*MILD SPOILERS AHEAD*
​I had a hard time getting into this book back in October when it was gifted to me as a birthday present. I started it, slogged slowly through Part 1, and eventually set it to the side to avoid descending deeply into a reading slump. But, finding myself with ample time on break between semesters, I returned to this story and got utterly sucked in. It seems taking a break and returning to it was exactly what I needed, because the originality of this fantasy world and its strong characters is just so incredibly intoxicating. This novel manages to be character-driven despite the central conflict hinging on a literal war. And not just any war---a war waged by once-slumbering gods, rising and reminding mortals that myths are still capable of becoming reality. This book felt like a lovely twist on historical fiction while remaining entrenched in a setting capable of magic. The enchanted typewriters of our two main characters, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, are reminders enough of the presence of magic. I absolutely devour any sort of academic rivals to lovers trope set in front of me, and this was one of the best I've read since Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Fairies earlier this year. I wasn't quite sure how Ross would go about developing the unique relationship Iris and Roman share, specifically since Roman knows he's writing to Iris through their typewriters while Iris has no idea. I greatly appreciated that, while the miscommunication" trope made an appearance, it didn't overstay its welcome. In fact, I appreciated even more the depiction of Iris and Roman's war-time marriage since it reflects the real life stories of so many couples deciding to commit to each other in the face of war, albeit not god-inflicted. I found Iris' and Roman's romance to be tasteful and full of the kind of wit and banter that should be expected from two young writers inclined to competition and flirtation. I audibly screeched, physically kicked my feet, and shed a few tears as the novel progressed, especially when the romance that began on pieces of paper slipped underneath wardrobes blossomed into the truth of who Carver really was and what Iris decided to do with the truth. I didn't think any of the authenticity of their relationship was diminished in the process. I also loved the depiction of Iris' grief. It was raw in the most relatable way I can dreg up from my own brushes with intense emotion, especially in how it was described to assault her in waves, leaving her ravaged one moment and fine the next. The final page's reveal of what Roman had written to Iris right before she left for the front lines hit me right in the stomach---it made the cliffhanger ending all the more bittersweet for me. I'm itching to get my hands on a copy of the sequel when they're released the day after Christmas, and hoping we'll see more of Dacre and Enva in its plot.



Some of my favorite quotes from Divine Rivals:

"She has to survive this, Roman thought. He didn't want to live in a world without her and her words."

"I am coming to love him, in two different ways. Face to face, and word to word."

"It’s not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless. Iris, look at me. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And I intend to see that you have it."

"And I’m not afraid to be alone, but I’m tired of being the one left behind."

"How do you make your life your own and not feel guilt over it?" 

*MILD SPOILERS AHEAD*
This may have been my most anticipated read of 2023. Reading Fourth Wing earlier this year while on a family vacation certainly made it easier to jump right into this sequel. And wow wow wow, this series is addictive. I don't know if it's the writing style, the actual concept, or the execution of the actual concept (which has the potential to be cliche or over the top), but both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame have simultaneously gotten me out of and put me into reading slumps (however that works). I'll gripe about some of the things I wasn't the biggest fan of to get it out of the way. This book is significantly longer than the first, and I think a hundred or so pages could probably have been pared down or revised. I understand this is more of a war book than Fourth Wing, so more politics and world building related to the multiple sides of the war were necessary for the plot. But I got lost a few times and sort of zoned out. I never reached a point of confusion I couldn't come back from, but some character names were definitely jumbled and forgotten along with specific details concerning the location of venin and all that jazz. I also thought the development of Jack Barlowe's character was a little too vague. The plot twist discovery of him being alive was actual insanity, but then we don't really see him impact the plot again until the very end. I'm trying to remember that this series is supposed to eventually be five full books. Maybe the full impact of Jack's presence will show itself. Anyways, on to some things I adored. For starters: Violet Sorrengail. She is one of my favorite main female heroines for so many reasons, chief among them being her awareness of her weaknesses. Rather than letting the limitations of her body keep her from the badass things she does, she embraces those limitations and uses her crazy cleverness to excel. I also adore her because she is genuinely so smart; several characters remind her time and again that she has the mind of a scribe and the heart of a rider for a reason. And she also differs from other heroines in her ability to say, "Yeah, I am hot" when dark-and-scary-with-a-soft-spot kinds of guys show interest in her (#loveXaden). A good chunk of the novel sees Violet and Xaden realize they both have to open themselves up to vulnerability even when a war is on the brink of beginning if they want their relationship to survive, and I think the new things we learn about each of them, mainly Xaden, makes the novel that much more interesting. The ending had my jaw on the floor (Yarros really knows how to write a cliffhanger, I'll give her that), and what the hell it means for all the work Violet and Xaden put in for the sake of their love and the lives of the Empyrean is what I'll be wildly wondering until we get the third installment of this series. 

​

Some of my favorite quotes from Iron Flame:

"Violence, remember it's only the body that's fragile. You are unbreakable."

"You’re my gravity. Nothing in my world works without you."

"I think I liked you better before you decided that feelings were something we need to discuss."

"Love doesn’t even have the decency to die. It just transforms into abject misery."

"I can handle pain.” I turn toward her. “I live in pain. I practically built a house there and set up a whole economy. I can take whatever they dish out."