Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame is the exciting sequel to Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves. The mysterious Remy has returned to the planet Maraas- where she experienced a devastating betrayal. This time, Remy joins Sena and Iska the wolf to uncover the truth behind a deadly coup that rocked the politics of Maraas. The planet is now ruled by an ominous corporation that seems to care only about profit and destruction. With the weather increasingly erratic, Remy must quickly decide whose side she is on and how far she will go for answers. You do not need to have read Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves to read this book, but you will enjoy seeing cameos of familiar characters and have more context. 

The worldbuilding really stood out to me- the jungle of Maraas felt vibrant and vivid. Long uses all the senses to make you feel like you’re sweating in the heat of the jungle, crouched right behind Remy as she spies. The jungle, weather patterns, and infrastructure of the planet felt very well-thought out and treacherous. The plot was action-packed and there was never a dull moment. A couple of the plot twists seemed predictable, but I also thought they made sense for the story. 

I loved the found family, rebel squad, and queer inclusiveness. In some ways, I enjoyed this book even more than the first due to familiarity with the worldbuilding and connection with Sena and Iska. Iska is fantastic and so happy we got to see more of her!! It was fun to see these characters in a different environment (the heat of the jungle vs the cold of the tundra). Kiran is initially such a mysterious character; I appreciated learning more about his motivations and friendship with Remy. I enjoyed meeting the new side characters, especially Lyria and Emeko. 

I would recommend this for readers who enjoy Amie Kaufman and Susan Dennard. If you love stories with action-packed adventure, excellent worldbuilding,  and a friendly animal companion, then you need to read this series! Looking forward to seeing what happens next for these characters! Thank you so much to Meg Long, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.