Plot
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.
Review
I’ll be honest—I only read this book because I caved to FOMO. If you saw my Iron Flame review, you know I wasn’t a fan. In fact, I swore off the series entirely after finishing it. Yet, here we are.
I’m going to try to be as constructive as possible and not go on a full-blown rant, but this book was still frustrating for me. Yes, it was a slight improvement, but the writing still felt clunky. Some of the sentence structures were weird and didn’t always make sense, which made reading feel more like a chore at times.
My biggest issue, though, was the plot. It took forever to get anywhere, especially the section with the isles, which felt unnecessarily long and, honestly, kind of pointless. The character deaths seemed more for shock value than anything else, and I didn’t feel any emotional impact from them. The Irids were a huge letdown (and their name irritated me for some reason), and despite all the buildup, we still know barely anything about them. Violet’s second signet? Completely underwhelming. And at this point, I’ve lost all interest in the Venin. Their entire storyline just feels tired, and I can’t bring myself to care about their so-called threat anymore. The final battle? A carbon copy of Iron Flame, right down to the resolution. Seriously, what was the point?
Then there’s Xaden. Sure, we get a hint that there might be a way to save him, but his choices throughout the book were infuriating. I hated that he turned Venin in the first place, and now I’ve completely lost interest in his character. His decisions at the end were just the same recycled nonsense with zero growth. Meanwhile, Ridoc was at least fun and entertaining, so there’s that.
By the time I finished, I just felt… indifferent. I’ll probably read the next book, but I’m barely invested at this poin
My Rating: 2/5 🌟🌟
About the Author
Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event. She’s the recipient of the British Book Award for Book of the Year and the Alex Award from the American Library Association. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. As the mother of six, when she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and two cats who rule them all.
Books & Other Pursuits 