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!

Someone needs to sedate me immediately. This book was A CLAW THROUGH MY HEART!! I will need therapy for the foreseeable future.

DUAL POV novels are my bread and butter. Cayden’s POV is like a sugary pastry. Would you be okay with bread? Of course, but a pastry? Even better.

I loved being able to explore Cayden’s character in his own right. We get to see him from Elowen’s persepective before but Wrath of the dragons show HOW DOWN BAD OUR COMMANDER IS (I know he’s a ___ now but still he’s my Demon Commander 🫡) Cayden also just is cool AF. Not just him as a symbol, or his armor, his nicknames, but just his essence.

Elowen and her dragons shine. It’s the story that Daenerys deserved.

Elowen is as cool as ever, and the dragons are going into battle with her at the charge. It was fun to watch her as a commander, even if it was of dragons. 🐉

Cayden and Elowen’s chemistry just keeps growing and changing. It’s beautiful to watch the evolution of their love from Fear the Flames to Wrath of the Dragons.

Finnian, Saskia, and Ryder are some of my favorite side characters; they were integral to the story, but they were also more like family. (Found family tropes will always be my addiction)
The new characters in Wrath of Dragons only add to the family, but it never is at the cost of the OG team. 💙

The action was PEEK. Cayden and Elowen are at their deadliest, their most magical, and everyone needs to experience it

Work Song by Hoizer is Cayden and Elowen in every shape and form…

The conclusion….
💀😭🫡😫⚔️

The only house I bow to is House Veles 🐉

"𝒯𝓇𝓊𝑒 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒𝒹𝑜𝓂 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝑒𝒹𝓊𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃, 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝓎 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓇𝓊𝓁𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝒸𝓀 𝓊𝓅 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈, 𝒷𝒶𝓃, 𝑜𝓇 𝒷𝓊𝓇𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂. 𝒦𝑒𝑒𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓁𝑒𝑔𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓈."
"𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓀𝑒𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝓎𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓃𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝓇𝑜𝓁 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒾𝑔𝓃𝑜𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓉."

What a ride! This sequel picks up right after Fear the Flames and throws us into a vengeance fueled, action packed journey with Cayden and Elowen.

The yearning, banter, and slow burn? Absolutely delicious. Every moment with Elowen's five dragons felt magical, some even had me laughing out loud.

Cayden Veles continues to make us swoon with his intense devotion! His “kill her and die” energy turned up to 100. There's nothing we wouldn't do for his Sirantia. He continues to be a top book boyfriend.

The found family element was beautifully done, and the ending? Cliffhanger city. Buckle up for book 3!

If you haven't picked up this series, I highly recommend it 🖤

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House, Delacorte Press and Netgalley for gifting me this digital and physical arc. Eternally grateful.

Wrath of the Dragons is book 2 of the Fear the Flames series. This sequel will take you on quite the journey, not just physically on an adventure but emotionally as well. War is coming. While Elowen is dealing with a whole slew of emotions from book 1's ending, she is also now learning to ride and communicate her dragons, be a queen, and deal with Cayden. Cayden is absolutely, 1000% in love with Elowen and will do anything and everything he can to show her. The tight circle of friends, or found family, all add to this fantastic cast of characters. The book is filled with political intrigue, spice, and magic. My favorite part though was all the banter. I could not get enough of it.

The book gives off Game of Thrones (Daenerys' journey), Heir of Fire, and From Blood and Ash (Poppy/Casteel's relationship) vibes. Elowen is not some shrinking flower, but a fierce protector and warrior who happens to like exquisite clothes and the color lavender. This book hits a lot of the romantasy tropes of touch her and die, prophecies, fated love, secret heir, found family, and hidden powers. Darling's writing has a way of fully immersing you in the world she has created. Her writing has that rare magic that completely transport you. You won't just read the world, you will live for it. Every detail, every emotion, every moment feels real, like you are walking alongside the characters instead of watching from afar. This style of complimented with a dual POV from Elowen and Cayden.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine/Delacorte Press, and especially Olivia Rose Darling for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.75

My Review- I am back in this world and I had fun reading it seeing what the characters are doing now after the first book. It starts maybe a few days or weeks after the ending of fear the flames and things are still not the best with Elowen and Cayden and takes up a good part of the first half of the book. I was not mad about it he did something that hurt her feelings and needed to earn her trust back in him, and when they do make up it is wonderful Cayden love my girl so much will do anything for her and show it a lot in this book and we learn more about his past. it’s breaks my heart how he was treated I still love the side characters and there were some new one too the world has grown in this book and the magic. Like the first book the beginning was slow and not in a bad way it was setting up the rest of the book and the middle where things pick up there were times I was confused about the gods and magic and she did have a glossary but because I was on my kindle I did not want to go back. That ending was crazy I am ready for the next book and see how this plays out for the rest of the series.

This author has a lot of potential. Was the writing amazing? No. Was I entertained? Yes. However, this series does fall into the common romantasy trap- lots of telling, not showing with some shaky world building.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC. I was so thrilled to receive this, and I will say that I loved every minute of this book. Cayden is literally everything to me. He continues to have such growth as a character and he is so obsessed with our girl Elowen. I was here for EVERY minute of it. I appreciated the introductions of new characters, learning more backstory on the different leaders and diving deeper into the magic system of this world.

All in all, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, and there were SEVERAL times where I thought I was having a heart attack. Then boom, TALK ABOUT CLIFF HANGER!! I need the next book like yesterday!!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author for an Arc for an honest review. I must say I really enjoyed this, even more than the first book. It started off a little slow and so it took me a little while to get fully invested but then I did not want to stop reading. I loved the romance side as well as the found family aspect. And the ending I honestly did not expect and did not see book 3 going in that direction. But now I cannot wait to read book 3, I need it like yesterday.

Good lord. This book was amazing. Darling has such an incredible way of weaving magic, tension, longing, and love into a world where nothing and no one is safe. And that ending!!!

I so loved this book, it was AMAZING! The world building was well done and the characters were interesting! I would recommend this book to everyone!

what a ride this was. that ending though? WHATTTTTT! need book 3 immediately!!!

I’m so happy I did a reread of fear the flames because I would’ve been so lost ngl. Wrath of the dragons picks up right after and let me just say we got sooooo much action in this one. I literally couldn’t put it down. Ohhhh and we get dual pov !!! I loved being in Cayden’s head. he literally has such a way with words omg. he had me swooning!!!! elowen is stronger than me cause the minute homeboy opened his mouth, I would’ve folded!

I loved everything about this!! the found family will always be my fav.

can’t wait for this to release to pick up my physical copy!!! thank you Ballantine for this arc!

📖 Wrath of the Dragons, Fear the Flames #2

✍🏾 Author: Olivia Rose Darling-read and gave Fear the Flames 5 ⭐

📅 Publication date: 7/29/25| Read 7/22/25

Format: eBook 544 pgs.

Genre:
*Fantasy
*Romance
*Sci Fi

Tropes:
*marriage
*found family
*morally gray H
*magic/dragons
*fated mates
*war/politics

☝🏾 POV: 1st person dual

⚠️ TW: murder, parental abuse-H&h, patricide-H&h

🌏 Setting: Ravaryn

Summary: Elowen is cautious with Cayden because she feels he plotted their marriage for political power. Cayden wants a true relationship w/ Elowen but has to prove it. Elowen trains with her dragons gaining new powers while deciding if she will pursue Imirath's throne. Together with their trusted friends they travel to gain allies to win the war.

👑 Heroine: Elowden Atarah-Queen of Vareveth

👑Hero: Cayden Veles-King of Vareveth

Other Characters:
* Saskia-a healer/Ryder's sister
*Ryder-Cayden's trusted general
*Finnian-Elowen's BFF
*Garrick Atarah-Elowen's father
*Ailliard-Elowen's uncle-deceased
*Queen Cordelia of Galakin + King Erix+ Prince Zale -House of Ilaria
*Prince Zarius-plans to overthrow Thirwen
*Elowen's Dragons-Basilius, Delmira, Calithea, Sorin, and Venatrix

🤔 My Thoughts: This book was another epic romantasy following enemies to lovers Cayden and Elowen. They finally got married, Elowen's power grew with the dragons, and Cayden declared his undying devotion to her. It was too long though and some conversations between Cayden and Elowen were repetitive (more in the first half). What an ending though! It's a great cliffhanger and goes beyond the bond marriage and love. Can't wait for the next book.


Rating: 4/5 ⭐
Spice level 5/5 🌶

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine| Delacorte Press, and Olivia Rose Darling for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This and Fear the Flames absolutely ruined me in the best way possible !! This is my new 6 star series. I loved everything about it.
In this sequel we deal with the upcoming war after Cayden overthrows the throne for Elowen. In order to win the war, they must defeat Elowens father, who had done not only her wrong but Cayden and so many others Elowen tries to ally with.
We get to learn more about Cayden’s past, much more dragon action, learn if the Gods really had something to do with the two meeting, more anbout the Gods in general and so much more. Then there’s the ending with actually had me in tears while pacing around my house reading. I can’t say enough about this book ! Wait yes I can , Cayden is definitely in my top three Shadow Daddies !!!!

ABSOLUTLEY love this series! I was so blessed to have a an opportunity to arc read the sequel in this series. Olivia darling is a god at creating epic and fantastical worlds that are the dream of people that grew up on Lord of the Rings and more like this. I fell in love with the world and characters immediately. Olivia's characters are always written so well! we see our characters in this story grow so much and developed in a way that had me in tears at the end. The things they overcome and the way our FMC continues to push and be a strong ass woman. Our MMC is so morally grey and damaged but he is beyond loyal and ruthless when it comes to our FMC. The way he never holds her back and he encourages her in everything she does which i loved. Our other small characters really started to stand out in the book as well. I feel we are finally starting to get invested into their lives and i really could use some POVS from them in the future. Overall the story is attention grabbing and so gripping that you'll be trying to figure out what's going on constantly but will never figure it out. I was biting my nails and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I love this series and will easily be continuing.

Thank you Dell & Netgalley for the ARC!

Fear the Flames was a favorite of mine (still is) and Wrath of the Dragons was a fantastic continuation of Elowen & Cayden's story!

For the sake of spoilers, I won't say much BUT I loved this one!!! Its action-packed, with magic, power, politics, and so much emotion. Olivia Rose Darling does a wonderful job at giving her main characters so much depth, constantly exploring their minds and giving the reader the chance to really understand them. The pacing of this one was a little slow at the start for me, but definitely picked up as I went on! By the 40% mark I was absolutely hooked and needed to know where the story was going to go next.

I love Elowen & Cayden so much. Them as individuals and them as a couple. The tension, chemistry, and connection between them is UNREAL. Also, you get Cayden's POV in this one which was DELIGHTFUL. Their romance is just so powerful, so delectable, and I loved seeing it evolve in this!!! The spice is delicious, hot, and so perfectly done!!!

What I will say is that I'm sending Olivia Rose Darling my therapy bill after the ending of this one. I need the next book IMMEDIATELY. I'm still reeling and it's been a week!!!

This book was everything I was expecting, and more! I was so happy to see that this book did not suffer from the sophomore slump. WotD took the foundation from its predecessor and built a solid epic fantasy that pays homage to some of the great classics while also remaining unique and original. All the seeds planted in the first book bloom into an intriguing magic system and folklore with gods and goddesses. Characters we know and love get fleshed out more and more—truly a touching found family tale. And there’s plenty of political intrigue to keep those wheels turning in your head late into the night. Darling hits every beat flawlessly making this an outstanding series in its genre…and this is only book two!

Now this might be one of my longest reads to date. Not because it was slow or a chore to get through—this is a book that you really need to sink your teeth into and spend some time with. You will find yourself wanting to get lost in this world and these characters. I don’t recommend this for a light, easy beach read. This is the book you want to abandon all adult responsibilities for and the one you’ll ignore your family and friends for.

The romance was, once again, well-balanced with the action of the story. We get a political marriage, one of my absolute favorite tropes, that feels absolutely perfect for where these characters are in their journey. I get worried when the main characters get together too early in the series—what is there to look forward to? Well fear not, Elowen and Cayden’s love story feels fresh and inventive while also progressing their story arc at an excellent pace. THE MAN THAT CAYDEN IS. Get out of the way other book boyfriends, there’s a new favorite in town.

Bottom line: it’s hard to follow up a 5⭐️ read, but WotD stuck the landing. 5/5 for a marathon read that I didn’t want to end.

Immense gratitude and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

listen, when i say that this book had me in a CHOKEHOLD!! more importantly, CAYDEN VELES HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD!! know that i mean this with every fiber of my being. the characters are so good, the romance is undefeated because of Cayden alone. 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 so good, dying for book 3 already.


Cayden is the standard, the blueprint, the definition of yearning, groveling, if he wanted to he would and everything else. the lengths this man went to for Elowen is exactly the type I’m obsessed with in books and the ending literally sent me spiraling into another dimension. technically, there were issues with the pacing and i wish Elowen had more of a speaking-type bond with her dragons but those were my only minor complaints and for THAT ENDING ALONE?! FIVE STARS!! i love the side characters and the friendships too, especially Finnian and his bond with Elowen. Elowen might be able to handle her own but I love that she doesn’t shy away from the parts that make her feel soft and cared for by the people she loves. my mind is just Cayden Veles, demon of Ravaryn 24/7 .. clearly.

5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

…what I feel for the woman sleeping beside me could lay waste to armies and end worlds.

Wrath of the Dragons is the second instalment in the adult romantasy series, Fear the Flames. Written in dual first person POV, we continue following Cayden and Elowen as they unite to take back their rightful land. Yet the cost may be high as betrayal between them creates a fission as Cayden forces Elowen into a marriage of political convenience. So amidst a reunion of dragons, court intrigue, and war politics, Elowen and Cayden must decide whether they will stand as a unified front or will they let the past tear them apart. See, the war has just begun...and it's not just their lives on the line.

Okay I LOVED this book. This is an excellent example of how the first book can introduce a fascinating story while the second book can deliver it in all the ways you wanted it to.

Elowen is a fierce FMC when she wants to be but she doesn't give up her femininity in the process. I felt her loyalty and love in this book was powerful and she knew exactly how to play the games of court. She struggles initially on how she feels about Cayden because of their history but her actions show just how much she cares. I also want to explore more of the magic that was teased here with her. She is a bit of a martyr, though.

Cayden...this man has a way with words. His absolute obsession and love of Elowen is powerful and the amount of times I highlighted his thoughts and feelings for her. He just wants to do what is best for her but his struggle to see his own worth can get in the way. He is fierce and ruthless when he wants to be but only towards his enemies and we see that here but we also get the vulnerability of him as he knows in order to earn back Elowen's trust he needs to be honest. This man is the exact kind of MMC I love in romantasies.

“I’m going to treat you so well that 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’m going to remember this, and remember him, because one day you won’t.”

In terms of spice, I would place this book around 3.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are approximately 4 spicy scenes across this book with the first occurring around the 50% mark. These characters have a pre-existing relationship but start the novel with a bit of a falling out. That said the connection between them is palpable and I loved the banter and tension leading up. I also enjoyed how the spice explored fun new locations to help emphasize how much these characters adore each other - it was passionate, detailed, and explicit. One of my favourite romances and the spice works so well with it.

The story itself had excellent pace. I really enjoyed the political intrigue and alliance building as the gang prepares for battle. I loved being able to get to know each of Elowen's dragons more and the marriage/betrothal of convenience made for additional banter and tension. I felt more immersed into the world in this book than the previous book. We get additional side characters that offer more tension with prophecies and alliances and I am excited to see how they further will unravel in this series. We get a real sense of found family here with Elowen and Cayden's friends that support them through these ups and downs and the quips and humour between them helped to soften the high stakes - one of my favourite tropes shows up and boy, oh, boy do the side characters help make it more teary eyed. The climax is INTENSE and I was surprised at how it turned out. It led to some sobbing and crying on my part but the cliffhanger offers some hope...albeit the risk is high.

Overall, this book was an amazing sequel and has very firmly landed this series as one I am going to love!

Thank you Dell Romance for this arc!

OMG OMG! THAT ENDING! IT HAD ME BAWLING AND HEARTBROKEN. 😭💔

This is a masterpiece! I was staring at the wall after the last page. I needed a few days to wrap my head around what just happened. I'm pretty sure I highlighted the whole damn book haha.

It was so good to see Elowen come into her own and gain confidence with her capabilities as a soldier and ruler, but still be the soft heart we know her to be from FTF. She is the perfect balance. CAYDEN. Gosh, I am glad we got his POV in this book! This man lives, breathes, and YEARNS for Elowen. 🤌🏼

There was quite a bit they had to work through after how book 1 ended. I understood both of their sides, but also kept screaming for Elowen to PUT HIM OUT OF HIS MISERY haha.

He is so down bad for Elowen and I LOVED every one of his chapters lol. Their romance was a slow burn, pure and steamy. Like the kind that makes you giddy, kicking your feet and just cheesing the whole time. The way they both describe their love for each other is all-consuming.

The world-building, the new magic lore, and learning about all the dragons were so interesting! I loved all the dragon scenes and getting to see their personalities and mischievous sides.

Absolutely loved the found family between them all and how they aren't your typical royal family. This is definitely up and down, full of battles and politics. Wins and losses. I knew something was coming, but NOT THIS! I'm emotionally destroyed and I can't wait to do it again for the next book! Infinity stars Olivia! 💙

Thank you to @netgalley for this e-arc.

Review of Wrath of the Dragons by Olivia Rose Darling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)

Wrath of the Dragons had me fully hooked from start to finish. This is the second book in the Fear the Flames series, and wow—it does not suffer from second book syndrome. Olivia Rose Darling gives us everything: dragons, magic, war, betrayal, healing, and yes… spice. Lots of spice.

We pick up right after the intense events of Fear the Flames, and the tension between Elowen and Cayden is deliciously complicated. I really appreciated that their relationship wasn’t rushed. Elowen makes Cayden earn her trust back—and honestly, watching that process unfold made me love them both even more. The dual POV worked so well here, especially seeing Cayden’s raw devotion. His love for Elowen is fierce and deeply flawed in the best, morally grey kind of way.

The plot is action-packed and unpredictable, with some truly jaw-dropping moments. Darling’s world-building continues to impress—rich with political intrigue, emotional depth, and characters who feel both magical and real. The dragons are back and just as epic as ever, and Elowen’s bond with them brings a powerful emotional thread to the story.

The ending? Absolutely wild. I thought I had an idea of where things were headed, but I was wrong in the best way. Darling doesn’t hold back, and now I need book three ASAP.

If you love books like Fourth Wing or Game of Thrones but want something fresh with a strong, complex heroine, this series is for you. Just a heads-up: it deals with some heavy content (death, torture, misogyny, etc.), so check the warnings first.

Overall, a darkly romantic, fantasy-fueled rollercoaster that left me breathless. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine | Delacorte Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.