The Wrath of Dragons is the second book after Fear the Flames. This sequel was wild! Where book one centered around a high-stakes heist to free her dragons, The Wrath of Dragons takes a different turn with deeper world-building, political intrigue, and serious character growth. It felt so Game of Thrones in the best way.

Part 3? Absolutely packed with action.
The last 15%? I was on the edge of my seat, sobbing, then shocked. That ending?? I did not see it coming.

This book leans into its own voice more expansive and layered but still delivers tension, heart, and DRAGONS. Plus hello, a found family dynamic that made my heart happy. If you liked the first book, keep going! Just know: the tone shifts, but it’s so worth it.

I think I'm hate reading this series and I can't seem to stop. Although hate is a strong word. The writing style and abruptness of the first book has admittedly gotten a bit better in this book but still too many awkward transitions have gotten through to make this a smooth read. Then there's Elowen and Cayden who I unfortunately don't like. I get that Cayden loves Elowen and that Elowen doesn't trust him but I don't need to be told again and again and again. I get it they're obsessed with each other. Which will be the end of my mini rant. So a lot was put into this book, the world building was expansive in the latter part of the book but I feel it could have been developed more. Lots of ideas but they felt like they needed more attention. Less action and momentum than the first book for sure.
Finnian is still my favourite character. Give me more him, dragons, and less cringe.
Thank you netgalley for sending this arc!

Would I recommend this book? YES. A hundred times YES.

After overthrowing Vareveth's monarchs, Cayden and Elowen must determine how to unite their newly won kingdom while navigating their changing relationship. While Elowen finds herself with everything she thought she could want - her dragons back with her, she realizes that maybe it isn't enough. She begins to consider that Cayden's quest for revenge against her father might be exactly what she needs. As the pair navigate politics and allies to wage war against the man they both despise, they must also navigate the possibility of magic in their veins and their own relationship. I lovingly describe the plot of this series as Throne of Glass meets Game of Thrones.

To be completely honest, this book emotionally eviscerated me. This sequel to Fear the Flames flows beautifully as the author continues to layer incredible elements of magic into the world and introduce new characters and relationships. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, THE PLOT TWIST OF ALL PLOT TWISTS erupts.

Wrath of the Dragons is easily not only one of my favorite books I've read this year, but also one of my favorite books in this romantasy / new adult fantasy genre. I'm obsessed with every single part of this story- the plot, magic system, religious and political system, and the characters. To be honest, I'm still so overwhelmed by how much I love this series so far that I don't even know what else to say.

There is open door spice, I'd put it at 3/5. Overall I give this book 5/5 stars.

“𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩, 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

wrath of the dragons picks up on the heels of fear the flames. cayden and elowen are gearing up for war as they are simultaneously trying to navigate their new life, and boundaries of their new betrothal. her dragons are free and elowen is re-forging her bonds with them, discovering things hidden deep within her in the process.

i really appreciated how the time was taken to explore cayden and elowens relationship, especially in the aftermath of the events in book one. elowen made that man work for her forgiveness and trust and it took a good chunk of the book to do so, as it should have. and the dual povs??? i mean, we know that man had endless love and devotion for elowen (to the point of murdering hundreds, if not thousands of people for her to get her kingdom back), but his perspective really drove it home and had me on my knees for him.

“𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞’𝙢 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨.”

if there is one thing that olivia rose darling knows how to do, it’s write an epic ending. and just like the ending of book one, the ending of wrath of the dragons is absolutely shocking. i’m not sure where i expected the story to go, but i am so excited for what the next book is going to bring. 👀

in the times that we’re living in, all books are political. darlings commentary on women, the fear of strong women and the right to education was incredibly relevant and struck me deep in my bones.

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
⚔️ found family
⚔️ groveling
⚔️ “my wife”
⚔️ dual povs
⚔️ morally grey/black mmc

One of my most anticipated reads of the year and it was EVERYTHING. I was not expecting to be this captivated by book two. In my review for book one I mentioned how this series has room for growth and can become something extraordinary, and damn did Olivia deliver.
The expansion of dragon lore was so multilayered to the bond with Elowen I could not get enough. Speaking of our FMC her character growth was off the charts. As for the MMC not a day goes by that I don’t think of the things he would say. The witty banter is unforgettable. The romance in this book has me fully convinced there is a love beyond just being soulmates. The vows that were exchanged were so beautiful. The land to sea setting was so picturesque and lush, delicate gothic is seriously an underrated interior design aesthetic, and the fashions sounded so exquisite.

In the end the clever plotting unraveled me completely and I realized I was gripping my book and in tears. I have been through cliffhangers ,but this had me thrown of the earths axis. I hope all fans of FTF are ready !

Wrath of the Dragons is the sequel to Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling.

The story picks up right where Fear the Flames left off, only this time it’s a dual POV book. I really enjoyed getting chapters from Cayden’s POV, it definitely made this book more interesting to me. You can tell how much Olivia has grown in her writing with this book as I felt it flowed much better than the first book. It did take me awhile to get into this story, even with the dual POV, but it really picked up in the 2nd half.

We are introduced to a few new characters in this book and I found myself wanting to know more about them and for them to have more growth with the main characters. I’m hoping we get more of them in book 3. I was also a little disappointed that we didn’t get more of the dragons considering the title is Wrath of the Dragons, but it was really more like Wrath of the Dragon Queen.

For me, this book is between 3.5-3.75 stars.

I would recommend this to anyone jumping into romantasy and those who watched Game of Thrones, and wished it only followed Daenerys and her dragons.

Thank you Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I personally enjoyed the first book more, but this was still a solid follow-up. Some parts of the middle dragged a bit, but overall, I enjoyed the story. That cliffhanger at the end has me hanging on by a thread—and honestly, it might just be enough to convince me to continue with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Holy 4.5 / 5 stars! OMG.
First - Caden’s POV and his straight SIMP energy for our girl Elowyn…whew! And the spice?? Next level and lots of it.

🥰 Romance
🫨 Cliffhanger
🪢 Intertwined souls
💍 Marriage
👑 King & Queen (lots of royalty)
🐉🐲 DRAGONS!!!
🌊 Ocean voyage
⚔️ War. War. War.
🔮 Prophecies
🩸 Blood and killing. Like. Lots of it.
❤️‍🔥 Burn the world for you
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Found family

I really liked the time spent on character development in book 2 because after book 1 I felt there were lots of details I still needed to have sorted by the author. With a lack of detailed world building in book 1, it made it a little difficult to track between kingdoms and understanding how magic and the beliefs of all the different gods really worked. I think the author did a great job in exploring the individual trauma for both Elowyn and Cayden which I appreciated IMMENSELY because it gave readers a sincere understanding of their love and relationship.

A note to readers - the last few chapters are very emotional. I didn’t cry, but I definitely followed along in the WHAT ARE WE DOING NEXT AND HOW DO WE FIX THIS?! There were a few points of predictably for me, but it didn’t take away from enjoying the story! Looking forward to book 3 and telling myself to be patient!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an early review copy through NetGalley!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I tried so hard to. There were parts where I was going to give up but kept holding out hope. In the end the overall book fell short for me. It started strong but at about 20% in it’s just slowed down so much. After the way book 1 Cayden has some groveling to do and Elowen has a lot that she needs to work through. I didn’t feel the burning tension and yearning though between them that I wanted. It felt a like they were walking in circles and there just wasn’t anything to really keep my interest.

At 53% we finally get we were waiting for I’m the first 270 pages and he that felt drawn out.

I did enjoy Cayden’s chapters for then Elowen. Those ones were usually the ones that really held my attention.

I ended up giving this book a 3 instead of lower because the end really was great. The last 40 pages were the best of the whole book and saved the overall story for me.

It’s not really comparable to any books I’ve read recently but it is giving Game of Thrones, Fourth Wing, and Crescent City (maybe Throne of Glass too) all in one. I truly didn’t expect where it was going. It’s a much more complex fantasy than the first one.

I do wish I had read the first one closer to reading this because the character backstories were hard to remember. I was desperate for some recapping (aka hand holding) in this second book. I think I missed out from being confused (who’s this?? why is Elowen mad again??) Also the miscommunication-type trope for like 50% of the book was too drawn out for me. Just talk to each other about your feelings! I’m begging you.

Okay, that’s all. Go dragons 🐉

Check out this review on Fable
https://fable.co/review/000e48de-d364-4d27-affc-570317f0e132/share

I’m begging everyone to go pre-order this book if you liked book one you will LOVE Wrath of the Dragons!

Pre-order if you want:
💜 My Wife Scenes
✨ Epic Battles
💜 Quest for Revenge
✨ Morally Grey MMC
💜 FIVE Dragons

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Olivia Darling has done it again! She has lured readers in with beautiful aesthetics and fated love. After being lured, in not only does Darling uphold the beautiful aesthetics but also weaves a tale of love, honor, healing, and epic adventure.

The world she has created not only holds the power that all fantasy/romantasy readers love but also builds a new and unique world that many have not read before. This sequel will keep readers turning the pages until they devour it all and yearn for book three.

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶.5

“𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆.”

After the events that transpired at the end of Fear the Flames, Elowen and Cayden must now defend their home, their crowns and even their hearts. With warring kingdoms and devastating attacks surrounding them, will Elowen find enough strength to trust her heart and protect what is rightfully hers or risk losing everything?

I’ve been captivated by Elowen and Cayden from the moment I stepped into Ravaryn last year and was so excited to be back with these characters! The world is expanding with new territories and new additions to the found family. The banter and bickering between these friendships were so fun and their sweet moments had my heart 🫠 Cayden Veles did not disappoint! With his YEARNING and knowing how to take care of what’s his, I’m even more obsessed with this man 🥵 Elowen's strength and resilience is inspiring. She'd 🔥 the world down for those she loves and I'm here for it! I also loved seeing the moments of vulnerability between these two. Made me fall for them even more 🥹 This journey had me on the edge of my seat. The battles felt as if I was watching an epic movie scene, making me so anxious. Still not over that ending 😭 Definitely ready for book 3!! So grateful to have had this arc opportunity!

❤️‍🔥Dual POV
✨️Celestial Symbolism
🐉Dragons
❤️‍🔥YEARNING
✨️Epic Battles
🐉Oversea Journeys
❤️‍🔥“My Wife"
✨️Nickname in ancient language
🐉Touch her/him & 💀
❤️‍🔥Feminine Rage

I'm torn on my rating for this book -- think I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

Wrath of the Dragons picks up right where Fear the Flames left off. Unfortunately, there was a lot I did not remember from the end of FtF so I paused to refresh myself. (Would love if every author included a refresher at the beginning of each new book in a series.)

Now that Elowen has her dragons and is set to marry Cayden, she's got a lot to prepare for before a showdown with her daddy. A huge chunk of this book is expanding upon the world that Olivia Rose Darling built to forge alliances. We are introduced to more characters and they visit a lot of different places. Sometimes it was confusing to keep all the new characters straight (I'm looking at you, Zale and Zarius). There were times when I felt like there was stuff happening with the side characters (I love Finnian, Saskia, and Ryder) and I found myself wanting to know what was going on with them versus the MCs storyline.

While I liked this book more than book 1, I still had some issues with it. I felt that FtF was super tropey and with WotD, it felt very much like a mashup of a bunch of other books and this series struggles with it's own originality. I know that a lot of romantasies can feel the same but here, we were all over the place and it was painfully obvious where inspo was taken from. The pacing was super fast the last 15-20% of the book and I do feel like we needed more background on things cos sometimes, they didn't really make sense or weren't explained (see below past spoiler warning if you've already read the book).

I will say that I was 100% NOT expecting that ending and I was crying like a baby. Of course, I need book 3 cos that was rough. Just please please please do not let book 3 be a repeat of "The Songbird and the Heart of Stone" by Carissa Broadbent cos this could be really really cool or boring as all hell.

Appreciate NetGalley and Ballantine | Delacorte Press for providing the opportunity to read and review this book.

Things I loved/disliked below - beware of ⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️
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Loved
- Cayden in general and getting his POV
- Dragon rep cos I was screaming about them being nonexistent in FtF 🐉
- Elowen and Cayden being marked by the gods 🥰✨
- Finnian and Elowen's relationship - would love our side character's POVs in the next book or maybe a novella after the next book?
- Ryder and Cayden's bromance
- Elowen and her dragon's wrath 🔥

Disliked
- Elowen v. Daddy felt anticlimactic and that mage came out of nowhere to be the baddie we didn't know we had to watch out for? What was that?
- While I assumed that Cayden would present with some sort of magic, when they came out during his vengeance spree and it was shadow related, I did do an eye roll only because at this point, don't we have enough shadow daddies?!
- Obviously Elowen dying
- Cayden going to immediately summon the Goddess of Souls after he takes care of business. While I love an MMC who will burn down the world for his FMC, he's literally a king and at the end I was like "who's gonna be in charge to clean up this mess?" Cayden is now ruling over an expanded kingdom but peaced out without a convo with anyone

Questions I need answers to!
- What kind of magic/power was displayed when Elowen and Cayden were in the water with the kraken? I wanted to know more but get that they were at war so there was no time for explanations
- In general I need more explanation about the magic/powers cos they seem to come up only as conveniences to move the plot forward
- Do we assume that daddy's new queen is just a consort cos she was left alive?
- Who's dealing with the aftermath of the war? Aren't we worried about potential breaking of alliances?
- Did Zarius kill daddy and take the Thirwin throne? I assume yes but it all happened off page so I would love that to be touched upon in the next book

Proceed with caution as this review spoils the ending of FEAR THE FLAMES.

⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ spoilers to book 1 FEAR THE FLAMES below ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️

You have been warned.

FEAR THE FLAMES by Olivia Rose Darling is what my friend aptly called a potato chip book: not the best, but you can’t help but go back for more. I devoured it in two sittings and immediately picked up WRATH OF THE DRAGONS eager to see where the story would go.

Book 2 WRATH OF THE DRAGONS continues as Elowen and Cayden prepare for their impending nuptials and the war against the King of Imarath. At first I was invested on seeing where the story will take me. However by the halfway point I was bored. The bulk of the first half is dedicated to repairing Elowen’s faith in Cayden and to wedding planning, and I just didn’t fully buy into why Cayden’s actions at the end of Book 1 warranted that level of lingering resentment from Elowen.

Yes, we get more world building and are introduced to a wider cast of players in the war against Imarath. Yet, the action and the fantasy elements took a backseat to the wedding planning when I wanted it front and center. Fans of spicy Romantasy books will enjoy this!

For now, I will DNF at 55%. I will come back and revise my review if I pick this back up, but for now I need to step away.

Thank you Ballantine and Delacorte Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

holy wow this book is so incredible. I love these characters so much and all the different relationships are so well done and so beautiful. the new characters are so fun!
this is such an exciting continuation of the series!! we get to explore more of this interesting magical world. we learn more about Elowen’s dragons. all exciting stuff without feeling like an info dump.
cayden and elowen have the most beautiful and intense relationship. this man worships his woman in a way that no other mmc can. I can’t get enough of him.
I highly recommend this series for lovers of fun fantasy with so much romance, a sweet, feminine, bloodthirsty fmc, and dragons!!
also, Olivia, WTF WAS THAT ENDING??!??! I need book three NOW
*thank you netgalley for the free e arc in exchange for my honest review*

Okay, I sat on this review for a while because I didn't know how to phrase it. I was GIDDY when I received the notification for this ARC so I wish I had better news.

After my adoration for book 1 this one felt like a complete let down. Truly it was more of a 2.5 star review than a 3, I don't think I would recommend it to people if it was a standalone. Because it is the 2nd book I will still read the 3rd, but dang...

It was incredibly slow, and focused almost primarily on the characters. Specifically the tumultuous relationship between Elowen and Cayden. These two pined HARD, but also held such resentment. Things were so repetitive; thoughts, feelings, action., that I couldn't help but say "f*ck, just move on already." I was hoping that even with their issues rolling over from book one that they could have spoken and created a more plot-driven book.

***There is also a scene (the scene where Elowen stands in front of the lords) that feels DIRECTLY lifted from Game of Thrones and I just can't abide by that***

The book didn't pick the plot back up (or start to pick up any steam) until AFTER 50% of the book was complete, and book three seems like it will follow a completely new plot. Even when we got back to the plot it was only small snippets. The war also felt like an afterthought and was over before it even started. I am not mad about the new plot line that book three seems like it will follow to be honest.

Also - Regardless of what the title implies, there is very little dragon action.

I did really like Elowen and how she bonded with her dragons. Their bond and the magic that came with it. I enjoyed how fierce but feminine Elowen was portrayed. She was a contradiction, but done really well. The side characters and the interpersonal relationships were also things that I very much enjoyed.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Fear the Flames, and thought it was an improvement over the first installment. Elowen and Cayden grow both as individuals and together in this installment. I particularly liked Elowen’s wrath and vengeance towards those who had wronged her: “I will no longer be at the mercy of men, but they will beg for mine.” She has (obviously) a lot of trauma from her childhood but shows her true strength in this book. Another quote I loved: “We are not defined by what is done to us, and we are made of more than the abuse we suffer.”
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the expansion of the world, with new territories to explore and characters to meet- particularly the dragons! I love how each has a distinctive, intentional personality.
The inclusions of the gods and more religious aspects was slightly unexpected, but in hindsight, hinted at since the beginning of FTF.
I have to highlight my favorite quote, which I have co-opted as a sort of mantra: “what is meant for you will never miss you.”
I am eagerly looking forward to (especially) Cayden’s adventures in the next book!

Perfect follow up to book one! If you love a strong relatable fmc and a dark brooding mmc. This book also centers and found family that will truly pull at your heart strings! And THAT ENDING 👀👀👀👀 need book three!!!

It was so good to catch back up with Cayden, Elowen, and co! I loved how much more we got to be with the dragons in this book! They shine and have such different personalities and I adored learning more about them.

Before I crash out, I want to thank NetGalley for the high honor of reviewing this ARC. I was a fan of book 1 and took my role of reviewer seriously with this one. Most books I can finish in a couple days, but this one I took my time with, highlighting quotes (and dang, there were a lot of good ones) and taking in the story to do it the justice it deserves. It is apparent that Olivia put her heart and soul into writing this. When it blows up (and, trust me, it will), I can't wait to brag about the fact that I read it first.

Okay... time for the review. This will be a doozy.

Starting off strong in chapter one: No matter who comes after us, they will know the founders of this house. The queen who brought dragons back into the world, and the king who conquered a kingdom to have her.

...and chapter two: I will not cower in the dark when I can be wreathed in light created by dragon fire.

Elowen and Cayden have a lot of growth ahead of them in the beginning of this book. We end book 1 with a betrayal and a betrothal... those two things don't really fit well together but a girl knows they make for quite the plot!

As the book progresses, we watch love and trust overpower all of the negative feelings book 1 gave us. We watch two people fall more than just "in love". The way El and Cayden's friendship and relationship shape are devastatingly beautiful. The kind of love that is built off of YEARNING DESIRE. These two... the chemistry is simply unmatched.

Chapter 22: Her presence alone is enough to make me, a man I thought beyond redemption, grasp at mortality just to have at least a sliver of my soul be good enough for her."You are never getting away from me, Elowen Veles."

Chapter 35: Our eyes meet, and it becomes apparent to me that though people have looked at me before, they've never seen me. He sees all that I am, and all I can become, and wants it all.

CHAPTER 48: I feel as if something inside me is pulling me toward you. I've always felt like that, but it's stronger now. More of a volatile pull. I'd kill for you without question since the moment we met, but now it's like I can't sleep because taking my eyes off you for even a moment puts me on edge. Something in my blood pushes against my skin and bones to keep me vigilant, and it's not a peaceful force. Your presence has always quieted the voices in my head, but now it's like something has been awakened and it calls to you, but I don't know what.

Okay and can I just say that after reading this Elowen Veles is MY queen too?!?!

Chapter 55: I'm not going to babysit grown men while I have a war to fight. PREACH, SISTER!

Chapter 60: I am woman. My taste for blood stems from this need to replenish what was drained from my body when men decided I was not a person, I was property.

Like, as a woman, the ability to relate to Elowen and all she has had to endure is so strong.

One final quote because did I mention the YEARNING?!

Chapter 73: I didn't know how to speak my feelings aloud, but I'd hear music when I looked at you. I have sheets upon sheets of melodies I'd conjure from the simplest moments we spent together.

Also, my direct message to Olivia is this: HOW COULD YOU END IT LIKE THAT!? YOU MONSTER!

So anyways... if you have not yet read Fear the Flames, here is what I need you to do right now:
1. Go read the damn book already.
2. Pre-order Wrath of the Dragons.
3. Engage with Olivia's social media, share with all your bookish friends, and hype this sh*t up because you will not want to be on the side of the book community that sleeps on this masterpiece.

K thx byeeeeeeee