Tell your book besties!

You have most likely finished the book by now and you are looking for answers. Or you want to relive the book by going through some Iron Flame trivia.

Either way. I can completely sympathize.

My daughter hasn’t finished the book yet. I’m waiting (not very patiently) for her to finish so we can talk about all things Iron Flame. I need more. Puzzles. Theories. Questions. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and I don’t see the a way back out at this point.

Iron Flame Overview

Iron Flame came out on November 2, 2023, as the highly anticipated sequel to the smash hit Fourth Wing. It is the second book in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. The story continues to follow Violet Sorrengail, a dragon rider in the magical kingdom of Navarre, as she navigates her life at Basgiath War College. Picking up where Fourth Wing left off, Violet’s romantic relationship with Xaden Riorson remains uncertain, leaving readers eager for this sequel.

This thick, 600-page book is a rollercoaster of emotions and intense plot twists. It’s been a challenging but gripping read, keeping fans captivated while breaking their hearts at the same time. However, there’s a downside to the book’s quick release, which was rushed to maintain the momentum set off by Fourth Wing‘s success, including an Amazon TV series deal.

Some dialogues, especially those spoken by Violet, feel immature and out of place, considering the enchanting, war-torn setting of Navarre. The use of colloquial slang discussions of a love triangle can be jarring for readers expecting a high fantasy experience. Some have noted that the fact that Yarros uses modern-day language and slang consistently is part of the style of these books. It could be why they are more than moderately popular. Readers don’t have to decipher the meaning of words. They can just dive right into the world and stay submerged.

Additionally, the haste in publication seems to have resulted in errors in the special edition copies, such as mistitled Iron Flame copies, upside-down pages, variations in the map (or some that are also upside down), and missing icons in chapter headings. This has led to disappointment among fans who preordered these editions.

Despite these issues, Iron Flame remains an exhilarating read that had my heart racing throughout its two parts. There were moments when I was so nervous that my hands got clammy.

It took about 150 pages to get to a point where I was obsessed again. I thought about it while I was making dinner. Doing the laundry. I just wanted to get back to reading.

Iron Flame Trivia

1. What Major Varrish sees instead of a person. 
2. The name of the rebuilt town of the rebellion and Riorson family. 
3. A short quotation or saying at the beginning of a book or chapter, intended to suggest its theme.  
4. The signet of being able to read minds. 
5. What is the specific part of the forge that they use to intensify dragonfire so it gets even hotter to smelt the alloy to forge the weapons needed to kill venin?
6. What is the commemoration of the day upon which the separatists were defeated and the rebellion overcome? 
7. Name the province to the west of Poromiel. 
8. “It’s the _____ who hold all the power”.
9. What does Violet say is harder to kill than a dragon?
10. What happens to dragons during the Dreamless Sleep?
11. The squad that loses the fewest cadets between the Parapet and the Gauntlet is awarded with this patch.
12. “The second year is when the rest of us lose our _____.”
13. Who is the scribe who helps Violet find older books for answers?
14. “Varrish may have been my enemy before, but I have a feeling this just made Solas my ______.”
15. Dragon egg shells are _____ and still carry magic after dragons hatch.
16. What is the language where the runes originated from?
17. How many gryphons form a full drift? It is the same number to activate the wardstones.
18. The journals Violet and the others steal are in King ______ vault.
19. What is the surname Brennan chooses instead of Sorengail?
20. “The blood of the six and the one ______ and set the stone ablaze”
21. The type of language the power ruins are part of. Similar to Old Lucerish.

(for the answers, you can download the crossword puzzle and answer key in the Catalogue)

Iron Flame Book Club Questions

There are so many great talking points for this book. Tiktok is full of them. Reddit is overflowing. Even Facebook groups have discussions and chats. If you haven’t finished the book yet, it is going to get increasingly harder to avoid spoilers.

This page is no exception. Sorry about that.

There are over 20 questions ready to print and use in the Catalogue for your next Iron Flame Book Club. Feel free to leave other questions or talking points in the comments. If I get enough for a second handout, I will add it to the printables as well.

A Few Questions to Get Started

• Why do they need a luminary. Tecarus holds one and wants Violet to show him her signet of wielding lightning. Do you think she should do it?
• On page 7, Imogen says “Xaden has already taken responsibility for her”. What do you think she means by this?
• Why does Violet’s father say, “It’s the scribes who hold all the power.”?
• Xaden says that it is in the second year at Basgiath when Riders lose their humanity. Do you feel that is true for Violet and her squad?
• Do you think we will get more information on Violet’s father and his research as a scribe in book three? Mr. Sorengail was researching feathertails and then Violet bonds with one. Varrish says it is “ironic”. Violet corrects him and says, “coincidental”. But is it?

Theories for Book 3: After Reading Iron Flame

Violet’s Signet

Violet’s signet has something to do with being in Xaden’s dreams…maybe she is a type of inntinnsic too (which means she can read other people’s thoughts without having to be in physical contact with them).

Violet’s 2nd signet is going to be unique (like Andarna) and crucial in finding a cure for Xaden/all venin (something related to what makes Violet feel grounded: knowledge/information.

Her second signet could be either communicating with the dead, or that she’s an amplifier and able to boost the signets of those around her.

What Type of Dragon is Andarna

She is an older type of dragon, possibly royalty.

Andarna is referred to repeatedly as the six and one combined. Her scales shine different colours, so she could be other breeds in one dragon.

Who is The Leader of the Venin

There are two occasions where someone named General Daramor is mentioned.

1. The first mentions that he ruined the land of the Barrens during the Great War.
2. The second names him as the enemy of the First Six during that same war. This general was on the bad side of the war. It’s possible he is the sage because: he tells Xaden he is a general, not a sage. He tells Xaden that he will turn “for love”. The name Daramor, in Spanish, means to give love. It is a double meaning.

It has also been suggested that Naolin (the one who burned out saving Brennan) is now the Sage or a leader in the Venin army.

Other Theories of What’s To Come

Nolon knew Jack was a venin and he was an experiment. Nolon has been mending Jack and developing that signet numbing serum to keep him in control as well as limit his abilities. That was why Jack was allowed to roam around and be part of the cadets again. After Varrish’s death, he was probably not receiving the serum anymore and could communicate with the venin leaders.

In Chapter 66, top section, Nolon writes a letter to the general “We have tried every method we know of, as you requested. There is no cure. There is only control.” During their squad games when they stole the map, Violets finds a dagger on her mom’s desk, with ruins carved in it. The same ruins used in daggers to kill venin. General Sorengail asked Sloane to siphon her power to imbue the stone, instead of directly touching it with her hands. If Lilith put her hands on the stone, she would have harnessed the power that Violet put in there. She couldn’t touch it directly.

Or, her father was a venin. His thirst for knowledge led to a thirst for power. Violet’s mom killed him with the dagger that was on her desk after they couldn’t find a cure.

Tell your book besties!