I heard a whole lot of people say they liked the first book best so when I was not quite blown away by Fourth Wing, I was a little reticent to read Iron Flame. But I am in the apparent minority that preferred Iron Flame to Fourth Wing. I found it more compelling and enjoyed the shift to intrigue and revolution. The stakes in some ways felt higher, which I also appreciated, and a twist at the end has me excited for the next book. That said, I could do with less relationship drama between the main character and her love interest, ha.