I have been waiting to read this novel for awhile now. Once I heard this bestselling novel of 2023 had dragons, I knew I had to read it. The hype for it and the sequel were high. At a local community event before I left for my trip, I put a silent bid on the hardcover of Iron Flame and won it while I was on my trip. With that in mind, I knew I would wait until I got home to read the sequel even though I got both ebooks for this trip. I also wanted to make sure I had at least a couple of days to read this anticipating from the hype and a friend that I needed time and energy for it.

It took me a couple days. I listened to 60% of it on audiobook because it was convenient. I was not a big fan of the narrator. It was not the easiest to differentiate what was being said and what was being thought out or the different people. It is not the best audiobook I’ve listened to recently.

The book was fun. I saw the similarities to other zeitgeist fantasy or sci-fi series like Harry Potter, Twilight, and Hunger Games. It has the dark academia which has been trending in book culture the last couple of years. It had the thriller, action, and high stakes. It’s been hyped most of it all for the romantic aspects because the other series were YA. This one is an explicit fantasy series written by a seasoned romance author. I have mentioned that I have liked fantasy romance including in the Daughter of the Moon Goddess Duology and most recently the Emily Wilde Encyclopedia of Faeries. The romance in this book was fine but there was a bit too much lusting for me personally. I don’t care about smut scenes much either. I was not as emotionally attached to the romance like I was the other two aforementioned series. I do like most of the characters. I love dragons and wish there were more of them. This book did have good pacing and world building. I wish there were more moments of coziness because it’s relentless training and action. It wouldn’t hurt to have more daily life like rest and food moments even in a war college settting. Other than that, good stuff. I look forward to the rest of the series.

4.25/5 stars. Audiobook 1.3x speed. Ebook on kindle. December 28-30, 2023.