Iron Flame (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation)

The Empyrean, Book 2

By: Rebecca Yarros

Narrated by: full cast, Gabriel Michael, Torian Brackett, LaMont Ridgell, Taylor Coan, Jessica Lauren Ball, Chris Davenport, Henry W. Kramer, Danny Gavigan, Robb Moreira, Khaya Fraites, Amanda Forstrom

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.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits–and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College–and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Performed by Khaya Fraites, Gabriel Michael, Taylor Coan, LaMont Ridgell, Chris Davenport, Robb Moreira, Jessica Lauren Ball, Torian Brackett, Henry W. Kramer, Danny Gavigan, Amanda Forstrom, James J. Johnson, Laura C. Harris, Belsheber Rusape, Bradley Foster Smith, Renee Dorian, Nazia Chaudhry, Ken Jackson, Marni Penning, Yasmin Tuazon, Sarah Ruth Dawson, Christopher Graybill, Rob McFadyen, Jon Vertullo, Rayner Gabriel, Jean Rosolino, Michael Glenn, Nick J. Russo, Tia Shearer, Crystal Lee, Cody Roberts, Debi Tinsley, Scott McCormick, Shanta Parasuraman, Matthew Pauli, Emlyn McFarland, Eva Wilhelm, K’Lai Rivera, Megan Poppy, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, Anthony Palmini, James Lewis, Thomas Penny, Holly Adams, Patrick Boylan, Jeri Marshall, Earl Fisher, Megan Hastie, Mike Carnes, Colleen Delany, James Konicek, Eric Messner, David Cui Cui, Richard Rohan, Evan Casey, Peter Holdway, Karen Novack, Donald Guzzi, Terence Aselford, Christopher Williams, Drew Kopas, Nanette Savard and Michael John Casey.

©2023 Rebecca Yarros (P)2024 Graphic Audio LLC

Graphic audio is the worst! (Authors just do Fullcast Duet Narration for the BEST audio experience)

A lot of these big books go from single narration or dual narration to graphic audio (thinking it’s top tier…it’s not). They don’t realize that the best narration there is, is full cast DUET narration. A lot of people who read more than they listen don’t realize that either. So to them single narration is great and they’re shocked when they hear something like graphic audio. But they don’t know that graphic audio is just fullcast duet narration with sound effects. Sounds like that would be better, right? Maybe if graphic audio could figure when and when not to use sounds. And maybe if they hired the right people for the roles. The acting is always better in full cast duet narration because they rely fully on acting and not the sounds. The acting and the story is always better. And I’m sorry but the cheesy nonstop music…and feeling the need to make sounds for everything describes as a sound is far past overkill. I don’t need to hear the sound of her chewing a biscuit. And the spicy scenes don’t need weird music in the background and sounds like the actors are kissing their arms super fast to make them. Nothing like making a super hot spicy scene super cringy. Also the reverb is too much. The one it down. A good audio engineer knows how to use sounds at the right moments…and that also means knowing that the majority of the story doesn’t need sound. I’m not sure how graphic audio became a successful company with how bad they are at knowing how to use sound properly to amplify and ADD to the story. This company just seems like they are pretending to know how to use sound design properly and really have no clue. Gives your listeners a constant breaks from constant music and sounds throughout the books. Too much sound ruins the story. It makes it hard to focus on what’s important. Save the dramatics for the moments that require it. I stand by FULLCAST DUET narration being the best and would have done this story justice. Some fullcast narrations add sound effects here and there too.

Phenomenal

I can not get over the cast for the graphic audio. Gabriel Michael is PHENOMENAL as Xaden and makes the whole story come alive for men.

Fun listen

Don’t get me wrong , I am enjoying this book but I had heard such great things that it’s not totally meeting my expectations. But just still fun to listen to and the plot is progressing.

Irish Names, Butchered Pronunciation

Cast members can’t correctly pronounce Irish names. The dragons have Irish names, half the human characters have Irish names, but the cast members still can’t get the names correct.

Most egregious example: “Aoife” is “Eye-fee” or “Effie,” by the same character within just a few minutes; Tairn (shortened name) is “Tarin” by other voice actors,

Enjoyed the different voices for different characters

I wish the background music volume was lower, it was distracting and mismatched on a few parts. Overall love this adaptation.