Dow Jones’s Reviews > Iron Flame > Status Update

Final chapter is Xaden’s. He wakes from a dream of his fight w/ Sage venin who says he’s just a general and forces him to choose between turning venin or dying so he can get to Vi instead. X slips out at night to visit Jack Barlowe in his cell to ask for a cure but he said there isn’t one & they’re like brothers now w/ insatiable thirst for power. Holy shit dude.

The crew’s all ok! Melgren wants Aretians to return since carcasses will tell Navarrians of their history of lies. X says all should return to Basgiath as Aretia’s wards already weakening. He also says she should be afraid of him. Gold-flecked onyx eyes w/ a red ring, is he venin now? Much better book than the first w/ more lore, characters, and fleshed-out world building.

fighting venin on dragonback & ground. Sawyer’s leg gets bitten off, V saves him. Ridoc ok? Jesinia reveals true liar, Lyra, & Andarna is 7th dragonkind, purple. V tries to raise ward on own but mom sacrifices herself & Sloane aids in siphoning her & dragon’s power. Mira arrives last minute w/o goodbye. X is dying. Melgren is a dick but his dragon helps. Dang dude, very intense. Andarna’s fire & venin head rip!

Warwick lied in his journal so new ward’s in danger. X’s 2nd sig is reading intentions. Melgren calls for a meeting, but there Brennan refuses to support Basgiath, revealing himself to mom & all. Samara isn’t in danger, Basgiath wardstone is, so V & co race to rescue. Mom helps & they meet Jack B who kills own dragon whose blood breaks Navarre wardstone. He’s venin, Nolon’s tried suppressing, 1000+ coming!

They’re attacked in a cave on a mission for runes. Solas attacks, Visia is killed, Vi saves Cat, who saves her in return. Andarna’s poison tail + Cat’s arrows kill Solas. Great adventuring & spelunking that I wish was longer. Sloane’s signet manifests & she’s a siphon who can drain power. X&V fight in hospital & I think he’s childishly always blaming V’s lack of questions for truth. X’s 2nd signet?

4 wyvern attack on patrol & Vi defeats them all in one strike. Slowly progressing w/ control. Fliers and riders will combine squads, but are first given a chance to challenge. Cat obvi picks Vi & cheats w/ her emotion-amplifying power. X steps in before Vi kills her & they fuck on his throne since he’s Duke of Aretia. Dain helps Vi translate & she now thinks it means 6 dragon flames for the wardstone, not blood.

Holy shit. They get journals, escape, Vi’s caught & brutally tortured, Dain cuts her loose, Xaden & co arrive and kill everyone, they hold formation to show Resson events, and those who believe en masse fly to Aretia. Devera, Emetterio, +2 profs, Jesinia +2 scribes join 100 riders and 200 dragons arrive. Vi’s mom seems to have been involved for a long time & is badass. Dain’s redeemed himself. Mira?

Threshing ends w/ Aetos sending 4 infantry assassins for Vi and they killed Eya but all are killed and Vi is saved from falling by Jack Barlowe and he calls them even. Now the squad knows everything and they’re en route w/ Aaric the Prince to the secret scribe sub-level to steal a book on wards, led by Jesinia. Very tense but cool now that the group is cohesive and working together!

Vi meets and learns of Xaden’s ex, Cat. Upon arriving back at Basgiath, Vi runs into Varrish & cronies outside her room and he wants to strip search her when her pack is emptied & clean, but Prof Kaori steps in clearing her charges of leaving. New dagger missing but Rhi’s signet power helped her secretly steal it and they demand to know more & Vi indulges finally. Prof Emmeterio is also on her side w/ warnings.

Dain refused to use his signet after Varrish asked him to when Vi’s squad was taken in for interrogation. Great chapters. They learn a bit about Vi’s treatment lately and catch on to more at play than what they’re told. It wasn’t Dain using Nolon’s resources, but resurrecting Jack Barlowe. Crazy. Then Vi hears and is signaled Xaden was seriously injured & takes off for Samara w/o leave and Xaden’s fine.