While Fourth Wing became a famous book on TikTok, its sequel, Iron Flame, is a fun read that has an occasionally confusing plot line.
Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros, follows Violet as she tries to grapple with knowing about the rebellion against the Venin from the first nobel and how it affects her relationships with her friends and family.
This sequel is messy. The entire book feels all over the place, and the main couple’s character motivation makes no sense. Violet complains about Xaiden not telling her things, even though she is also keeping things from him.
The novel has a lot of unexpected plot twists. Sometimes this is a good time in novels, but in this one it feels like Yarros includes one too many. Many plot twists feel almost forced and are just there to add a shock factor.
One positive thing about this book is how realistically Violet deals with grief. It feels like the death she is dealing with is not just written off, but really affects her as a character. She also has a hard time dealing with secrets, and this takes a large toll on many of her relationships. This idea is dealt with in a realistic way and not just written away.
This novel sometimes does not make sense and has too many twists, yet overall it is still fun to read. It is a good sequel, but just be prepared for a big cliffhanger at the end.
