I do not know where to even start with this review. I will say this - I need Book 3 immediately. Five stars for the second book in this series that has me hooked!

This one picks up right after the events of Fear the Flames. Elowen and Cayden have a kingdoms to build, and they are both dealing with the consequences of betrayals. I am not giving anything away here - this book focuses on Elowen and her dragons as well as planning for battle with Imirath. This book lays a lot of the groundwork for what is to come.

I loved watching Cayden and Elowen build their relationship. I enjoyed reading both the new and returning side characters. I absolutely LOVE the dragons! The story in this one if fantastic.

Let’s talk about that ending. I really have a lot to say. This one did not end as I expected, but I am very intrigued as to where we are headed. I’m going to be thinking about this ending for a very long time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this one early! This series is fantastic, and I cannot wait for more! This one releases this week. Start this series today!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I've been waiting for this story since the indie version was first released. Then after reading the trad re-release I was on pin and needles for this story! I thought I loved Fear the Flames but this book was a whole other level. We got more of EVERYTHING! More backstory. More magic. More emotions, And I ate it all up! I will FOREVER read whatever Oliva Rose Darling writes. She could right a grocery list and I would read it.

This series continues to be an absolute favorite and now having Cayden’s POV in addition to Elowen’s is such a treat! I don’t know what to do with myself while I wait for the next book!

I'm so attached to every character, the friendships, the dragons and couldn't put this book down.

What to know:
Romantasy
Dragons, magic
Banter!
Morally grey MMC & FMC
Down badddd MMC
Found family
“My wife”
CAYDEN. VELES.

This book is absolutely amazing. I will be posting a multitude of videos about it on my Tik tok page @Tomeswithtaylor

This book was everything I wanted. Cayden and elowen are so perfect. The ending was insane and masterfully done. I never saw it coming. I cried, I laughed, I screamed. Definitely a favorite of the year!

Wrath of the Dragons by Olivia Rose Darling

Review

😮‍💨 I had to catch my breath after THAT ending. It took a turn that I did not expect, and absolutely love how it opens the plot up for this love story to continue. I need book 3 injected into my veins IMMEDIATELY.

We get dual PoV in Wrath and we get to see Cayden’s eternal devotion to his Sirantia

“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. Will you please put me out of my misery and become my wife within the week? I will always choose you in any lifetime and all worlds, so please allow me to publicly proclaim that in this one.”

Wrath of the Dragons is available July 29, 2025

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC, I am so grateful for the opportunity. .

I’ll update links for Instagram once posted which will be over the weekend so up by Sunday July 20. I’ll come back and share links for B&N and Amazon once it’s been released

The first quarter of the story was a bit slow, but it absolutely pick up when it needed to. The battle scenes were my favorite parts, along with the character development. Cayden and Elowen’s chemistry is intense, and diving deeper into their personal feelings was well done and believable. I absolutely treasure the relationships between all the characters—they all had a stronger voice and presence.

The ending had my heart stop, and I’m still in complete shock. I need to get my hands on the next book STAT!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Delacorte Press for a chance to read and give a honest review of an advanced copy of this book.

I loved this book. The character development (especially Cayden’s POV) was everything. He’s protective, emotionally torn, and so deeply in love with Elowen it hurts. Their relationship had the perfect balance of tension, trust, and slow-burn payoff.

The world expands in such a rich way with the political drama and dragon warfare, and even though the beginning was a little slow, I was completely hooked by the halfway point. That ending?! I need the next book immediately.

I’m obsessed.

Cayden is the ultimate “touch her and die” MMC
This book filled in all the gaps from the previous book and then some, such an emotional journey!

It was a slow start and lagging until ch 15 and I was SCREAMING at Elowen, but it picked up after that and just kept ramping up until the end.

Epic ending.

I absolutely loved this book. I finished it in 24 hours I literally could not put it down. Olivia did an amazing job at bringing the characters to life. This book solidified that I will definitely be auto buying anything she writes!

An excellent and unexpected sequel. Just familiar enough to welcome any romantasy reader while feeling wholly unique and different. I can’t wait for the next book, Cayden is unmatched.

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️
Genre: romantasy
Plot: Dragon Queen unites with her fated lover to unite the kingdoms
Format availability: ebook, audiobook, hardcover
Publication date: July 29, 2025

Summary: after freeing her 5 dragons from her father’s imprisonment and taking a new throne with her fated mate, FMC uses her new power to avenge her dragons. FMC, MMC, and their friends travel to different kingdoms, both peacefully and through battle, to find allies in their pursuit of war.

Opinion: one word… RUSHED. I felt similarly with book 1 (rated a 3⭐️). It is so fast paced and haphazard that it’s impossible to connect with the story. I’m just happy to be finished it because it was close to a DNF so many times. Might need to step away from romantasy reads after this for a pallet cleanser.

This book had dual POV, which allowed a deeper connection to MMC that I appreciated, but the author’s writing style was so bland that I couldn’t naturally feel the change in POV. And the chapter transitions were very abrupt and random at times. MMC character development was limited by this relentless obsession with FMC. Meanwhile FMC was self absorbed, annoying, and mostly focused on her dragons, whom I couldn’t connect with. Five dragons was too much. After 2 books I still don’t know all their names. They just weren’t interesting enough to remember. And the friendship / found family banter often felt immature for the setting.

The author tried introducing godly magic wielding but it felt forced and minimally explained. Likewise, there were many battles that lasted only a few pages - a constant surge of meaningless mini battles where all the characters were too perfect, leaving no thrill.

I was glad the awful pet names cooled down a bit with less frequent usage of angle, love, little shadow, beautiful, or sirantia 🤮

Takeaway: a rushed, poorly constructed mash up of Fourth Wing meets Throne of Glass. I really hoped for improvement for this series with book 2 but the writing is regrettably weak and lacking captivation. I will not be continuing with this series.

It took me awhile to get through this book. Not because I didn't enjoy it but because it was slow going. I understand why it was needed. All of it was worth it for that heartbreak and to Segway into book 3. Now I need book 3 immediately cause that cliffhanger was too much. The only reason it got 4 stars for me was because it took me too long to get into and really grip me like book 1 did. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing. I just have 2 kids so book that can grip me and keep me is hard to find.

4.5 ⭐️

Cayden and Elowen, my little babies. This story picks up right where Fear the Flames left off and really doesn’t stop until the last page. My love for C & E continues and I loveeedddd getting Cayden’s POV. That man has it down bad, which I love in my romantasy.
The one thing that was missing, understandably so, in the first book was the dragons, but this book makes up for it in droves. They each have their own personality and I love how the relationship and trust continues to grow between them and Elowen and honestly between Cayden also.
Overall, the plot sucked you in. ORD really expanded on the universe and the lore, introducing new characters and it just made me want to keep reading especially about the connection C and E have.
I really cannot wait for book 3.

Thank you so much to Delacorte Press, Olivia Rose Darling and Netgalley for the ARC.
US Releases on 7/29/25

I was really excited to get the ARC of this book a so LOVED Fear the Flames! This second book had a slow start but a super strong finish. I don’t think I have ever met a book boyfriend as DEVOTED to his lady as Cayden Veles. This is truly a story of an epic love between two people so deeply in love going through the trials and tribulations of surviving a war. And there’s dragons, so what’s not to love. Can’t wait to read the next book!

We jump right back into Elowen and Cayden's story where we left off in Fear of the Flames. I really wish I would have done a re-read before starting Wrath of the Dragons so that I came into book two with the same anger and hurt we left off with at the end of book one.

Elowen has just as many internal battles as external in this book. Olivia does an excellent job helping readers experience Elowen's pain and growth throughout this novel. Not only do we get to read Elowen's POV this book, but also Cayden's! This man is the King of yearning and groveling in the book.

Pacing of this book could have been better to keep you wanting to the turn the page, but overall a great book two for character development and world building. We have 'possible' meddling gods, mages, political intrigue, and many many battles. Not to mention we finally get the DRAGONS!

Do not even get me started on the ending.... DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and Olivia for a beautiful story of two beautiful souls.

This book was so good! It was a typical second book and a little slow at times but the ending made the journey worth it! Elowen and Cayden are everything to me and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

Wrath of the Dragons is the second book in the Fear the Flames series.

OH MY GOD!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I knew I was going to love this because I loved Fear the Flames. You definitely need to read that one before reading this one because you will be lost. This book picked up right where Fear the Flames left off. This book had the perfect amount of action and romance. Also CAYDEN I love that man!!! it is going to take a long time for me to get over this book. THE ENDING, I need the next book NOW!!! I highly suggest this series.

Thank you Olivia Rose Darling, and Dell for the ARC of this book. This comes out on July 29!

The plot line starts slow as Olivia Rose Darling is very focused on character development in book two. The story does pick up, and has a fabulous finish, which leaves the reader thirsting for book 3. I love the banter between Cayden and Elowen. We are also introduced to a few more characters with playful quips. I struggled with the repetition of both the MMC anf FMC inner monologues about their past fueling their actions in the present.

Thank you so much for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. I still can not believe that I was approved for this book! I absolutely loved Fear the Flames and can’t believe I got this. The world is just as fantastic, if not better! The political intrigue was so on point and CAYDEN! Need I say more? Go read it now

This book exceeded my expectations in so many ways, and even though the cliffhanger is brutal, I’m so happy I was able to get my hands on this ARC because I had been dying to read book 2 since I finished Fear the Flames. And other than being amazed after finishing Wrath of the Dragons, I am now dying for the next book and will for sure be stalking socials until I know the next release date 😂

Not only are there so many well-executed tropes and relationship building in this book, along with top-tier tension, banter, and steamy romance, but the lore and world-building are expanded so much and really give you a greater understanding of the world these characters are navigating and some of the history that is influencing their decisions.

I also could not get over the severe pining from Cayden’s POV. Talk about a devoted man who will literally stop at nothing to keep his girl. I also loved their relationship dynamic and can’t wait to see more of them.

If you love strong FMCs, morally grey characters, royal politics, and epic adventures, I highly recommend starting this series!