THIS BOOK. It had me swooning, sobbing, and absolutely suffering 😭 My heart absolutely shattered on more than one occasion and I need book 3 more than I need air 😭

I absolutely loved being back with this group of characters! I just wanted to jump into these pages and go shopping with them. AND CAYDEN’S POV!? He is the KING of yearning and having his POV was everything I never knew I needed. I didn’t think I could love him anymore than I already did and then BAM, he had me in the palm of his hand with his swoony (and spicy 👀) words in Wrath of the Dragons. There were so many sweet and romantic moments that live rent-free in my mind 🫠

I also loved how much more we got of the dragons in this book. And as always, I love seeing Elowen and Cayden’s bravery and endurance after everything they’ve been through. Their love story is everything to me and this book truly made it feel like they were written in the stars. The ending had me sobbing and it was set up so well for book 3. I can’t wait!!!

Thank you so much to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!

*will add social link when it’s posted closer to the pub date

ARC Review: Wrath of the Dragons 🔥
Princess. Warrior. Legend. Elowen Atarah is that girl—the one with five dragons, a blade in one hand, and a cinnamon roll in the other. She’s soft and strong, trauma-forged and blood-soaked, rocking couture while conquering kingdoms.

Cayden -The Demon of Ravaryn -Sir Simps-A-Lot himself. Betrothed to a queen of fire and fury, and head-over-heels in love with her. He wears a leather strap on his wrist just in case she needs a hair tie. He washes her hair. He worships her soul (and body) a lot! There is no warrior in the legends of Ravaryn like him—and there never will be.

Between the banter (even during battle),the found family, the dragons who’d burn the world for her, and a love so feral it aches, this book tore. me. apart. That ending? I haven’t cried that hard over a book in ages.

✨ “I was born on the ashes of the fires they tried to burn me with…”
Elowen Veles is the name they’ll fear—and the one I’ll never forget.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Preorder it. Prepare yourself. And bring tissues.

"Wrath of the Dragons" by Olivia Rose Darling gave us everything we hoped for —magic, war, dragons, and the ultimate love story!

This sequel turns up the heat (literally and emotionally). We have a lost princess out for vengeance, a warrior who would burn the world down by her side, and five vibrant dragon personalities. And the side characters? Total scene-stealers with their hilarious banter and unbreakable loyalty.

What to expect:
-swoon-worthy dual POV

-epic battles

-dragons 

-political intrigue

-found family that you will love

-all the banter
-love that conquers (and then conquers again)

Spice: The yearning, the tension, the “I’d burn the world for you” energy?

Emotional Damage: All I can say is…WHAT THE HECK…with that cliffhanger. I NEED book #3 now!

World-building: So much new information to take in and heavy in battle scenes and strategy.

Favorite Character: Cayden. His POV adds SO much. You feel his love for Elowen—pure, intense, and unwavering. Not for her dragons. Not for her power. Just her. He’s possessive and protective, but never controlling.

Favorite Side Characters: Honestly? ALL of them. But Ryder, Saskia, and Finnian totally stole the show. Their banter is gold and their bond is everything. But Zarius and Zale are close behind!

Favorite quote: “𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙨.”

3.5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved the first book, which was a 5 stars for me, so I was really excited to read this one. I loved the dual POV and seeing how much Cayden yearns for Elowen. The banter in this book was also fun. I did enjoy the side characters that are in Elowen and Cayden's found family.

I did find myself getting a little lost at times with all the names of places and people that were mentioned. I found it slow in some spots, but with the way it ended, I'm really excited to read the next book in the series.

ARC Review: Wrath of Dragons by Olivia Darling

Getting my hands on this ARC felt like winning the fantasy reader lottery. Fear the Flames was already a 5-star knockout, but Wrath of Dragons? Somehow, it managed to raise the bar even higher.

This time, we get Cayden’s point of view—and let me tell you, it is everything. He’s the kind of villain you don’t just love, you obsess over. Possessive, dark, and ruthless—but only for Elowen. He’s her villain, and that’s the kind of romance that ruins you (in the best way).

The pacing? Flawless. The emotional tension? Off the charts. From the first page, this book grabs you by the throat and does not let go. Olivia Darling proves once again that she can do no wrong—her characters bleed, burn, and love in ways that feel devastatingly real.

Favorite quotes that live rent-free in my mind:
• “I’m going to treat you so well every man you ever encounter will become a faceless blur in the back of your mind because there’s no room for anyone but me.”
• “I conquered a kingdom to have you.”
• “Don’t let anyone tell you that I’m incapable of love because you’re living proof that something beats within my chest, and it beats for you.”
• “Only you can bring me to my knees in worship, Elowen Veles.”

If you loved the first book, this sequel will wreck you—in the best, most addictive way.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

As someone who absolutely devoured the first book in this series, I was incredibly excited to dive into the sequel. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by FTF. Where the first book was fast-paced and full of momentum, this installment felt much slower. I found myself waiting—hoping—for something to happen for the majority of the story.

It wasn’t until about the 60% mark that things finally started to pick up, and the real turning point didn’t hit until around the 90% mark. That made the first half feel very slow, especially when compared to how quickly I flew through the first book.

That said, I do want to highlight the author’s beautiful, descriptive writing. The prose was as magical and whimsical as ever, and that atmosphere helped keep me engaged even when the plot itself felt stalled. I could actually picture all the people, clothing and places which I loved. And WOW, the ending completely caught me off guard—in the best way. It left me shocked and genuinely curious to see where the story will go next.

I also have to mention Elowen and Cayden’s romance—*chef’s kiss*. Their dynamic was electric, and I loved how their relationship evolved throughout the book. It was one of the highlights for me, and it kept me emotionally invested, even during the slower moments.

While this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me overall, I’m still invested in the world and characters and will definitely be picking up the next book to see what happens next.

You’ve got to be kidding me.
You can tell that she put her absolute heart and soul into this book. Book one was very good, but this book is amazing. The plot, the characters, the dragons, CAYDEN I mean. I am drooling over him. I adore him. I cannot wait to get my hands on a finished copy.

Thank you SO much for this. You absolutely must read this. It’s a scorching story.

I don’t usually give stars for reviews, but if I did I would give this book a billion. Seriously, INJECT THIS BOOK INTO MY VEINS. I loved this book from start to finish.

Cayden’s POV: *chef’s kiss*.

Elowen’s rage: AMAZINGLY SATISFYING.

I think I highlighted this entire book. This series is my new Roman Empire.

I LOVE these characters, Olivia’s writing just reins you in and as a reader I am so invested.

If this review doesn’t convince you to read this series, I’m not sure anything will. I am going to be VERY UNWELL until book 3, because the cliff is steep my friends, prepare yourselves now. UGH I DIDNT WANT THIS BOOK TO END. Okay rant over, I can’t wait until everyone can read this book.

Thank you for the ARC. I think the concept of this book is great. But for some reason I was not finding myself reaching for this book to see what would happen next. I think the pace was just a bit slow for me. I DNF at 55%. I hope I find myself reach back out for this to finish.

well, well, where shall i start… okay 3 things first, one, i LOVEEEE Cayden and i LOVEEE Elowen. two, Elowen and Cayden were the only reason i kept going throughout this book. AND three, wtf was that ending, i’m confused and angry and feeling all the things right now and need the next one plz & thx!

as for the nitty gritty, this was a lot slower and dragged on way more than the first book. i really struggled to push through this rather than the first book where i ate it up in one sitting. i will say the last 20% was amazing and great and truly held the rest of the book together. i feel like the plot is there and its good for the most part but there was large time jumps between paragraphs that i kept getting confused at. it almost needed like a new chapter or like a page break or like idk, it just got confusing. there’s also a lot of information thrown at you and i kept trying to keep all the houses straight and the gods and such. i wish there was more of an introduction to the gods a little earlier on but eventually i got there and understood.

overall, i liked the book, i will continue with the series for book three because i need more Elowen and Cayden content!!!!!

It actually pains me to write this review because I really enjoyed Fear the Flames, but I did not like this. So much so that I’m questioning myself on how much I actually could have liked FtF…

This picked up where Fear the Flames left off and what could have been an action-packed, exciting sequel with lots of political development, just wasn’t. Though it did have some of that, it came too little, too late, in my opinion. It was painfully slow until around 60%, at which point it was mildly more entertaining. But, I couldn’t get over how contrived the “poetic” writing felt to me this time around. It was an ick I couldn’t get over. This might not have been the case had it not been the focus of more than half the book with no real forward movement in the plot.

There was, of course, a war going on: the one I fought with myself to DNF or finish this. I chose the latter, thinking the ending might be worth it. I can see how some might remain invested, but for me, that wasn’t the case and so this is where I’ll stop with this story.

I’m sure this will be for so many people; I’m just not one of them.

Thank you Ballantine | Delacorte Press and NetGally for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Delacorte Press for gifting me an e-arc of this book. After the ending of the first i couldn’t wait to continue on. I absolutely love how we finally get Cayden’s pov in this book. The book starts off interesting enough but at about 37% nothing much has happened. There has been one big action sequence that I very much enjoyed. However, most of the book up until this point has been about Cayden and Elowen’s relationship and whether or not she will forgive him for what he did at the end of book 1. While I do enjoy a bit of conflict, the reason for this doesn’t seem big enough to have dragged on for so long. I want to see more of the plot and story progress and at this point in the book it really hasn’t. The story finally started to pick up after the 50% mark. That’s when it finally got interesting and I was able to quickly finish the book after that. The last 10% of the book was nonstop and I loved it. The ending was wild in the best way and I truly can’t wait to pick up the next book to find out what happens. However, this book really needs to be edited down and live up to its name (more wrath from the dragons). The whole first half could be condensed into a few chapters and that would make the book much more gripping. As much as I enjoy the banter we don’t need it to fill half the book without advancing the story.

I have decided to dnf this book at 68% through. I tried so hard to finish it but I’m not enjoying it. I have felt like not much is happening and most of this has just been the FMC and MMC talking about how much they are obsessed with each other. It feels very repetitive and there isn’t a lot going on other than that. I loved the first book so I was very disappointed. I tried really hard to get into this. Instead of pushing through and leaving a bad review before release I decided to just stop reading it. Might try it again after the book is released.

5 ⭐

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

I spent the entirety of this book pleasantly surprised that it does not fall into the 'second book slump' that often happens in fantasy series. The issues between Elowen and Cayden are not dragged out just to fill pages and they both exhibit emotional growth and great communication. No one was reduced to just their grief or insecurities, and everyone remained just as strong and deadly as ever. Cayden's POV really helped us understand his feelings and a little more about his past which ended up being invaluable. And the yearning? The support and adoration? I love this man even if he would hate me.

Additionally, the plot moves at a good pace where we can see the growth and relationships between not only Elowen and Cayden but also for our side characters. And maybe the very bare beginnings of some new connections...? There were plenty of slower moments that let us see the softer side of our characters but not once was there a stretch of plot that felt dragged out or unnecessary.

Things took a turn during the last 20%. I was waiting for the inevitable shoe to drop and the standard heartbreaking cliff hanger event that would leave me begging for book 3. And when it did? I did not see that coming. I had theories and every single one was wrong. I'm still wiping away tears as I write this review. How dare a book make me feel emotions? I will be desperately clinging to any crumb Olivia provides as to the next book and I will be sending her the bill for my therapist.

It feels so amazing to be back in this world with Cayden and Elowen 🥹 this book was everything I needed and more. It immediately picks up from where book one ended and had me hooked from the first page. I just want to say the lore in this one is too good. We learn SO much more about Cayden and Elowen as individuals and about the dragons and the magic system, it was so beautifully fleshed out. The pacing was absolutely perfect I literally devoured this book.

Cayden, Cayden, Cayden. Y’all, the YEARNING?! Omg I was quite literally screeching 🤣😭 Cayden is a man down bad and we LOVEEEEEE to see it. The king of yearning and pining 😭🥹
And I absolutely loved seeing Elowen fight for what she deserves she is one of my favorite fmcs and I just love this world so so much. Ryder, Saskia, Finnian and some new comers that I’m curious to see more of in the next book 🤭 the found family in this series is one of my favorite things ever.

The ending was absolutely crazy I did not see that coming 🫣 & I cannot wait to see where this storyline goes in the next book!

Let’s start at the end. The ending was amazing. Tears. So many tears. The fastest reading I have ever done just to get to the next sentence. I loved it.

Now let’s go back to the beginning.

This book picked up basically from the end of book one which is always nice to not feel like you are “missing” something.
The first third of the book was a little bit slow to me. I wonder if this was due in part because the first book didn’t really delve into the details of the dragons and their background; there was some catching up to do. There was more history of the other kingdoms and alliances. All of this felt like it slowed the storyline somewhat, but in the end really helped to deepen the story.

I liked that this book focused on Cayden more and his background. I have loved him from the first book so what wasn’t to like from learning about his upbringing to his grand love proclamations (I loved every single one especially the tattoos!). I wish there were more scenes and moments between Cayden and Elowen but I also see the importance of growing them separately.

I liked the new side characters and hope we can get to know them more in future books! The ocean/boat scenes were so fun and I always love how she writes in a new setting.

At times the pacing felt a bit “off” but I just can’t give enough credit to the ending. It really pulled it up to a five star read for me. I look forward to re-reading this again at a future time and will hopefully be able to understand it even more and catch details I missed.

This series has always been my favorite (truly #1) and I’m glad that after this book I can still say that.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and imprint of Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can tell that Olivia Rose Darling put her whole heart and soul into this book. It shined. I was curious as to where this book was going to take us and it takes us everywhere. We continue to get more world builing, traveling throughout the world on land and by ship. We see more of the dragons. I appreciate that there is a guide in the beginning of the book. Not only does it give us the houses, but the dragons and their descrdiptions and then you have a pronouciation guide. I always appreciate it when authors do this and especially when it is in the front!
Now if you have previously read Fear the Flames but it was the independent version stop right here. Please go back and do not read Wrath of the Dragons until you have read the traditionally published version. You will need to as there are significatant changes in it before you move on to book two.
Cayden,..I think he has moved up to being a top tier bookish boyfriend for me. He is one of those characters that will burn the world down for Elowen. The possessiveness and the protectiveness even though she alone is also a baddie… you just have to appreciate it. I also enjoyed the expension of the magical system in this. The political intrigue and the movement of the people. This book was definitely a lot more faced paced then the previous and I loved Fear the Flames but Wrath of the Dragons had me binging it in one day and in one sitting becuase I could not put it down.
Now OLIVIA WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! That ending. How can I move on how can I go one. It was the perfect set up so we have some what of an idea of what to expect next but also just dang. I can’t say anything else but try to be vague as I need you, who are reading this, to experience it yourself without knowing anything!
All in all I will be rereading these again and again while waiting for the next.
Thank you to Delacorte/Penguine Random House for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

No on does romantasy angst like Olivia Rose Darling. I appreciate Ballantine providing me with an advanced copy.

After realising that she will be forced to marry her lover, Cayden, Elowen is feeling alone, while dealing with the betrayal of her family and looking to conquer her father's kingdom. The book begins with Elowen seeking to trust her allies while they plan to reclaim her kingdom.

I was trying to verbalise why Darling's book feels squarely in the "hurts so good" category. I think it is because she had the entirety of Fear the Flames to build up the relationship between Cayden and Elowen, so when the two are having misunderstandings and angst, we've already had a relationship between them built with a solid foundation. For that reason, I would not suggest that anyone dive right into Wrath of the Dragons - start with Fear the Flames. I also appreciate that Darling does not introduce any love triangles - even when the two of them are in the most isolated, it is clear that they are completely in love. The relationship is intense but so enjoyable.

I will say that the book doesn't really question or debate the morality of the war that Cayden and Elowen are waging. Particularly when the two use incredibly cutthroat tactics (not unlike Queen Daenerys Targaryen), the book never really debates if the two have the right to impose total war for a regime change which remains a totalitarian monarchy.

I did really appreciate that the side characters are also starting to get more of their own plot line - sweet Saskia seems to be developing a romantic subplot, and Elowen's brother Finnian really does begin to find his confidence and reassurance. I'm excited for this series to continue - especially with the ending cliffhanger. I'd recommend this book for fans of Rebecca Yarros and George R.R. Martin.

3.75/5 rounded up.

I love love LOVEDDDDD the first book in this series, so I truly gasped when I saw that NetGalley approved me for this ARC.

This was a pretty good sequel, but I definitely liked the first book more.

I found that I didn't connect with the characters as much in this book as I did with them in the first one. There is definitely more building of their relationship, but it felt flatter than in the first one. There was almost this repetitiveness to it? Their banter is a lot of fun though! I love their banter and their bickering.

There are also so many great and consistent side characters in this series that I'm glad we got to see more of in this sequel. They bring in a lot of humor (and we all know I love a funny side character).

I also wanted more dragons. The dragons weren't highlighted as much as I thought they would be and they also weren't involved in the way I wanted them to be. (And that could be me projecting that I just want a pet dragon and that I wouldn't have a battle dragon. I don't know.)

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Wrath of the Dragons is a fast-paced, thrilling read that had me hooked from the first page. Olivia Rose Darling’s world-building is phenomenal—each new land is rich with detail, and the sense of adventure is constant.


The new characters are just as compelling as the returning cast, adding fresh energy and tension to the story. The fight scenes are sharp, creative, and full of adrenaline, keeping me on the edge of my seat.


With twists I didn’t see coming and a world I never wanted to leave, this book was a wild ride—and I can’t wait for the next one!