A dead brother who isn’t dead. A war college that somehow gets worse. A fictional boyfriend with more secrets than a government department. And an ending that should have come with an emotional support dragon.
Welcome back to the Empyrean series.
I thought Fourth Wing had already put Violet Sorrengail through enough.
She survived the parapet, bonded with two dragons, fell for the ridiculously attractive wingleader whose father was executed because of her mother, discovered her country had been lying about the war, lost Liam and found out her supposedly dead brother was actually alive.
Quite a lot for one book, really.
And apparently, Rebecca Yarros looked at all of that and decided Violet needed a few more problems.
Because Iron Flame takes everything we thought we understood about Navarre, the dragons, the rebellion and Violet’s relationship with Xaden, and makes it considerably more complicated.
There’s a new vice commandant who makes Basgiath even more unpleasant, an old enemy who refuses to stay dead, some rather inconvenient revelations about Xaden, and a secret about the dragons that changes everything.
And that ending?
I have questions. I have concerns. I would like Rebecca Yarros to explain herself.
So, whether you’ve just finished Iron Flame, you’re coming back for a reread, or you’re about to start Onyx Storm and need to remember exactly who betrayed whom, this is my full breakdown of book two.
I’m covering the entire story, the characters, the dragons, the betrayals and that ending.
Especially that ending.
Full spoiler warning. This guide contains major spoilers for Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. Everything through the final chapter of Iron Flame is fair game, including character deaths, betrayals, Xaden’s secrets and the ending. I won’t spoil Onyx Storm, so you can use this as a refresher before starting book three.
Comfort-level note: Iron Flame includes graphic fantasy violence, death, grief, serious injuries, torture, psychological manipulation, attempted murder and open-door romantic content. Check your comfort level before reading.
If you haven’t finished Fourth Wing yet, start with my Fourth Wing full book summary and character guide.
If you’re looking for my personal Iron Flame review, ratings and spicy-chapter breakdown instead, that’s a separate article I’m still finishing.
This one is for the readers who want the full story.
Right. Grab your drink, settle in and prepare to remember why absolutely nobody in this series can have a normal relationship or a peaceful afternoon.
Iron Flame summary
A girl who is still processing the fact that her dead brother isn’t actually dead gets sent back to a military college where somebody is trying to kill her.
Her boyfriend is now stationed at a different outpost, and their relationship is being held together by dragon mating bonds, occasional visits and a truly spectacular collection of secrets.
Her childhood best friend is trying to work his way back into her good books.
An enemy she already killed once is back.
And the government she’s spent her life believing in is still pretending the creatures attacking everyone beyond its borders don’t exist.
Meanwhile, Violet is trying to work out how to protect an entire kingdom with an ancient wardstone, some forbidden books and a young dragon who is going through a rather inconvenient growth spurt.
And when everything finally comes together?
The man she loves becomes the very thing they’ve been fighting.
Wonderful.
Let’s get into it properly.
Biscuits, Brennan and the small matter of returning to Basgiath
Iron Flame picks up in Aretia, where Violet is still trying to process everything that happened at the end of Fourth Wing.
And when I say everything, I mean everything.
Liam is dead.
Her government has been lying about the venin.
Xaden has been secretly supplying weapons to a resistance movement.
And her brother Brennan, who she has spent years believing died during the rebellion, is sitting there very much alive.
Honestly, I think Violet deserves a week in bed.
Instead, she’s at Riorson House, eating biscuits and trying to understand how her entire life has become one enormous family secret.
Brennan is now using the name Lieutenant Colonel Aisereigh and working with the resistance.
He’s been alive all this time.
He’s also the mender who saved Violet after she was poisoned during the Battle of Resson.
So she’s understandably relieved to have him back.
She’s also furious.
Because while Brennan has been secretly working with the rebellion, Violet and Mira have spent years grieving him.
And I don’t think being busy with a revolution automatically gets you out of explaining that one to your little sisters.
Violet also sits in on a meeting of the Assembly, the leadership group behind the resistance.
And it quickly becomes clear that knowing the truth about Navarre is only the beginning of the problem.
The resistance is trying to fight an enemy that most people don’t even know exists.
It needs weapons, resources and a way to protect the people living beyond Navarre’s wards.
There’s an important forge that isn’t working properly, a luminary that could help solve part of the problem, and far too many people making decisions with incomplete information.
Meanwhile, Andarna needs to enter dreamless sleep, a growth phase young dragons go through.
Tairn helps carry her into it.
And Violet has to return to Basgiath.
Because apparently surviving a battle against venin, discovering an entire government conspiracy and finding your dead brother alive do not count as valid reasons to take a semester off.
Graduation, Xaden’s announcement and the beginning of the relationship problems
Back at Basgiath, Xaden graduates.
But before everyone can get on with pretending the Battle of Resson was simply another unfortunate military incident, he makes a rather significant announcement.
Colonel Aetos deliberately sent the group at Athebyne into a trap.
And Xaden is not going to quietly accept the official version of events.
General Sorrengail is furious.
The military leadership has been trying to conceal what really happened, and Xaden has just made that considerably more difficult.
The official account claims that Liam and Soleil died fighting gryphons.
Not venin.
Not wyvern.
Just an unfortunate encounter with the neighbouring kingdom’s forces.
Which is a fairly convenient explanation when your entire military doctrine depends on pretending the real enemy doesn’t exist.
Xaden is then stationed at Samara, a border outpost.
And this creates a new problem.
Tairn and Sgaeyl are mates, and their bond means they cannot remain separated indefinitely.
So Violet and Xaden are allowed to see each other once a week.
Once.
A.
Week.
After everything that happened at Resson, Violet is still trying to rebuild her trust in Xaden.
And now they have to do it long-distance.
Through a dragon mating bond.
While both of them are involved in a secret resistance movement.
What could possibly go wrong?
Xaden makes it clear that he will still have secrets.
He’s leading a revolution, and there are things he cannot share without putting other people at risk.
Violet, understandably, is not particularly enthusiastic about this arrangement.
She has just discovered that almost everything she thought she knew about her country was a lie.
She loves Xaden.
But she needs to know that the person she’s trusting isn’t keeping another enormous secret that could change everything.
And Xaden?
He has spent years surviving by keeping people at a distance.
Secrets have kept him alive.
Trusting someone with everything he knows is not something he’s particularly good at.
So they both want the relationship.
They both have reasons for behaving the way they do.
And neither of them is particularly happy with the situation.
Meanwhile, Dain has become Violet’s wingleader and Rhiannon is now squad leader.
Which means Violet has to deal with her childhood best friend, who violated her trust in Fourth Wing, while trying to work out whether she can trust her actual boyfriend.
Honestly, I’d just like one of these men to communicate properly.
Just one.
Jack Barlowe. Apparently, being dead was optional.
Remember Jack Barlowe?
The cadet who spent most of Fourth Wing trying to kill Violet?
The one who attacked Andarna during Threshing, tried to kill Liam during the War Games and was apparently killed when Violet brought lightning down on his tower?
Well.
He’s back.
Yes. Really.
Violet watched that tower collapse.
She believed Jack was dead.
And now he’s walking around Basgiath as though surviving a mountain falling on him is a perfectly ordinary part of the curriculum.
Apparently, Nolon has been working to heal him.
Which is also why the mender has been so exhausted.
But the strangest thing about Jack’s return isn’t simply that he’s alive.
It’s that he’s being nice.
Jack Barlowe.
Nice.
I don’t trust that sentence.
He’s behaving differently, appearing helpful and even saving Violet’s life during an attack.
Which would be lovely if we hadn’t already spent an entire book watching him attempt to murder her.
Something is wrong.
Very wrong.
And the book is in absolutely no hurry to tell us what it is.
Enter Major Varrish. Because Basgiath wasn’t dangerous enough.
As if Jack’s return wasn’t enough to deal with, Basgiath has acquired a new vice commandant.
Major Burton Varrish.
And I would very much like to return him.
Varrish takes an immediate interest in Violet.
Not the friendly sort of interest, either.
He searches her belongings, questions her movements and becomes increasingly suspicious of what she knows.
He also takes a particular interest in Andarna.
Which is concerning because Andarna is supposed to be going through dreamless sleep, and Violet is trying to protect her dragon’s secrets.
Varrish is exactly the kind of person you do not want asking questions about an unusual dragon.
Unfortunately, asking questions and making Violet’s life miserable appear to be two of his favourite activities.
Meanwhile, the surviving riders from Athebyne are being targeted.
These are the people who know what actually happened at Resson.
They know the venin exist.
They know Navarre has been lying.
And someone is determined to make sure they don’t get the opportunity to tell anyone else.
Colonel Aetos is still trying to protect the official story.
Violet survives another assassination attempt, and the danger surrounding the Athebyne survivors becomes impossible to ignore.
So not only is Violet attending a military college where cadets regularly die during training, she now has to worry about people actively trying to silence her because she knows too much.
Lovely.
Really enjoying the educational environment here.
Jesinia, forbidden books and the ancient wardstone
While Basgiath is busy being an absolute nightmare, Violet is trying to solve a much bigger problem.
The wards.
Navarre’s protective wards are the reason the kingdom has been able to keep the venin threat at a distance.
But the people living beyond those wards don’t have the same protection.
And Aretia has an unactivated wardstone that could potentially change that.
So Violet begins researching the First Six, the original riders who created Navarre’s wards.
She needs to understand how the wardstones work and whether the resistance can activate the one in Aretia.
And who better to help her than a scribe with access to forbidden books?
Enter Jesinia.
Jesinia has been helping Violet since Fourth Wing, and she becomes increasingly important as Violet starts digging into the history Navarre would very much prefer everyone stopped asking questions about.
Together, they work through ancient journals and records, searching for the information needed to recreate the wards.
Because apparently the answer to protecting an entire kingdom might be sitting in a book.
Which, as a reader, I find extremely satisfying.
Violet also discovers that Aaric Graycastle isn’t simply another cadet.
He’s actually Prince Camlaen Aaric Tauri, the king’s youngest son.
And he’s attending Basgiath under an assumed name.
His father refuses to acknowledge the venin threat.
Aaric, however, isn’t willing to ignore what’s happening.
So now Violet has a secret prince, a scribe smuggling forbidden books, a hidden resistance movement and a boyfriend whose dragons are literally connected to hers.
At some point, somebody really needs to create a shared spreadsheet.
Dain finally makes a different choice
I was not ready to forgive Dain after Fourth Wing.
Not after Athebyne.
Not after the memories.
And certainly not after everything that happened to Liam and the others.
But Iron Flame gives him an opportunity to make a different choice.
During an interrogation training exercise, Varrish orders Dain to use his signet to access Violet’s memories.
And Dain refuses.
He knows what his ability can do.
He knows how important those memories are.
And this time, he doesn’t simply follow the orders he’s been given.
He chooses to respect Violet instead.
Now, does that magically undo everything that happened in Fourth Wing?
Absolutely not.
But it’s a start.
And for someone who has spent most of his life treating the military rulebook as though it contains all the answers, refusing an order like that matters.
I’m not handing over my forgiveness just yet, Dain.
But I am paying attention.
Catriona Cordella. Excuse me, Xaden, your ex is WHAT?
Just when Violet and Xaden’s relationship is starting to feel as though it might be getting somewhere, Rebecca Yarros introduces another complication.
Catriona Cordella.
Cat.
A Poromish royal.
A gryphon flier.
And Xaden’s ex.
Of course she is.
Violet meets Cat through Xaden’s involvement in supplying weapons to the gryphon fliers.
And it becomes rather obvious that these two have a history.
A history Violet wasn’t exactly given a detailed explanation of beforehand.
Now, I’m not saying that every fictional man needs to provide a complete relationship history before introducing his girlfriend to someone.
But considering the number of secrets Xaden has already been keeping, I can understand why Violet isn’t particularly thrilled about another surprise.
Cat is formidable, sharp and not someone who is going to quietly disappear into the background.
And Violet is already trying to work out where she stands with Xaden.
The last thing she needs is a royal ex-girlfriend making that situation more complicated.
I didn’t order a jealousy subplot.
Apparently, I’m getting one anyway.
Xaden also gives Violet one of the daggers being smuggled to the fliers so she can protect herself.
Which is a lovely gesture.
Until Varrish catches her with it.
Because naturally, Violet cannot have a single useful thing without someone at Basgiath turning it into a problem.
Xaden’s second signet. Sir, how many secrets are we working with?
Right.
This is where we need to talk about Xaden.
Again.
Because apparently being a shadow wielder, a resistance leader, a wingleader and the owner of an extremely powerful blue dragon wasn’t enough.
He has another signet.
A second one.
And he’s been keeping it a secret.
Xaden is an inntinnsic.
More specifically, he can sense people’s true intentions.
His second signet comes from Sgaeyl’s previous bond with his grandfather.
And unlike shadow wielding, this is not an ability he can safely reveal.
Inntinnsics are considered extremely dangerous by Navarre’s military.
Riders who manifest this kind of power are executed.
Which means Xaden has spent years hiding an ability that could cost him his life.
Only Sgaeyl has known the truth.
Not Violet.
Not Tairn.
Not even the people closest to him.
And when it finally comes out, Violet is understandably furious.
Because this isn’t simply another detail about his involvement in the resistance.
It’s something that fundamentally changes her understanding of what he can do.
She’s been trying to rebuild her trust in him while he has been keeping a secret about his own abilities.
Again.
But I also understand why Xaden has been so terrified of revealing it.
The consequences aren’t simply an awkward conversation.
He could be executed.
And in a world where the people in charge have already demonstrated that they’re willing to kill to protect their secrets, I don’t think his fear is unreasonable.
Still.
Xaden.
My fictional man.
You cannot keep dropping enormous revelations on your girlfriend and expect her to simply admire your jawline and move on.
Even if it is a very impressive jawline.
Violet and Xaden eventually begin finding their way back to each other.
He promises greater honesty.
She has to decide whether she’s willing to keep trying.
And somewhere in the middle of all this, even Tairn has been hurt by the revelation that Sgaeyl kept Xaden’s second signet from him.
When the ancient, permanently unimpressed black dragon is having relationship problems too, you know things have become complicated.
Six dragon dens, seven dragon breeds and a very important little dragon
While everyone is busy keeping secrets and attempting to repair their relationships, Violet is still trying to work out how to activate the wardstone in Aretia.
And eventually, she makes progress.
The ancient journals explain how dragonfire is used in activating the wards.
Violet manages to temporarily raise the wards at Aretia, proving that her research is leading her in the right direction.
But something is still missing.
The instructions refer to fire from dragons representing the six known dens.
Except the translation isn’t complete.
And when Jesinia finishes working through Lyra’s journal, Violet discovers that the wardstone actually requires a seventh dragon breed.
Seven.
Not six.
And suddenly, the existence of a certain golden dragon becomes considerably more interesting.
Andarna.
Our little golden feathertail.
The young dragon who chose Violet during Threshing when absolutely nobody could explain why two dragons had bonded with the same rider.
The dragon who has spent much of Iron Flame in dreamless sleep.
And who has apparently been keeping rather significant information about herself.
Andarna is connected to the missing seventh dragon breed.
Which means the very dragon everyone has been treating as an extraordinary but rather inconvenient exception might actually be the key to protecting an entire kingdom.
I love her.
I loved her in Fourth Wing.
And I love that she’s becoming increasingly important to the story in ways that go far beyond simply being Violet’s second dragon.
Tairn may be enormous, ancient and powerful.
But never underestimate the little dragon.
Especially when she’s the one who knows something everyone else has forgotten.
Basgiath is the real target
Eventually, Violet realises that the enemy isn’t simply preparing to attack Aretia.
Basgiath itself is in danger.
The wards protecting Navarre are vulnerable.
And if they fall, the venin and their wyvern will be able to attack the very kingdom that has spent years pretending they aren’t real.
Violet knows what she has to do.
She needs to return to Basgiath.
The Assembly doesn’t agree with her decision.
But Violet has never been particularly good at sitting quietly when she knows people are in danger.
And she understands something important.
If Navarre falls, the resistance won’t simply be able to carry on as though nothing has happened.
The people they’ve been trying to protect are in danger too.
So Violet flies back.
And other riders and fliers follow.
Because apparently, after everything Navarre has done, the people it has betrayed are still the ones willing to fight to protect it.
And what they find when they arrive?
Jack Barlowe.
Standing over the wardstone.
Oh, for goodness’ sake.
Jack Barlowe is venin. Of course he is.
Remember how Jack survived Violet’s lightning?
Remember how Nolon had been working to heal him?
Remember how he suddenly started being suspiciously nice?
Well.
Now we know why.
Jack has been channelling power from the earth.
He’s venin.
And the red rings around his eyes finally reveal what he’s become.
Which explains how he survived the destruction of the tower.
It also explains why Nolon has been spending so much time trying to treat him.
Because Jack wasn’t simply recovering from his injuries.
There was something considerably more dangerous happening.
And now he’s standing over the wardstone that protects Basgiath.
Jack kills his own dragon, Baide, drawing on the power needed to destroy the stone.
The wardstone cracks.
The wards fall.
And suddenly, everything Violet has spent the book trying to prevent is happening right in front of her.
The venin are coming.
Their wyvern are coming.
And Basgiath is no longer protected.
At this point, I would very much like Jack Barlowe to stop being involved in absolutely anything.
Unfortunately, the damage is already done.
The Battle of Basgiath. Everything goes horribly wrong.
With the wards down, Basgiath becomes the centre of a devastating battle.
The enemy Violet has been trying to warn people about is no longer a distant threat.
The venin and wyvern are attacking the college itself.
The place where Violet has spent two years learning to become a rider.
The place where so many people have died without ever learning the truth about what they were supposed to be fighting.
And the riders and fliers have to work together to defend it.
Sawyer is seriously injured during the fighting and loses a leg.
Other riders are fighting to protect the college while Violet desperately tries to work out how to restore the wards.
And she knows that the answer lies with the wardstone.
And the dragons.
Specifically, seven dragons representing the seven breeds needed to activate it.
Including Andarna.
The same young dragon who has been dismissed, underestimated and treated as something nobody quite knows how to classify.
Honestly, Andarna has spent two books proving that being small does not mean being unimportant.
I am very proud of my fictional dragon.
But there’s still a problem.
Restoring the wards requires an enormous amount of power.
And Violet knows that if she attempts to provide it herself, the cost could be her life.
She’s prepared to do it anyway.
Because that’s Violet.
She has never been particularly good at watching other people suffer when she believes there’s something she can do to help.
Even when helping means putting herself in danger.
Even when the price might be everything.
And then her mother intervenes.
General Sorrengail, and the sacrifice I was not prepared for
I have spent two books having complicated feelings about General Lilith Sorrengail.
She’s cold.
She’s controlling.
She forced Violet into the Riders Quadrant despite knowing how dangerous it would be for her.
And she’s been involved in a military organisation that has concealed the truth about the venin and the people dying beyond Navarre’s wards.
So no, I haven’t exactly been sitting here defending every decision she’s made.
But Iron Flame makes her character considerably more complicated.
Because when Violet prepares to sacrifice herself to restore the wards, her mother takes her place.
General Sorrengail gives her own life so Violet doesn’t have to.
And the wards are restored.
The wyvern attacking Basgiath are destroyed or driven away.
Navarre survives.
But Violet’s mother doesn’t.
And now Violet has to deal with the loss of a woman whose love was never particularly easy for her to understand.
A woman who made decisions Violet disagreed with.
Who kept secrets.
Who tried to control her life.
And who, when it mattered most, chose to give up her own life to save her daughter.
I don’t think that sacrifice automatically excuses everything Lilith has done.
But I do think it makes her much harder to reduce to simply the cold, controlling mother we’ve spent two books watching.
And Violet doesn’t get the opportunity to sit down with her and work through any of it.
There are no more conversations.
No more chances to ask questions.
No more opportunities to understand exactly why Lilith made the choices she did.
She’s gone.
And I was not prepared for how much that hurt.
Xaden and the Sage. Because apparently the ending needed MORE problems.
While Violet is fighting to restore the wards, Xaden is facing his own battle.
He’s fighting a powerful venin leader known as the Sage.
The same terrifying figure who has been appearing in his dreams.
And Xaden is losing.
He’s powerful.
He has Sgaeyl.
He has his shadows.
He has abilities that most riders don’t even know he possesses.
And none of it is enough.
Then he feels Violet dying through their connection.
And he makes a decision.
One that changes everything.
Xaden channels power directly from the earth.
The same forbidden source of power the venin use.
He draws on it to defeat the Sage and survive the battle.
And in doing so, he becomes venin himself.
I’m sorry.
WHAT?
We’ve spent two books learning about the venin.
We’ve watched Violet discover that they’re real.
We’ve seen the devastation they cause.
We’ve learned that Navarre has been concealing their existence and that the resistance has been trying to fight them.
And now Xaden?
XADEN?
The man Violet has spent two books falling in love with?
The man whose secrets have already caused enough relationship problems to fill an entire separate novel?
He’s become the very thing they’ve been fighting.
Rebecca.
I have some questions.
Iron Flame ending explained: Xaden becomes venin
The battle is over.
The wards are back up.
Basgiath has survived.
And somehow, that is not the end of Violet’s problems.
Because Xaden has to tell her what he’s done.
He has channelled power from the earth.
He’s become venin.
And Violet is now facing a situation that is considerably more complicated than discovering her boyfriend has a second signet.
She loves Xaden.
But she also knows what the venin are capable of.
She has seen what happens when they draw power from the earth.
And she has spent two books learning that they are the enemy.
Now the person she loves most has become one of them.
And Xaden?
He’s still Xaden.
He’s still the man who loves Violet.
He’s still the man who chose to save her.
But something fundamental has changed.
The final pages shift to Xaden’s point of view.
He visits Jack, who is now imprisoned, and asks whether there’s a cure.
Whether there’s a way to undo what he’s become.
And Jack tells him there isn’t.
He warns Xaden that the hunger for more power will continue.
Then he calls him brother.
BROTHER.
And that’s where Rebecca Yarros leaves us.
Not with Violet and Xaden getting a peaceful moment together after surviving another devastating battle.
Not with a nice resolution to their relationship problems.
Not even with a reasonable amount of information about what becoming venin actually means for Xaden.
Just an entirely new problem.
One that changes the future of their relationship, the war and potentially everything Violet has been fighting for.
I would like to know why fictional men cannot simply have one normal day.
And more importantly, I would like to know how I am supposed to finish that final chapter and not immediately pick up Onyx Storm.
Because apparently, I enjoy being emotionally destroyed by fictional people.
Again.
Iron Flame characters
Right. Let’s sort out who’s who.
Because Iron Flame takes the cast we already know from Fourth Wing, adds a secret prince, a royal ex-girlfriend, Liam’s younger sister, a deeply unpleasant vice commandant and several people who have been keeping rather significant secrets.
And that’s before we get into the dragons.
I’m sticking to what we know by the end of Iron Flame, so there are no Onyx Storm character revelations here.
Violet Sorrengail
Main character. Age: 21. Dragons: Tairn and Andarna. Signet: Lightning wielding.
Violet is back for her second year at Basgiath, and if I thought her first year was difficult, Iron Flame makes it look almost relaxing.
Almost.
She’s still physically smaller and more fragile than most of the other riders, and her body continues to present challenges that she has to work around.
But she’s also a powerful lightning wielder, bonded to two extraordinary dragons and one of the few people who knows the truth about the venin.
And now she’s trying to work out how to protect the people Navarre has abandoned.
What I love about Violet is that her intelligence remains one of her greatest strengths. Her ability to research, remember information and piece together details that other people overlook becomes essential to understanding the wards. She’s not simply relying on being a powerful rider. She’s using the skills she developed when she thought her future was going to be in the Archives. And I particularly enjoy that the girl who was supposed to become a scribe is the one finding the information everyone needs to survive.
By the end of Iron Flame, Violet has helped restore the wards, lost her mother and discovered that the man she loves has become venin. She’s also found out that Andarna is considerably more extraordinary than anyone realised.
Which is quite a lot to process.
Again.
Someone please give this girl a holiday.
Xaden Riorson
Lieutenant and romantic interest. Dragon: Sgaeyl. Signets: Shadow wielding and a second, secret signet. Status at the end of Iron Flame: Venin.
Xaden has graduated from Basgiath and is now stationed at Samara. He’s still involved in the resistance, still supplying weapons to the gryphon fliers and still trying to protect Violet.
He’s also still keeping secrets. Quite a few, actually.
His second signet allows him to sense people’s true intentions, making him a particular kind of inntinnsic. Revealing that ability could result in his execution, which explains why he’s spent so long keeping it hidden. And I can understand that. What I struggle with is how often Violet has to discover something enormous about him before they can have another conversation about trust.
Their relationship is genuinely complicated. Xaden loves Violet. Violet loves Xaden. But they’re both trying to navigate a war, a resistance movement and a world where telling the wrong person the wrong thing could get someone killed.
And then Xaden makes the ultimate decision to protect her. He channels power from the earth. He becomes venin. And suddenly, every problem they’ve had with secrets and trust looks rather small compared with what comes next.
As much as I would like to be annoyed with this man, Rebecca Yarros has apparently decided to make that extremely difficult. The shadows. The dragons. The questionable decisions made in the name of love.
My fictional-boyfriend standards are becoming a problem.
Dain Aetos
Wingleader and Violet’s childhood best friend. Dragon: Cath. Signet: Reading recent memories through touch.
Dain has some serious work to do after Fourth Wing. He accessed Violet’s memories without her permission, and information obtained through his signet reached his father. That information helped put Violet, Xaden and the other riders in danger at Athebyne.
So no, I wasn’t particularly interested in immediately forgiving him when Iron Flame started.
But this book gives Dain an opportunity to demonstrate that he can make different decisions. When Varrish orders him to access Violet’s memories during interrogation training, Dain refuses. He chooses Violet’s right to keep her memories private over following an order. And that matters.
Dain has spent most of his life believing in the military system and the rules he’s been taught to follow. Iron Flame begins forcing him to question those beliefs. His relationship with Violet is still complicated, and the damage done in Fourth Wing doesn’t simply disappear. But I do appreciate that he starts making choices that show he’s capable of change.
Am I ready to forgive him completely? Not quite. But I’m no longer automatically rolling my eyes every time he walks into a scene.
Progress.
Rhiannon “Rhi” Matthias
Squad leader and Violet’s best friend. Dragon: Feirge. Signet: Retrieving objects from a distance.
Rhiannon remains one of the most important people in Violet’s life. She’s now squad leader, which means she has even more responsibility while trying to survive her own second year at Basgiath.
And Violet? Violet is keeping secrets from her. Not because she doesn’t trust Rhi. But because knowing the truth about the venin, the resistance and Aretia could put her in danger. Which creates another problem in a book that already has rather a lot of them.
As Violet gradually begins sharing more of what she knows, Rhi becomes an important source of support. And I love that their friendship continues to matter. With so much of Iron Flame focused on Violet and Xaden’s relationship, it’s easy to overlook the people who have been there for Violet from the beginning. Rhi is one of those people.
She’s capable, loyal and willing to support Violet without constantly trying to make decisions for her. And sometimes, when your life involves a secret rebellion, two dragons and a boyfriend with an alarming number of hidden abilities, you really need a best friend who can simply be there.
Jack Barlowe
Former first-year cadet. Dragon: Baide, deceased. Status at the end of Iron Flame: Venin, imprisoned.
Jack Barlowe is back. Unfortunately.
After Violet apparently killed him in Fourth Wing, Jack returns to Basgiath, having been treated by Nolon. And for much of Iron Flame, he behaves like an entirely different person. He’s pleasant. He’s helpful. He even saves Violet’s life. Which, considering his previous behaviour, is deeply suspicious.
Eventually, we discover that Jack had already begun channelling power from the earth. He’s venin. And that’s how he survived the destruction of the tower.
During the final battle, Jack kills his own dragon, Baide, and destroys the wardstone protecting Basgiath. Which allows the venin and wyvern to attack. By the end of the book, Jack is imprisoned, and Xaden visits him to ask whether becoming venin can be reversed. Jack tells him there is no cure and warns him about the hunger for more power.
So apparently, Jack has gone from being an irritating cadet who refuses to stop trying to kill Violet to being the person who delivers one of the most disturbing revelations in the entire series.
I liked him considerably more when I thought he was dead.
General Lilith Sorrengail
Commanding general and Violet’s mother. Dragon: Aimsir. Signet: Storm wielding. Status at the end of Iron Flame: Deceased.
General Sorrengail has been one of the most complicated characters in the series for me. She’s powerful, strict and deeply involved in the military leadership that has been concealing the truth about the venin. She’s also Violet’s mother. The same mother who forced her into the Riders Quadrant despite knowing how dangerous it would be for her.
And for much of the series, Lilith has been extremely difficult to understand. She clearly has her own reasons for making the decisions she does, but she rarely explains them in a way that allows Violet to understand her.
Then, during the Battle of Basgiath, she sacrifices herself to restore the wards. She takes Violet’s place, giving her own life so her daughter can survive. And suddenly, their entire relationship becomes even more complicated.
I don’t think one final act automatically erases every decision Lilith has made. But it does force us to consider that her feelings for Violet were considerably deeper than her cold exterior suggested.
And now Violet has lost her mother without ever having the opportunity to fully understand her. Which is a particularly cruel kind of grief.
Catriona “Cat” Cordella
Poromish royal and gryphon flier. Connection: Xaden’s former fiancée.
Cat is introduced as part of the world beyond Navarre’s wards. She’s a Poromish royal, a capable gryphon flier and a woman with a rather significant history involving Xaden. Because apparently being the leader of a secret resistance movement wasn’t enough for him. He also has a royal ex-fiancée.
Lovely.
Cat is confident, sharp and not particularly interested in making Violet comfortable. And Violet is already dealing with enough uncertainty about her relationship with Xaden. The history between Cat and Xaden adds another layer of tension.
But Cat also has her own connections to the conflict beyond Navarre’s borders, and her involvement in the story extends beyond simply being someone’s ex. I can appreciate that she’s a formidable character in her own right.
Would I have enjoyed discovering her existence while already trying to repair a relationship with a man who keeps enormous secrets? Absolutely not. But here we are.
Sloane Mairi
First-year rider and Liam’s younger sister. Dragon: Red daggertail. Signet: Siphoning.
Sloane is Liam’s younger sister. And I would like everyone to understand that I was not emotionally prepared to meet another Mairi. Not after Resson.
Sloane arrives at Basgiath carrying her own grief over Liam’s death. And she blames Violet for what happened. Which is painful for Violet, who is still grieving Liam herself. But I can understand that Sloane is looking for somewhere to direct the anger and hurt of losing her brother.
Liam was one of the most important people in Violet’s life during Fourth Wing. But he was Sloane’s actual brother. And she has lost him.
Watching Violet and Sloane begin finding a way to understand each other adds another emotional layer to Iron Flame. Their relationship isn’t simply about whether Sloane can forgive Violet. It’s also about two people grieving the same person from very different positions.
Sloane eventually develops the ability to siphon power. Her signet becomes particularly important during the final battle, when the wards need to be restored. And once again, a character connected to Liam becomes part of one of the most emotionally devastating moments in the series.
I would like the Mairi family to stop making me cry. Please.
Aaric Graycastle
Undercover prince and first-year rider. Real identity: Prince Camlaen Aaric Tauri.
Aaric is not simply another cadet at Basgiath. He’s the king’s youngest son, attending the college under an assumed name. Because apparently even royalty has had enough of Navarre’s secrets.
Aaric knows that his father refuses to acknowledge the venin threat. And rather than remain safely removed from the danger, he chooses to become a rider. He becomes an important ally to Violet as she investigates the truth about the wards and the information hidden in the Archives.
His presence is also a reminder that the conflict isn’t simply between a group of rebellious riders and the military leadership at Basgiath. It extends all the way to Navarre’s royal family. And if even the king’s son is secretly working against the official account of what’s happening beyond the wards, I think we can safely say the political situation is getting rather complicated.
Major Burton Varrish
Vice commandant of Basgiath. Role: Military authority and antagonist.
Major Varrish arrives at Basgiath and immediately makes himself a problem. He’s suspicious of Violet, repeatedly searches her belongings and takes an unsettling interest in Andarna. He also uses interrogation training and his position of authority to put pressure on Violet and those around her.
And unlike some of the other antagonists in the series, Varrish doesn’t need to be a dragon or a venin to be dangerous. He has authority. He has access to the cadets. And he has the ability to make their lives considerably more difficult. Which he does. Repeatedly.
Basgiath was already a place where students could die during training. Varrish somehow manages to make the whole experience even less appealing. A remarkable achievement, really.
Tairneanach (Tairn)
Black dragon. Rider: Violet Sorrengail. Mate: Sgaeyl.
Tairn remains enormous, powerful and permanently unimpressed by everyone’s decisions. Which is understandable, considering the number of questionable choices being made around him. He’s still fiercely protective of Violet. He’s still connected to Xaden through his mating bond with Sgaeyl. And he’s still one of my favourite characters in the series.
But Iron Flame also gives Tairn something to deal with that we don’t often see from him. Sgaeyl has been keeping Xaden’s second signet secret. Even from her own mate. And when Tairn discovers the truth, it hurts him.
Which is a rather effective reminder that the dragons have relationships and loyalties of their own. They aren’t simply enormous magical vehicles that transport the riders from one dangerous situation to another. They have their own feelings. Their own priorities. And apparently, their own relationship problems.
Honestly, Tairn. I understand.
Andarna
Violet’s second dragon. Rider: Violet Sorrengail. Special significance: Connected to the missing seventh dragon breed.
Andarna. My little golden dragon. The young feathertail who chose Violet during Threshing and immediately made everyone at Basgiath question everything they thought they knew about dragon bonding. And apparently, she was only getting started.
Andarna spends much of Iron Flame going through dreamless sleep. But her growth and the revelations about her origins become essential to understanding the wards. The ancient journals reveal that seven dragon breeds are needed to activate the wardstone. And Andarna represents the missing seventh. Which means Violet’s extraordinary dual bond is even more significant than anyone realised.
I love that Andarna’s importance isn’t simply about becoming bigger or more powerful. It’s about who she is. And about information that has been forgotten or concealed for centuries.
She’s been a very important little dragon this entire time. And I would appreciate it if everyone could start treating her accordingly.
Sgaeyl
Blue daggertail dragon. Rider: Xaden Riorson. Mate: Tairn.
Sgaeyl is still powerful, intimidating and fiercely loyal to Xaden. She’s also the only one who has known about his second signet. Which means she’s been keeping a secret from Tairn. Her own mate. And if I thought Violet and Xaden had relationship problems, apparently the dragons have been having a few of their own.
Sgaeyl’s decision to protect Xaden’s secret demonstrates how seriously she takes her bond with him. But it also creates tension with Tairn once the truth is revealed.
And then there’s the small matter of Xaden becoming venin. By the end of Iron Flame, Sgaeyl’s rider has undergone a fundamental change. Which raises some rather important questions about what that means for their bond. And, through Tairn, for Violet.
The rest of the squad and supporting characters
Because there are quite a few people at Basgiath, Aretia and Samara who deserve to be remembered.
| Character | What to remember from Iron Flame |
|---|---|
| Ridoc Gamlyn | Still loyal to Violet and still finding humour in situations where everyone else is understandably concerned about dying. |
| Sawyer Henrick | Develops a connection with Jesinia, learns to sign to communicate with her and loses a leg during the Battle of Basgiath. |
| Imogen Cardulo | Continues becoming closer to Violet while remaining deeply involved with the marked riders and the resistance. |
| Garrick Tavis | One of Xaden’s closest friends, stationed with him at Samara and involved in supplying weapons to the resistance. |
| Bodhi | Xaden’s cousin, a third-year rider with an ability to counter other signets. |
| Jesinia Neilwart | The scribe whose research and translations become essential to understanding the wardstone and the missing seventh dragon breed. |
| Brennan Sorrengail | Violet’s supposedly dead older brother, now working with the resistance under an assumed name. |
| Mira Sorrengail | Violet’s older sister, an established rider who must navigate the growing conflict and the secrets surrounding her family. |
And yes, I still think Jesinia deserves considerably more credit. While everyone else is flying around on dragons, fighting venin and making questionable relationship decisions, she’s helping uncover the information that could save an entire kingdom.
Never underestimate a woman with access to the Archives.
Iron Flame FAQ
What happens in Iron Flame?
Iron Flame follows Violet Sorrengail during her second year at Basgiath War College, after she discovers the truth about the venin, the resistance movement and her supposedly dead brother. While trying to rebuild her relationship with Xaden, she investigates ancient records to work out how to activate the protective wardstone in Aretia. Meanwhile, Basgiath’s military leadership is attempting to conceal the truth about the venin, an old enemy returns, and Violet discovers that Xaden has a second, dangerous signet. The story culminates in the Battle of Basgiath, where the wards protecting Navarre fall and Violet must find a way to restore them. General Sorrengail sacrifices herself to save Violet, and Xaden becomes venin while fighting to protect her. And somehow, Rebecca Yarros expects us to simply continue with our lives after that ending.
Does Jack Barlowe really come back in Iron Flame?
Yes. Jack survived the destruction of the tower in Fourth Wing because he had already begun channelling power from the earth and becoming venin. Nolon has been treating him, which explains his recovery and the unusual circumstances surrounding his return to Basgiath. Jack initially behaves as though he has changed, even helping Violet. However, during the final battle, he reveals what he has become and kills his dragon, Baide, to destroy the wardstone. He is imprisoned after the battle. And I would personally appreciate it if he could remain there.
Does Xaden turn venin at the end of Iron Flame?
Yes. During the Battle of Basgiath, Xaden fights a powerful venin leader known as the Sage. When he feels Violet dying through their connection, he channels power directly from the earth to defeat his enemy and save her. By doing so, he becomes venin himself. The final chapters reveal that Xaden is still searching for a way to reverse what has happened. However, when he visits Jack, he is told that there is no cure and that his hunger for more power will continue. The book ends without resolving what becoming venin means for Xaden and his relationship with Violet. Which is an extremely rude place to leave us, if you ask me.
Who dies in Iron Flame?
The most significant death is General Lilith Sorrengail, Violet’s mother. During the Battle of Basgiath, she sacrifices herself to restore the wards, taking Violet’s place so her daughter can survive. Jack Barlowe also kills his own dragon, Baide, during the attack on the wardstone. Sawyer is seriously injured and loses a leg, but he survives.
What is Xaden’s second signet?
Xaden’s second signet is a form of inntinnsic ability that allows him to sense people’s true intentions. He developed this power because Sgaeyl had previously bonded with his grandfather. Navarre’s military considers inntinnsics extremely dangerous, and riders who manifest these abilities are executed. Xaden has therefore kept his second signet hidden from almost everyone. Only Sgaeyl has known the truth. When Violet discovers it, the revelation creates another significant problem in their relationship. Because apparently, one extremely powerful magical ability and a secret rebellion weren’t enough for this man.
Why is Andarna so important in Iron Flame?
Andarna is connected to the seventh dragon breed needed to activate the protective wardstones. For most of the series, the characters believe that dragonfire from the six known dens is sufficient to create the wards. However, the ancient journals Violet and Jesinia investigate reveal that a seventh dragon breed is required. Andarna represents that missing seventh. Her fire becomes essential to restoring the wards during the Battle of Basgiath. Which makes Violet’s extraordinary bond with two dragons even more significant. I have said it before, and I will say it again. Never underestimate the little dragon.
Why does General Sorrengail sacrifice herself?
During the Battle of Basgiath, Violet is prepared to give her own life to restore the wards protecting Navarre. Her mother intervenes and takes her place. General Sorrengail sacrifices herself so Violet can survive, allowing the wards to be restored and protecting Basgiath from the attacking venin and wyvern. Her death reveals another side of a character who has spent much of the series appearing cold, controlling and emotionally distant. It doesn’t resolve every question surrounding her decisions. But it does demonstrate how far she is willing to go to protect her daughter. And I was not emotionally prepared for that particular development.
Does Violet forgive Dain in Iron Flame?
Violet’s relationship with Dain begins to change during Iron Flame. After the events at Athebyne, Violet has lost trust in him because he accessed her memories without permission and information reached his father. However, Dain begins making decisions that demonstrate he is willing to question the military system he has always believed in. One important moment occurs when Varrish orders him to access Violet’s memories during interrogation training. Dain refuses. This doesn’t automatically erase what happened in Fourth Wing, but it marks an important change in their relationship. And I appreciate that Violet doesn’t simply forget everything that happened because Dain has finally started making better decisions.
Is Iron Flame spicy?
Yes. Iron Flame continues the romantic relationship between Violet and Xaden, with open-door intimate scenes alongside the ongoing relationship tension. And considering the number of secrets these two are keeping from each other, there is quite a lot of tension. My full spice rating, chapter numbers and GraphicAudio listening notes will be included in my separate Iron Flame review. Because some scenes are better experienced with headphones. And your car’s Bluetooth does not care whether your family is sitting beside you.
What book comes after Iron Flame?
Onyx Storm is the third book in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series. The reading order is Fourth Wing, then Iron Flame, then Onyx Storm. The series is best read in order because each book builds on the events, character relationships and revelations of the previous one. And considering how Iron Flame ends, I genuinely don’t understand how anyone is supposed to finish book two and not immediately reach for book three. I have questions that need answering.
What Iron Flame sets up for Onyx Storm
By the end of Iron Flame, Violet has survived another devastating battle, helped restore the wards protecting Navarre and discovered the truth about Andarna’s extraordinary origins. But there are still quite a few things left unresolved.
- Xaden’s transformation. He has become venin, and the final chapters leave us with no confirmed way to reverse what has happened. Violet now has to navigate loving someone who has become the very thing they’ve been fighting.
- The danger beyond Navarre’s wards. Basgiath has survived, but the venin threat hasn’t disappeared. The people living beyond the wards are still in danger.
- Jack Barlowe. He’s imprisoned, but he knows considerably more about becoming venin than Xaden does. And his warning about the hunger for power raises some rather concerning questions.
- The future of the resistance. The resistance has been fighting a war that Navarre’s leadership has spent years concealing. The Battle of Basgiath changes the situation, but it doesn’t resolve the conflict.
- Violet’s family. Her mother is dead, her brother is alive, and Violet still has plenty of questions about her family’s involvement in Navarre’s military history.
- The dragons. Andarna’s origins have changed what we understand about the wardstones, while Xaden’s transformation raises questions about his bond with Sgaeyl and the connection between all four riders and dragons.
And, of course, there’s the small matter of Violet and Xaden’s relationship.
Because apparently, rebuilding trust after discovering your boyfriend has a secret second signet wasn’t complicated enough.
Now he’s venin.
And we have an entire third book to find out what that means.
My thoughts after Iron Flame
I went into Iron Flame knowing that Fourth Wing had already set up a much bigger story than simply surviving Basgiath and falling in love with a morally grey wingleader. But I don’t think I was fully prepared for just how much more complicated everything was going to become.
One of the things I love about this series is that Violet’s intelligence continues to matter. The history she’s spent her life studying becomes essential to understanding the wards and the secrets Navarre has been hiding. And even though she’s now a powerful lightning wielder, she still has to rely on her knowledge, her friends and her ability to work through problems that nobody else seems able to solve.
I also love how important the dragons have become. Tairn is still one of my favourite characters, and Andarna? Well. Apparently, my little golden dragon has been keeping secrets of her own. I’m so proud of her.
The relationship between Violet and Xaden is considerably more complicated this time around. And while I can understand why Xaden keeps so much information to himself, I can also understand why Violet finds it so difficult to trust him. They both have things they’re trying to protect. But keeping secrets from someone you love is going to have consequences. Especially when one of those secrets involves an ability that could get you executed.
And then there’s the emotional damage. Liam’s death was one of the hardest parts of Fourth Wing for me. Iron Flame gives us Sloane, who is trying to deal with the loss of her brother, and then takes General Sorrengail away from Violet during the final battle. I have complicated feelings about Lilith. But watching her give up her life to save Violet after everything that’s happened between them? That hurt.
And just when I thought the book had finally finished causing problems, Xaden became venin.
I beg your pardon.
The man has spent two books keeping secrets, trying to protect Violet and fighting against the very threat Navarre refuses to acknowledge. And now he’s become part of that threat himself.
I have absolutely no idea how Violet is supposed to navigate that.
But I need to know.
Immediately.
Before you pick up Onyx Storm…
If you need to go right back to where all of this started, you can revisit my Fourth Wing full book summary and character guide.
I’m also finishing my separate Iron Flame review, where I’ll be covering my personal reading experience, final ratings, GraphicAudio thoughts and the spicy chapters. Because after Fourth Wing turned me into a GraphicAudio person, I was always going to come back for more dragons, more Xaden and more questionable decisions involving fictional men.
As for Onyx Storm?
I need answers.
I need to know what’s going to happen to Xaden.
I need to know what Violet is going to do about it.
And I would particularly appreciate it if Rebecca Yarros could leave my favourite dragons alone for approximately five minutes.
That would be lovely.
But before we move on, I have one very important book club question.
Which Iron Flame moment did the most emotional damage: General Sorrengail’s sacrifice, Andarna’s seventh-breed reveal, or finding out Xaden had become venin?
Because I have thoughts about all three.
And I would very much like to discuss them with people who understand why I am still emotionally recovering from fictional dragons and the men who ride them.
