Once again, another fun listen — but I do have to complain. It’s incredibly annoying that they broke the book into two parts, “Part 1 of 2” and “Part 2 of 2.” That meant I had to use two Audible credits just to get one book, which honestly feels a bit ridiculous.
This book picks up right where Iron Flame left off, with Violet and Xaden back at Basgiath, trying to help with the ongoing war and everything that comes with it. I really liked how the story delved deeper into Violet’s relationships — not just with Xaden, but also with her siblings and the people around her. It explored more about the war, the politics, and even the other continents, which I truly enjoyed reading about.
In this book, we finally get to learn about the seventh breed of dragon — the Ares Andanus breed — and uncover more details about it. I won’t go into spoilers, but it was fascinating to see how it fits into the larger world. We also get more insight into Violet’s past and her parents’ history through their journals, which is a change from the previous books, where we mainly saw journals from the professors about the dragon breeds. This shift gave the story a more personal perspective while still expanding our understanding of the world. While the story is still told entirely from Violet’s point of view, these added elements let us see what other people think and how the world works beyond her direct experiences — something I really appreciated.
I really liked the pacing in this book — it flowed well and was genuinely enjoyable to read. However, I didn’t enjoy the romance as much this time. It felt like a lot. I know The Empyrean series leans toward fantasy romance, but I expected a better balance between the two. There were so many scenes focused on Violet and Xaden’s relationship that it sometimes distracted from the main plot. When they should have been strategizing about the war or finding ways to defeat the dark wielders, they were often talking about their love life instead. Don’t get me wrong — their relationship is important, but at times I found myself wishing the story would focus more on saving the world. Still, everything tied together nicely in the end, and it ultimately worked — I just think some of the romance could have been toned down.
I really enjoyed the action scenes in this book. Not many young adult authors can write battle sequences well, but Rebecca Yarros did an excellent job here. The depictions were vivid and exciting, and the world-building felt even richer than before. Overall, I liked nearly everything about this book.
The ending, though, was a total cliffhanger — and now I can’t wait for the next installment. I have no idea when it’ll be published, but I’ll be waiting patiently because I need to know how it all ends. The final battle in this book was especially well written — intense, emotional, and satisfying. I loved the way everything came together in those final chapters. Still, that ending left me desperate for more. I just hope the author manages to deliver a strong conclusion to the series, because wrapping up something this big is never easy.