sandwich from Violet. Violet struggles physically and mentally with the challenges inside and out. While at the rebellion, Violet learns more about her powers which make her absolutely dangerous to her enemies. Violet often struggles and has faults; she lets her darker emotions get the
better of her and let's her doubts creep into her actions and emotions,
even if she isn't aware of it.
Violet is still having issues trusted Xaden Riorson even though they spend lots of time "with" each which the powers that be try hard to disrupt every chance they get by delaying Violet, or accusing her of working with the enemy. Xaden
continues to keep secrets from Violet, including the brutal ending
to this story, as well as who he really is, and what the deal he made with Violet's mother was. Xaden who has a powerful second signet that is much more dangerous than anything we've witnessed since the beginning of this series. Even Dain isn't as powerful as Xaden.
After putting a crew together to research how to save people from the oncoming war, including Violet's scribe friend, Violet
knows that she may hold the answer to defeating the Venin, and their
Master the Sage who has created monstrous wayvern's. Here is a non-spoiler: After the ending to
the last book, a target has been placed on Violet and those she fought a
brutal battle against the Sage with. As each of Violet's allies fall, it appears as
though Violet's own people may be the ones who are trying to destroy
them.
Especially Violet and her dragon Andaran. The one thing you can expect from these books is that characters, even ones that you like, have a tendency to die. There are other characters like Dain who abused Violet's trust. Can we now trust that he has changed his ways? Can we really expect Violet to truly love Xaden when he keeps so many secrets, including his relationship with Cat, and the fact that part of the story actually takes place in his former home before it was taken away from him and given to others?
I think there is a whole lot of the 623 that could have been taken out of this book to make it still be entertaining. I would have focused on the Sage and not put Violet thru all the torture that she has to experience. Yarros has built a fictional world in which the centuries-long war
between two kingdoms, Navarre (which has dragons) and Poromiel (which
has griffins), covers up the rise of a power-hungry enemy called venin —
people whose souls have been corrupted by stealing magic from the
earth.
One of those people is really close to our main female character. I shouldn't have to spoil it for you. Lastly, I have recently found out that 1) there is supposed to be 3 more books in this series. 2) Apparently, Amazon has bought rights to the book and are working on a movie to be released in the near future, and 3) the author made a choice that people don't like by using Gaelic for her characters, and other political leanings which I won't address. Personally, I prefer that authors who stay away from politics and just focus on entertaining readers.
At this time, I won't be finishing the series until all books are completed, and only if I am still interested in finding out what ultimately happens to Violet.
