Scan barcode
A review by sarahhr96
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
3.0
I just... don't know?
I came off of Fourth Wing on such a high, looking forward to the sequel so much because book 1 was just amazing! But I knew because I loved the first book so much, that I had a higher chance of being let down with the second. It wasn't that it was a bad book by any means, it just wasn't the same? Like the vibe of the entire book was very different and I think that played into me not loving it as much.
I felt like I was being talked at a lot of the time? Whereas, yes the first book had a lot of world building and explanations, but it felt put together and was necessary to create the series. This time around, it just felt like there was way more inner monologues - or at least way more inner monologues happening between pieces of dialog - which took me a bit out of the story. I would sometimes forget what the characters were talking about because it was a full page of inner thoughts before there was a dialog response. It's such a catch 22 because yes of course I want to know what Violet is thinking about and how she planned on fixing the issues going on, but there were points where I just wanted her to shut up lol
I think the thing that bothered me the most was the incredible levels of whining coming from Violet. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand being pissed at Xaden for the secret he kept from her at the end of book one. That's like a HUGE life changing thing to be hiding, so wanting to make sure there are no more secrets in your relationship makes sense. But the CONSTANT "he's hid so much I can't trust him" "god I miss him. I think I love him but I can't" "No he's probably hiding so many other things"
LIKE MISS GIRL he has known you for what a year? you think he's going to tell you all his secrets? secrets that are quite literally being kept to save the entire continent? secrets that will get hundreds of people killed? Idk it just got to a point where I was like beyond annoyed with her complaining. And how she would think one thing but then go and do something else?
the second half of the book really picked up and that's when I finally found myself really loving it. trying to see if there were any hints we as readers had read about earlier that might be able to help them solve the mystery with the journals felt very interactive and kept me interested. As well as when Violet was able to talk with her friends and involve them because they all have such differing minds I was waiting for them to work together to figure things out.
I definitely was not expecting then end and the decisions that were made by some characters, I didn't expect to cry over certain characters I thought I hated, and I definitely wasn't prepared for the ending. I am looking forward to the third book, if anything to see if it keeps me interested enough to read the next three. I think overall it was a good read, definitely a bit longer than it needed to be. if you enjoyed the first book, I think it may take a bit for you to get into this one, but once you hit that halfway mark, it really keeps you interested!
I came off of Fourth Wing on such a high, looking forward to the sequel so much because book 1 was just amazing! But I knew because I loved the first book so much, that I had a higher chance of being let down with the second. It wasn't that it was a bad book by any means, it just wasn't the same? Like the vibe of the entire book was very different and I think that played into me not loving it as much.
I felt like I was being talked at a lot of the time? Whereas, yes the first book had a lot of world building and explanations, but it felt put together and was necessary to create the series. This time around, it just felt like there was way more inner monologues - or at least way more inner monologues happening between pieces of dialog - which took me a bit out of the story. I would sometimes forget what the characters were talking about because it was a full page of inner thoughts before there was a dialog response. It's such a catch 22 because yes of course I want to know what Violet is thinking about and how she planned on fixing the issues going on, but there were points where I just wanted her to shut up lol
I think the thing that bothered me the most was the incredible levels of whining coming from Violet. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand being pissed at Xaden for the secret he kept from her at the end of book one. That's like a HUGE life changing thing to be hiding, so wanting to make sure there are no more secrets in your relationship makes sense. But the CONSTANT "he's hid so much I can't trust him" "god I miss him. I think I love him but I can't" "No he's probably hiding so many other things"
LIKE MISS GIRL he has known you for what a year? you think he's going to tell you all his secrets? secrets that are quite literally being kept to save the entire continent? secrets that will get hundreds of people killed? Idk it just got to a point where I was like beyond annoyed with her complaining. And how she would think one thing but then go and do something else?
the second half of the book really picked up and that's when I finally found myself really loving it. trying to see if there were any hints we as readers had read about earlier that might be able to help them solve the mystery with the journals felt very interactive and kept me interested. As well as when Violet was able to talk with her friends and involve them because they all have such differing minds I was waiting for them to work together to figure things out.
I definitely was not expecting then end and the decisions that were made by some characters, I didn't expect to cry over certain characters I thought I hated, and I definitely wasn't prepared for the ending. I am looking forward to the third book, if anything to see if it keeps me interested enough to read the next three. I think overall it was a good read, definitely a bit longer than it needed to be. if you enjoyed the first book, I think it may take a bit for you to get into this one, but once you hit that halfway mark, it really keeps you interested!