Iron Flame: Chapter Summary and Spoilers (Chapters 31-36)

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Chapter Summary & Spoilers (Chapters 31-36)

The Bite-Sized Version

So we start with our girl Violet literally hanging off a tower (as one does in fantasy novels), when who should come to her rescue but JACK BARLOWE – yes, the same guy she previously killed! Talk about awkward reunions. But instead of going for round two of “let’s murder each other,” he actually saves her life with what has to be the most backhanded life-saving ever: “Hey, you killing me was actually great character development, so here’s your chance!” Sadly, this high point quickly plummets when we learn that Eya didn’t make it, thanks to Colonel Aetos’s apparent hobby of “collecting Violet’s friends” (seriously, dude needs to try knitting or something).

Then we pivot to Operation: Library Heist! Because apparently checking out books the normal way is too mainstream. Violet and crew, including a reluctant Aaric (whose brother Xaden killed – talk about family drama!), sneak into the Archives to steal some super important journals about ward-building. It’s giving major “Ocean’s Eleven meets Hogwarts” vibes, complete with Xaden refusing to wear anything but black (because heaven forbid our brooding hero get with the scribe disguises).

But wait, there’s more! Just when they successfully snag the journals and share a victory smooch (because nothing says romance like grand theft literature), Violet’s bestie Nolon pulls the ultimate Et tu, Brute? moment by serving her drugged lemonade. Not cool, Nolon. NOT. COOL.

This leads to five days of Vice Commandant Varrish playing “20 Questions: Torture Edition” with Violet, trying to get info about the journals and marked ones. Plot twist: it’s actually all a trap to catch Xaden! Because apparently, these villains have been binge-watching too many evil mastermind tutorials.

The grand finale? Dain Aetos shows up for some mind-reading fun but pulls the ultimate uno reverse card by stabbing Varrish instead! Then Xaden storms in like the dramatic hero he is, professing his love with what has to be the most extra declaration ever: “I’d watch Aretia burn if it means you live.” Sir, this is a Wendy’s.

The cherry on top? Violet’s mom reveals she’s been playing 4D chess this whole time, making deals with Xaden to protect Violet because apparently one dead kid was enough for her (spoiler alert: that kid isn’t actually dead!). They wrap things up by basically hosting a revolutionary recruitment fair at Basgiath War College, and half the dragon riders are like “Sign me up for the rebellion!”

Oh, and Andarna (Violet’s dragon BFF) is in some suspiciously long “Dreamless Sleep” which is definitely not concerning at all (narrator: it was very concerning).

And that’s where we leave off – with a massive group of rebel dragon riders heading to Aretia, while we all bite our nails waiting for Part Two. Because apparently Rebecca Yarros wants us to suffer!

The Bit-Sized Version

Chapter 31

In this bit, Violet Sorrengail gets rescued by an unexpected savior, but the situation results in some dark consequences at Basgiath War College. The chapter ends with a glimmer of hope when Ridoc reveals they can access a crucial vault – but only with help from someone they did not expect.

• This chapter starts with Violet’s body literally hanging off the edge of a tower when someone yanks her attacker away. For a hot second, she thinks it’s Eya, but plot twist – it’s Jack Barlowe!!!
• Instead of taking the perfect opportunity to add to the assassination attempts, Jack actually saves her life! His reasoning? Pretty much boils down to “hey, you killed me once and it actually turned out to be a good character development experience, so here’s your own second chance.” That’s some next-level forgiveness right there! He even makes a sassy offer to let her climb back up if she’d prefer the alternative ending.
• But here’s where it gets heavy – Eya didn’t make it. She’s the latest victim in Colonel Aetos’s apparent “let’s pick off Violet’s friends one by one” campaign (seriously, this guy needs a hobby that isn’t murder). Violet talks through her fears about who might be next on his hit list – Garrick? Imogen? Xaden? Bodhi?
• Ridoc shows up for some post-trauma support, and while checking for injuries, he drops some classic good news/bad news about the vault situation. Jesinia apparently knows where it is and how to get through the new wards (yay!), but they need someone with King Tauri’s blood to access it (womp!). But Violet Sorrengail, ever the quick thinker, has a solution up her sleeve – they happen to know a certain prince who isn’t exactly daddy’s biggest fan.

Chapter 32

In this bit of Iron Flame, Violet Sorrengail gets to admitting more of her secrets and Violet’s friends execute a risky personal mission to break into the Archives with a group including the reluctant Aaric. The mission? They’re after some ancient journals about building new wards. With only an hour before the Archives of Basgiath War College seal shut, they find a secret entrance and begin their descent into this fantasy world’s unknown. Clocks ticking!

• Our girl’s in her room having one of those “we need to talk” convos with Xaden Riorson (you know, the kind that makes your stomach do backflips). Why? Because girlfriend spilled some tea to their friends about the revolution’s secret activities. Xaden’s doing that hot-but-annoying jaw-clenching thing while counting to twenty in his head.
• ANYWAY, turns out her friend Rhiannon Matthias, Sawyer, Ridoc, and Quinn are now part of the “I Know Things” club (but like, not ALL the things – they’re still in the dark about the revolutionary town of Aretia, Brother Brennan, and this whole luminary situation). And get this – Violet has the AUDACITY to suggest she could just casually pop over to enemy territory in Cordyn to meet Viscount Tecaurus like it’s a weekend shopping trip? Xaden is like “absolutely not, one near-death mission at a time, please.”
• Their first attempt at the mission in question? Breaking into the Archives to steal some journals about ward-building. Because apparently regular library hours just won’t cut it! With the help of her squadmates, they need these specific books to figure out how the First Six built the original wards, and they’ve got about checks notes an hour before they either succeed or… die. Talk about high stakes!
• They recruit Aaric, a first year cadet and secretly one of King Tauri’s sons, to help them, even though – PLOT TWIST – Xaden killed his brother Alic! But Aaric’s like “I hate my dad more than I hate you” which is… progress? I guess?
• These dragon riders have got this whole Ocean’s Eleven vibe going with scribe robes and disguises, though Mr. Dark-and-Brooding refuses to wear anything but black. After some sneaking around and a close call with a first year scribe (saved by Xaden’s signet powers), they find this super cool secret rotating bookcase entrance leading to a hidden stairwell.
• They’ve got 45 minutes on the clock when they start their descent down the secret stairs. The suspense is REAL! Munches popcorn nervously.

Chapter 33

This bit has readers in the middle of a magical heist that is making us sweat through our scribe robes (we all know the BBC would be in the scribe quadrant). The clock is literally ticking as we watch the minutes get closer to zero while our favorite squad is in the deepest basement of Basgiath War College. Don’t forget to save time to get out!!

• This chapter starts with our squad sneaking through some seriously spooky underground tunnels to get to King Tauri’s magical library. They’re on a mission to snatch two specific journals that are apparently worth “the entire kingdom” – no pressure or anything. The area is heavily warded by new wards and magic. Xaden Riorson is taking care of business by knocking out some guards (don’t worry, they’re just taking an unplanned dreamless sleep).
• When we get to the library, Aaric decides to play magical roulette by yanking Violet Sorrengail through some seriously intense wards without so much as a “heads up.” Spoiler alert: magical barriers don’t exactly feel like walking through a gentle summer breeze, and poor Violet’s body nearly loses her lunch. Meanwhile, Xaden’s left on the other side of these wards, fuming and ready to fight Aaric. The tension between these main characters could power a small city, we swear.
• Inside this fancy circular library, they’re racing against time to find these journals. The big “aha!” moment comes when Violet realizes the precious journals would be somewhere King Tauri could show off (because apparently this guy’s ego needs its own zip code). Sure enough, they find them under some nasty wards that give poor Aaric gnarly blisters when he grabs them. Ouch, but maybe karma?
• But wait, there’s more! The chapter ends with an absolutely pulse-pounding race against time as they sprint through the castle, trying to beat a series of bells that signal the main door’s closing. Xaden is using his signet powers shadow magic to try to hold the door open. The chapter cuts off at the seventh bell with Xaden and Aaric still trying to make it through the door. This has us STRESSED!! This second book really just heated up!

Chapter 34

This bit starts after a successful heist in the Archives with the squad leader Violet and her gang scoring some precious journals. Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson share a victory smooch and split up the stolen goods before he flies off through next week. But because nobody in this fantasy world can have nice things for more than five minutes, Violet’s best friend Nolon shows up with some suspiciously spicy lemonade…

• This chapter has us on the other side of the Archive door where our main characters narrowly escaped. Xaden had to literally yank Aaric through the door at the last second, with shadows scattering everywhere. They barely made it out before the door slammed shut, and everyone’s standing there like they just ran a marathon (which, fair enough!)
• The squad are doing the whole “quick, act natural!” routine. They’ve got some stolen journals they’re trying to smuggle out and they have got their roles down pat – we’ve got friend Rhiannon Matthias running medical interference, Jesinia handling the laundry evidence disposal, and Quinn showing off some next-level signet powers that are helping play decoy.
• After the great escape, everyone splits up to maintain their alibis. Violet and Xaden manage to snag a steamy moment in an alcove (because apparently near-death experiences are quite the aphrodisiac) where they discover some game-changing info in Warrick’s journal about new wards and something called an “iron rain.” They decide to split the journals – Xaden’s taking one to brother Brennan while Violet keeps the other. They share a goodbye kiss since Xaden’s heading out for seven days, and Violet’s feeling pretty darn optimistic about their chances of helping the revolutionary town of Aretia.
• BUT WAIT. Here comes one of those classic plot twists that hits like a dragon to the face – Nolon (Et tu, Brute?) shows up with some “lemonade” that’s definitely not just lemonade. Poor Violet realizes too late that she’s been drugged, and who should appear but our favorite antagonist, Vice Commandant Varrish. The chapter ends with Violet’s body spinning and Nolon delivering the ultimate betrayal speech about protecting civilians from her “activities.”

Chapter 35

This bit opens with Violet Sorrengail waking up in a torture chamber while the bad guys try to get info about a stolen journal, but plot twist – it’s all just bait to catch her man Xaden Riorson! Will Violet escape in time to save them both?

• Violet wakes up with the mother of all headaches only to find herself strapped to a chair in an underground chamber at Basgiath War College. Turns out Nolon drugged her after catching her with Lyra’s journal from the king’s private library. The interrogation dream team consists of Vice Commandant Varrish (aka the worst), Nora (who’s apparently got a signet powers detecting truth), and Nolon (who seems genuinely sad about the whole thing).
• The good news? They don’t know about her best friends. The bad news? gestures at literally everything else
• What follows is basically five days of Vice Commandant Varrish playing “How Many Ways Can I Break Violet?” while trying to get info about the journal theft, the marked ones, and where they’re trying to set up new wards. Our girl is channeling her inner Captain America though – she could do this all day! Her only companion through this nightmare fuel is a hallucination of Liam who helps keep her sane.
• Plot twist! Varrish reveals this whole torture-fest is actually a trap for Xaden (because OF COURSE IT IS). He’s betting Xaden will abandon his post to come save her, giving them an excuse to capture him too. Talk about toxic workplace practices!
• The plot thickens when they bring in Dain Aetos to mind-read her. But Violet’s got one last trick up her sleeve – she floods him with specific memories, including the memory of the Battle of Resson, trying to show him the truth about what’s really going on outside their wards. Unfortunately, Dain seems to only pick up on the weapons smuggling part (seriously dude, read the room).
• BUT WAIT! Just when all hope seems lost and Dain’s got a knife to her throat… drum roll… he pulls the ultimate uno reverse card and stabs Varrish instead! Then some mystery person shows up and straight-up slices Nora’s throat (goodbye and good riddance). The chapter ends as injured Violet struggles to look up into some seriously angry gold-flecked onyx eyes…

Chapter 36

This bit…actually no we don’t even know where to start…just read below.

• So remember how we left Violet Sorrengail being tortured in that lovely dungeon situation? Well, our brooding hero Xaden Riorson finally makes his dramatic entrance (better late than never, right?) and he’s brought his signature move – killing basically everyone in his path. When Xaden finds her with Dain Aetos, who in major character development, has actually switched sides after seeing whatever truth Violet talks about. Then we get this really powerful moment where Violet gets to deliver the final blow to Vice Commandant Varrish (RIP my dude!! Good riddance)!
• Violet’s body is barely standing, worried about Xaden losing everything he’s worked for because of her (classic Violet, always worrying about others while literally bleeding), and this man just…goes ALL in. We’re talking “I will happily watch Aretia burn to the ground if it means you live” levels of devotion. But wait – it gets better! He straight up tells her he’s been in love with her since that first snow kiss (SO HAVE WE), and drops this absolute gem: “I’m grateful my life is tied to yours because it means I won’t have to face a day without you in it.”
• And then we get a fascinating confrontation with Violet’s mother who reveals she’s been playing the long game this whole time. She made this whole real secret deal with Xaden Riorson where she’d give him control of the marked ones in the quadrant in exchange for protecting Violet. Why’d she do it? Because she knew Violet would eventually discover the truth about what’s happening beyond their borders and try to save everyone (which, let’s be real, is exactly what’s happening). And since one kid dying for the border was enough for her (enter secret they’re all keeping about her very much alive child), she maneuvered Violet into the dragon riders quadrant to give her a fighting chance.
• But it doesn’t stop there, Xaden’s been busy with his personal mission – he arranged for dragons to drop dead wyvern carcasses at border outposts (subtle!), causing chaos and drawing leadership away. This sets up what comes next: they stage what’s basically a mass assembly of the revolution recruitment. Dain calls everyone to formation and drops the truth bomb about the wyverns. They give everyone a choice: stay and fight for Navarre or leave to fight for the Continent. And wouldn’t you know it, with the help of her squadmates, about half the quadrant decides to join their dragon riders rebellion!
• The chapter wraps up with their arrival at Aretia to Riorson House, where brother Brennan is less than thrilled to see his sister looking like she lost a fight with a meat tenderizer. But immediately gets distracted when an absolutely massive group of dragon rider cadets approaches the valley.
• One concerning detail though – Andarna (Violet’s dragon bestie) is still in this mysterious “Dreamless Sleep” that’s lasting way longer than it should. The dragon assembly members are worried, which means we probably should be too!

HANG ON TO YOUR DRAGONS…..PART TWO OF IRON FLAME IS COMING.