This might be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but this follow up to Fourth Wing fell short for me. There were pieces of the plot that need more explanation. I can't be the ONLY one who was completely lost when it cam to wyverns and how all that worked. The pacing was also off kilter compared to Fourth Wing which I raced through. I seemed to stuck at so many different points of Iron Flame that I honestly considered not finishing it.
The whole thing seems rushed to print and now we are left waiting who knows HOW long for book 3. I would have rather waited a few more months or even a year if it would have meant a stronger plot that wasn't so fraught and confusing.