Just 56 days until “Iron Flame” hits books shelves and e-readers everywhere — c’mon, like you’re not counting? — but author Rebecca Yarros has gifted a little teaser to keep you warm.
She and her publishers with Red Tower Books have given TODAY.com an exclusive excerpt from her anticipated sequel to “Fourth Wing,” her romantasy novel that swiftly took over BookTok and best-sellers lists when published in the spring. “Iron Flame,” out Nov. 7, is the second chapter in this five-book epic about a young woman, Violet, who’s trying survive her lessons at a school for elite dragon riders. It has adventure! Danger! Secrets! Romance!
“It deals with fallout of what Violet’s discovered in the first book,” Yarros told TODAY.com this summer in an interview, “and we can expect the world to expand and for the mysteries to deepen.”
Yarros also has more teasers in store — check out her Instagram Sept. 15 for an announcement.
And with that, happy reading!
Reprinted by permission of Red Tower Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing. Some of this text includes profanities.
An excerpt from “Iron Flame”
“A third of you will be dead by next July. If you want to wear rider black, then you earn it!” Dain shouts, his voice rising with each word. “You earn it every single day!”
Cath digs his red claws into the masonry and leans over Dain’s head, swinging his swordtail behind him in a serpentine motion as he blows a hot breath of steam over the crowd that sours my stomach. Dain really needs to check Cath’s teeth, because there has to be a bone stuck in there decaying or something.
Cries sound in the courtyard, and a first-year to the right — Tail Section — breaks out of formation and sprints back toward the parapet, racing through the aisles between cadets.
No, no, no.
“We have a runner,” Ridoc mutters.
“Shit.” I cringe, my heart sinking as two others from Third Wing decide to follow his example, their arms pumping wildly as they make a break for it from First Squad of their Tail Section. This isn’t going to end well.
“Looks contagious,” Quinn adds as they race by.
“Fuck, they actually think they’ll make it.” Imogen sighs, her shoulders drooping.
The trio nearly collides directly behind the center of our wing — our section — then bolts toward the opening in the courtyard wall where the parapet lies.
“Eyes on Solas!” Tairn shouts.
I look forward again, watching Solas narrow his one eye to a slit and swivel his head as he draws a full, rumbling breath. Lead fills my chest as I glance back over my shoulder and glimpse the runners nearing the parapet. The dragons didn’t let them get that far last year. He’s toying with them, and at this angle...
Oh shit.
Solas extends his neck, tilts his head horrifyingly low, and curls his tongue, fire churning up his throat —
“Get down!” I shout, lunging for Sloane and tackling her to the ground as fire blasts overhead, the flames so close that heat singes every patch of exposed skin on my body.
To Sloane’s credit, she doesn’t cry out as I cover as much of her body as I can, curling over her, but the soul-rending screams behind us are unmistakable. I open my eyes long enough to see Aaric laying flat over the redhead under the endless stream of fire.
Tairn’s roar fills my head as lava licks along my arched back.
A scream musters at the base of my throat, but I can’t breathe in this inferno, let alone give it voice.
As quickly as it struck, the heat dissipates, and I fill my lungs with precious oxygen, gasping for breath before shoving off the gravel to my feet. I turn to face the aftermath as the other second- and third-years around me rise.
Those at the back of our section who acted when I shouted are alive Those who didn’t, aren’t.
Solas took out the runners, one of our first-years, and at least half of Third Squad.
Chaos erupts.
“Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros
