This was such a fun second installment to "Fear the Flames"!! I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of Elowen and Cayden's story! I loved it even more since it had Cayden's POV and we got to take a peek inside his mind and see his love for Elowen. We follow Elowen and Cayden as they navigate marriage, a new kingdom, and everything that comes with it. THE YEARNING was SO GOOD. Olivia Darling writes yearning and tension so well between our main characters! I felt that the plot was carried throughout the book nicely, and the romance developed organically alongside the plot. There were times when I felt Elowen lingered in her hurt with Cayden, only to forgive him quite suddenly. That part felt a little choppy to me, but otherwise, I have no complaints. I feel that Cayden's POV made this book 10x better, and I hope his POV continues in the next book! Something about dual POV always does it for me. The found family, dragons, banter, and romance added so much to this story! This is such a unique storyline, and I'm so invested!

And don't get me started on the ending of this book! It was like everything hit the fan in the last 10% of the story, and it left my jaw on the floor. I will definitely be picking up the third book when it comes out! I need to know how Elowen and Cayden get through this and her poor dragons <3

Thank you so much for the eARC of this book!

4.5 Stars

This was a phenomenal sequel to Fear the Flames. The amount of romance balanced perfectly in my opinion with the action and actual plot of the story.

We got both Cayden and Ellowen's POV in this book, which I think added so much to the overall feel of the book and the flow in the way the story was told. Darling left us off with an amazing cliffhanger that I think will take the story in a unique and interesting direction. The amount of action and emotions that were packed into the las 20% of this book made it extremely difficult to put down when life happened. Wonderful second installment in this series, and I cannot wait until we get the next one.

Oh my god MY HEART. This book was everything! Olivia really stepped up to the plate and made this series into something entirely new! WOTD is a fantastic sequel which expands on the world and characters, is filled with quests, war strategies, and more prophecies to unfold. Elowen comes into her own with her capabilities as a solider and ruler while maintaining her softer side, striking the perfect balance of her duality. Cayden. Cayden Cayden Cayden. THIS IS A MAN WHO YEARNS YALL. I was on a highlighting frenzy because everything he thought and said was so romantic and epic. Elowen and Cayden’s relationship is on track with being one of the best I’ve ever read. You get everything you could ask for from a sequel and then some.

Thank you eternally NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced copy. Everyone please read this series!

i’m not rating this as it’s gonna be a soft dnf for now. idk if i just need to reread Fear the Flames and then go straight into this but it’s been a huge info dump the first 17% and i have not a clue what’s going on and Elowen being as angry with Cayden as she is, especially for a reason that’s sorta hypocritical, is personally getting on my nerves. i’m really hoping that this is a me problem with not remembering much from book 1 and not a total flop. BUT i will say, this is a huge reason as to why i will always wish that more authors put recaps in the beginning of their books following a series. especially books in the romantasy genre and ones that have a lot of world building come book 2 that wasn’t in book 1. this absolutely doesn’t mean that other readers will feel the same way and i’m sure that those who loved book 1 and took the time to annotate or reread book 1 before jumping into this will love it. maybe one day when the full series is out, i will binge read the whole thing and love it completely!

thank you to netgalley and Delacorte Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. i am going to try and get back to this before release day though

I was so into "Fear the Flames", I loved it! But this was not it
Honestly it was about 200 pages too long. There were so many scenes and characters that did not need to happen, it just postponed the ending. I almost had to force myself to finish it.

I did still enjoy the core characters. Cayden said all the right things at the right times. Elowen was strong and a leader, but also so weird about her dragons. And I had to skip every sex scene, it was a bit too much for my taste, and each one was SO LONG.
I had really high hopes for the second book. But it fell flat for me.
The ending was fun, but with the new magic and world exploration, I don't think I care to continue.

Unfortunately this did not live up to Fear the Flames for me, instead I found myself bored and trudging through. The pacing was an issue. The writing felt clunky and like individual scenes that were just written on their own and then filed in chronological order. No one is sadder about this than me.

"I was born into a world that doesn't accept my power, but I'll carve a place here for myself and my dragons with both blades and flames."

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an ARC of Wrath of the Dragons in exchange for an honest reivew.

Wrath of the Dragons picks up pretty much exactly where Fear the Flames left off with Elowen and Cayden settling into their new home and learning how to be king and queen as well as figuring out where their relationship stands after the revelations that came out at the end of Fear the Flames against the backdrop of the oncoming war.

Oh where do I even begin with this book?! I loved every single page of this book from beginning to end! Cayden, the man that you are is something not of this world in the best way possible. He understands the stakes and the danger that Elowen is in, however he doesn't hold her back or try to tell her that she can't fight her own battles. Instead, he is the first one to stand behind her and encourage her to do whatever is needed and that he will be there if she needs him. The banter in this book has to be mentioned! It is so entertaining and so fun between all of the characters that were established in Fear the Flames as well as some new cast members that I can tell are going to be fan favorites as the series goes on especially Zale and Zarius.

The emotional rollercoaster I went on throughout this book was so real but I loved every minute of it from the fun of the first 20-30 pages to the crazy battle in the middle of the story to the horrific and mean cliffhanger at the end of the book. I think the cliffhanger at the end of this book is going to cause "Onyx Storm" level anger within the fanbase and I can't wait to experience it.

Overall, I loved this book so much and I'm so sad that I have to wait for the next book to come out before I can get more of Cayden and Elowen but I know it will be worth it and I can't wait to read it.

If you loved Fear the Flames, do not miss this amazing sequel! If you haven't read Fear the Flames, do yourself a favor and pick it up! 5/5 stars!

Wrath of the Dragons is the second book in a Fantasy Romance series from Olivia Rose Darling and after waiting almost 3 years for it I’m happy to say it exceeded all my expectations, I absolutely loved it and already can’t wait for book 3.

I fell in love with Elowen and Cayden’s story when I first read it when it was indie published 3 years ago, I loved it even more when I reread it when it was republished last year and this second part to their story simply blew me away, the author created such a fascinating world with interesting and perfectly paced plot and incredible characters that I couldn’t put this book down and am obsessed with this story. There was a lot more of politics, preparations for war and some epic battles here and while the first book was a bit faster paced, this one allowed us to get to know the characters and their backstories better, I loved learning about it but it made my heart break a few times, they all went through so much and I loved seeing them finding happiness with each other. I loved how much character development Elowen and Cayden had in this book, they both had new roles they had to embrace and I loved every second of seeing them do just that, they weren’t always perfect, but were amazing as main characters and I love them both so much. The romance was absolutely incredible here, I love the marriage of convenience trope and with how the last book ended I knew Cayden would have some groveling to do but I didn’t expect how much gone he would be for his queen, I mean he literally tattooed her name on his finger (both sides too so he could always see it) and called her his wife any chance he could, even before they were officially married, and when Elowen finally gave in to her feelings too they were so perfect together and a true power couple, I love them together so much, they have such an amazing banter, great communication and their relationship is truly beautiful, I can’t wait to see them again, especially after what happened at the end, it truly broke my heart and I need them to have a HEA ASAP. I also loved seeing more of the dragons here, they all had their own personalities and I had so much fun seeing their often playful relationship with Elowen and of course all members of the found family are amazing and I already miss them.

Wrath of the Dragons is the perfect sequel to Fear the Flames, I love this series and the characters so much and definitely recommend it to everyone. The next book can’t come soon enough!

Oh my gosh Miss Olivia outdid herself with book 2 of this series!!!!! The way Fear of Flames started and ended was a rollercoaster, but with this second book, the high stakes and marriage?? And CAYDEN, oh. my. gosh.
This book really has everything you need, high stakes, war, yearning, Cayden, and a rollercoaster of a plot line!!!

First I want to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the arc. I found Wrath of the Dragons to be so much better than Fear the Flames! They were both great reads but something about the character development in book 2 made it so much better. I loved the groveling that the MMC had to do! Their love story was amazing. And the ending was devastating in a good way! I cannot wait for the next book in the series and see where the author takes it.

“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.”

“𝙁𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙄 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚.”

I loved book one, but book two blew it out of the park. I’m still reeling over the ending, and need book three like right now. Cayden and Elowen are amazing and wonderful and I love them so much. The duel pov was really fun to see and I like being is Cayden’s brain a lot.

“𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

“𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚..”

I really enjoyed the plot to this book, it flowed nicely and I felt every emotion at every point. I loved the dragons, the fights, political back and forth.

“𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨.”

What a rollercoaster!! I was so excited to receive an E-arc copy as I have been so excited about this book. I love the story of these characters not just Elowen and Cayden but everyone. I love the banter between all of them. This book is well written and the characters all have their own personalities and stand out in their own ways. It was so much more than I could have asked for in a sequel. It left me wanting so much more. I want to see the relationship development outside of the family. I really can’t wait for the next one. This one and the first are definitely on my top list. So good!! I can’t wait for the next,

Oh my gosh! As one of the members of pair this book with on Instagram, Ms. Darling! My heart! How could you!

Okay time for the actual review. I loved the story; how El and Cayden resolved their differences, how their hearts will hopefully lead them to each other again.

I’m sorry it took me so long to read it.

I thought the pacing was fantastic, the lore was woven in perfectly where it didn’t feel like it was info dumping.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2025 and I am beyond thankful to NetGalley, author Olivia Rose Darling and Ballantine Delacorte Press for this digital advanced readers copy.

My over all honest rating is 4.5 🌟
The ending has me speechless and it was one I definitely did not foresee coming from any angle.

This book does have some similarities to a few favorites out there, however, I would say it is overall unique in its own way. BUT Cayden reminds me so much of Anakin Skywalker…. and that makes me nervous, at the edge of my seat for the rest of the series… IFYKYK

You get more dragons in this book- I know that was something people had commented on regarding FTF, and let me tell you, Miss Olivia Rose Darling DELIVERED. The found family displayed throughout this book is phenomenal. The magic system and politics I personally found a little confusing at times. The yearning was YEARNING, and listen, I’m here for it.

Cayden’s POV were *chefs kiss* - it made this book better.


Absolutely recommend. And I will now just be pacing frantically until the 3rd book comes out….
Thank you for that Olivia. 😂

I really fell in love with these characters from the first book. I had a little bit of hard time getting into this book until about 30% in then I couldn't put it down. I was not expecting that ending and now I'm stuck waiting for the next one to come out.

This was devastating in a beautiful, but still heartbreaking way. The emotions that this book made me feel… I have never highlighted a book so much (and I never highlight books). This book dives deeper into Elowen’s bond with her dragons as well as court politics. I loved watching her grow and embrace her role as a queen with Cayden by her side (there’s not enough words to explain how much I love this man). Here are some of my favorite out of context quotes:

“My love. My wife. My Elowen.”

“I am Elowen Veles, and I’m coming for my throne with blades and dragonfire.”

“We both know what it is to suffer for wanting a woman that never should’ve been ours. Hold on to yours. From one bastard to another, I pray you never know the pain of fate when it comes to take what you’ve stolen.”

“We’re not plotting without you…Friends have dinner on occasion, though I doubt you’d have experienced that given your repellent personality.”

“I’ll see you soon, mia sirantia.”

I couldn’t (wouldn’t) add my favorite, tragic quote because I didn’t want to cause any spoilers. But to the author we need to talk😭!!

Thank you Net Galley and Delacorte Press for allowing me an Advance Reader Copy of this book!

I really enjoyed Wrath of the Dragons! It’s romantic, swoony, complicated, and passionate. I really love that Elowen is not a helpless FMC. She has a strong personality & knows what she needs to accomplish as Queen. Cayden is of course one of the most perfect MMCs who just YEARNS for Elowen every minute of every day. And he still keeps his badass, scary, burn the world down man card that some book boyfriends seem to lose.

The only thing I will say is that there were a few moments in the book that felt copied/pasted from other books… Examples include From Blood and Ash, Throne of Glass, and A Court of Thorns and Roses. But i’m not too mad because I still had a hell of a good time reading this. The vibes were high and I didn’t want to put it down!

The ending was INSANE and left me dying for the next book. I cannot wait to continue with this series.

OH MY GOSH this book is so good. I have been completely in love with this series since book one. But this one bumped me up to an obsessed level. I devoured this so quick I could not put it down. 5 amazing stars

First of all thank you to DellRomance, Ballantine, and net galley for an early eARC. This book was sooo good! The yearning from Cayden was truly so good and to see him and Elowen grow together was so beautiful. This book had some of the most beautiful quotes. Way to go Olivia Rose Darling for another amazing book and I cannot wait to read book 3!

Dragons. Betrayals. And a heroine who refuses to be tamed. Wrath of the Dragons is a fast-paced, fiery fantasy that delivers on action, romance, and high-stakes tension. The worldbuilding is rich, with just the right amount of danger and magic. I loved the dragon lore and the sizzling chemistry between the leads. It had that perfect enemies-to-lovers spark. Some scenes felt a little rushed, but the plot kept me turning pages, and the ending? Brutal in the best way.

Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and Eragon, but with more spice and bite.