This is book 2 of the Fear the Flame series and I had to read that one before I picked this one up. I was so excited to read about dragons again, this series gives me GOT vibes. The world building is amazing and the story has a good pace and a lot of action, I was very entertained throughout. Cayden is so morally grey and such a great character I loved his POVs. I am a sucker for found family and I really enjoyed that aspect here. I do have to warn you all about a hell of a cliffy… but oh well at least there has to be a book 3.

Thank you NetGally and Olivia Rose Darling for the opportunity to receive this ARC, I am beyond greatful

i wasn’t invested as much as i thought i was going to be, i felt like the pacing was a bit off and the story was making plot twists i had to go back and reread just to make sure this was the route we were taking. i wasn’t invested love with the first one, i read the indie published one and it was a bit of a slough to get through. wrath of dragons was better in that sense, but still was missing that connection to the characters for me,

ARC Review

This book was a phenomenal follow-up to Fear the Flames (which remains in my top books of 2025).

This was an emotional, action-packed roller coaster. Show me a man who loves his wife more than Cayden. I'll wait... 🫠

I loved seeing so much more of the dragons and Elowen's relationship with them. They made the battle scenes that much more epic.

It might be a tie between Elowen and Cayden with who was more of a badass. Fight Club Cayden? Dragon Riding Elowen? Honestly, it's a draw. 😆

I could not put this book down toward the end. And then I was sobbing. I could feel the raw emotion in the characters. In what they had to lose, their fight, their anguish, their hope, their vengeance, and their unwavering love for one another.

I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. There is definitely a bit of a cliffhanger, albeit a tolerable one!

Thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for the ability to read this early.

Olivia Rose Darling, you are killing me. How can I deal with that ending?? Elowin… I just cannot. Please tell me there is another book in this series or I may have to crawl into a dark corner and cry.

Well written, and well played. Rush out and read this book as soon as it hits the shelf.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Expected release: July 29, 2025

I have been waiting for this book since the second I finished Fear the Flames. I’m honestly still in shock that I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC.

I love these characters so much. The found family is so strong and well done it’s hard not to want to be a part of it. The anticipation of Cayden’s POV did not disappoint at all. His POV was honestly my favorite part of the book. I was NOT prepared for chapter 71. 😭 (or everything after it honestly) To leave us with that ending was beyond rude, but I need book 3 now. Lol

With that said, I feel like something felt off in the first half of the book. Sometimes it was pacing and sometimes it was this overuse of exaggerated metaphors or allegory’s (maybe? I’m not even really sure how to explain it), but it felt like every sentence of a paragraph was trying to pack a punch and make a statement but because it was every sentence it all felt redundant and frustrating.

There were also typos or missing words/letters in most of the chapters and at this point in the publication process I feel like they should have been cleaned up. A few throughout the book is understandable. One almost every chapter should be caught by an editor.

I love this series though and these characters and now feel like we missed out not getting Cayden’s POV in the first book. GIVE ME MORE OF THIS MAN’S INNER THOUGHTS! Lol

I BEG YOUR FINEST PARDON for that ENDING?!
sobbing through the last few chapters of this book was not on my bingo card, but here we are anyways!!! ORD can expect my therapy bill in the mail post haste 😌

i really enjoyed getting to dive deeper into the magic and lore of this world! but most especially getting to learn more about Cayden’s past. it made me love him even more😭 sweet and secretly soft tortured man that he is!!
also, i would be remiss to not add this for the record: “I’m not a king or commander on the field. I’m a god.” HOT😮‍💨🧎🏼‍♀️

the dynamic and banter between him and Elowen is ✨everything✨ and the found family they’ve created together makes my heart squeeze! if anything happens to the rest of the crew in future i will simply not recover😅
“To the families we choose.” “And to one more day with them,” I finish.😭

i did struggle a little with the pacing of this one and that’s the only reason i went with 4.5 stars. i found the beginning to be a little slow and overall the book felt a bit long BUT if you’re looking to vibe with a romantasy book filled with banter, yearning, found family, dragons, and an utterly downbad mmc then this is the book for you!! and i think if you loved Fear the Flames then you will love Wrath of the Dragons even more!🥰

all of this to say i absolutely am chomping at the bit for book 3?!!! i don’t know if i will ever fully recover from that ending🥲 so unexpected and i can’t wait to see where the story goes!!

THANK YOU endlessly to Dell and Ballantine for the opportunity to read an early copy of this! ily 🫶🏻

read if you love:
+ an mmc who would *literally* burn the world (or at least conquer a whole ass kingdom) for her🤭
+ female rage!!! and a strong & fiery fmc
+ revenge
+ he tattoos her name name on his body
+ romeo and juliet
+ found family and banter
+ dragons!

An excellent sequel to Fear the Flames!
Although I really enjoyed the first installment, I thought ORD did an absolutely smashing job of continuing the series with Wrath of the Dragons. I loved the dual perspective of both the MFC and the MMC. I loved the tension, and the redemption of the MMC.
All in all, Wrath of the Dragons was a wonderful read and an excellent sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for this ARC!

The Wrath of the Dragons takes everything I loved about Fear the Flames; the magic, the romance, the tension, and raises the stakes. It’s very Game of Thrones-coded in the best way: soul ties, fated mates, court intrigue, a badass assassin FMC, and a marriage of convenience that had me hooked from the start.

There’s so much to love here: found family, witty banter, and some truly epic, jaw-dropping moments. And Cayden? Still completely feral, still my favorite.

That said, the pacing felt a little off at times. The added political complexity and larger cast of characters made it harder to stay in the flow compared to book one. There were also a few sections where the syntax could’ve been smoother. But those were minor issues in an otherwise immersive and emotionally charged sequel.

If you’re here for dragons, dangerous alliances, slow-burn romance, and characters that grow in all the right (and wrong) ways, you won’t be disappointed.

This book is the much-awaited follow up to Fear the Flames, and is the second book in its series. We pick up nearly right where we left off from book one. Something different from 'Fear the Flames' is that we get dual point-of-view in this novel with chapters differing between being from Elowen and Caydan's POV. This helps us see more angles to the conflict that has arisen between the different nations of Ravaryn, and also gives us more of Caydan's back story.

This book is face-paced, filled with found family, romance, court politics, and dragons. While the conflict and battles that our main characters are involved in are the fore-front of this novel, we do still get tender moments between characters as well. The last few chapters brought me to ugly tears at 1 am, so prepare yourself if you find yourself one who weeps during books as well. We don't have resolution at the end of this novel, so we have a third novel to look forward to in the future.

The only negative thing I have to say about this novel, is that it is EXTREMEMLY loquacious. Almost every chapter has long winded declarations (either internal or out loud) about Caydan's feeling and devotion for Elowen. While some of this is really sexy and sweet, by halfway through the novel it felt repetitive and sort of like it was being used to make the story longer. Some of this definitely could have been cut out or condensed and it would not have affected the story. I know some of this may be to reassure Elowen who deals with a lot of anxiety and PTSD from her childhood. I would also have liked to have seen her perhaps start working through some of her trauma during the novel as there were some great opportunities for it, but I also understand that the characters are in the middle of a war, and she's just compartmentalizing to keep functioning in the moment.

On a lighter note, this story shines with its found family and witty banter. I found myself wishing that I could be a member of their mismatched troop, and I loved the hints of possible future romance for some of my favorite secondary characters. Particularly, the friendship between Finnian and Elowen made my heart so warm and happy, and it was such a joy to read. The spicy scenes between Elowen and Caydan were really well written as well, and I feel like Olivia Rose Darling did a great job balancing the perfect number of sexy scenes while still giving us a fast-paced story. The tension in this story was top notch (both romantic and because of all the danger that these characters find themselves in). I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine and Delacorte Press, and Olivia Rose Darling for an eARC of this novel to review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to get an advanced copy of this one! The first book was one of my favorite from 2024, but unfortunately I just couldn’t bring myself to love the sequel nearly as much. Of course, the world building and description is rich and the writing is beautiful, but I just felt the story was dragging and at times the plot was too trope-y. It felt more like a filler at times, and like it focused a little too much on the swoon and angst rather than a strong plot. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, as I’m invested 100%, but overall, this sequel was unfortunately a bit of let down after a phenomenal debut.

I knew after Fear the Flames I was going to enjoy the next chapter of this series - I wasn't prepared for just how much. Olivia's writing is beautiful, even when describing the carnage of war. The duality of El and Cayden's love for each other and their chosen family against their thirst for revenge is perfectly done. I spent as much time screaming for blood as I did sobbing my eyes out.
El is an easy to love FMC, who is gentle and has the heart of a healer - but will also readily burn the wolf to the ground if you cross her. Cayden, there aren't enough words to describe this broody man of death.
While some of the story is easily guessed, the author has more than enough twists and surprises for us readers. The cliffhanger is brutal, so be prepared.
Looking forward to the next in this series.

WOW.

There were so many things I absolutely loved about this book! The character development is NEXT LEVEL. Having Cayden’s POV is everything. It makes a character you already adored become beloved. I love a “tear down the world for your girl” kind of guy.
The side characters are the best- kept me giggling.

The only thing that was kinda tough about the book was all the minute world building. Which I appreciate, but sometimes got bogged down with, especially since it was also during the time of conflict between E and C.

I hope Liv Darling is busy writing because I’m already dying for book 3!

Did I finish this book or did it finish me?! I really need to stop reading series that I have no patience for waiting to see what happens and how it ends!

4.25 ⭐️

This book started out really slow for me. The conflict & resolution from book 1 between Elowen and Cayden took up the first half of the book and I honestly struggled getting through. I kept reading because I really love Elowen & Cayden. There relationship is fantastic and I’m so happy we got Cayden’s POV in this book. I am so glad I did because, after the 50% mark I did want to put this book down. I loved the expansion of the world and getting to know new characters. There was also quite a bit of world building and introducing more magic.

The last 10% had me on an emotional roller coaster. I honestly wasn’t expecting that ending and I can’t wait to read book 3 because I NEED to know what happens!

Thank you to Net Galley for the eARC!

I can’t breathe omg this ending had me SAT what a development!!!!! I cannot wait for everyone to read this book. The girlies are gonna lovvveeeee her

In this thrilling sequel to the Fear the Flames series, Cayden Veles has finally claimed his throne—but not without a cost. To save Elowen Atarah, the woman he's loved since childhood, he overthrew a kingdom and forged a marriage of convenience... one that may cost him her trust. As Elowen gathers her dragons and contemplates reclaiming her rightful place as heir to the Imirath throne, she must decide if revenge and destiny are enough—or if her heart still has a say.

What makes this sequel shine is the tangled web of political intrigue, smoldering tension, and explosive emotion between Cayden and Elowen. Their bond is equal parts volatile and magnetic, and watching them navigate loyalty, betrayal, and desire had me hooked from page one. The world of Ravaryn expands beautifully, full of deadly alliances, high-stakes diplomacy, and dragons that still manage to steal every scene. Olivia Rose Darling writes with fire and ferocity, and the stakes—both emotional and epic—feel higher than ever.

This is a must-read for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, The Shadows Between Us, or From Blood and Ash—stories where fantasy meets romance, and power plays are as seductive as the love interests. If you love morally gray characters, dragons, forced marriage, and an epic battle for both a kingdom and a heart, this sequel absolutely delivers.

🔥 Prepare yourself—Elowen and Cayden are a storm you won’t want to miss.

Rating this book 4.5 stars!! ⭐️

First of all, thank you NetGalley, Olivia Rose Darling and Delacorte Press for the chance to read Wrath of the Dragons in advance of its release date! This has been such a privilege.

Wrath of the Dragons was such a great sequel to a book that has quickly become one of my favorites. I absolutely loved that we got more world building and magic in this book. Not to mention, a few new side characters! Although a lot of new information was provided in this book, I felt like it was intriguing and paced fairly well throughout—with the plot really picking up about halfway through. Some of the plot felt a bit rushed toward the end and I still have some questions about how their magic works; however, this didn’t detract much from enjoying the book and overall storyline.

As for our main characters, this book dives a little deeper into Cayden and Elowen’s pasts, which I thought was integral to understanding their characters on an individual level and developing their relationship together. Watching them overcome so many odds was both gut wrenching and beautiful. These two are a “I’ll find you in every lifetime” pair and one of my favorite fictional couples of all time.

Elowen is the perfect balance of soft yet strong and she really grows into her role as queen in this book. I, personally, feel like she’s one of the most likable FMCs I’ve read about. She has her insecurities but she’s confident and loyal to a point you can’t help but root for her. She is a baddie through and through and I just know there’s more to come with her in future books!

As for Cayden Veles… THIS MAN *bites knuckles* IS EVERYTHING. If you want an MMC who yearns and flirts without shame but is also downright pathetic (in the best way) for the woman he loves, then you will simply adore this man and this sequel. Cayden is the standard. Period. He loves Elowen with a fierceness I’ve never seen and nothing he could say or do will ever make me hate him. I simply devoured every one of his POV chapters.

As for the ending, I was an emotional wreck. I fear you will find me screaming into the void until I get book three in my hands because that cliffhanger was downright CRIMINAL. Absolutely not at all what I was expecting, leaving me with some lingering questions and a few theories…

If you enjoyed Fear the Flames you will absolutely love this book!!

The perfect sequel to book 1! Loved how is started off right where book 1 left. We get more of the dragons and learn more about the bond between Elowen and her dragons. There’s more lore and explanations on the magic system as well.

Cayden’s pov was magic. That man is obsessed and I can only hope my husband is just as obsessed with me as Cayden is with Elowen.

Loved this book and can’t wait for book 3!

I bought and read Fear The Flames because I received an ARC of this title. I was super excited because I really thought I would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I didn’t. I never got into Fear The Flames and it took me 4 days to read 18% of this book. I had to DNF this. I felt no connection to the characters or the storyline. This just wasn’t the story for me.
I didn’t rate this book on Goodreads. I only left the review.

While it didn’t quite live up to book one for me, I still enjoyed the book! The main characters have issues to work out but the FMC continues to have healthy communication skills which is nice to see in a romance novel. I would recommend it to people looking for a low stress romantasy.