Iron Flame

1. General Impressions

 Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How does this book compare to other books with young, female heroines swept up into rebellions? For instance, young adult novels like The Hunger Games or Divergent series, or other adult fantasy novels like the A Court of Thorns and Roses series?
• How did you like this book compared to its predecessor, Fourth Wing? Second books in a series are sometimes infamous for having a “second book slump,” where the plot suffers because it does not have the thrill of the beginnings of an adventure like the first book, nor the resolution of the final books. Does this book demonstrate a “second book slump”? Why or why not?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

 Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• For the first part of the novel, Violet struggles with forgiving Xaden’s secrecy. Do you find Xaden’s actions forgivable?
• The romantic action is accompanied by various understandings and misunderstandings on Violet and Xaden’s parts. Where do you observe their communication breaking down? Do any of these communication breakdowns resonate with you, and if so, how?
• The government of Navarre ostensibly hides the reality of the world from its citizens for their own sake. Do you believe that “ignorance is bliss,” or do you think it’s better to know hard truths no matter what?
• Xaden says he keeps secrets from Violet for her own benefit and safety. Violet disagrees. To what degree do you think that lies can protect people?
• As Violet and her friends learn more about the secrets Navarre keeps from his citizens, they eventually reveal the truth to all Basgiath students, who must choose a side to join: Do they remain loyal to Basgiath, or break this loyalty to follow their moral compass and join the rebellion? Have you ever been confronted with a moment where loyalty warred with morality?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

 Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Narrative prosthesis is a phenomenon where disability is used as a plot device to “prop up” a narrative, without being interested in truly representing disability as a lived condition. How does Iron Flame avoid engaging in narrative prosthesis, particularly when it comes to Jesinia and Violet?
• Violet begins to learn devastating secrets about her home country, Navarre, including a years-long conspiracy to erase sections of the nations’ collective memory and history. What are the ethical ramifications of this? How does this speak to corruption and systemic secrecy in the real world?

4. Literary Analysis

 Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does the topic of trust work in this novel? How is interpersonal trust and systemic/governmental trust interlinked? What happens when these systems of trust break down?
• Discuss Xaden’s character arc, from his earnest and strategic lies at the beginning to his decision to become a venin at the end. Why does he do this? What are the key choices he makes in his character arc, and do you think this fate could have been avoided?
• How does Violet’s alternating perspective between Basgiath War College and Aretia expand the series’ settings and world building?
• The power of love is a main theme. What types of love are represented through the novel, and to what degree do they affect the actions of Violet and other characters?
• What do you think is symbolized by Andarna’s physical absence in this novel? In what ways does Andarna’s journey reflect Violet’s?
• What does it mean for Violet to have “the heart of a rider but the mind of a scribe” (539)? How is this combination unique in her world, and how does it help to grow her character?

5. Creative Engagement

 Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Iron Flame and its predecessor are popular BookTok books. People on BookTok also do “fancasts” of the series: fan-made casting for potential media adaptations. Who would you cast in your fancast of the Iron Flame characters?
• In Iron Flame, we meet new types of students at Basgiath War College—infantry, scribes, and healers—and a crop of gryphon fliers. Which group do you think you’d belong to, if you were a character in this world? What do you imagine would be your role in or reaction to the novel’s plot?
• Based only on the name of the upcoming third book in the series, Onyx Storm, how do you imagine the story will continue?

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