EXCUSE ME?!?!

My jaw is on the floor. It started out slow BUT. IT. WAS. WORTH. IT.

While I loved book 1- Book 2 definitely upleveled and had everything I hoped it would!

The Cayden POV truly made this book for me. What an incredible character! I love him.
The politics, the secrets, the new additions to our motley crew, the world building, the prophecies and THE ENDING?!?!??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GIRL, THE ENDING. I never saw it coming. Bravo.

This book had it all and I loved it so much. I am so excited for the next one! House Veles Forever!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review

Now THIS is how you write a duology!!! I wish NetGalley would allow 4.5 star ratings, but I absolutely loved this book!

Liv had me foaming at the mouth with each turn of the page in Wrath, I'm not even kidding... First of all, the world building absolutely blossomed in this book, one of my main gripes with FTF, and I was so here for it. I was highlighting paragraph after paragraph with all these details that truly elevated this world a whole new level! I felt immersed and wrapped up in this story from the first 50 pages because of it.

Don't even get me started on Cayden Veles... While he is a morally gray mmc, this book was his love letter to Elowen. The amount of times I highlighted his quotes and one liners was UNREAL. I could gush on and on about him, but you'll just have to read it to find out ;) He has made it onto my list of top book boyfriends, easy <3 One of the things I loved about Cayden and Elowen, and Wrath in general, was how realistic their relationship growth was. Wrath picks up after some huge truths are revealed in FTF, and while their relationship hit some bumps in the road, Liv made sure to do them justice.

The ending had me absolutely devastated, and that last line in the acknowledgements better be true Liv... I need this next book ASAP!!

Thank you again Liv, Dell, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review and early copy of Wrath <3

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Kindle Unlimited: No

Holy cow, this is how you write a sequel, I’m not even mad at the fact that it took her three years to write it because it improved on the first one in every way. I thought I knew where it was going and boy was I wrong. I mean that ending had me literally staring at a wall.

Thank you so much Delacorte Press, NetGalley, and Olivia Rose Darling for the eARC of this book! All opinions are my own!

If you loved the first book, you’ll also enjoy this one! The intrigue, the dragons, the found families 🥹. Elowen continues to impress while Cayden keeps capturing my heart with his utter devotion to Elowen while not holding her back. The second half of the book was much more well paced in my opinion compared to the first half.

I adored the first book and was really excited to pick up Wrath - it made me feel so many emotions in such a short time frame that I had to stop reading at times lol.

Cayden and Elowen - the YEARNING. The TENSION. The BANTER. I literally could not get enough. The development of their relationship is just top tier. I want more and more and more. The spice is amazing, which I expected and was not surprised about in the slightest. The way that they handle their emotional relationship really made it jump from great to incredible for me.

I did feel like the world building wasn't the greatest in the first book but all of that is completely taken care of here. We learn about the kingdoms and characters (albeit a little repetitive)

I live for arranged marriage AND touch her and die and this book d e l i v e r s on those. I cannot wait to read book 3.

Hi! Thank you, Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read Wrath of Dragons in advance.

I was lucky enough to be approved and read the first installment of the series, “Fear of Flames”, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was exciting and drew me in and I was looking forward to this second installment.

I downloaded the book to my Kindle to read. Unfortunately, I’ve had a hard time getting back into the story. It has nothing to do with Olivia Rose Darling’s writing. She’s an excellent writer and story teller.

I’m not sure if it was the story I couldn’t connect with or if it’s me as a mood reader. Because I downloaded the advance review copy to my Kindle, I’m hoping I can give it another try and come back to update my review.

With all of this in mind, I’m going to mark this book as NRN (Not Right Now). Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to read Wrath of Dragons in advance. I’m not sure how to rate this book since I’m categorizing as NRN, so I’m going to mark this book with 3🌟🌟🌟 for the writing. In Goodreads I won’t mark it with in any stars and put in my NRN folder.

This book is masterfully crafted, thoughtfully designed, beautifully written, and brimming with heart.

The worldbuilding, magic system, lore, character arcs, and overarching themes pulled me in completely. Every moment was a joy to read, and I already crave more.

The ending? A cliffhanger sharp enough to cleave me.

Cayden and Elowen are a couple that could bring kingdoms to their knees. Their devotion, longing, and love are among the most powerful I have ever read. And somehow, their relationship only deepens and takes root as the story unfolds.

I am entirely convinced I will be unwell until the next book releases, because this ending will haunt me until I have answers.

Cayden how I love you so. For the girlies that have never found a man that would fight for you he is the epitome of work through your trauma and I'll be here for you no matter what. I absolutely love the world that has been created and the growth throughout the book.

➸ 5 stars

“To war, my love.”

thank you to netgally, random house publishing / dell romance and olivia rose darling for the advanced readers copy!! <3

⚔️ dual pov
🌙 political intelligence
⚔️ marriage of inconvenience (but also convenient)
🌙 epic battles
⚔️ oversea journeys
🌙 celestial symbolism
⚔️ YEARNING

if you know me, you know fear the flames is one of my favorite books of all time. that book and that story has been on my mind everyday and has been kept close to my heart since i first opened the first page. wrath of the dragons has been my most anticipated read and it did not disappoint one bit. it outdid. i loved being back in this world, it felt like coming home. seeing these characters on the pages again brought me so much happiness!!

the first half of this book was so much fun!! i loved the little gentle moments and my face actuallly hurt from smiling so wide!! once part 3 started, my heart was RACING tears were STREAMING and i was clutching at my chest once i got to the end. i’m still speechless. this book took a turn i was not expecting when i first read book one and i have SO many theories!!! i am beyond excited for the next book and i NEED it in my hands this second because i fear i will never recover from the ending of wrath. it’s been keeping me up at night and UGHHHH it was just so fucking good and so painful!!!! olivia truly outdid with this book and i can’t wait to see where the story goes!!!

full review will be available on my goodreads soon!

Wonderful sequel to the first book. Dragons with a war, Romance and of course gods and goddess added to the mix of a storyline I was intrigued from the first chapter. I hope there is more from Olivia because I definitely need more books.. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read.

Thank you NetGalley & Delacorte Press for this ARC!

“What I feel for her defies the logic I’ve lived by. I don’t like calling it love; it seems too mundane a word and too hypocritical.”

My man Cayden was the epitome of swoon-worthy. Plus the yearning, the devotion, the loyalty, the found family—was everything in this book!

This is the second book in the Fear the Flames series, and it picks up right where the first book left off. After overthrowing the throne in Vareveth, Cayden and Elowen are now forced into a marriage of convenience to secure the throne and head to war against Elowen’s father, Garrick. As her father’s only heir to the Imirath throne, Elowen is determined to reclaim her right and give her people a better future. Along their journey to gain more allies, love, trust, and loyalty are tested, leading to an unexpected ending that will leave you begging for book three ASAP.

Some things I loved about this book:
✨ We get to learn more about the dragons
✨ With the magic ban lifted, we see more characters with fun magical abilities
✨ New characters that add to the found-family banter
✨ Cayden and his swoon-worthy words
✨ That freaking ending! I have questions!!

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for the eARC. It was my first one I received and I was so excited! This book did not disappoint! The emotional trauma Cayden and Elowen have been through and their drive for revenge is done so well. Cayden’s devotion to Elowen is unparalleled and flawless. The ENDING????? Going into this I didn’t know if there were going to be more books in the series or not, clearly there are lol.

Thank you to Olivia Rose Darling, NetGalley, and Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I went into this one with cautious optimism. I had read Fear the Flames and felt pretty lukewarm about it—not a book I disliked, but not one I loved either. I’d seen so many people say this sequel was even better, so I was curious to give it a try. Unfortunately, both books ultimately fell short for me.

I found Elowen to be a rather unbearable protagonist, and the plot felt nearly non-existent. While the overarching storyline is about confronting her father, I’d estimate that only about 20% of the content in either book actually focuses on that, with the rest feeling like filler. Other than Finn, the side characters felt underdeveloped, and the relationships leaned heavily on instalove and instant found family without much organic build-up. There was also a lot of telling and info-dumping instead of showing, which kept me from feeling truly immersed in the world or characters.

Sadly, this series just isn’t for me, and I won’t be continuing on with future installments.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

The dragons and Cayden are what kept me reading this series….but honestly I’m not sure it’s enough to continue on from here. The prose is very intriguing but I feel like the plot fell super flat on it. Elowen is our main character and Cayden is the love interest (husband) and he was the plot. Everything felt so disjointed to me. In one scene they are at their wedding then the next they’re off at battle. It just felt like not good enough transitions were had.

My review is posted as of 8/7 on NetGalley, Goodreads, and Fable.

Thank you again NetGalley and Random House Publishing!

5 stars 🌶🐉👑

Wrath of the Dragons is the second book in Olivia Rose Darling’s steamy romantasy series following Fear the Flames. The stakes are higher, the tension is hotter, and the dragons? Still absolutely iconic.

I’m fully obsessed with this world. The politics, the betrayals, the magic. It’s all so layered and rich. And the romance? Whew. Slow burn but so worth the wait. The chemistry between the main characters is chef’s kiss and watching them navigate trust, power, and desire had me hooked the entire time.

Also. That ending? I am not okay. Ms. Darling I’ll be sending you my therapy bill.

If you’re into:

✨ BAMF/Morally Black MMC
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Dual POV

💅 “My wife” 

👑 Court drama

🐉 Dragons (need I say more?)


Then run, don’t walk. I’m officially feral for book three.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine | Delacorte Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️ Rounded Up

What in the actual fudge just happened?! I don’t even know how to process this ending right now. I’m dead and I’m apparently going to stay dead for quite some time while I wait for the next book 😫 Not sure how to talk about this book without discussing the ending, and thus spoiling everything.
What I can say is this book is intense. We get a ton of politicking and interactions with the other kingdoms, as well as large and small battles. Of course we also get a lot of DRAGONS in this book! I loved Elowen’s interactions with her dragons and learning more about each of them and their personalities. We also get a lot more of Cayden’s POV and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT ❤️‍🔥
As you might have guessed, then ending gives you one heck of a cliffhanger. It’s one devastation after another in a short span of time, and I am dying to read the next book now.

So many pages. So little plot. And a cliffhanger that doesn't quite fit with the rest of the book. I gave this series another try because the premise is really intriguing, but the execution isn't quite what I hoped it would be.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Wrath of the Dragons was a solid continuation of the series, earning a 3-star rating from me. While I appreciated some of the developments, especially the expansion of the magical world and getting to learn more about the dragons, the book didn’t fully meet my expectations.

The middle of the story felt slower than I anticipated, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged during that portion. One recurring issue that pulled me out of the narrative was the constant emphasis on Elowen’s love for sweets. It felt repetitive and unnecessary, especially when it began to overshadow more meaningful character development.

Additionally, the book revisits Elowen being wronged by her father—a plot point that was already well-established in the first book. Rehashing it didn’t add much new depth and made parts of the story feel a bit redundant.

That said, I did enjoy the increased presence of magic and the gradual unveiling of dragon lore. The ending, in particular, was compelling and left me curious enough to continue with the next book in the series. I’m hopeful that the momentum built at the end will carry into the next installment.

I was primed and ready to love Wrath of the Dragons so I'm extremely bummed that this was a total miss for me. I LOVED the first book in the series, Fear the Flames, and was SO excited to receive the ebook ARC (thank you to Ballantine & Delacorte Press).

However, from the very beginning all the fun, magic, and intrigue I felt in the first book was missing. The entire first two sections of the book (making up about 55%) were extremely slow and at least 100 pages could’ve been cut out from talking about the decor alone. The second half of the book picked up pace a little more but by that point I was so uninvested I found it hard to care.

Normally I can easily look past any bad writing if the vibes are there and the story is engaging, but with Wrath it was very distracting. I found the story to be very choppy, lacked transitions, and was over the top poetic in a way that came off as cheesy and out of place.

From the title, I also hoped the dragons would be a bigger part of the story but instead they felt like only accessories (images on every single bit of decor, clothing, jewelry, building, etc.) and floated in the background to ride or burn something, but were never just characters that added to the story.

Wish I felt different, but likely won’t continue in the series.

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 2.5/5

It’s honestly taken me a week to put my thoughts together enough to write this review. This book consumed me on every possible level. I will not know peace until the next book is in my hands.

Wrath of the Dragons is a PERFECT example of how to do a second book in a series. It was even better than book one! There is great political development, the world building feels richer and there was so much more lore to get stuck in to. You can really see how Liv’s writing has evolved over the last few years and the prose felt so poetic to read at times I loved it.

Getting to read more about the dragons was just amazing and they are have very clear and distinctive personalities and are characters in their own right and not just there as a plot accessory. Sorin is my little chaos baby and I love him with my whole heart!

The development of the found family element was also stunning and I am so beyond invested in these characters that I’m genuinely scared of what’s to come. Especially after that ending (straight to jail for that Liv!) Still not forgiven you for that emotional torture.

The romance between Cayden and Elowen was actual perfection my demon king is tortured and yearning and on his damn knees and I loved every second of it. I loved getting Cayden’s POV chapters throughout the book and it made for a much more immersive, emotional and dimension read.

Diving deeper in to Elowen’s character actually made me feel so seen. Her self critical nature and need to protect everyone at the cost of herself hits so hard and is so relatable.

It was bloody, gritty, violent and so full of unapologetic feminine rage and it felt like food for my soul!