I loved Fear the Flames, literally reading it in 24 hours. This book dragged with almost no forward plot momentum for 60%. It could have been half the pages easily. The last 40% picked up somewhat. But overall, the book suffered from pacing issues. Lots of thoughts in both main characters heads that were ridiculously repetitive. When the book stated picking up, I feel like it would slog through overly detailed battle scenes. And for a book called Wrath of the Dragons, there was a very tiny percentage of dragon action. Overall, it has major 2nd book vibes. I will not be rushing to buy book 3 until I see how others feel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Olivia, my heart is shattered. The way I absolutely sobbed the entire last 4%.

The absolute emotional rollercoaster of abuse this book offers should be illegal, I loved every second. Bringing Cayden’s POV into this book, along with his character development was breathtaking, truly beautifully written. The depth of characters, character development, the easy world building, masterpiece. The found family, the yearning, the love that is shared within the found family. The banter, nobody does banter like Olivia Darling’s very own Cayden Veles. He truly is everything I want in a MMC. Having more access to the dragons in this book was a huge love of mine, learning about them & their personalities was so fun. Although magic was in the last book, Olivia definitely brought in more magic & dove further in the world of magic. It was unique & felt refreshing instead of over done & repetitive like typical fantasy.

I read Fear the Flames back in March of 2023, before Olivia was picked up & traditionally published. She cured my Fourth Wing hangover. I then received an ARC of the re-write of Fear the Flames which again, ate up & loved every second of it. I’ve been waiting TWO years for this sequel & it did not, for one second, disappoint. I was constantly in a state of wanting to devour it & savor every single word.

Cayden & Elowen, I love you. I’ll see you in book 3, that I pray is already in the process of writing because I am a mess.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, I am now going to go sob for the next 5-7 business days while I try to recover my broken heart.

First of all, thank you so much to Dell Romance for sending me an ARC of one of my most anticipated books!

I was so excited to be able to enter this world again, and it picks up right where Fear the Flames left off. This book was everything! it made me cry, it made me angry, and it made me feel love! The author captures everything so beautifully, and the pacing of the book is just amazing. I loved that we got Cayden’s POV in this one—I was so excited! It added so much depth to his character. I literally can't wait to reread it and listen to the audiobook! We also get more world-building in this book, and it was incredible to finally explore more of the kingdoms we saw on the map.

Now on to the characters. First of all, I have to start with Elowen—I absolutely love her. She’s strong, stubborn, and cunning. I especially loved seeing her interact more with her dragons; the bond between them is just so sweet.
Then we have Cayden. Okay, he is perfect—caring, overprotective, and full of yearning. Getting his POV let us see a side of him we hadn’t before, and it was just wonderful. Their relationship in this book was everything from the yearning to the sweet and the hot romance.
We also have our side characters. Honestly, my favorite is Finnian he’s so sweet and funny. Ryder and Saskia are also wonderful.

Okay, this book was just everything and left me wanting more. I can't wait to see what happens in book three because that cliffhanger left me sobbing!

This was one hell of a book. I loved evdry single minute of reading it and couldn't put it down for very long before I was ready to go back to it!

Wrath of the Dragons was everything a romantasy sequel should be—bigger, bolder, and even more breathtaking than its predecessor. Picking up where Fear the Flames left off, this book hurled readers straight into a storm of vengeance, passion, and political peril, with Elowen and Cayden at its molten core.
Elowen shone brighter than ever—resilient, cunning, and torn between her birthright and the man who both rescued and betrayed her. Her dynamic with Cayden crackled with intensity, tension, and aching vulnerability. Their relationship was an exquisitely painful slow burn, full of longing and mistrust, but always underpinned by the undeniable bond they shared. Watching them navigate their reluctant alliance-turned-marriage while waging a brutal war was thrilling and deeply emotional.
Cayden, as always, was the perfect morally gray love interest—ruthless when needed, soft only for her. His inner conflict and buried tenderness added so much depth to the high-stakes drama, making every stolen moment between them hit even harder.
The worldbuilding expanded beautifully in this installment, with brutal battle scenes, cunning political plays, and vividly imagined kingdoms. The dragons were magnificent, but it was the emotional stakes—love hard-won, loyalty tested, and power claimed—that truly gave this book its fire.
Wrath of the Dragons was a masterclass in angst-filled romantasy, delivering everything I craved and more. I laughed, I raged, I swooned—and I’m already desperate for the next chapter in Elowen and Cayden’s saga.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to receive this ARC because I loved the first book. This one did not let me down! This installment focused quite a bit on Cayden and also the politics of court. Also, readers get to experience Elowen and Cayden’s relationship facing some challenges. The book ends with a cliffhanger that will make many of us lose sleep. But I can’t wait for the next installment! Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and dear Olivia Rose Darling for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Did I finish the book? Or did it finish me? That is my currently mental state. I am in a glass case of mixed emotions. The cliffhanger makes me want to go stare at a wall.

This was BY FAR the most perfect follow up to a debut.

I don’t want to give too much away, as this was an advanced copy, but you are all NOT ready for this.

⚔️Cayden POV (enough said)
⚔️Dragons
⚔️Politics/War
⚔️Ancient Language
⚔️Celestial Undertones
⚔️ALL. THE. YEARNING.

I can’t believe I got to read this early. I’m forever grateful and thankful.

OLIVIA. I NEED THERAPY. This was positively brutal and I honestly cannot deal with the last 5% in any sane way except stare at a wall until book 3 is released. I fear I will not recover from this. I fear this world is one I want to stay in and I want to fight the battles they are fighting, THE FOUND FAMILY VIBES are also unreal. UGH. help. BRUTAL.

4.5 ⭐️

okay soooo wrath of the dragons absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. like, i was not prepared for how much this book was gonna eat. it had me by the throat emotionally, mentally, spiritually—olivia rose darling didn’t come to play.

first of all: cayden. veles. the man is insane for elowen and i fully support it. every chapter from his pov was pure serotonin AND heartbreak. his inner monologue??? his trauma??? his obsessive loyalty??? like babe are you okay (no) but also i love you so much. he’s the blueprint. he’s the moment. he is book husband material and there’s no debate.

and elowen??? my soft but stabby dragon queen. she bakes, she reads, she leads armies. she’s healing and hurting and still choosing kindness and that’s literally so powerful. her growth from book one to now??? ICONIC. she’s my emotional support character now, sorry.

yes okay the first chunk of the book was a little lore-heavy and the world-building kinda dragged at times—felt like a fantasy wikipedia article tbh—but once the pace picked up it was straight ✨ unhinged excellence ✨. battles, betrayals, DRAGONS with big personalities, plot twists that made me pause and scream into my pillow. i was living.

also can we talk about the found family vibes??? the way ryder, finnian, and saskia ride or die for elowen and cayden is SO REAL. they’re the definition of “i’d kill for you, literally just say the word.” every interaction made me wanna hug them and sob.

and THAT ENDING. i was feral. like i had a tiny theory about what might happen but i wasn’t ready for the emotional damage when it actually did. the cliffhanger?? illegal. i need book 3 injected into my bloodstream immediately.

this book had me tabbing every third sentence, crying over random lines, and fully losing my grip on reality. it’s giving war, it’s giving romance, it’s giving pain but also hope.

honestly i only docked half a star bc the beginning was a little slow and there were moments in big group scenes where i was like wait who’s even talking rn??? but otherwise??? perfection. vibes immaculate. dragons elite.

if you want something to destroy your soul and then kiss it better, this is it. long live the dragon queen 🐉🖤

This was a slow steady build but by part three, we really cranked up! The battle scenes were awesome and the cliffy was very well done. C&E were spectacular as always, can’t wait for more!!

One of my favorite series of all time and couldn’t be more thrilled to read this early and add to our library collection. This book was even better then the first, great world building and expansion and the romance was just incredible. Cayden is a man down bad! The lines he said the yearning! There was so much action and battles I loved it. Plus that ending WOW. One of the craziest endings and more unexpected I’ve ever read. Can’t wait to add to our library!

This book was heart wrenching for me. It took a while for Cayden and Elowen to work through their issues and find their way back together in this second book of the series. Elowen is such a strong character and felt betrayed. The battles were intriguing and plentiful. The ending was unexpected and will leave readers begging for the next book in this epic adventure.

First, thank you NetGalley and Olivia Darling for the eARC.

Oh. My god. I enjoyed this book SO much. Fear the flames was my first read of 2025, so I was so thrilled I got to read Wrath of the Dragons early.
The story is amazing, the found family and love in these books are unmatched. Elowen is one of my favorite FMCs, strong and relatable. Cayden? 😮‍💨 I loooved having his POV this book.
The ending absolutely threw me for a loop. When’s book 3? 😂

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The second book in the series, I won't say much because of spoilers but this was such a propelling read. I really enjoyed he mix of the couple we fell in love with in the first book, the continuation of their chemistry and banter filled dynamic, on top of the propelling plot forward. I am so ready for the third book!

I can’t even believe I’m typing this! Fear the Flames was my FAVORITE book of 2024 and this is the highly anticipated second book in a four book series. I fell head over heels in love with these characters and I am so incredibly grateful to be able to receive an early ARC copy to read and review.

This is such a comfort story for me (even though not a single character has ever known comfort in their lives) and I can’t wait for it to be released into the world on July 29,2025. I need everyone to pick it up so we can all gush about it afterwards💙

✦ Read if you love:
🐉 Epic battles filled with dragon riding, magic and strategy
💍 Marriage of inconvenience (but not really?)
❤️‍🔥 Dual POV
🌙 “My wife” moments
🌊 Overseas journey
⚔️ Stabby FMC & lethal MMC
🔥 Burn the world for him/her vibes

✦ Review:
5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The writing is absolutely captivating and it’s just so easy to just get lost in the story. The world Olivia has created is so dream-worthy and the way she phrases/describes things is stunning. I’m not kidding when I say I highlighted full pages on my kindle -several times- because everything was just *chefs kiss*

The added dual POV was definitely the right move for the second book. I ate up every word that came out of Cayden Veles mouth and it was interesting to be in his head and understand him more. Prepare to swoon, scream and suffer. 🗡️

I am still very much crashing out after that ending. I need to go back and reread the last 5 chapters to fully process what happened - but I am LOVING the direction book 3 is going.

As much as I love ARCs…. What am I supposed to do with my life now? Now I have EVEN LONGER to wait for book 3?? I’ll go stare at a wall I guess. 🥺

I have dying to read the sequel since I finished the first and I was not disappointed. Picks up right where we left off and has great pacing throughout the book. And the ending…oh boy. Now I have to not so patiently wait for the next one. If you have not read the first one, Fear the Flames hurry up and do so so you grab this one when it comes out.

Thank you @itslivdarling and @netgalley for allowing me to review this arc. Below are my honest thoughts.

✨✨TO MY BESTIES! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ FEAR THE FLAME PLEASE KEEP SCROLLING THIS IS BOOK 2 OF A 4 BOOK SERIES✨✨

Where to begin? This was ♾️ ⭐️’s. This book broke me and healed me. I was laughing and crying in so many parts of this book because of how beautifully written it was.

The character growth in Elowen and Cayden had you respecting both of them as they navigate the next steps in a life they have just been trying to survive in up until now. The cliff hanger they leave you on at the end of book one shows how much pain and distrust it put into their relationship. While Cayden and Elowen navigate their relationship and themselves they also are prepping for war on the kingdom that has caused them both so much pain.

The book navigates through them learning how to make alliances, enjoy the friends they have and each other when possible. It shows it in a raw emotional way as time and time again in this story something happens and you see life isn’t always promised or favors you.

By the end I was holding my breath. I now need book 3 asap because once again Ms. Olivia Rose Darling nailed it and I cannot wait for everyone to be able to read this when it gets released this July!

#wrathofthedragons #netgalley #oliviarosedarling #fantasy #romantasy #dragons #battles #friendship #mustread #recommend #fivestars

That was such a fantastic read!

Everything about it was thrilling! It felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster the entire time, and I never wanted it to end. The end of the book literally gave me whiplash, but I don't regret the experience one bit.

The romance was especially sweet and adorable, and the spicy scenes were definitely spicy 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️

The first 40% of the book was slower paced. It focused almost entirely on the angst and tension between Cayden and Elowen, which was fun to read at first. But at a certain point I was ready for them to fully reconcile so that we could get to the juicy bits of the story.

There were a lot of info dumps about the gods and their lore during that first half of the book, most of which I found myself skimming inadvertently. There just wasn't enough dialogue or character interactions to break up those long paragraphs of world-building.

But once the pacing picked up around the halfway mark, it never let up.

The battle scenes were so exciting, and the new characters that were introduced were really interesting and fun to read about.

I also loved the continued development of all the relationships between Cayden, Elowen, Saskia, Ryder, and Finnian. It felt like revisiting old friends, and the found family trope is always a good time.

I also feel like it has to be said that a lot of the major elements of the story do seem to be borrowed from other fantasy novels/TV shows, but it honestly didn't bother me that much.

The second half of the book was just too good, and that cliffhanger was insane! I can't wait for book 3!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

When I started reading, I didn’t realize that this series wasn’t complete. Having known that while reading, the overall plot would have made more sense. Third book came more like it was setting up book 3, rather than advancing the characters. There is a lot of battle strategy in this. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t get into that. The relationship, a marriage of convenience evened up feeling more in the background. Overall I love where the author is taking the story and I will absolutely read book 3.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly think this series is underrated. The story is interesting and I never feel bored with it. Usually with a second book in a series, the book tends to be boring and info dumpy but I think this book did a pretty good job of balancing everything out so it doesn't feel like everything is thrown at you at once. I think the characters have good arcs that don't feel forced and I'm actually interested in their development. I found myself having a hard time putting it down and I look forward to reading more from this author. It's a nice and easy read to get out of a reading slump as well as being a good sequel. I also looooooove Dual POV books so I enjoyed that it was told this way.