All ‘Iron Flame’ spicy chapters, ranked
Iron Flame, the second book in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series, has found massive success on TikTok thanks to BookTok creators recommending it and openly thirsting over the series’ main couple, Xaden and Violet. They spend nearly as much time riding each other as they do their dragons.
The series began with the hit novel Fourth Wing in 2023, a fantasy romance novel about dragon riders. Quickly amassing a horde of fans clamoring for more Xaden and Violet, Yarros followed up with Iron Flame the same year and Onyx Storm in 2025. Yarros is expected to release two more books in the series to meet this massive demand. Reception to the books has been mixed, but readers can agree on one thing: They sure are spicy!
We all have different spice tolerance when it comes to reading. Some prefer things mild with little to no spice, while others like it steamy. Whatever your preference, these are all of the spicy chapters in Iron Flame, ranked from mild to extra hot, so you can either avoid them or seek them out at your leisure. Don’t worry; we won’t include any major spoilers here!
6. Mild: Chapter 20
A couple of pages into chapter 20, Violet and Xaden share a short kissing scene. This isn’t particularly steamy and lasts for roughly a page (depending on whether you’re reading a physical copy or an e-book). You can skip the scene, but I would not recommend skipping the entire chapter. Most of the chapter follows Violet talking with another character about something important to the plot, so skipping would lead to confusion.
I’d rate this scene about 0 to 200 on the Scoville Scale. It’s about as hot as a bell pepper or maybe a mild banana pepper.
5. Mild: Chapter 12
Things heat up in this scene, but not enough to be truly spicy. About halfway through the chapter, when Violet and Xaden are left alone together, the two share a makeout session that lasts for several pages. The scene does not progress further than kissing, but things get a little steamy in their thoughts. Once again, some important dialogue happens after they kiss, so skipping the whole chapter isn’t a great idea.
This scene isn’t spicy but could be too much for someone with a lower heat tolerance. I’d give this about 500-1500 on the Scoville Scale.
4. Medium: Chapter 60
The last somewhat spicy scene takes place near the end of Iron Flame in chapter 60. As the story approaches a high-stakes moment, Xaden and Violet have a few minutes to themselves before things get crazy. This scene only lasts a few paragraphs and is relatively mild, but it approaches spicy before ending abruptly. It happens after a paragraph break toward the end of the chapter, so do not skip the whole chapter if you’re avoiding spice. The beginning of the chapter is highly important to the plot. The end is also important, but you could skip it, and the next chapter would quickly get you up to speed.
Spice-wise, I’m rating this about as hot as a jalapeño: spicy for some, mild for others.
3. Spicy: Chapter 48
After Violet experiences an emotionally charged fight with another character, Xaden reassures her of his love the best way he knows how. This chapter’s scene is somewhat famous for its spice on BookTok. A throne is involved. It is spicy, but I would say other chapters are even more explicit (and/or cringe, depending on your view). The scene occurs about a page in and lasts about half of the chapter. Some important dialogue occurs after the scene, so I would not recommend skipping the entire chapter.
This scene ranks at about 50,000 on the Scoville Scale. Like a Thai chili pepper, some readers may find this so spicy as to be unappealing, while others crave even more heat.
2. Spicy: Chapter 27
This is the first truly spicy chapter in the book, as Violet and Xaden hook up after he gives Violet and Tairn a bit of a scare. The scene begins about halfway through the chapter, but if you’re avoiding spice, you can skip the whole thing with no issue. This scene isn’t much spicier than Chapter 48’s scene but is very detailed and runs longer than that one.
Like Chapter 48, I give this scene roughly 50,000 on the Scoville Scale: too spicy for many but just spicy enough for some.
1. Spicy: Chapter 37
Violet wakes up from a nightmare and decides the best way to improve her mood is to share a spicy moment with Xaden. This scene is shorter than the other spicy chapters, but what it lacks in length, it makes up in spice. If you’re skipping, you can read the nightmare portion at the beginning of the chapter but stop once Violet wakes up. The story resumes after a paragraph break in the middle of the chapter.
This scene is about as spicy as an orange habanero pepper. It packs quite a bit of heat even if just a little is used, but things could still be spicier.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
