This book definitely picked up where the first one faltered. There’s much more world-building, dragon lore, and character development, all elements I felt the first book lacked.

I loved getting Cayden’s POV in this book - it offers another perspective on the war and really shows how down bad he is for Elowen (in the best way)

There’s significant character growth within their small unit, the found family dynamic is much stronger this time around and is so heartwarming to read. We also get an insight into future relationships *cough Saskia & Zarius*. I do wish we had more scenes with Finnian and Elowen together as their bond is so beautiful and shows what it means to choose your own family. I felt this connection was missing until the very end.

I absolutely loved how the dragons also played a much bigger role in this book. We see more of their connection with Elowen, not just through the bond, but their individual personalities too, which brought so much richness to the story. I loved hearing about their individual quirks and personalities, especially Sorin 🫶🏻

This was a rollercoaster of emotions. I was sweating at the 90% mark, ready to throw my kindle, but it sets up the next installment perfectly.

Overall, this was a wild ride. Despite the emotional turmoil, I’m so glad I gave the second book a chance, I was unsure after the first, but this one won me over to the series.

Wrath of the dragons

🌟 rating: 2.5
📚 Genre: Romantasy
🗓️ Publication date: 29-07-2025 ———Arc received from the netgalley and zaffrebooks
🌺 Tropes: touch her and die, betrothal, banter
👫 POV: double point of view
🌶️ level: 1
#️⃣ pages: 544

I applied for this book because I hear good things about the first one, but complains about the ending being rough, so I held of on reading book 1 until I got my hand on book 2 and I was so excited when I got the arc. I do see the popularity of these books and I do get what people love about these books, but unfortunately they just didn’t hit the right note for me.

I started this book already being very frustrated, the common romantasy betrayal trope of the last 20 pages of fear the flames (the first book in the series) just didn’t sit right with me and didn’t make a lot of sense. So I hated how it dragged on a lot in this book. It felt a lot like adding drama between Cayden (MMC) and Elowen (FMC) just because. I can appreciate all the common romance tropes between them, but at some point for me it just became to much and to dramatic. On top of that (in my opinion) there weren’t ever any serious consequences for any of them for anything.

I did appreciate that this book had a double point of view and that we got Cayden’s thoughts directly from him as well. And the ending of this book is super intriguing as well so I am curious to see how that will play out in the next book.

The main focus of this book is the romance, and personally I would have preferred having a bit more fantasy aspects (the dragons aren’t as big in the story as I would like) as well as politics.

The reason why I am still giving this book 2.5 stars is because I truly think this book isn’t bad, it is just not completely for me. I like my romantasy books to have just a little bit more depth and more political intrigue. But I do feel that the right audience for this book is out there.

Thank you zaffrebooks for providing me with this arc trough netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐
Fear the Flames was one of my favourite books I read last year, so I couldn't wait for the sequel after that ending and it really didn't disappoint. Though of course Wrath Of the Dragons delivers another ending that will make the wait for the next book so painful!

It did take me a little while to fully get back into but once I did i couldn't put this book down, the writing is always so beautiful and captivating and just makes it such a joy to read. My favourite part throughout was the yearning, I always love a slow burn romance but give me yearning any day and wow was it so good in Wrath of the Dragons, I love that Elowen made Caydeb actually work for it in this book and the pay off was amazing. Cayden is the perfect morally grey, burn the world down MMC and I absolutely love these two together!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review before publication. These are my honest thoughts.

"I'll be working on the next book day and night after leaving you on that cliffhanger, ha ha. Oopsies. Sorry not sorry, xoxo"
- RUDE, Olivia!! Book 2 did not disappoint - I'm in recovery and can not wait for book 3 already!

The last 20% of this book really kicked up a few gears and left me reeling!! It's taken me a few days to get over it! I did not see that coming.

Lots more worldbuilding and love the breadcrumbs left along the way. Loved how Elowen grew into her powers, knowledge & delicious bit of Raaaaage.

This book had me yelling "Don't you DARE" in a few moments - which is testement to how much I love the main characters and her found family (the best in lots of series!) which made for some gripping, exciting, magical battles.

Cayden POV, yes yes yes! It would have been easier to highlight EVERYTHING Cayden said. He's just *chefs kiss*. His chapters were everything I wanted them to be, so much tortuous yearning! I was practically screaming at him - it's OK to be let yourself be happy, accept it, nothing can go wrong! (lol) if it was anyone else I may have got a bit fed up with the long outpourings of feeling but surprisingly I was there for it!

I'm so glad we didn't lose some of the dark humour amongst the gore & trauma too.
Still a few issues on tracking who is saying what like in book 1.

I cannot wait for the audiobook of this too - not only is the fantastic original narrator back but we have a voice for Cayden too! After some research I'm REALLY, REALLY, hoping his uses his native Northern accent, as I loved that in the last book, and that's how I hear Caydens voice forever now!

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC thank you!

Where do I start with this book? Apart from the ending? No why I need the next one right now. I loved the first instalment of this book. I read it when it was self published and it gave me a joy that I wasn’t expecting when I first when I first read it, this book ripped me out emotionally so much so that I am not quite sure how I am going to move onto the next book that I need to read because there was so much I cried I laughed. I smiled and I wanted to throw my kindle across the room which is quite a fair at the moment considering I’ve broken wrist this book was everything I needed and everything I was hoping for this book has been hyped since the moment I knew it was coming in my head and there is there are some sometimes when this happens that it doesn’t live it doesn’t it Doesn’t live up to the hype that you put into your however cayden and elowen are both so real on the page that you feel in the very fibre of your beingevery single emotion that they are feeling from from the declarations of love from the hatred from the I don’t know if I can love you to that I’m gonna break the world for you and now I’m gonna sit here and wait for book 3 thinking how on earth is the next part going to happen because I got to the end and I suddenly saw the acknowledgements I was like hang on a second. How do I get to the end? I’m very aware that this is not a very coherent review but I need to just jot down what I’m thinking and this is where I am at if you all need to read this book and if you haven’t read read the first one yet is your time.

Thank you for the publisher for allowing me to read this book early. The review will be coming out going up on Instagram tomorrow the 23rd of July.

Somehow loved this even more than the first book and Fear The Flames was one of my favourite reads of 2024 so this is saying something! It took a little while to get going but I didn’t mind that as like with most fantasy’s these are the essential parts that build the story.

The writing was brilliant, I was captivated throughout. I love that Elowen made Cayden work for it in this book and of course loved Cayden - He’s an ultimate morally grey, burn the world, touch her and die book boyfriend.

This book was as I expected a GREAT time!!!

First let's be absolutely lear that this is a sequel and you should absolutely read the first book before you dive into this one, as it pick up literally where the other one leaves us. The pace is fast and we are introduced to more characters and kingdoms, and the fleshing out the world was an elemant I massively enjoyed with this second installment. We see a lot of war politics and the actual fight scenes are brutal, Olivia Rose Darling does not hold back.

All the characters that we grew to love in the first book are here and the comfort of their interactions is the book's strongest point for me. Elowen is an amazing FMC and Cayden, what can I say, he is perfection. There is so much character development and the found family envelopes us with so much love, it's hard to come back to reality after having been immeresed in this world. The dragons and the additional information we gain about the lore, I loved. Such a special bond.

If you liked the first book, you will LOVE this one. Be prepared, it's an emotional rollercoaster and the ending will leave you an absolute mess! But you can come and join the rest of the fandom over here, where we're patiently will be waiting for the third book! Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

There were some parts of this book that I absolutely ADORED - that ending and cliffhanger oh my gosh. If I had that feeling through the whole book it would have easily been a 5⭐️ read for me - and for some people it really will be. I spent the majority of the book feeling like it was a 3⭐️ read for me but then I got to the last 10% of the story and upped my rating to 3.75⭐️, rounded up to 4⭐️ on whole star rating systems.

But there were other aspects that felt like the book was trying to cram in every possible popular trope and there were times when I found that it drew me out of the story rather than immerse myself into it even more. Overall the book is still a good book, and I can’t thank NetGalley, the publishers or Olivia enough for allowing me to read this sequel, however that last 10% and cliffhanger was CRIMINAL. I absolutely need to read the next instalment, so you’ll find me back for book 3.

This book is everything I hoped it would be. Fast paced and swoon-worthy, I simply could not put it down and ended up reading it in two sittings. This book is truly for the romantasy girlies who just want to escape to a world with Elowen and Cayden where female rage reigns true. I was scared that this wouldn't live up to my love for the first one but boy was I wrong. Cayden's POV had me in a chokehold and I was sat for hours after I'd finished it wishing I could wipe my brain and start again! I will be yapping about this series endlessly.

Wrath of the Dragons by Olivia Rose Darling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
.
I am speechless. This was on my most anticipated releases for 2025 list and it did NOT disappoint. I laughed. I cried (actual physical tears) and I don’t know what to do now. I was blessed with an Earc (which I am ENDLESSLY grateful for)
The found family in this book is exquisite and Cayden Veles is in my top 3 book boyfriends of all time.
There are no words for how I feel right now other than book 3 when?!
Thank you to Zaffre Books and Netgalley

This romantasy has some of the best found family I have read this year.

Book one made my favourite romantasy list of last year, and whilst this one didn’t quite hit that high, I binged it and had such a good time.

Cayden is down bad for Ellowen. He will do anything for her. They are both broken, but their pieces fit together.
The Demon King and the Dragon Queen.

<b> “If we were merely a political agreement, I wouldn’t have committed the details I adore about you to memory. I wouldn’t have tasted you and realized I was starving. I wouldn’t know where to touch you, how to touch you, or give a fuck about any of it and yet I do, and I can’t stop.”
</b>
This honestly had the best love declarations.
The relationship between Cayden and Ellowen reminds me Aelin and Rowan.
The found family reminded me of Throne of Glass.

This was a mix between high action scenes and cozy, homey scenes. Battles vs baking.

I did think that where was too much angst. Like it is slow burn, but it is a book two and they’re engaged.
I think there needed to be more communication from Ellowen, especially as Cayden is so understanding.

I also wanted more Finnian. And Ryder, who am I kidding?

Highly addictive, recommend almost 4 stars!🌟

Physical arc gifted by Zaffre Books.

Oh my god! This book actually killed me!! What in the world was that ending??? I need more from Olivia like I NEED AIR! This was so insanely good! I love how their relationship evolved in this one after the (slight) betrayal from book one and I LOVED how well the revenge and war was written out-it felt well timed and planned. Absolutely INHALED it.

Rated 4.5/5 on StoryGraph

I have waited so long for this book and it did not disappoint.
Elowen, THE QUEEN THAT YOU ARE!! 🧎🏽‍♀️🧎🏽‍♀️

Where to start?
Firstly, for those of you who have read Fear the Flames and weren't sure whether to continue, keep going.

Now, what I thought of this book:
Wrath of the Dragons picks up right where Fear the Flames left off. The pace of the book is slower and more developed than the first volume. The first part focuses mainly on the relationship between Cayden and Elowen. Elowen no longer trusts him, Cayden is trying to repair what he has broken and, at the same time, the 2 are trying to show that they are a united and powerful royal couple. They're trying to ensure their “legitimacy” on the throne.
Then comes the preparation for war and the formation of alliances. We meet new characters and potentially new relationships?
As the book progresses, along with Elowen, we learn a great deal more about the world, particularly the gods, kingdoms and dragons. The dragons in this tome still have their “pet” / “domestic” side, but that's without recalling their wild and dangerous side. Each dragon has its own personality, I liked them more than in the first volume and I loved their relationship with Elowen.
The last part was the is the one we were waiting for the most and was unexpected especially the ending.

The only "negative" point, even if it's not really, is that I would have liked more moments between Finnian and Elowen because I can never get enough of them and more moments with the gang all together.

Thank you for allowing me to read in advance this book. And now, I can not wait for the third book.

I had the chance to read this one before it came out thanks to Netgalley and Zaffre books, who kindly sent me an earc and WELL, NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE THIRD ONE!!!! What do you mean that's the end?! I'm----

I loved FTF but I ADORED WOTD with my whole heart. I loved to read Cayden's POV and how he's DOWN BAD for Elowen, but Elowen is as well, let's be honest. And the way the plot thickens with each page, the magic system, the dragons, gosh... I loved it all. It's for sure a six star read for me. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride, for sure, and I can't stop thinking about these characters 24/7.

For everyone who hasn't read FTF yet... DO IT, PLEASE!

𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾

“𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

“𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”

“𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦.”

“𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘌𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘯.”

✨Tropes✨

- Dragons
- Slow burn
- Epic battles
- Celestial Symbolism
- Dual POV

OH. MY. GOD. THE ENDING WAS INSANE AND HAD ME BAWLING MY EYES OUT LIKE REALLY HARD!!! I AM IN SHOCK!!!!

This was so bloody good, so so bloody good. I loved fear the flames and this is just as good as the first book. The slow burn between Elowen and Cayden, it’s pure fucking romance like proper romance, the kind that makes your heart warm. It’s written so beautifully and you can really feel the love they have for each other. AND YES DRAGON SCENES! I adore all of them, I loved learning about the lore of them and I like the magic lore we get to learn about to!

The writing was wonderful, I love the way the conversations flowed, the world building was fantastic and I literally felt like I was watching a fucking series, aka like game of thrones. The battle scenes were just immense, but I really enjoyed the talk of strategy between the characters and also just the warm loving moments.

Cayden is in my top 3 book boyfriends as always. My queen Elowen, I love you so much.

I’m so grateful to have been accepted for this arc by Netgalley and holy shit, I’m just mind blown, this was just epic.

Rating: 4.5 stars

First off, I want to thank Zaffre and NetGalley for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

My goodness, Olivia Rose Darling has done it again. This story, just like last time was action-packed, fast-paced and filled with an emotional rollercoaster. It had a slightly slower pace than Fear The Flames but I didn’t mind that. I felt like that resulted in a bit more depth between the action scenes. The ending had me in a chokehold, leaving me in a midnight reading sprint until I gobbled up the last page. The last scene has left me with some questions, which I hope will be answered in book 3. And speaking about that, WHEN IS THE RELEASE OF BOOK 3 BECAUSE I NEED IT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

Olivia Rose Darling does NOT disappoint. The Fear the Flames series has me in a grasp and I don’t want it to let go.

I read this as an eARC from Netgalley and I'm voluntarily reviewing this book.

This book picks up where the last one ended, dropping you straight back into the fray. It tingles with simmering tension as Elowen tries to deal with the fallout from the bombshells at the end of the last book.

Haunted by the betrayals, driven by the desire for revenge, political tensions are increasing, war is inevitable and plans to draw in allies guide the story along. Magic and the gods also now weave into the storyline and Elowen begins to explore this further with the help of sages, with some intriguing revelations along the way.

The relationship between Elowen and Cayden deepens and more is revealed about just how entwined their destinies are. The heat they feel for each other burns the pages and keeps getting hotter than dragon fire!

This book has something for all fantasy and romantasy fans - magic, revenge, dragons, gods, prophecy, entwined fates and smouldering tension. The ending, what can I say other than please write the next book quickly!

Wowww!!!

Talk about build and build and build.

Not only did we get banter and tension, we also got an epic found family and DRAGONS - let's not forget the dragons (I love Sorin)

Cayden is a new addition to my book boyfriend list; his declarations of devotion are swoon-worthy.

That ending had me sobbing. Book 3 is going to be INSANE

“𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞’𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚”

cayden, once a feared demon commander and now the king of vareveth, overthrew the realm’s throne with one goal: to protect elowen - the girl he’s spent his life searching for. but with vengeance still burning in his heart, he’s ready to wage war against her father… even if it means binding elowen to him in a marriage rooted more in strategy than love

elowen has finally reclaimed her dragons and commands a powerful force, but claiming her birthright - the throne of imirath - won’t be easy. especially not with cayden by her side, a man she’s torn between trusting and fearing. as old alliances shift and kingdoms teeter on the edge of ruin, elowen must decide if her future lies in power… or in love

—

after loving fear the flames, i was beyond excited to get my hands on an arc of book two and oh my gods it delivered

first of all — the characters in this series have my whole heart. the banter between finnian, saskia, ryder, cayden and elowen is absolute perfection. the found family vibes? immaculate. i’m fully obsessed. we even meet a few new characters who left a big impression

the slow burn between el and cayden? flawless. the tension, the yearning, the way they both grow throughout this book - it made their moments together hit so much harder. and cayden?? 😮‍💨 that man could read a shopping list and i’d still swoon. his words??? i was feral

plot-wise, it was such a fun ride. i loved the court politics, travelling through different kingdoms, and getting deeper into the worldbuilding. the different royal families added so many layers and new dynamics to the story

and the ending… no because what. i was fully sobbing for the last 20 pages. olivia, ma’am, how dare you?? the twist was unexpected, painful, and SO GOOD. i genuinely did not see it coming and i haven’t recovered since

this series keeps getting better and i already know book three is going to ruin me in the best way

“𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚, 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩”

I have so much love for the world and characters that Liv has created. The writing is beautiful and cosy, transporting me to a realm reminiscent of LOTR and GOT. The sequel was filled with intricate world building and court politics. We learned a lot more about the magic system (silver flames had me squealing) and gods. As there was so much of the world to uncover, the story felt slower at times, however I was tightly holding on for revenge as we travelled through Ravaryn.

The dragons are so special! I loved learning more about them and spending time with each one. The bond that Elowen has with her dragons is very sweet, I adore how they protect and comfort her. The side characters also have my heart, Finny is my favourite and I treasure his relationship with Ellie.

Elowen is one of my favourite FMCs. I really relate to her character, how she views the world, and navigates anxiety. She feels incredibly real to me. Elowen is soft yet fierce, never hesitating to protect her loved ones. I especially admire her kind heart and brave soul. Elowen deserves nothing but love, peace, quality reading time, and endless pastries.

The dual pov was one of my favourite features. I’m not even kidding when I tell you I highlighted and swooned over every single thing that Cayden said. His devotion and love for Elowen is everything. There is nothing this man wouldn’t do for his queen in this life or beyond. I truly appreciate how much love they share for each other, and it’s felt in every thing they do.

The ending left me rattled… I don’t know how we’re meant to hold on until book 3. Liv you have a lot of explaining to do!!