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adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Was pretty slow and painful having to listen to the 2 main characters argue for majority of the book. I wish there was more character development and better world building. In saying that, I still cried at the end and really enjoy when the book is went into fun, adventurous plot lines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sooo mental health will be non existent until the third one comes out thank you
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What. Even. I have to wait until DECEMBER? I really can’t. The ending of this book is such a cliffhanger and a twist I was not anticipating. I enjoyed this book, but felt some of it could’ve been condensed. I also felt that some of the magic wasn’t explained as well as I would’ve liked, but all in all, this was a good part 2. The characters are embedded in my heart now, and I hope they all have a happy ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Total rating: 3.75
Overview:
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a good follow-up to the first book, Fourth Wing. I am happy with the development of the plot and its pacing, but was disappointed in the amount of time spent on some aspects that felt like a waste of pages. I am looking forward to continuing the series, but I do hope Yarros takes her time with this next book, as there were aspects of this one that felt rushed and unrefined.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Plot commentary:
Great pacing. The characters' world is thrown into disarray at the end of Fourth Wing, and the fast-paced chaos of Iron Flame is exactly what one should expect to follow that. I was engaged the entire way, eager to see what would happen next. I found the duration of the book to be acceptable, though there are certainly a handful of repetitive scenes regarding Xaden and Violet's dynamic, as well as those involving Cat, that I feel were not necessary/took up too much time. The conflict in this book was complex, looking at the internal conflicts within both Violet and Xaden throughout the whole book as well as the conflict between them, the greater conflict of Aretia against Basgiath/Navarre, the conflict-turned-alliance between Aretia and Poromiel, and the big-picture conflict of all of these parties against the dark wielders. There were a variety of dynamics and plot points to pay attention to, and I feel all of them were adequately addressed, even if certain aspects could have been developed a bit more clearly and others may not have needed as much attention as they received.
Character commentary:
The vast majority of the characters felt that they were in the midst of an evolution, which is what I would expect in a second book of a series. While some characters felt a bit overdone, such as Cat, I found all of the characters that carried over from the first book were facing new and continued challenges that, while developing their character, posed significant moral questions for the characters to work through. I found the characters to be consistent, nothing felt extremely out of place for any of them. I found general relatability in the character, though it is always a challenge when your main characters, in this case Violet and Xaden, are being stubborn and make you want to yell at them. I found the character development of the dragons, as well as the relationships between the dragons and their riders, to be one of my favorite aspects. Learning more about this dynamic certainly influenced my rating of the book.
Setting/World-Building commentary:
The one significant flaw with this book, likely due to the speed at which it was released, is that I found myself having to go back to earlier sections of the book, as well as all the way back to the first book, to better understand new developments in the magic system and the world. While I was still engaged, there were definitely moments where things that were likely obvious to the author were lost in translation to the reader. I could have used a bit more re-contextualizing at the beginning, and I would have appreciated some of the new discoveries made by Violet, Jesinia, Dain, Rhi, and Xaden being expanded upon.
Misc./Other commentary:
I did need to reread paragraphs, or even pages, multiple times along the way because they were not written in the most digestible way. Once again, this is likely due to the fast pace at which the book was published, and I think it would be valuable for Yarros to take her time on the rest of the series to ensure readability and flow is a bit stronger. I did not have these issues with the first book, so I'm optimistic that they won't continue. I'm eager to see where she takes the rest of the series, especially given the fact that she has once again served us a cliffhanger ending, in multiple regards this time.
Overview:
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a good follow-up to the first book, Fourth Wing. I am happy with the development of the plot and its pacing, but was disappointed in the amount of time spent on some aspects that felt like a waste of pages. I am looking forward to continuing the series, but I do hope Yarros takes her time with this next book, as there were aspects of this one that felt rushed and unrefined.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Plot commentary:
Great pacing. The characters' world is thrown into disarray at the end of Fourth Wing, and the fast-paced chaos of Iron Flame is exactly what one should expect to follow that. I was engaged the entire way, eager to see what would happen next. I found the duration of the book to be acceptable, though there are certainly a handful of repetitive scenes regarding Xaden and Violet's dynamic, as well as those involving Cat, that I feel were not necessary/took up too much time. The conflict in this book was complex, looking at the internal conflicts within both Violet and Xaden throughout the whole book as well as the conflict between them, the greater conflict of Aretia against Basgiath/Navarre, the conflict-turned-alliance between Aretia and Poromiel, and the big-picture conflict of all of these parties against the dark wielders. There were a variety of dynamics and plot points to pay attention to, and I feel all of them were adequately addressed, even if certain aspects could have been developed a bit more clearly and others may not have needed as much attention as they received.
Character commentary:
The vast majority of the characters felt that they were in the midst of an evolution, which is what I would expect in a second book of a series. While some characters felt a bit overdone, such as Cat, I found all of the characters that carried over from the first book were facing new and continued challenges that, while developing their character, posed significant moral questions for the characters to work through. I found the characters to be consistent, nothing felt extremely out of place for any of them. I found general relatability in the character, though it is always a challenge when your main characters, in this case Violet and Xaden, are being stubborn and make you want to yell at them. I found the character development of the dragons, as well as the relationships between the dragons and their riders, to be one of my favorite aspects. Learning more about this dynamic certainly influenced my rating of the book.
Setting/World-Building commentary:
The one significant flaw with this book, likely due to the speed at which it was released, is that I found myself having to go back to earlier sections of the book, as well as all the way back to the first book, to better understand new developments in the magic system and the world. While I was still engaged, there were definitely moments where things that were likely obvious to the author were lost in translation to the reader. I could have used a bit more re-contextualizing at the beginning, and I would have appreciated some of the new discoveries made by Violet, Jesinia, Dain, Rhi, and Xaden being expanded upon.
Misc./Other commentary:
I did need to reread paragraphs, or even pages, multiple times along the way because they were not written in the most digestible way. Once again, this is likely due to the fast pace at which the book was published, and I think it would be valuable for Yarros to take her time on the rest of the series to ensure readability and flow is a bit stronger. I did not have these issues with the first book, so I'm optimistic that they won't continue. I'm eager to see where she takes the rest of the series, especially given the fact that she has once again served us a cliffhanger ending, in multiple regards this time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Animal death
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had everything I loved about Fourth Wing but MORE!!! More adventure, more action, more romance, more humor, more magic, more intrigue, more puzzle pieces clicking into place. The main characters admittedly go through annoying periods but in hindsight I thought it made them more human as they worked through challenges. Iron Flame kept the perfect balance of answering some of your burning questions from the first book while also introducing new mysteries to keep you hooked and guessing. There was so much adventure to move the plot along, and I felt like the characters became more well-rounded and fleshed out—flaws and all. There were some admittedly disappointing editing errors that I wouldn’t have expected, but I don’t think they retracted from the overall enjoyment and understanding of the read. I will be eagerly awaiting book #3!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Torture, Blood, War
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved the further world building and development of the bond between Violet and her dragons. The side characters and found family element of this series is so good; you’re so invested in the side characters. The hints of Liam were heartbreaking and I liked that Sloane didn’t like Violet at first, although this seemed to go from hate to acceptance overnight at one point.
The miscommunication made sense between V & X but was annoying at times. Overall though, Xaden Riorson is a top tier book boyfriend and some of the quotes will have you kicking your feet and swooning! The spice was great in this book but I also liked that it wasn’t front and centre.
The ending was a SHOCK. I was not prepared and have no idea how they are going to pick up and continue from there… can’t wait for the next book though.
Overall really enjoyed this book but some elements could have been improved like the timeline / timing of the book seemed a bit off in places.
The miscommunication made sense between V & X but was annoying at times. Overall though, Xaden Riorson is a top tier book boyfriend and some of the quotes will have you kicking your feet and swooning! The spice was great in this book but I also liked that it wasn’t front and centre.
The ending was a SHOCK. I was not prepared and have no idea how they are going to pick up and continue from there… can’t wait for the next book though.
Overall really enjoyed this book but some elements could have been improved like the timeline / timing of the book seemed a bit off in places.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Grief
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Torture
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Torture, War