Wrath of the Dragons: A Novel

Fear the Flames #2

by Olivia Rose Darling

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In the explosive sequel to the bestselling romantasy Fear the Flames, two fated lovers must unite against warring kingdoms to defend their home and crowns from those who wish to destroy them.

Cayden Veles, renowned Demon Commander of Vareveth, overthrew the throne to save Elowen Atarah, the woman he searched for since childhood. Now he’s determined to fulfill his quest for revenge against her father, even if it means forcing the only person he’s ever wanted into a marriage of political convenience.

Elowen Atarah has everything she thought she’d ever want. Finally reunited with her dragons, she now has an army to enact vengeance, but as events transpire, she begins contemplating if she wants more. As her father’s only living heir, the Imirath throne is her right and destiny. But fighting and winning a war will require trusting Cayden Veles, her partner in crime and now king to her queen; the man she both longs for and doubts, especially after opening her heart only to become a pawn in his game.

Navigating the shifting allegiances amongst all the kingdoms of Ravaryn will require all their strategy and strength, with devastating and bloody attacks on one side and cutthroat diplomacy for alliances on the other. But Elowen and Cayden must find a way to stand strong within the power they’ve gained, or risk losing everything.

Delving deeper into a vast and ever-changing world, Wrath of the Dragons will take you on a journey filled with epic battles and a tender, angsty love for the ages.

Genres: Fantasy

Audible Audio

Published July 29, 2025

About the author

Olivia split her time growing up between New York and Manchester, VT. She developed a passion for writing from a very young age- always scribbling poems onto napkins and short stories into her school notebooks. She graduated from Pace University and attained a degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Lord of the Rings were her favorite movies growing up and formed her fantasy obsession. Being an author and living a life filled with words and magic has always been her dream.

Reviews

[Rachel (ravenhairedreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

writing this review through tears. a million/10 recommend. the ending is TORTURE BTW.

[⋆.˚dak ☾ .⭒˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ 💜 🐉 🍰 ⚔️ 📚 👑 🪴

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙”

𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝒹𝓇𝒶ℊℴ𝓃𝓈
𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 ℯ𝓁ℴ𝓌ℯ𝓃
𝚒 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝒸𝒶𝓎𝒹ℯ𝓃

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·

this book hit so hard 💘 i just love the overall story and vibe
𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘮𝘤, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝟻 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 🤝🏻 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗠𝗘 𝗨𝗣

the world expansion in this? beautiful
the plot? so fucking good
oh! and it’s dual pov in this one hehehe
also the found family is so good ILY💓

～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～

꧁ᬊᬁ 𝒸𝒶𝓎𝒹ℯ𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℯ𝓁ℴ𝓌ℯ𝓃 ᬊ᭄꧂

i love them your honor!! the YEARNING in this oh my!!! the way 𝒸𝒶𝓎𝒹ℯ𝓃 takes care of ℯ𝓁ℴ𝓌ℯ𝓃 🥹💕 (the house, the book?!! MY HEART) a new fav couple!!

➵ “𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚜. 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎, 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍”

➵ “𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸’𝚖 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍, 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜.“

➵ “𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚊𝚢𝚍𝚎𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚒𝚖, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.”

～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～

this is actually becoming a personal fav of mine to the point i might go change my rating on book 1 to a 5☆ listen, i know ✋🏻 it does lack a bit of world building BUT you don’t get it!!! (i prob won’t but yk) but really what an improvement from book 1 in world building LFG!!

that ending… *𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑* what do you mean?? WHAT DO YOU MEANNN?? *𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙*

so yeah i have a feeling book 3 is going to destroy me? heal me? idk but i will impatiently be waiting

✨ “𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓮 𝓶𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼 𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓪 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷” 📚

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️’s kindle edition
4.5⭐️’s audio edition, both narrators were phenomenal

“Elowen Veles. Prisoner, princess, dragon rider, queen.” Sign me up! This is a solid sequel to Darling’s compelling romantasy debut, Fear the Flames.

Wrath of Dragons begins with a somber atmosphere, where Elowen and Cayden have freed her bonded dragons and are focused on preserving their claim to Varaveth’s stolen throne. To solidify their crown they must accomplish the following: get married, forge alliances with other kingdoms, and defeat King Garrick in an inevitable war. This second installment has fleshed out quite a bit from FtF with greater character development, expansion in world building, and more dragon time (yes!!).

We see a darker, grittier side to Cayden and Elowen. Partnered in a political betrothal, their relationship has regressed from flirtatious and flippant to hesitant and strained. Elowen has to wade through recent trauma and Cayden is haunted by his past and his present desire to secure Elowen’s love and freedom. The addition of Cayden’s POV? Delicious, hot, dark. “Her presence alone is enough to make me, a man I thought beyond redemption, grasp at morality just to have at least a sliver of my soul be good enough for her.” His devotion to Elowen and the evolution of their relationship is just about perfection until becoming somewhat repetitive towards the end, losing some of its spark.

I have some mixed feeling about the world building, mostly positive. The introduction of other kingdoms and their rulers sets the stage for the upcoming war. Some of the descriptions and quests seem over saturated and could be tightened up. I just got a bit bored somewhere between 50-75% of the story. The magic system, while intriguing, is somewhat abruptly interspersed throughout. I have no complaints about the dragons. They are loyal to our FMC, majestic, and fierce.

Overall I mostly enjoyed this semi wild ride. If you loved FtF, you will most likely feel similarly about this one. And the ending? …left me upside down, dangling by my ankles, slowly blinking and wondering how I got there. There is no way I would have guessed the direction of this series, and I will be patiently waiting for the next installment.

[taylor ❤️‍🔥 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩, 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

wrath of the dragons picks up on the heels of fear the flames. cayden and elowen are gearing up for war as they are simultaneously trying to navigate their new life, and boundaries of their new betrothal. her dragons are free and elowen is re-forging her bonds with them, discovering things hidden deep within her in the process.

i really appreciated how the time was taken to explore cayden and elowens relationship, especially in the aftermath of the events in book one. elowen made that man work for her forgiveness and trust and it took a good chunk of the book to do so, as it should have. and the dual povs??? i mean, we know that man had endless love and devotion for elowen (to the point of murdering hundreds, if not thousands of people for her to get her kingdom back), but his perspective really drove it home and had me on my knees for him.

“𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞’𝙢 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨.”

if there is one thing that olivia rose darling knows how to do, it’s write an epic ending. and just like the ending of book one, the ending of wrath of the dragons is absolutely shocking. i’m not sure where i expected the story to go, but i am so excited for what the next book is going to bring. 👀

in the times that we’re living in, all books are political. darlings commentary on women, the fear of strong women and the right to education was incredibly relevant and struck me deep in my bones.

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
⚔️ found family
⚔️ groveling
⚔️ “my wife”
⚔️ dual povs
⚔️ morally grey/black mmc

𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨:

“𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞’𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

“𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠. 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨.”

“𝙞’𝙢 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙮.”

“𝙞 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙣𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝.”

“𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙪𝙥 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨, 𝙗𝙖𝙣, 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙮𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩. 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚.“

thank you olivia rose darling, delacorte press and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 🫶🏻

[Cydney]

I DNFd this at 38%.

Fear the Flames was somewhat mid to me, but I typically find that if I feel book 1 in a series is mid, book 2 blows my mind. However, that wasn't the case for Wrath of the Dragons.

A lot of the same issues I had with book 1 remain: it's overwritten—a LOT of telling and not showing—Elowen is both uninteresting and the most important person in the world, Cayden is down baaaad, bad and I can't figure out why or (when that happened) so their love story is unbelievable at worst and uninspired at best, the magic is flat, the world-building is boring, and the action scenes are muddled and confusing. To top all this off, Wrath of the Dragons was so painfully boring. It has the same formula as book 1 where there is a lot of down time and waiting around for things to happen, something happens—very quickly I might add!!!!! the action scenes are SO short—and then it's back to downtime and banter. Which, arguably, can be said about a lot of books. In such cases, it is pertinent to have MCs I can empathize with, enjoy journeying with, and am rooting for, especially when the book is over 500 pages. I can't say that I feel anything for this cast of characters.

I don't think this series is for me, but if you're the type to love dragon rider fantasy novels and the chosen one archetype, this might work for you.

Thank you to Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

[jenna 💘✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!!! Thank you Dell & Netgalley for the ARC!

Fear the Flames was a favorite of mine (still is) and Wrath of the Dragons was a fantastic continuation of Elowen & Cayden's story!

For the sake of spoilers, I won't say much BUT I loved this one!!! Its action-packed, with magic, power, politics, and so much emotion. Olivia Rose Darling does a wonderful job at giving her main characters so much depth, constantly exploring their minds and giving the reader the chance to really understand them. The pacing of this one was a little slow at the start for me, but definitely picked up as I went on! By the 40% mark I was absolutely hooked and needed to know where the story was going to go next.

I love Elowen & Cayden so much. Them as individuals and them as a couple. The tension, chemistry, and connection between them is UNREAL. Also, you get Cayden's POV in this one which was DELIGHTFUL. Their romance is just so powerful, so delectable, and I loved seeing it evolve in this!!! The spice is delicious, hot, and so perfectly done!!!

What I will say is that I'm sending Olivia Rose Darling my therapy bill after the ending of this one. I need the next book IMMEDIATELY. I'm still reeling and it's been a week!!!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too intertwined to ever be separated. Decay and time will attack our mortal flesh, but our souls will reside somewhere sorrow can’t find us, and I’ll keep her there, loving her until the very essence of what breathes life into our bodies is snuffed out.

🥺🥺🥺

[Allie Lueck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and Delacorte press for the early digital copy of Wrath of the Dragons.

Sequel to Fear the Flames, Darling's anticipated release combines everything I love in the romantasy genre. From dragons and unleashed powers to an intensely protective MMC willing to do anything for his love, this one has it all. In comparison to the first book, this one has a more intricate plot with new characters and world building to be explored. The writing kept me hooked the entire time, and I found myself connecting dots and theorizing which is always a good sign. The end still threw me for a loop though! Great read and couldn't recommend more. I can't believe I have to wait for the 3rd book.

[Lidia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ 4 stars ⭐

Wrath of the Dragons is a thrilling sequel in which the stakes are higher and the world much bigger. I found it to be a really enjoyable read that gripped me from the very first page.

Fear the Flames gave us the foundation of the world-building, but this book expands upon it quite a lot. This was one of my favourite aspects, since we could see how different each kingdom was in terms of culture, religion, magic, etc. I also appreciated that our main characters had to face both internal and external political issues, which, in my opinion, gave dimension to the plot.

The characters also felt three-dimensional. I loved how nuanced each of them were, especially the main group of friends. The fact that both MC were actually morally grey was a plus for me: they were selfish and they worked towards their own benefit and I am here for it. The new characters also added a lot to the story and I’m really excited to read more about them in future books. Apart from all of this, the dragons stole the show every time they appeared on page and them having such distinct personalities was a delight.

Regarding the romance, I enjoyed the tension and the angst that could be felt right from the start. The initial conflict didn’t make too much sense to me, but I did like that it was one-sided and both MC knew that it all stemmed from the FMC’s insecurities. Once they were past that, it was all smooth sailing and, honestly, perfect.

The plot was very entertaining, fast-paced and it hooks you up from the beginning. However, sometimes it felt like too much was happening and there was not a moment to breathe, mostly around the last third of the book. I also found the sequencing of some scenes confusing at times, meaning that you first read the action and then you read the explanation of what was going on, so it felt like you usually start in the middle of it. Luckily, this didn’t occur during any major plot points, so I wouldn’t consider it a major issue.

Overall, I really loved this book and I would recommend it to everyone who loves dragons, morally grey characters and high stakes romantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK | Zaffre and Olivia Rose Darling for the eARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Brittaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I'm knocking it down a star because the inner monologues of the characters were unnecessarily repetitive and drawn out throughout the entire book.

[Tia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 42% I tried so hard but I just don’t care about any of these people and the pacing makes no sense 💀

[Claire]

Nope cannot deal with this right now

[All_About_Them_Audiobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead***

Possible triggers: Abusive relationship, Assault, Attempted murder, Child abuse, Childhood trauma, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Self-harm, Torture, Violence, War

Overall star rating (out of 5⭐️): 3.75

Spice level (out of 5🌶️): 3 (open door with explicit scenes)

Content review: I absolutely loved the first book, but this was a bit of a let down. The two main characters make up fast after they last books cliffhanger. Then they get married and start getting allies for their war. A bit of a battles and then wth is that cliffhanger again? Underworld now? I’m so confused but I guess something has to come next, as the main evil guy is dead and there are two more books coming out? Anyway, I’m still invested but just a tat disappointed 😕

Narrator review: fantastic narrators! And I love that this audiobook has a male narrator ! 4 out of 5

Tags: dark vibes, dragons, evil creatures/monsters, fantasy, good banter, great storyline, high fantasy, magic, portals, political intrigue, revenge plot, romantasy, strong fmc,

Tropes: he falls first and harder, knife to throat, touch her and die

❤️ Love interest: Cayden x Elowen

[Christina Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

the ending kinda made up for it but not by much. the first half of the book was very slow paced. it was annoying how much was centered around repetitive issues that ended with the same answers. I felt like there wasn’t much character development for either one of them. I loved Finn in the first book and was a little sad we didn’t get to see much of those moments between him and Elowen in this book. I’m still processing the ending because what do you mean!? why were we even fighting in the first place against the dads army? (aside from revenge, which i guess good enough of an excuse but when you are putting your whole kingdom that you created, i would hope you thought of something else too). but don’t get me wrong, i still support females rights and wrongs but let’s just get a little more organized. we shall see if the next book is a little better and what it brings.

[Joy Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book was good, this was better. I don’t get teary often reading a book. If you can pull tears out of my eyes, you get 5 stars. I enjoyed the found family and the new characters. The world building and plot were right up there with the romance. The book was well paced and the ending set up book three to be something I will definitely read. I did not see that ending coming.

[Jessica ❥˚♑︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one! Can’t wait to read the next book. I will say, the map and the character list in the beginning was extremely helpful.

[Han · Rating 1 out of 5]

Death by glacial pacing and repetitive inner monologue

[Karsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

gulp….

[Angie Christou · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH COME OOOOOOOOOON!!
WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!
HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!

[Katie Gullo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read most of this in a flu fog but holy fuck the ending really got me 😩😩

[Ashley Holtby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not see that ending coming. CANNOT wait for book 3

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried for the entirety of the last 15 minutes of this book. 5 stars.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so so broken right now.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞’𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚”

cayden, once a feared demon commander and now the king of vareveth, overthrew the realm’s throne with one goal: to protect elowen - the girl he’s spent his life searching for. but with vengeance still burning in his heart, he’s ready to wage war against her father… even if it means binding elowen to him in a marriage rooted more in strategy than love

elowen has finally reclaimed her dragons and commands a powerful force, but claiming her birthright - the throne of imirath - won’t be easy. especially not with cayden by her side, a man she’s torn between trusting and fearing. as old alliances shift and kingdoms teeter on the edge of ruin, elowen must decide if her future lies in power… or in love

—

after loving fear the flames, i was beyond excited to get my hands on an arc of book two and oh my gods it delivered

first of all — the characters in this series have my whole heart. the banter between finnian, saskia, ryder, cayden and elowen is absolute perfection. the found family vibes? immaculate. i’m fully obsessed. we even meet a few new characters who left a big impression

the slow burn between el and cayden? flawless. the tension, the yearning, the way they both grow throughout this book - it made their moments together hit so much harder. and cayden?? 😮‍💨 that man could read a shopping list and i’d still swoon. his words??? i was feral

plot-wise, it was such a fun ride. i loved the court politics, travelling through different kingdoms, and getting deeper into the worldbuilding. the different royal families added so many layers and new dynamics to the story

and the ending… no because what. i was fully sobbing for the last 20 pages. olivia, ma’am, how dare you?? the twist was unexpected, painful, and SO GOOD. i genuinely did not see it coming and i haven’t recovered since

this series keeps getting better and i already know book three is going to ruin me in the best way

“𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩”

[Regina Blume · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2

I feel like I’m really missing something with this series. I saw so many review raving about how much better this was than book one and that was coming from people who both enjoyed book one and those who had problems with it. I was just pretty bored if I’m honest.

Nothing really feels like it happens here until the end and while in some books that just adds to the buildup it just felt like a massive drag for me here. I didn’t feel like any of the alliances they made were particularly challenging or interesting and the repetitive spice had me skimming.
Cayden makes me uncomfortable as a love interest at this point. He is literally obsessed Elowen in a way that feels like too much. This man does not have a personality beyond his obsession. His whole life has revolved around her since before he met her. When he’s not with her he’s doing things for her, when he is with her he’s falling over himself to meet her every whim and scare away anyone else who gets too close. If you’re reading this thinking it describes most MMC’s I don’t blame you but this is all he is as a character.

The dragons were also such a let down. For a book with dragons on the cover and in the title we see so little of them. They’re certainly always mentioned. They actually sound really interesting and I’d love more of them but for the amazing bond Elowen is meant to have with them they only get bought out when they need to fly somewhere or battle someone. They’re just convenient battle taxi’s.

Now I will admit the ending hooked me in a little. I found the earlier solution to the same events that occured in cliffhanger ending too convenient and easy but I like where this left us. Will I read the next book to see where it goes? Probably not. Maybe this series isn’t for me but ending on an interesting note was a highlight

[Belslibraryy · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME MATE…. OLIVIA I WILL BE SENDING YOU MY THERAPY BILL 😕😫

Okay… Wrath of the Dragons absolutely wrecked me—in the best way possible. I thought Fear the Flames was amazing, but this? Next level. Olivia really said “let me crush your heart and make you thank me for it.”

The world just keeps getting bigger and better dragons, politics, magic, all of it had me glued to the page. I loved how much deeper everything felt, like I was fully living in this world right alongside the characters. The side characters were on point, the banter was top tier, and the plot twists? Didn’t see half of them coming. And don’t even get me started on that ending… painful, perfect, and now I need the next book immediately.

Elowen has the softest heart, even if she doubts she’s enough after all she’s been through. Then there’s Cayden the cold, guarded man who’s only soft for her. Their love feels limitless, and every intimate moment between them is like a fresh love confession.


And that ending?? I’m still not okay. It was emotional, shocking, and honestly kinda cruel in the best way. I may have cried a little let me not lie. I closed the book both screaming and begging for the next one. The next book will be out NEXT YEAR???????? Fuming absolutely fuming!!!

[Paula D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I absolutely adored Fear the Flames, I found this sequel underwhelming. I should’ve known by the introduction list of the gods, houses and sigils, and name pronunciation guide (with 94 items in it, by the way) that this sequel was going to be a hot mess. On top of it being a hot mess, it wasn’t original. There were so many fantasy items, situations, and dialogue that I’ve read or seen before. It was a mixture of House of the Dragon (heavily), Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, The Witcher, Crowns of Nyaxia; I even read a line that took me to Avatar the Last Airbender. The new gods and magic system was such a wild card that had nothing to do with the first book, and to be honest nothing to do with this book until the last chapter. I wanted to DNF so bad, but I wanted to have receipts to dislike this book and I had already paid for it (and in this economy, you already know). The pacing was off. Part 3 was titled The War of Four Kingdoms which sounds epic, and it was anything but epic.

I’m just glad it’s all over, and I will not be picking up the next book in the series.

P.S. I will always love Cayden Veles (FTF).

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to pick this up despite not enjoying the first book—mainly because of fomo, but also because I was curious as to where the story was headed—and I’m glad I did! The audiobook was fun, and I loved that it was duet narration. The found family was sooo good, and the way this man loves her so LOUDLY. Cayden was the highlight of both books for me, and I’m absolutely obsessed with him.

This book was pretty fast paced, especially in the latter half. All of the world building that wasn’t done in book one was done in this. I appreciated the battle strategising, but I wanted more training scenes—despite the high stakes battles, we hardly saw them preparing or training. The past trauma Elowen apparently faced with her uncle felt random, seeing as it wasn’t previously mentioned or foreshadowed. The dragons still didn’t play as central a role as you’d expect, so hopefully they’ll become more prominent in later books. I enjoyed this book much more than the first, and the ending set up strong potential for book 3.