An incredible tale of reclaiming a throne and fighting for the ones you love. This story swept me away with its rich worldbuilding, epic tension, and the kind of found family dynamics that burrow into your heart. The banter? Chef’s kiss. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and full of personality—I could not get enough.

Cayden and Elowen completely stole my heart. Their dual POV adds so much depth and emotion to their relationship—it’s passionate, intense, and perfectly balanced with just the right amount of slow-burn spice and emotional pull.

Now let’s talk Ryder. Massive, massive crush. I was genuinely stressed not seeing him mentioned in early reviews—he’s been my favorite since book one. If anything happens to him, I might not recover. And the dynamic between Cayden, Ryder, and Finnian? Absolutely hilarious. The humor and camaraderie between the male characters made this feel like such a well-rounded, immersive world.

Yes, the pacing dragged a bit in the first half, but once it picked up, I was all in. The emotional weight, the heartbreak, the little moments of levity—it all came together so beautifully in the second half.

Also, shoutout to Saskia and Finnian. This series doesn’t just have great main characters—it has phenomenal side characters that are just as fleshed out and lovable.

Overall, a gorgeously written fantasy full of heart, tension, humor, and unforgettable characters.

4.5 stars (docked slightly for the slower start, but absolutely worth the read).

3.5 ⭐️

Absolutely did not see that ending coming!! This is the second book in the Fear the Flames series by Olivia Rose Darling. I really enjoyed the first book when I read it back in 2024 so had very high hopes for the sequel.

This book picks up right where the first left off after Elowen has freed her 5 dragons and killed her Uncle for his treachery. I really liked that this was a dual POV and we got to see more from Cayden's side as well as more of the side characters like Ryder, Finnian and Saskia.

That being said, I had a VERY hard time with the pacing for the first 50% of the book. As others have shared, this book was very heavy on the battle strategy and politics as Elowen and Cayden are preparing to take back her throne from her father and need to find their allies.

I do feel like the second half picked up the pace and was more engaging, but I still found myself getting a bit confused and lost by all of the different names and how this magic system works as it hasn't really been explained very much.

Overall this was a 3.5 - 3.75 overall and am super interested to see how the story continues in book 3... I know we're going to get more Cayden POVs and I can't wait 👀

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers ❤️‍🔥
Found Family 🫶
Broody/Touch her and die MMC 🗡️
Political Intrigue 🏰

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

This was so so good!!!! I think the pacing was perfect as it takes some building to get to the action!! I was truly so surprised by the ending and was crying for the last 30 minutes!!!

I cannot properly express how much I love this series! I was beyond excited and honored to be chosen to read an ARC of Wrath of the Dragons. I couldn't put this down, and i read throughout the night. I read it all in one sitting. I love Cayden & Elowens story and I live them as a couple. I really like that you get to see all of their ups and downs and you get to see how they work things out. After reading Fear the Flames I was really excited to dive deeper into the world of dragons and Wrath of the Dragons dogs not disappoint! I can't wait to get the special edition of this book so I can display it like the trophy that it is! Thank you for letting me ARC read this!

Book 2 of the Fear The Flames series absolutely blew me out of the water. It was SO good that I read it in just a few days. The world gets explored so much more in the continuation of this amazing story. Cayden is tortured and damaged and had me on my knees. I fell more in love with all of these characters and I felt all of the emotions they were experiencing right alongside them. The pacing was absolutely perfect, the action was written so well, and I found myself crying more times than I’d like to admit (a lot). This series has so quickly shot up into my top 5 for not only the year, but I think of all time. I loved it sooooo much. I’m dying for book 3!!!!

✨𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀✨

Following the *events* in the first book, Elowen and Cayden must navigate their new circumstances and alliances within the court and other kingdoms. As they prepare for war, trust is not easily given nor earned back. Can they forge a future together and usher forth a better future?

Tropes:
👀 Dual POV
⚔️ Bookish & st@bby FMC
🤌 Broody MMC
🚫 Touch her & 💀
🤝 Reluctant allies to lovers
🏰 Intrigue
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Found family
🐉 Battles
🌶️: open door

I loved having Cayden’s POV in this installment. We gain deeper insight into his past, motivations, and fears. I felt his turmoil over all that’s transpired and how much he yearns for Elowen.

Elowen must process all the betrayals and strengthen her resolve to embrace her new role and the weight of her responsibilities. My heart hurt so much for what she’s endured.

With their fates and futures entwined, I am holding onto hope for them to find happiness.

Wrath of the Dragons is an emotionally charged sequel with vibrant characters and an enthralling romance. This installment delivers more action, higher stakes, and more DRAGONS! Need I say more?

Huge thanks to the author, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for the advanced review opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Wrath of the Dragons by Olivia Rose Darling is the second book in the Fear the Flames series. I could not wait for this book, as Fear the Flames was one of my favorite books I read in 2024. It had been about 8 months ago since I finished Fear the Flames, so it took me a while, and some Googling, to remember some of the finer, important points of Fear the Flames, but once it all came back to me, it helped.
Elowen and Cayden are both fierce main characters that will do anything to get the revenge they so desperately crave. And Cayden’s unyielding love for Elowen, especially since he isn’t one to show any emotion, is awe inspiring. Elowen is hard to trust Cayden again, as she feels betrayed, even though that was not Cayden intentions. So, for the first part of the book, I really felt for Cayden. He was trying to give her the space she needed, but staying away from her is difficult for him.
Then there is Ryder, Saskia, and Finnian that add some humor and pull Cayden out of his shell, which results in some of the best lines in the book. They are a great found family, and I love the bickering and banter within the group. We get to meet Prince Zale and Prince Zarius, and even though the whole group hasn’t embraced them, they are all working toward a common goal. But they added some more banter and bickering that made me laugh out loud.
I am usually pretty good at figuring out what is going to happen in romantasy books, since I have read so many, but the plot twist in Wrath of the Dragons left me with my jaw on the ground. I was shocked! Be warned, this book ends in a MAJOR cliffhanger, but don’t let that keep you from reading it. Olivia mentions at the end of the book that she is writing the next book, so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to see how the story continues. I know it will be a must read for me.

Wrath of the Dragons is a fantasy filled with magic, political tension, and a strong sense of found family. The opening is engaging and sets the stage well, but the pacing dips around the 60% mark. It leans heavily into info-dump territory before ramping back up at 90%, where it launches into non-stop action.

Cayden absolutely carried this book; his character was the standout for me. The love story and found family dynamics were emotional highlights and really grounded the plot.

That said, I did struggle at times with the political structure and magic system; they felt a bit chaotic and under-explained. The dialogue could also be confusing, with unclear speaker tags that pulled me out of scenes.

But that ending? Shocking in the best way. I did not see that coming. Despite the ups and downs, I’ll definitely be picking up Book 3 just to see where this wild story goes.

Get ready because Wrath Of The Dragons picks up right where Fear The Flames left off, following Elowen and her dragons and now adding in Cayden’s POV, bringing in a whole new layer that I devoured.

With a slow roll into the story we get to venture through Ravaryn and experience the political implications of war. Of course, we are left bawling with this crazy cliffhanger of an ending wanting more.

So if you like dragons, a beautiful FMC who always has a dagger sheathed under her gorgeous dresses, and a MMC who will murder anyone who even talks about his ✨ wife ✨ read Wrath Of The Dragons 🐉

4 stars!! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I am grateful to receive an earc of Wrath Of The Dragons, thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. I am forever hooked and can’t wait for book 3!

Wrath Of The Dragons releases on July 29!

I loved this book and this series. It's the perfect bend of action, romance and plot. I devoured this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

If you didn’t know, this is book two to what I like to call a five star series. Incredible writing. Captivating plot. Phenomenal world-building. All-consuming characters. And just like Fear the Flames, Wrath of the Dragon was just so dang good.

I love Elowen and Cayden so much. Them as characters, yes. But them as a couple is what I love to see in a fantasy romance series. Elowen is our Daenerys-inspired baddie, a top-tier fmc, and dragon-riding queen. Cayden, our warrior king, demon commander, broodiest of broody cinnamon rolls, and my favorite book boyfriend. They’re a match made in heaven. Their relationship is built upon that delicious soulmate type stuff that just makes your heart pound and toes curl. I loved them so much. They have this earnest friendship I adore but also the spicy chemistry that’ll make you melt. So yeah, they’re perfect 😅

I loved the dragons, especially their different personalities. And was so happy we got to see so much more of them in this book. Also, I full-heartedly adore this found family. A1 banter between all the characters. I found myself laughing just as much as I found myself wanting to cry. The storyline for this series is so good and I found myself completely captivated within the story many times.

Now, the. Freaking. Cliffhanger. It’s a big oooofff. I wasn’t sure how this book was going to end but if definitely wasn’t that and I’m both excited and anxious to see what happens next! Def def recommend this book guys! ✌🏻

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!!!