Category: Book Critic

By about half way through Fourth Wing, I had already downloaded book two, Iron Flame. I instinctively knew that I would need the second book immediately following Fourth Wing and I was absolutely not wrong. I was thrilled when we got snow/iced in for almost a week too so that I could spend all my snow days reading! I was so happy the both myself and husband were home from school along with our seven year old. My husband and son thankfully watched movies while I was able to curl up on the couch and read this book. I finished it in about two days which is saying something considering this book is over 600 pages long. I could have read it in one day I think but I did take a few more breaks with this one than I expected to. But still—-record reading time for me.

I am sure you are well aware, this book is all over the blogosphere and reading recommendation lists. I have also seen multiple posts and reviews claiming to be ‘ruined’, ‘gutted’ and simply ‘not ok’ once they completed this book. So naturally I was expecting to be all of those things as well. In fact I was ready to feel all the things with this book……until I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong this was still a good book and like many other fans, I am anxiously waiting for the next book but I don’t know that I feel ruined or ‘not ok’ after finishing it. It was good, but I was expecting to feel more.

With a second book, it’s always difficult to recapture the same magic of the first book. It’s almost always the ‘necessary book’ to bridge the early lot points and characters to the larger narrative and growth. And I think this book did that very well, it certainly provided a bridge and new characters to keep things interesting, but I didn’t feel the same investment in this book as I did with the first for a couple of reasons. Don’t mistake me, this was absolutely a fie star read, but it wasn’t without issues—-mainly it was too long.