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 wondering how she’ll get through it. 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 is weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she has her wits—and a will of iron. Leadership forgets the most important lesson Basgiath taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But determination to survive won’t be enough this year, because Violet knows the secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

What I Enjoyed:

• Action-Packed from Start to Finish: The plot immediately picked up where Fourth Wing finished off, throwing Violet into a demanding second year at Basgiath War College while facing a vindictive new vice commandant and the looming threat of war.
• World-Building: The second book expands more on the universe that we saw get established in Fourth Wing, going further into the rebellion, political factors and magic. 
• Character Dynamics: Everything from the banter, the tension and romantic tension between Violet and Xaden to Violet’s bond with her dragons.

What I Didn’t Enjoy:

Remember this is what I didn’t like so it could be completely different for each person!

• Uneven Pacing: I did find that in some chapters the narrative felt a bit scatted. It sometimes went between detailed-heavy academic chapters to extremely fast plot developments.
• Repetitive Relationship motif: I found that the constant push-and-pull between Violet and Xaden regarding their trust and “secrets” in their relationship a bit repetitive. 
• Overwhelming depth: The amount of new locations and names felt a bit overwhelming. 

Overall Score:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

My overall score for Iron Flame is 4 stars. I still very much enjoyed this book but I wish the new locations got introduced slower and there wasn’t a constant push-and-pull between Violet and Xaden since it did feel a bit repetitive.