Iron Flame, the second book in theEmpyrean Series, is packed with fast-paced action, shocking plot twists, and devastating cliffhangers. But before reaching its jaw-dropping ending,Iron Flamepicks up on the heels ofFourth Wing’s cliffhanger ending—a trending pattern for the popularfemale-led fantasy book series. The story begins as Violet Sorrengail’s world being turned upside down with the discovery that the venin aren’t just a fictional bedtime story. Not only that, but Violet’s boyfriend, Xaden, has been keeping some major life-changing secrets.
With a narrative full of important details and hidden clues, it’s recommended to reread the series to refresh one’s memory—especially leading up to the release of Yarros' nextFourth Wingbook. However,those who don’t have the time to conduct a full series reread can instead reference this list of keyIron Flamebook momentsto keep in mind beforeOnyx Stormproves or disproves any fan predictions. The narrative encompasses a lot of material from book to book, but this list pretty much covers all bases in regard toIron Flame.
10Violet’s Brother Is Alive
Brennan Has Been In Aretia This Whole Time
Fourth Wingended on a massive cliffhanger—revealing Violet’s older brother, Brennan, to be alive and well in Aretia. After grieving for the death of her brother for the last six years, it’s no surprise that Violet is a little more than shocked.Iron Flamekicks off asViolet grapples with the reality of the situation, hardly believing her elder brother is alive at all. He later expresses regret for having to hide the truth from his sisters, and wishes there could have been a safe way to let them know he was alright.
Throughout the remainder of the book, Brennan plays an important role in planning defense against the venin’s attacks and acting as a teacher and mentor for the students of Basgiath.
For the last six years, Brennan faked his own death to join the revolution in Aretia—an area Navarre believes to have been destroyed, and so no longer patrolled. As one of the key leaders of the revolution and a high-ranking member of the assembly,Brennan had been working all this time to protect Poromiel and Navarre from the looming threat of the venin. Throughout the remainder of the book, Brennan plays an important role in planning defense against the venin’s attacks and acting as a teacher and mentor for the students of Basgiath who came to join the revolution.
9Xaden Graduates From Basgiath
He’s Now Stationed In Samara
After reuniting with Brennan at the beginning ofIron Flame, Violet and the others decide it’s best to return to Basgiath and keep up appearances.They arrive just as the death roll begins to call out their names, and the fact that they survived is a shock to the entire quadrant. After causing a big scene, they are reassigned to their squads and Xaden completes his graduation.
Now that Xaden is no longer a cadet, he will be sent out to his new station the following day—which just so happens to be Samara, the most dangerous outpost in Navarre. However, while Xaden will now be hundreds of miles away, Tairn and Sgaeyl’s bond requires them to remain together for much of the narrative. Because of this,Violet and Xaden are given leave to see each other once a week.
8Violet & Dain’s Friendship Is Broken
Violet Blames Dain For Liam’s Death
After Violet returns from Aretia, it’s clear that she want’s nothing to do with her ex-best-friend, Dain.What happened in Resson is a direct result of Dain telling his father what he saw in Violet’s memories, and because he betrayed them, Liam ended up dead. Violet blames Dain for this throughout much of the first book, although, Dain swears he had no idea anything terrible would happen to them. Because of this,Violet and Dain’s relationshipseems to be irreparable.
Onyx Storm Theory: The Next Fourth Wing Book Already Set Up Its Dain Replacement
Xaden could get very overprotective of Violet in the Onyx Storm book to keep her safe from himself, making him potentially the next Dain.
After weeks of not speaking, Dain finally challenges Violet on the mat in order for them to talk through their issues—and this is when he finally realizes the consequences of his actions. While their friendship is on rocky ground throughout most ofIron Flame,Dain does everything in his power to repair what he broke. Once they both head to Aretia in support of the revolution, Violet and Dain must work together to translate Warrick’s journal. It’s in these small instances that their relationship begins to mend—but it in no way has brought them back to where they were before.
7Violet Breaks Into The Archives
They Steal Warrick and Lyra’s Journals
In an attempt to raise the wards in Aretia—affectively protecting them from the venin—Violet enlists the help of her scribe friend, Jessinia, in researching the wards and searching for accounts of the first six. After months of failing to find anything relevant, Violet is convinced the journals would be locked in a sublevel royal vault inside the Archives. However, to enter the vaults, Violet needs someone of royal blood, and therefore enlists Aaric (Cam Tauri) to help. With several of Violet’s squad in on the heist, Violet, Xaden, Aaric, and Imogen enter into the vaults with the help of Jessinia.
With only ten minutes to search, the two begin to look everywhere they can, and eventually find the journals of Warrick and Lyra—two of the first six riders.
Once they find the secret passageway down to the vault, Xaden and Imogen take care to knock out the guards.The vault is warded, so only royal blood can pass through, but instead of walking through himself, Aaric pulls Violet in after him. With only ten minutes to search, the two begin to look everywhere they can, and eventually find the journals of Warrick and Lyra—two of the first six riders. Violet and her friends cut it extremely close, but they end up escaping just before the Archives locks itself for the night.
6Violet Is Tortured By Varrish
He Discovers Her With Lyra’s Journal
After Violet and her friends escape the Archives, they split up the journals—with Xaden taking one to Brennan, and Violet keeping the other. However,after Violet separates from the group, she is betrayed by Nolan, who drugs Violet and hands her over to Varrish. The serum they used on Violet acts as a blocker to her magic and also disables her connection to her dragons, Tairn and Andarna. During this time, Violet is subjected to torture by the hands of Varrish, but is healed repeatedly by Nolan, all so Varrish can begin again.
For five days, Violet is repeatedly tortured and given the serum that cuts her off from her magic, and at this point, Violet’s friends are beginning to frantically search for her whereabouts. It’s also during this moment inIron Flamethat Violet seemingly hallucinates about Liam—imagining he is there with her, encouraging her to be strong. The moment is incredibly sweet and heartbreaking, knowing Violet is at breaking point and just needed a friend at her side. Varrish eventually brings in Dain and forces him to read her memories, and because Violet couldn’t fight it, she forces as much information into Dain’s mind as she can.
It’s at this moment that Xaden finally verbally admits to Violet that he loves her.
After Dain sees her memories, he helps to free Violet from Varrish just as Xaden arrives. Xaden spares no one else who was involved, and Xaden helps Violet kill Varrish as well. It’s at this moment that Xaden finally verbally admits to Violet that he loves her. In their hasty escape from Basgiath, they reveal the lies that Basgiath leadership have been feeding the riders and invite anyone who wants to join the revolution to follow them back to Aretia—in which half the quadrant leaves with them.
5Catriona is Xaden’s Ex-Betrothed
She’s Also A Gryphon Flier
Cat enters the story early on inIron Flame, and from the first time she’s introduced, she causes a bit of tension inViolet and Xaden’s relationship inIron Flame. Cat is also revealed to be Xaden’s ex-betrothed, a title which she clearly doesn’t wish to relinquish. Cat’s character is explored in more detail when Violet flies to Calldyr in the hopes of gaining a luminary from Viscount Tecarus—something he promised to offer if he could see Violet wield lightning. It’s during this sequence thatViolet learns Cat and Xaden have a pretty significant past.
While there is, at first, a lot of animosity between the two characters, they later develop a tentative friendship.
However, it’s also revealed thatCat has extremely accomplished mind abilities, with the power to heighten one’s emotions to uncontrollable levels. She uses this on Violet in multiple scenarios, typically enhancing her feelings of insecurity and jealousy. These instances are made worse after Luella, Cat’s fellow flier, falls to her death after Violet tries to save her. Cat eventually challenges Violet to a sparring challenge, and Violet quickly realizes Xaden trained her to fight as well. While there is, at first, a lot of animosity between the two characters, they later develop a tentative friendship.
4Andarna Is From A Seventh Dragon Den
She Isn’t A Black Dragon Like Tairn
After Violet’s attempts to raise the wards in Aretia fail, she continues to pore over Warrick and Lyra’s journal in the hopes of discovering what she’s missing. Because the journals have to be translated from old languages, there’s a lot Violet isn’t getting right. However, toward the end ofIron Flame,Violet begins to put together the pieces—and this is mainly due to the revelation that Andarna is from a seventh breed of dragon.
In the vale, there have only been six different dragon dens recorded, and it seems few other dragons are aware that Andarna is different, aside from Tairn and Sgaeyl.
In the vale,there have only been six different dragon dens recorded, and it seems few other dragons are aware that Andarna is different, aside from Tairn and Sgaeyl. ThroughoutIron Flame, Andarna continuously appears to be changing color, and Violet describes her scales to almost reflect the surrounding colors. It isn’t until the battle at Basgiath that Violet finally understands just how different she is—as Andarna’s scales can completely camouflage her into the terrain. Because of this, Violet discovers how to fire the wards in Basgiath, and uses Andarna to raise the wards in the seventh den’s place.
3Xaden Has A Second Signet
He’s Also An Inntinnsic
Xaden has kept several secrets since the series started, but the biggest revelation isXaden’s second signet. While Xaden has been pushing Violet to ask the right questions throughout the entire book, when she finally confronts him about this possibility, he’s shocked to know she’s figured it out. When they fly out together to check that Aretia’s wards hold against the incoming venin,Xaden takes the time to explain that he is a type of Inntinnsic—an ability that allows him to read people’s intentions.
You Probably Missed Iron Flame’s Cleverest Hint About Xaden’s Second Signet
Rebecca Yarros is known for teasing several plot twists far in advance, and one Iron Flame moment is her most clever Xaden hint to-date.
The reason Xaden is even able to have a second signet is because Sgaeyl was previously bonded to a rider in Xaden’s family—in this case, his grandfather. This grants him the ability to hold a second signet,but as all Inntinnsics are not allowed to live, Xaden’s had to keep it a secret from everyone. Violet is the first person he’s ever told about this second ability, and while she’s upset he’s kept another thing from her, she understands the risk he takes in even speaking about it with her.
2Violet’s Mother Sacrifices Herself To Save Violet
She Gives Her Life To Fire The Wardstone
Once Violet realizes Andarna is the missing piece in completing the wards, she rushes to gather a dragon from every den—even commanding General Melgren’s dragon to assist. However, while Brennan has mended the wardstone, it has not been imbued with enough power to be fired. Knowing this,Violet begins to channel everything she can into the wardstoneand, in doing so, quickly approaches burnout and death.
To save her children, General Sorrengail then enlists the help of Sloane—who has the signet ability to siphon—asking her to draw all of her power from her, and transfer it into the stone.
While Violet is willing to give her life to fire the wards and save Basgiath, Violet’s mother, General Sorrengail, arrives and forces her off the stone. To save her children, General Sorrengail then enlists the help of Sloane—who has the signet ability to siphon—asking her to draw all of her power from her, and transfer it into the stone. During this scene, Violet is fighting to reach her mother, but she’s unsuccessful. Instead,her mother sacrifices herself to successfully imbue enough power into the ward stone to be fired and effectively raise the wards.
1Xaden Turns Venin
He Turns To Protect Violet
At theend ofIron Flame, Violet leaves the wardstone chamber following her mother’s death and is searching for Xaden. She walks outside to find Xaden standing on a cliff, facing away from her and recoiling from her touch.When he finally looks up at her, she sees his red eyes—the first indication that someone is venin. This is where the book ends, but thankfully, Yarros includes an epilogue sequence from Xaden’s POV. During the sequence when Violet is trying to imbue her power into the wardstone, Xaden is locked in a battle with the venin sage.
Onyx Storm Needs To Address The Most Perplexing Part Of Iron Flame’s Ending
The gap between Iron Flame’s ending and Xaden’s bonus chapter is quite confusing, and hopefully Onyx Storm will address what happened in between.
It’s clear the sage is winning the fight, as Xaden is nearing burnout himself, and has no more power to fight back with. The sage speaks to Xaden then, and the speech is eerily similar to the dreams Violet has been having throughoutIron Flame. Xaden begins to sense Violet nearing burnout through his bond, and instead of losing to the venin sage,Xaden turns himself venin in order to fight back. This is the biggest concern heading intoOnyx Storm, as it’s not yet known what the consequences will be for his decision to become venin.
