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.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and coffee addict. She is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward. Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. A mother of six, she is currently surviving the teenage years with all four of her hockey-playing sons.
Want to know about Rebecca’s next release? Check her out online at .
Rebecca - you definitely should have made this into two books. Changes everything. SO MUCH BETTER.
I previously gave the physical book 3 stars and I 100% stand by that because the writing itself was par. My love for the storyline and the characters are really what allowed me to “persevere” reading this the first time around. The audio detracts from the actual writing and whiny dialogue, making the experience more enjoyable. The characters are still a bit whiny and some are just ick but it’s fine. 😆 Also, still a few things that were meh but the development of the story surely hits so much better when it’s segmented like this.
Point is - If you’re going to read this book, I definitely recommend the dramatic audio. I’m not a huge fan of the background noise, because it makes it hard for me to focus/hear on the actual audio but I think that’s a personal flaw so not deducting anything for that. I wish dramatic audio allowed you to adjust the volume of background noise vs dialogue so people like 🤣 can hear better. It’s like when you’re driving and you turn radio down to focus *better*.
Another big wish would be for the last two or three chapters to be clearer but I’m assuming the ambiguity within the dialogue and plot is due to future installments.
All I know is that I’m so ready for Onyx Storm. Pub day cannot come soon enough.
* I tried my best but there may be minor spoilers for this book in this review.
Ok, so a few things! This book is TOTALLY WORTHY of the hype it's getting! On the other hand, I ALMOST psyched myself out of finishing this book. Why? Well, I made the big big mistake of looking up the release date for Book #3. After I saw the words January and the numbers 2025 I just knew the ending of this one was going to hurt and linger. I'm so sorry to have been right. Granted it could be WAY worse. I could have picked up this book as a regular audiobook over a year ago and have been obligated to wait for the next book for OVER A YEAR. Yeah, I don't miss consistently reading traditionally published books. It gets even worse when I think about how Audible is probably going to have an exclusivity period and that the Graphic Audio version of Book #3 will take that much longer to be available. _______________________ I'd like to take a moment and talk directly to the author!
Rebecca Yarros, Mrs. Yarros, Becca? I hope you're well. The emotional damage you've caused me with this book was incredibly hurtful and gut wrenching. Hope you have a way to fix what you caused or I will RIOT.
Sincerely, A Very Big Fan _______________________ Now a note directed at Graphic Audio.
Dear Producers at Graphic Audio,
You had NO BUSINESS making the ending of this book as heart wrentching as you did. The voice acting and music was impeccable. I felt so many emotions. Some may say too many. The emotional damage is very real. I didn't know you were in the business of making people cry. You did a great job! I have no notes! _______________________
Now to my review:
Look I've been reading ever since I can remember. I can count 2 whole books that have actually made me SOB while reading (). This book makes 3. I don't know what witchcraft the author imbued in this story to make me FEEL this damned much but she did and here we are. Let me emphasize to you the EMOTIONAL DAMAGE this has caused me.
I adore Xaden. I love how he's respectful, protective, and adoring of Violet. I love how even when things get tough he makes it a point to listen to her and adjust. I HATE what the author did to him at the end of this book. If she doesn't have a way to fix this I will make it my life's mission to let everyone know how heartless she is.
Violet keeps becoming more and more of a badass as the books progress. However, she did start to become annoyingly impulsive throughout this book and that gave me palpitations. I didn't particularly enjoy it. I hate that she had to lose the people she lost in this book. I'm hoping Xaden isn't one of them in the future considering the circumstances. Finger's crossed there's a fix. There has to be, right? RIGHT?!
I love how the secondary characters really pop in this second half of Book 2. I really enjoyed the gang! I hope they are just as active and interesting in the next one.
P.S. I finally have context for how the song Throne By Beth Crowley fits into this story. I must admit I thought the subject matter would have been a bigger part of the story. I liked how it wasn't. I liked that Xaden was upfront about everything when asked. I liked how he supported her through it. Overall 10/10.
I absolutely loved this book already, but the dramatised adaptation immersed me more than ever. The way I could visualize each character, location, and battle more clearly has truly emphasised my obsession with The Empyrean series to another level. This was the perfect way to prepare for the release of Onyx Storm! I’ll be reading it on release day, but I’m definitely keeping an eye out for the dramatised audiobook when it’s released, too. So epic and worth every penny. 👏
oh my goddddd!! what was all thatttt?? and the ending???? There was so much happening and the dramatic audio surely made it better. Xaden and violet couldnt keep their hands off of each other even with what was happening lmao, but i am not complaining. Overall, it was really enjoyable but the whole "just ask. you just have to ask" thing was starting to annoy me a lil bit as well (read the book to find out what im talking about ;)) Ive high expectations from the next book, Onyx storm.
Could Violet be more annoying? I usually support women’s wrongs but not hers. Fix it.
1. How are Xaden and Violet so in love? What happened? Did I miss it? It’s all telling and no showing. Every “declaration of love” fell flat. They have zero chemistry. Where is their personality?
2. What was the point of bring back the bully? I already forgot his name. Don’t get it. Dumb.
3. What was with the jealousy sub-plot? Take that early 2000’s toxicity out of here
4. The phrase “hot minute” was uttered. Bleh
I think there is more that annoyed me. I’ll add on if it comes to me.
Update -
5. WHY IS THERE A WAR COLLEGE WHEN THEY ARE HIDING THE WAR??
I have read this book 3 times now, and the ending still makes me tear up! I love this series and will recommend it until the day I die! Might even ask to be buried with it!
4:5 stars rounded up. GraphicAudio books are just so good. They make books like this (with instance fighting scenes) that much more enjoyable! I really recommend people read the book first and then listen to the GraphicAudio book after. Just so already know the story going into it and then can really enjoy everything. I liked the cast and the production.
This was my second read of Iron Flame but this time by the dramatized adaption and I loved it so much more. I must have been so annoyed by the regular audiobook because I only rated it 3 stars and this time around, I’m rating it 5 stars. This tells me how much the narrator of a book affects the reading experience.
I was also able to get over the parts I disliked, although I’m still not a fan of them. The rest of the book made up for those bits.
Original review: I finally finished Iron Flame last night and have been trying to get my thoughts in order ever since.
I love the premise of the series; a war school in a dystopian world where soldiers bond with dragons to become riders to protect their home.
I absolutely adore the dragons! Especially Tairn and Andarna. And much like Groot, in Iron Flame, Andarna is now a sassy teenager and I LOVED her so much! She’s hilarious and my favorite!
Now for what I didn’t like… Violet and Xaden’s relationship. I was over it after the first 25 pages of it. But it was at least 200 pages of “I love you but I don’t trust you.” We got it the first time. This book could have been a reasonable length without the same relationship angst over and over and over.
And the spicy scenes…. This is a YA book trying to be New Adult with a lot of F bombs and a few heavy spice scenes. There are so many teens most likely reading this because it reads as YA with the exception of those scenes. This really bugs me. I would hate for my teen granddaughter to read those parts even though she’s an older teen.
The rest of it was good. There were some very nicely done amazing action scenes and great twists! Violet is a powerful warrior and I adored that part of her.
But now let’s talk about the audiobook. In many reviews, people are complaining heavily about the nasally narration, the voices of the characters which kept changing and the wrong voice being used. I get all that but that’s not what bothered me. It was the YELLING and the fast talking through ALL of the action scenes that had me switching to something else if I was trying to listen before bedtime. I couldn’t take it and almost DNF’d the audiobook. The volume went up so high during those scenes. It took me twice as long than normal to finish this book because I could only listen when I was up and about. It was an awful narration! If this narrator is back for book 3, I’m out!
Overall, the storyline was good and I'm really glad I finished because the ending was huge!
Xaden Riorson makes me forget that I am a lesbian and this is the highest praise I can give to a book ever.
Graphic audios are so phenomenal and I would literally give all of my money to them just to make sure they can keep this going because it’s truly changed my reading experience.
Re-Read completed and of course it’s still a 5 star read. I loved this one on graphic audio, definitely recommend listening to this if you haven’t already. Officially ready for Onyx Storm to release in the new year.
I get up at 5a to workout like I’m at Basgiath. I actually get my work done at my silly little human job because I am listening to this book. If they can fight VENIN I can work a 9-5.
I have never read/listened to a series I have loved so much. This is and will forever be my favorite series. And the graphic audio is like listening to a movie when I am doing my silly little mundane tasks.
Just when I thought Iron Flame couldn’t get any better, Part 2 took my breath away! 📚💥 Listening to the graphic audiobook was an experience that kept me on the edge of my seat! 🎧💖
In this part, the stakes get higher, and the tension is palpable. 🔥💣 Violet's growth as a character is incredibly inspiring, and seeing her embrace her strengths while navigating the complexities of being a rider is just magical! ✨🦸♀️
The plot thickens as Violet, Xaden, and their squadmates face fierce challenges while continuing their fight against the venin menace. 💪🐉 With each twist and turn, the bonds between the characters deepen, and I found myself rooting for them even harder! 🙌🤝
What I love about this series is how it beautifully balances action, drama, and unforgettable moments of camaraderie among the riders. 🏇💖 The graphic audiobook does a phenomenal job of bringing these scenes to life, making every battle and revelation utterly exhilarating! 🚀💥
As Violet learns to forge her path, the themes of bravery and friendship shine bright, reminding us all of the power of unity in the face of adversity! 🌈🤗 I’m beyond excited to see how their journey unfolds, and I can't wait for Onyx Storm! 📖💫
If you haven't dived into this compelling adventure yet, stop what you're doing and immerse yourself in Iron Flame! You won't regret it! 🥳💜
I was just in my feelings the last week or so and I needed a comfort listen… so naturally I chose a book loaded with death and danger and anxiety that I’ve read already. 🤷🏻♀️ I still prefer this one to Fourth Wing, and Xaden is still the reigning Ultimate Book Boyfriend.
Power demands sacrifice. Secrets demand silence. And war? War demands everything.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros picks up in the ashes of Fourth Wing’s explosive end—and doesn’t give you a second to breathe. Violet’s second year at Basgiath is harsher, deadlier, and layered with the weight of everything she now knows. The Venin are real. Her brother Brennan is alive. And the leadership she once trusted is hiding the truth to protect a crumbling illusion of safety. Violet isn’t just fighting to survive anymore—she’s fighting to expose the lies and protect the people no one else will.
As her bond with Tairn and Andarna deepens, her connection with Xaden is pushed to its limits. There’s tension, fear, grief, and love in every conversation they have—but also doubt. So much of this book is about trust—who deserves it, what it costs, and what happens when it breaks. And that theme hits just as hard in the friendships as it does in the romance. Watching Violet step fully into her power—intellectually, emotionally, and magically—was one of the best parts of the story. She’s still healing. Still uncertain. But she’s learning how to lead with both fire and empathy.
Graphic Audio brought it all to life in such a vivid way. The full cast, immersive sound design, and musical score elevated everything—especially the battle scenes and emotionally heavy moments. I found myself holding my breath more than once, even though I knew what was coming.
It’s a slower build than Fourth Wing, but the payoff is so worth it. The final act had me tense, emotional, and desperate for book three. This is exactly what I want from a sequel: bigger stakes, deeper character growth, and a story that dares to burn everything down.
I don’t remember crying so much when Violet’s mom died but holy shit I was bawling and when Tairn said “I chose you, not as my next but as my last and should you fall, I will follow” oh my god my heart 😭😭😭 absolutely loved that we got more Xaden in this part but I’m still kinda confused on how he became Venin. Like he channeled from the earth and that is how it happened??idk but so so so excited to start Onyx Storm 😍😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.