4.5 stars

thank you to netgalley and random house publishing for the arc :) !

AHHH. what and ENDING. i need the next book in my hands rn. i need answers. i need more!!!

cayden and elowen's romance has always been my driving interest in reading this series. i love how much they love each other. this book brought so much more than just that though. learning more about the dragons, the lore of their world, and their gods had me fully enthralled. it felt like such a treat to learn more about this world.

it would be odd not to mention how much i love ryder, finnian, and saskia. i feel like authors sometimes neglect side characters, but i am so grateful olivia rose darling does not neglect hers. i appreciate all of the time given to them and their silly banter. i love how much they love one another, protect one another, and support each other through thick and thin.

dragon queen and demon king 4ever!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, I am going to DNF this book. I really liked the first half of book one, but after that I really struggled to get through the rest. And now the start of book too. I am very much struggling to get into this book. I’m thinking maybe the series just isn’t for me. 😕

First, I would like to thank Net Galley, Random House Publishing and Olivia Rose Darling for the ARC of Wrath of the Dragons! I have been so excited for this book since the second I finished Fear the Flames last year.

NOW getting to the spoiler-free review of the book. I am so shocked that this book took the turn that it did. I am absolutely FERAL for a man that will kill anyone who harms his woman and Cayden Veles DELIVERED. His character arc and his POV's in this book were my favorite. I loved getting some insight into just how morally grey he is for his woman!

Now the DRAGONS. Wrath of the Dragons was everything that Fear the Flames was not when it comes to Elowen's dragon's. It was giving Daenarys vibes when it comes to Elowen's relationship with her 5 babies. After going through all of book 1 feeling so much pain for Elowen not having her dragons, it was nice to see her relationship flourish and grow with them now that they're all free.

My only criticisms for this book is that it did drag for me at times because the world building and politics were a bit much for me at times. But it is necessary as we're learning a lot about the new world we enter with all new characters. I personally just enjoy more simple world building in my books.

All together, with the cliffhanger this book leaves off at, I am impatiently waiting book 3 to find out what in the world happens. I am absolutely on the edge of my seat!

DNF

I absolutely fell in love with fear the flames but I couldn’t get into this to save my life. I think if I had reread book one, I might have had a better shot.

I might try this later but for now, it’s a no.

4.5 ⭐️

Helllllo, a romantasy with dragons? THE BEST! Olivia SLAYED with WotD.

I’m obsessed with Elowen and Cayden. Both of their characters are phenomenal individually & they are truly a power couple! Elowen is one of my favorite FMCs. Fierce, strong, kind hearted. And Cayden? A down bad man who fights for his woman (even though she can hold her own) 🤌🏼

Aside from my obsession with the characters and dragons, the story was so intriguing! There’s love, an intensity from war, and so much suspense! Olivia explains everything in detail but it’s also easy to follow which is a big factor for me because I have a hard time following fantasy LOL. Plus, the map (!!!) in the book is amazing and helps the visualization a ton.

Fear the Flames was one of my top fantasy reads so I had high hopes for this one. It did not disappoint! 10/10 recommend this series 👏🏼

This book was SO GOOD. Book one for me felt a little long for the plot we got. But this was so much better!

First, getting Cayden's POV made it 150% better. We love dual POV! Ugh he is just utter perfection and I love him so much.

The found family aspect in the book was top tier. It already was in book one, but it just grew and got even better. I love the side characters and the roles they play towards the main characters and the plot.

The ending? WHAT. Sobbing. Ugh I am so angry to have to wait for book three? Like HOW.

But all in all, the book was fantastic and I'm really excited to see how the story continues.

I absolutely adored this book! I LOVED hearing Cayden’s POV throughout the book. This book has a chokehold on me. I cried the first 30 minutes into the book. Cayden is by far the best book boyfriend. This book has the perfect amount of banter and spice. The world building and action is still there. And who doesn’t love a good dragon book! I absolutely love this series and already cannot wait for the next one! I hope I am able to be lucky enough to read the ARC of the next book too! Highly recommend this book!

I think I went through every emotion reading Wrath of the Dragon.

First of all, Cayden Veles? I’m sorry, I mean Cayden “Down Bad” Veles. I loved his POV chapters. This was HIS book. I think I swooned and highlighted just about everything he said.

Loved the world building in this book. And I absolutely adored the found family. Each character brought something different to the table. And they were all so likable! Finnian needs to be protected at all costs. The dragons had my whole heart and I’m happy we got more of them in this book.

BUT THAT ENDING?! Sending my therapy bill to Olivia. I’ll be staring at a wall until book 3 releases.

Wrath of the Dragons (book 2 of Fear the Flames) by Olivia Rose Darling
🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉
Thank you so much for this amazing e-ARC ❤️‍🔥

This book is one of most anticipated reads of the year, and I LOVED it! There are so many quotable moments that I cannot wait for others to obsess over with me! It has dragons, magic, epic battles, fated love, spice, and lots of political intrigue. It further explores Elowen and Cayden’s traumatic upbringings and their ongoing struggle with feeling unworthy of love. Elowen’s love and devotion to her dragons made me feel a bit emotional at times, especially when Elowen was feeling like she’d never be enough for anyone else. Despite their past as prisoners, the dragons have such endearing, playful personalities. I’m obsessed with them! Elowen is a fierce, insightful, and kind queen despite all that has happened to her. She and Cayden are both very strategic, and I thought they came up with some clever plans to weaken their enemies. I LOVE that we get Cayden’s POV and a firsthand look at how feral he is for Elowen. He’s full of darkness, sarcasm, and self-loathing, but the way he shows his love for Elowen is sweet and romantic. There are SO MANY hilarious moments sprinkled throughout the book, and I absolutely love the jokes and banter between Elowen, Cayden, and their found family. I didn’t know how badly I needed to see Cayden dealing with a very drunk Elowen, so thank you for that 🤣 The battles throughout the book were intense and action packed. The last part of the book had me hanging on every last word. Reading the ending of this book is 100% my villain origin story. How dare Olivia leave us on that cliffhanger 😭🫠 Overall, I can’t wait to see where the next book takes the story!

Link to reviews:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMqiH3NB1zb/?igsh=MXY2ZDNpMGN1Y2MzZg==

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6996464639

OH MY GOD THAT ENDING????? i'm gagged and i'm sobbing and i'm so excited for book 3!!!!

this book! the found family, the romance, the dragons, the PLOT!!!! i'm in awe of the stakes that this book raised from book 1.

cayden and elowen continue to invent enemies to lovers!!! they are so into each other but bc of circumstances from the ending of book 1, they are at a bit of a standstill. their tension and banter was inbecaple and even better than in book 1 and it was literally so fun seeing them still be drawn to each other ahhhhh! cayden is still so obsessed with elowen and we have to stan!! we even got some crumbs of potential side couples that are going to be incredible i just know it!

the world is so much bigger, we have nee characters and new threats and i'm just buzzing wow! i cried like a baby at the ending of this book but i'm so excited for what's to come!!!

Thank you Dell and Netgalley for this eARC! it's out everywhere 7/29

🔥✨🖤 5⭐️ Review — Wrath of the Dragons by Olivia Rose Darling 🖤✨🔥

This book devoured me—and I let it.

As the explosive second installment of Fear the Flames, Wrath of the Dragons picks up right where the first left off and somehow turns the heat, tension, and emotional stakes up even higher. This isn’t just a fantasy romance—it’s a full-blown obsession.

The chemistry? Electric. The spice? SPICING in every sense. Olivia Rose Darling delivers tension so thick, it simmers on the page. The characters continue to grow in the most addictive, heart-wrenching ways—and don’t even get me started on the dragons 😮‍💨🔥

Cayden and Elowen are something else entirely. Their bond is so unique—equal parts deep, funny, supportive, possessive, and achingly raw. Their chemistry isn’t just hot, it’s soul-deep. You feel everything they feel. Every ache, every stolen glance, every moment of devotion or rage—it hits like a tidal wave. They pull you in, and you don’t come back the same.

This world is rich, dangerous, and utterly seductive. Every chapter peels back more layers—of plot, power, politics, and passion. And just when you think you’re safe? That ending hits. It’s devastatingly beautiful, a knife wrapped in poetry—and the cliffhanger? Cruel. Brilliant. Unforgettable. I NEED the next book like I need air.

✨ I was lucky enough to receive an eARC (thank you SO much!!) and when it hit my inbox, I cried, screamed, and nearly dropped my phone. That’s how deep this obsession runs.

🗓️ The official release is TOMORROW and I’m telling you now—clear your schedule. Because once you open this book, you’re not putting it down.

Olivia is out here redefining fantasy romance, and I’m here for every dark, fiery, deliciously painful second of it. If you’re not reading this series yet… what are you even doing? 🐉

3.5 Stars - The Wrath of Dragons was an interesting sequel to Darling's Fear the Flames. The story was paced very well with some interesting twists, but I need Elowen to go to therapy or just talk to someone anyone (perhaps even her dragons?) about her feelings. The girl is one of the most emotionally constipated characters I have ever read, but inconsistently, which I find to be a flaw across the series that has pulls me out.

For the first part of the book, the tension between her and Veles feels less like the build up to an undeniable romantic connection, but just incredibly dull, but it does pick up in the back half, and by the end of the book, I am very invested in what is going to happen next.

All in all, a solid follow up, and I excited to read what's next!

Thanks for the opportunity to read this one! My digital copy was set with really shallow indentation, making it difficult to read. (I have problems focusing my eyes and the deeper indentation of finished copies gives my eyes an easier path to follow with less strain.) I do plan to read a finished copy once it comes out 7/29! Based on a flip through and the 20% I managed to read, I give this about 4 stars. I'm really looking forward to finishing this one because Fear the Flames was one of my favorite reads of last year.

"I've been slowly dying since the moment I saw you, so it seems fitting for you to be the one to deliver my end. For as long as I live, you will never be free of me and even in death I will do everything in my power to haunt you."

Cayden Veles...the man that you are. This book had me in an absolute chokehold! It was a perfect sequel to fear the flames. The characters are amazing and developed so well from book 1. Elowen is a force to be reckoned with, driven by revenge against her father and everything he has taken from her. She made sure he felt her wrath and her dragons were burning down everyone and everything in her path. The battle scenes were incredible and the last few chapters had me an emotional wreck.

"The dragon queen. Not the queen of Aestilian. Not the queen of Vareveth. A queen her people will follow to any land, to any end, to war and beyond."

Cayden Veles, the demon of Ravaryn, is the standard, the blueprint, the definition of yearning, groveling, "if he wanted to he would", and obsessive over Elowen. The lengths he goes for her is what makes romantasy the greatest genre in my opinion. And for having such a tormented past, he really is such an amazing character to read.

The side characters are one of the greatest parts of this book. The friendships, found family and special bonds between this group of people is so much fun to read. Elowen might be able to handle her own but I love that she doesn't shy away from the soft and feminine parts of her. Our girl loves her jewels, fine clothes and is obsessive over her hair - my kinda gal!! Olivia Darling truly created a dream-worthy world that any romantasy girly would fawn over. For any girl who wants to wear ethereal gowns while fighting battles and flying dragons and making a man skilled with a sword yearn for us...this book isa dream come true.

Thank you to Olivia Rose Darling and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. I very much enjoyed seeing Cayden's point of view throughout this book. Seeing more of his background and devotion to Elowen was the highlight of this book. I very much enjoyed seeing more of the personality of the dragons along with their relationship with Elowen. Elowen's POV was very guarded compared to the prior book. While I understand why recent events impacted her behavior in book 2, her guarded thoughts carried through to me as the reader making it difficult for me to connect with her. I am looking forward to what comes next in this series.

The second book in this series that follows Cayden and Elowen as they navigate both their marriage of convenience and being king and queen. With war looming on the horizon, they both must strategize on how to overthrow Elowens father and take back her throne.

You get to see a lot more of the world as well as Elowen with her dragons. We’re introduced to new characters that I can’t wait to see more of in the next book. We get to see Elowen struggle with coming to terms with all that has transpired and to lean into being the dragon queen. We also get to be more in Cayden’s POV, and this man is so down bad for Elowen, where can we find men like this in real life! It was so cool seeing the concept of Cayden and Elowen being blessed by the gods, so I am curious what else they will be able to do in the next book!

I am in need of the second book because WHAT was that ending!! Wrath of the Dragons is out tomorrow!! So make sure you jump back in and see Elowen and Cayden become the gods-blessed dragon queen and conqueror king

Thank you so much to itslivdarling , @delacortepress , and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC

A second installment that - while very very good and beautifully written - was a bit slow to get through, setting us up for an absolutely EPIC book three. I mean, that ending!!!!!!

This time we’ve got Elowen going FULL Daenerys Targaryen Mother of Dragons mode, Cayden yearning for his wife (who to be clear, is not his wife at the time), a few rogue princes (with weirdly similar names), our dragons getting the chance to be free and burn up their enemies, friends and family fighting to stay alive (with whatever fun and weird dynamic Finnian, Ryder, and Saskia have), all in one epic game of political chess!

When I was in on this book, I was totally in. Things moved fast, plots carried forward with a lot of momentum, and our characters were strong and clever. When I was dragging with it, I lost the plot because of the speed when things would just be resolved super fast. I loved the character development - and was screaming for El and Cayden to just get over it and be together because obviously they were going to be!!! Some of their dialogue is up there in terms of most beautiful writing, full of emotion and love!

Thanks so much to Olivia Rose Darling and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This second installment of Fear the Flames was an emotional rollercoaster for sure! It felt a bit slow at first, but as the plot moved along... I devoured it. I never knew really what was going to happen, which kept me turning those pages. Love all the characters, the found family vibes, and the love for each other. And the banter! Not only between the main characters but the sass and banter among all the friends, so fun! I also felt that this was more Cayden's book whereas book 1 was more Elowen's story and I loved it. And finally that shocker of an ending!

This book had me hooked from start to finish! What I enjoyed most about this story is the characters. Both are equally strong-willed and relentless, complementing each other’s strengths. The found family adds depth as they come together against constant danger. The world-building is just amazing. Jumping into the action, immersing you in this phenomenal realm.

Wrath of the Dragons was one of the books I looked forward to the most this year and it did not disappoint. It picks up right where we left off without missing a beat. Elowen & Cayden are preparing for the long and bloody road ahead of them while coming to terms with their betrothal and all that brings with it. Gearing up for war and seeking out alliances brings its own turmoil but not nearly as much as Elowen is feeling about the way marriage to Cayden has come up. Our feisty lost princess is all in her feels and feeling stabby. Cayden might just be the one she makes bleed. This story covers a lot of ground and does it beautifully. The bone deep longing and heartbreak seeps off the pages and has you grappling with trust and forgiveness right along with our heroine. The dual p.o.v. was pivotal to the story and we really get to see Cayden, our damaged hero bleed onto the pages for Elowen. Who knew Cayden was such a poet?

“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."

Book boyfriend material right there. There is no length Cayden would not go to in order to keep her safe and be by her side. Not to worry though there is so much more to the story; political scheming, unlikely and perhaps forced alliances, magic and the discovery of new abilities, bloody battle scenes packed with action, and dragons. We are really introduced to each dragon and get a better understanding of their origin, strengths, and personalities. The found family did not take a backseat and was fully represented. We see our favorite side characters throughout the story adding depth, substance, heartfelt moments and some heart breaking ones. I really enjoyed the new characters introduced and am excited to see where they go in future books.

In case you couldn't tell I absolutely loved this book. As soon as I sat down with it it felt like coming home. I was fully immersed in the story with our characters going along for the ride. I am already looking forward to my next reread as soon as the audio drops.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early.