From the Bookshelf of Challenge Corner…

Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)

Rebecca Yarros

Start date: November 1, 2023

Finish date: November 30, 2023

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Nov 12, 2023 Alicia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dragon, ghosts, library-books, pre-orders, fighty-chicks, fantasy, time-travel, boarding-school-and-academy, audiobook

This starts out where the last book ended. Violet is with her squad healing up at a rebel camp after their vice commander tried to have them killed, then they have to rush back in time for graduation. Bring on second year!
I feel like all of Violet’s cunning and wits were lost in this book. Whereas before she was planning and pre-empting problem situations, she mostly just sits around arguing with Xaden and waiting for her squad to get picked off one by one. Where was the planning and tenacity fr This starts out where the last book ended. Violet is with her squad healing up at a rebel camp after their vice commander tried to have them killed, then they have to rush back in time for graduation. Bring on second year!
I feel like all of Violet’s cunning and wits were lost in this book. Whereas before she was planning and pre-empting problem situations, she mostly just sits around arguing with Xaden and waiting for her squad to get picked off one by one. Where was the planning and tenacity from her character in here? Because it felt like she just kept her head down and peeked around corners and read some books. She didn’t even try to circumvent the vice commandant, and it really felt out of character and like pointless political manoeuvring that was entirely frustrating to read. It just becomes rather senseless. (view spoiler)
A lot of this was really repetitive too. Especially the whole Violet/Xander relationship drama, which just bogged the story down. There were enough outside problems to keep the plot busy without sticking this in there as well.
I’m not 100% sure of that ending either… (view spoiler)
I liked the expansion in the world building and lore in this book. There is a lot going on, and the conflict and big bad are not being left behind and dragged out to a final book. We get action. We get confirmation and exposure. There are new characters introduced, and old characters removed in the blood thirsty way that is this book. I did personally love the conversation with griffin riders over their bonding/tempest and the reactions, because yes!
Overall: lots of action and researching, drama and angst, and needless violence. The politicking was way too high for my tastes, but I enjoyed it anyway.
...more

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Jan 19, 2024 Cass☀️ rated it it was amazing

I devoured Fourth Wing and I was so excited to read Iron Flame. I might be in some sort of reading coma from reading both books so quickly. I love these characters and this world. I can’t get enough of the sassy and sharp-witted dragons. I seriously would die for a novella released completely from their perspective. I keep contemplating my rating of this novel so here are my reasons why it is not five stars for me:

1. It was so fast paced and so much occurred that I would have loved to see furth ...more

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