A much anticipated sequel to the bestseller Fourth Wing, I chose to listen to the sequel as I did the first book despite it’s length at 808 pages. The first novel caught me by surprise. I love fantasy novels, especially if there be dragons, so was immediately swept up in the fervor for Fourth Wing. Because I was late to the party, I didn’t have to wait too long for the second book, Iron Flame, to come out. I was eager to see how it would start as the preceding book left us hanging on a huge plot point. Luckily it started off right where we left all the characters and I anticipated immediate action sequences and lots of romance. I got a bit of one and not much of the other for a good length of the book.

Violet and Xaden had to regain trust in each other and it took a really long time for Violet to forgive him. A long, long time. Now, if I had been reading this book I could’ve skimmed through a hundred, or two hundred pages, and still got the set-up to the main plot for Iron Flame. However, I was listening to this novel and I don’t really know why but the story wasn’t grabbing me without that love interest side plot. When looking at it, I think my emotions followed what was happening with Violet. She was protecting her friends so she became a bit of loner and that lack of camaraderie which was so fun in the first novel was not around to carry chapters in Iron Flame. At least not for a while. Xaden, was also absent as he was of a different rank and was now on active duty. It wasn’t until a key pivotal plot where Violet has to come clean with her friends and that core group is back together that I started to enjoy Iron Flame. I’m unsure how far into the book that was but it felt like 50%. It just took too long for the momentum to start building.

Needless to say, I thought this story wasn’t as solid as the first, but there were still some great action sequences, Violet was still a worthwhile and interesting heroine, and Xaden was still the flawed hero who will do anything to keep her alive. Plus the friend group expanded, more interesting characters were brought into the story and Violet was put to the test in different ways. I guess I just preferred the quickness of the first novel. For that reason I’m not giving this a five rating but it still gets a solid four from this lover of fantasy novels. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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