Author: Rebecca Yarros | Narrator: Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
Runtime: 28h 16m | Genre: Fantasy, Romantasy, High Fantasy, Dragons, War, Magic School
The second book in the Empyrean series. Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Picking up directly in the devastating aftermath of *Fourth Wing*, Rebecca Yarros’s *Iron Flame* expands the Empyrean saga into an epic, twenty-eight-hour war for the survival of the continent. Returning to the lethal confines of Basgiath War College for her second year, Violet Sorrengail must endure the sadism of a new vice commandant determined to break her, all while concealing the terrifying truth: that mythical, soul-draining monsters known as venin are real and actively encroaching upon Navarre's magical wards. Separated from Xaden Riorson by military assignments and divided loyalties, Violet must navigate complex revolutionary conspiracies, ancient dragon secrets, and a simmering romantic tension tested by secrecy and trust, forcing them to confront whether their love can survive the devastating compromises of total war.
In audio format, the massive twenty-eight-hour runtime transforms Yarros’s complex political conspiracies and military maneuvers into a gripping, immersive listening marathon. The spoken word heightens the psychological exhaustion of cadet life, the thunderous chaos of aerial dragon skirmishes, and the intimate emotional friction between Violet and Xaden as they fight for their lives and their love. Featured as an indispensable pillar of our Epic Romantasy collection alongside Onyx Storm, this unabridged production provides the expansive temporal canvas needed to absorb every shocking twist, battlefield betrayal, and ancient lore revelation that threatens the very survival of dragonkind.
Spending a single Audible credit on twenty-eight hours of high-stakes romantic fantasy offers exceptional value for money. Yarros raises the emotional and physical stakes on every front, culminating in a breathless, devastating climax that will leave you gasping for air. It is a thrilling, deeply engaging audio production that cements the Empyrean series as one of the defining fantasy phenomena of our time, leaving you emotionally spent and utterly in awe of its relentless, heart-pounding narrative momentum and explosive romantic chemistry.
The Empyrean Series Reading Order: • Fourth Wing (Book 1 – 22h 02m) • Iron Flame (Book 2 – 28h 16m) • Onyx Storm (Book 3 – 23h 52m) • Book 4 (Forthcoming) • Book 5 (Forthcoming)
Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton return with a powerhouse performance that matches the escalated stakes and relentless emotional intensity of Yarros’s sequel. Soler maintains incredible vocal stamina across twenty-eight marathon hours, capturing Violet’s psychological trauma, fierce independence, and battle-tested maturity with raw authenticity. Hamilton brings brooding warmth, authority, and emotional depth to Xaden’s perspective chapters, and their combined character work keeps listeners completely spellbound through every military trial and romantic confrontation.
*Note: Narrators may differ across regional releases and audiobook editions.