This series is so ridiculous, and I just love it. Fourth Wing was a perfect fantasy romance book, Iron Flame was a slog that was wayyyy too confusing and slow, and this book doesn't quite find the pace and sparkle of Fourth Wing but is definitely addictive. It's extremely confusing -I truly cannot keep the characters straight, let alone the political dynamics (and the island-hopping really got away from me) - so I highly recommend just ignoring the stuff you don't understand (for me that was like 65% of the book lol). But this is just so much fun.

Violet gets a lot more fleshed out this book, which I appreciated - she feels a lot more nuanced, and her motivations make a lot of sense. I loved learning more about the dragons, and the world-building and lore, although confusing, feels real and the stakes feel high. Violet and Xaden's back and forth is definitely less annoying than in Iron Flame, and the plot developments are exciting and interesting. As many reviewers have pointed out, the last 20% or so is a wild ride, and I loved it. And of course, the book ends on a cliffhanger - which is honestly not a spoiler, considering the first two books ended on cliffhangers and the fantasy romance genre loveees a cliffhanger. I really can't wait for the next book!!!