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A review by whatjuliareads
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love dragons. I might have a problem. If it's a lizard and it breathes fire, I want to boop the snoot.
I enjoyed the content of this book more than the first - less school, more politicking, more examining themes of grief and trust and forgiveness. Continuing to expand the cast of characters felt like a great choice - seeing Rhiannon come into her own and Dain not through a perspective of potential love interest was great. Cat, Sloane, and Aaric were also great additions, and seeing facets of Lilith that we previously hadn't seen was lovely. The emphasis on signets was also lovely.
That said, I felt that this may have been pushed out for publication too soon. There were places where the story just fell flat and needed more oomph (I'm thinking in particular of the temptation scene with the Viscount - the stakes just did not feel right).
Romance-wise, I was REALLY disappointed that another love triangle had to be jammed in there. I just can't get behind love triangles. In book one it was boring because obviously it was going to be Xaden and in book two it was boring because, obviously the super hot ex is going to be a jealous shrew that has to be put down to elevate our beloved MC. It's just so old and I just hate it so much. Fortunately, it was a small part of the book so I wasn't screaming into the abyss about it too much.
Just a titch.
I will be continuing the series! The ending upped the stakes and there were breadcrumbs throughout that make me really enthusiastic to continue. I thought the cliffhanger was beautifully done - high enough stakes and enough lack of clarity to leave you clamouring for more, but with enough substance to give you a couple of ideas of how this could play out.
I enjoyed the content of this book more than the first - less school, more politicking, more examining themes of grief and trust and forgiveness. Continuing to expand the cast of characters felt like a great choice - seeing Rhiannon come into her own and Dain not through a perspective of potential love interest was great. Cat, Sloane, and Aaric were also great additions, and seeing facets of Lilith that we previously hadn't seen was lovely. The emphasis on signets was also lovely.
That said, I felt that this may have been pushed out for publication too soon. There were places where the story just fell flat and needed more oomph (I'm thinking in particular of the temptation scene with the Viscount - the stakes just did not feel right).
Romance-wise, I was REALLY disappointed that another love triangle had to be jammed in there. I just can't get behind love triangles. In book one it was boring because obviously it was going to be Xaden and in book two it was boring because, obviously the super hot ex is going to be a jealous shrew that has to be put down to elevate our beloved MC. It's just so old and I just hate it so much. Fortunately, it was a small part of the book so I wasn't screaming into the abyss about it too much.
Just a titch.
I will be continuing the series! The ending upped the stakes and there were breadcrumbs throughout that make me really enthusiastic to continue. I thought the cliffhanger was beautifully done - high enough stakes and enough lack of clarity to leave you clamouring for more, but with enough substance to give you a couple of ideas of how this could play out.