I loved this book. I enjoyed it more than the first. The characters developed magnificently along with the plot. The author did an amazing job of making everything seem hopeless, but the characters are resilient and strong, doing their best to overcome even the most difficult obstacles. The romance was beautiful and the descriptions perfect. The world was intriguing and what I enjoyed and found a little bit worrying was how relevant this book is. The author shows how terrible the world is when racism is dominant. How everything gets torn apart through prejudice, judgment and assumptions. This book shows the importance of acceptance, friendship and love. It was a thrilling, beautifully written novel and I cant wait for the third installment!

So not the rating I thought I was going to be giving this book, I was pretty sure that this would have been a 5 star, boy was I wrong. Gorgeous cover though, so that's something.

To start off, I'm not giving this 1 star, despite having dnf-d it, because I only save 1 stars for books I really did not like. And I just didn't care for Iron Flower, it's not a bad book, but it isn't a book for me, unfortunately. The Black Witch was though, so I honestly have no idea how the book went from that to this...

So, let me summarize this book for you:
"Oh Yvan! Oh Lucas! Oh Yvan! Let me make out with Lucas. But Yvan is so beautiful! But I can't have him. Oh Lucas! blah blah blerhhh!!"

In other words, ya fantasy is dead because ya romance has killed it. RIP. The entirety of 33 percent of the book that I read was filled with Elloren wishing she was with Yvan, Elloren thinking that Yvan is beautiful, Yvan glaring at Elloren with passion, Elloren making out with Lucas, Elloren thinking how she can't have Yvan.... You got the idea. If romance overload and love triangle tropes are your jam, you will love this book. Me? I loathe those things.

For a book that's 608 pages long 33 percent is not little, so for nothing to happen in those 33 percent is really mind boggling. That's why I just had to give up reading - I couldn't care less about the romance, or Elloren as a main character, and with plot going absolutely nowhere and telling us nothing new, even Diana (what little of her was there) couldn't save this book for me.

Which is really sad because I was so sure that I'd have loved this. So what happened? The Black Witch (despite rising a storm of stupid controversy) was a wonderful and engaging book. Sure, the romance was still there but other things more than made up for it. I read Black Witch in 1 day! That's 608 pages in 24 hours people, and it isn't a small feat.

The Black Witch had a story - it was a beginning, a new chapter in life for Elloren - she was sheltered, she was naive, she was bullied and she had to go out there and find her truth. And she did, and it was beautiful. The Iron Flower focused more on which character was in love with which character, what material her dress was made of and how many times can Yvan stare at her without Elloren bursting into flames. There was very little substance, unfortunately, in it for me.

​The writing also got very repetitive - there was a lot of "shivering", "glaring", "drawing a breath" and in general the descriptions were over explained an drawn out. The ending of The Black Witch had a huge cast of characters and they were all present almost immediately here without any throwbacks really, so it was hard to remember who was who at first. I'm sure the book gets better, and some things do happen eventually, I just don't have any patience to wait around for that.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with a digital arc of the book. All opinions are my own, honest and come from the heart.

Oh. My. Goodness.
In the span of a few days I flew though Light Mage (a novella taking place between Black Witch and Iron Flower) and Iron Flower. I simply couldn't put them down.
Laurie Forest is a masterful storyteller, thoroughly creating an expansive and diverse magical universe that is both believable and riveting, It's clear that there is another book planned, as this book leaves the story unfinished. I eagerly await the next installment. This series has been some the best reading I have done this year.

My Review: I will not be able to express how amazing this book was. OMG! I died I really died while reading and finishing this one guys! This was so good and man no book two issues here! This was by far the best book of 2018 so far! If your looking for action, adventure, amazing characters, and all the bookish feels then look no further than this one right here!




Do I Recommend this book? Yes READ THIS NOW!



Go Into This One Knowing: You will not be able to put this one down and when you finish you will be like me.

This book was even better than the first and I eagerly await the third book. While this book answered a lot of questions I had at the end of the first, it also left me with many more! I loved the development of the characters and their complex relationships, they all have had their share of heartbreak, both past and present, and I feel for them all. I loved Elloren's development in this book as well. While we saw quite a change in her perspective in the first book, I feel she has come even further and is far more entrenched in the rebellion in the second. The greatest thing about this series and the world it takes place in, is that even though its filled with magical creatures and set in a fantasy land, I feel it mirrors our own world and its problems fantastically. The lessons the characters in these books go through and all they experience is fairly similar to things that have happened in our world in the past, present, and likely in the future. Laurie Forest does such a wonderful job at capturing our world, adding a fantasy twist to it, and yet still manages to incorporate important lessons into the narrative while still presenting the readers with a entertaining and imaginative tale. I cannot wait for the next book!

Wonderful book! I loved The Black Witch, and I love this book even more!! So dark and magical! I love how this author knows how to suck the reader in with her words!! I would give it more than 5 stars if I could!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Elloren Gardner and her friends continue to help the resistance against the Gardnerian government as they encounter more and more social injustices. Each time they feel like they make any progress their hopes are squashed again and again as all hell breaks loose with the more power Gardneria gets in Verpacia.


The Story-
Okay, so I think if you liked the first book you will really like this one. Despite how dense this book was, I gobbled it all up.

Taking off pretty much where it left off in the first book, Eloren’s character learns more and more about what’s wrong about her people and religion. Meanwhile, she, and everyone else, is just trying to survive. Like the first, this book brings out a lot of real life prejudices and social problems that is intricately woven into a fantasy setting.

If you’re like me, and like a good love triangle then strap in. This book takes the confusion emotions of attraction and not only keeps Elloren confused about what she should do, but draws out the romance through the entire book. I was strangling my book and screaming KISS ALREADY! Because, I ship them so much. And Forest has made internal magic seem so ridiculously sexy. If you read it, you will know what I’m talking about.

While I had a lot of theories about how the book would end, I did have one lingering in my mind that had me thinking, I freaking knew it. Poor Solomon had to put up with all my reaction snapchats and theories throughout my day

The World Building-
This book has such detailed world building. Not only do we get a descriptive look at the surrounding world, but palpable magic that affects Elloren in a way that gets my heart racing.

In this second book we get a closer look at some of the other races lives. Selkies and Amaz people really stand out as they are major factors in this book, and each race has such a diverse look at the world, religion and politics. As the series progresses I am eager to look more into the difference races that hold a part of this world. I follower Laurie on Instagram, and oh my, she’s going to bring in some dryads into the next book and the imagery she spotlighted was so amazing. I seriously cannot wait, will they be friend or foe?

The Characters-
Elloren had such a major character ARC in the first book that it’s hardly noticeable in this one. As she comes to understand more about how she feels we get a stronger understanding to her sense of justice. She is more and more willing to go to the extreme to protect her friends and family that, despite her naiveté, you really want someone as fierce as her in your life.

What I love about these books is that each of the characters have their own prejudices and hurdles to jump in regards to each other. But as they encounter their difficulties they learn to band together and hold affection for each other so that they can support each other through their individual tribulations.

It starts off with preparations for the Yule Ball that Lukas asked her to at the beginning of the first book, back when she was totally innocent. After having read the story about the heroine's parents meeting, I was reminded of the way that Laurie Forest described affinity lines that were similar.

He gave her a necklace which is going to stoke her magical ability. He should have wandtested her himself, honestly. In the first book, it's good that she fails her wandtest. But Lukas understands that there's something inside of her, something that is dormant. And he thinks that she's beautiful as well.

I'm upset by the way that Lupines are treated. I don't like the way that the noose is tightening. I'm heartbroken about Aislinn and her part in male-dominated society. She'd rather consign herself to eternal misery than take happiness where she finds it.

I hate Aislinn Greer. She refused to grasp the power that she has been given. She knowingly lets herself be brutalized over and over, never lifting a hand to stop the physical abuse. She'd rather give up the love of her life to be killed than ever use her own position to do what she can. She is too stupid to live.

I recognize that this book is theoretically about Elloren Gardner and the choices she makes. People have commented on several big points, including the mobs engaging in something like Kristallnacht. Her decision to stay back for her dying uncle was stupid. I know that it's meant to be heroic, but she's lucky that her outcome still left her standing. It could've been much worse.

She's far from a strong and brave fantasy heroine. When faced with hard choices, she cringes from them. She should've acted before now to diminish her aunt's power over her life. She has not. She should've saved Uncle Edwin when he came to see her. She did not. She's a deeply flawed character who is content to be a damsel in distress. She might be upset, but she's not truly effective. My hope is that in the third book, she finds a spine and Aislinn does, too. They're supposed to be clever, even in a society that oppresses women. But they let people hurt them over and over, even when given a path to freedom. It's as if someone gave the Elder Wand to Ron Weasley.

The Iron Flower is the second installment in author Laurie Forest's The Black Witch Chronicles. The story picks up right where The Black Witch left off. Elloren remains at the University in Verpax, but she's had enough. Elloren no longer wants to be a Gardnerian. She no longer wants to wear the Vogel armband, or prove her loyalty. And, she no longer wants to be part of the cruel tyranny her people have inflicted on others. In fact, things are about to get a whole lot worst.

One of the worst things to come out of this new Gardnerian council is that all Gardnerian's over the age of 16 and not fasted by the end of the 5th month, will be forcibly tied to someone against their will. That means that Evil Aunt Vyvian is closing in on ensuring that Elloren is tied to Lukas Grey one way or the other. Elloren has a strange compulsion to be honest with Lukas, which is curious since she is supposedly only a level one mage. ::evil smile:: He even gives her a necklace which enhances her magical ability. Let's be serious for a moment. He pursues Elloren, partly because her untapped power boosts his own abilities

Meanwhile, Elloren still shelters Marina, a Selkie she rescued in the previous installment. She has her usual roommates Diane, a Lupine, (who is still with Elloren's brother Rafe another member of the rebellion), as well as Icarals Wynter and Arial. Elloren has, in fact, surrounded herself with a diverse group of characters who have seemingly allowed her into their group even though she is the granddaughter of Carnissa Gardner. She has been trying to avoid the draw she feels towards the mysterious Yvan Guriel, who has more secrets than you can imagine.

Readers know that Elloren has a connection to the white wand, just like her friend Sage who has been deep in hiding since running from home. But, readers are in for a major surprise when you learn who is the holder of the Shadow Wand. Yeah, didn't see that coming at all. One of the more interesting things about this series is how Elloren finds herself mixed up in attempting to save everyone, while her own life is taking a major spiral due to family, Aunt Vyvian, and her evil intentions in doing away anyone not of Gardnerian blood.

The more curious story is about Marina who we learn more about, and how Elloren and her friends, and her allies, are able to do the near impossible. Elloren fights a good fight, but not everything is sunshine and unicorns. There are sorrows and losses and a surprise that I had already figured out a very long time ago. I actually respect the authors world building. I respect that we learn more about different groups and the addition of some really cool allies for Elloren to hopefully gain a much needed education with. Elloren has character flaws, but that's okay as long as she learns from her mistakes and doesn't repeat them. She has a strong sense of justice, loyalty, but I really think it's past time to stand up to her Aunt.

To quote Lincoln Park "encore, do you want more?" HELL YES!!! I have not been this emotionally attached or invested in characters since reading A Court of Mist and Fury. I have probably cried more in this book than any other because of the overwhelming feelings that are conveyed from the absolutely beautiful writing. I don't know how I can survive until the next book is published with this incredible sense of hope and longing for all of the characters (who survived) to live out their destiny's. This book CHANGED EVERYTHING. There is love, there is sadness and devastation, there is hate and fury all intermingled with these undertones that mirror small instances of society today, a society on the verge of something horrific or of something truly amazing, should the resistance win. I suppose over the next several months, while my heart heals after the brutal beating it took reading this book, that I will have enough time to fully prepare for the next in the Black Witch Chronicles. I will gladly get my heart ripped apart again just to know what becomes of Elloren and Yvan.

Elloren and her friends find themselves looking over their shoulders as the Gardnerian forces gain influence and the Mage Council rulings become more anti-Icaral. Elloren finds herself more desperate to right the wrongs and protect everyone that she loves.

This book left me angry and frustrated at the injustices that occurred (again). Elloren has very much grown from a passive character to a woman full of action. She is still ‘powerless’ throughout the book, still hated by the Icaral, but despite these challenges she perseveres. I can’t help but like this progression to her character. With how things ended I can’t wait to see how far she has progressed in the next book.

There were times where the plot got a bit predictable, but I still got swept up by all the emotions that occurred during those moments. With all the events that occurred in the book, Elloren was able to bond with all her friends more. There were moments of peaceful banter and moments of grief. We were able to learn more of all the existing Icarals and meet a few more Icarals to learn their customs and beliefs.

The romance is still as angsty as the first one; however, the love triangle is not as prevalent anymore. Elloren is able to get closure and make a decision about the type of person she wanted to be with. I am curious on how this romance will play out with the obstacles in their path.

Wow, I don’t even know where to begin with this book. I read The Black Witch, Light Mage, and Wand Fasted before this one. I am completely sucked into this world even deeper with every book. The author has created such a unique world that feels so well thought out. All of the pieces fit together like a puzzle. I love where the story I’d going with the Black witch and The Icaral, I mean, shocker, who would’ve thought?! I would give this book 10 stars, no 100 stars if I could. It’s been a long time since I have felt that sad loneliness when a book is over because I have to wait to be back in that world. Must read! 1,000 stars!

I had no idea I could read 600 pages in one day, but I guess I just needed the right motivation. Every time I closed the book and tried to go about my daily routine, I found myself drawn back to it. I just had to know what happened next! I ranted and I laughed and I gasped and I cheered and now I'm just sad that the next book won't be out for AGES!

The journey Elloren and her friends undertake in The Iron Flower is gripping, heart-wrenching and mesmerizing. There were times I was so caught up in the story that I jumped when my son came into the room. Over the course of the book, I grew to love all of the side characters in the same way Elloren did...slowly through their deeds and their personalities. I want to be best friends with Diana! I loved how the author doled out little bits of them so my perspective on them changed right along with Elloren's. Growth isn't something that happens to us. We grow and change with our experiences, and this book shows that beautifully.

I've had my suspicions about the plot twist since the first book, but it still took my breath away when it was revealed! I wavered in my feelings toward Lukas throughout the book, but like Elloren, I kept being drawn back to Yvan. The growth of their relationship was absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to see what happens next!

★★★★★

(4.5 stars)

What a turnaround!

If you tried to tell me a month ago I'd be a certified Black Witch fan, I would have been very worried for my future. Now I sit here quite excited for the next book in the series, and quite certain it's good to have a bit of fun.

There's still some negatives I'll talk about, but on the whole I had a blast. The characters grew on me. I understood the large world better. The drama and storytelling was up a notch. It's YA, but good YA.

I even drew fanart (possibly the first ever for the poor series).

(image here: said fanart)

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Let's get into it.

THE HORSE IN THE HOSPITAL: RACISM PART THREE
I'm a fan, I've established, and gave this book a high rating. Still, we can't forget the clumsiness of the last book, so let's talk about how Iron Flower deals with this.

It's notable that by the end of Black Witch, Elloren was already making huge strides in understanding her privilege, prejudice, and the world around her. She was a sheltered girl raised on racist beliefs who had to work to understand half of her knowledge is built entirely on lies.

Still, Iron Flower makes a point of being far more tactful about Elloren and her role in the world. She already was at the point where she felt disgusted by her people's actions, angry at her government, and close to her diverse range of friends. Still, the book right in the prologue has her recognize that, while her own position has issues, many of the people she's close to have it and have had it far worse. She puts her own thoughts into perspective.

(image quote here)

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(image quote here part two)

Really, this right away was a very good sign, and the book really does ease its issues well. Of course, part of the problem with Black Witch was the general perspective of then-racist Elloren, and without it, we are seeing and understanding far better on the side of the oppressed. Elloren is an ally, yes, but she also understands this and risks and works everything to help her friends- who are not powerless without her, mind you, but appreciate what she can offer. It's not a 'white savior' narrative, is what I'm saying.

Speaking of issues, this book deals with the homophobia concerns (which were never an issue honestly) by ramping up the gay. Elloren is still slightly surprised at first (hilariously, she's surprised an Amaz woman, aka a solider in a country of only women, is a lesbian), but entirely supportive. She's worried about her gay brother Trystan because her culture, and a few others, are cruel- she's relieved to hear and see places where people are accepted.

Honestly, I actually thought for sure Elloren was going to kiss another girl while they were in the Amaz lands. There was a bizarre amount of tension between her and Valasca, and now I have a strange never-canon ship.

Anyway, the book makes great strides and careful care in portraying the characters and working with a narrative involving many oppressed/hated people, and also Elloren who is on their side. I think it's all handled very well. I saw in acknowledgements sensitivity readers were used, and think that might have helped.

PLOT
Like Black Witch, this book is kind of too long. It's another meaty 600 pages, but like before it flows quite fast due to the engaging writing and story, even when not much is happening. Luckily, however, this book has much more happening in it than Black Witch.

While the beginning starts out with more trivial (and admittedly fun) family/romance drama, the middle section of the book is a quite involved quest centering on my favorite pick of the characters, and it contains a perfect amount of drama, action, and events. The girls head to Amaz land for a while, and this was easily my favorite part of the book. Beyond the sheer enjoyment I get from Sapphic Utopia, there's a few interesting characters and developments in this bit, and a whole book's worth of plot happenings.

The book is slightly, similar to Black Witch, episodic, but the episodes are longer and more meaty. There's Yule Dance, Family Night, Keltlandia, Amaz, and then a bit I like to call 'Aw Jeez' AKA the climax. The various events do work together well, even if they have arc-like pacing, and in between the major events various outstanding plots (Lukas Grey, whatever is happening with Elloren and Yvan) develop.

The climax of this book (hilariously, starting around page 420 which is precisely 69% into the book) is brutal, long, and excellent. I got quite attached to some of the main characters, and seeing them struggle and suffer rather suddenly (in a way I both saw coming and didn't) was prime. Unlike last book, with its 'not really a climax' climax, this is a proper series of events that sets up for the third/last book in a way that makes me hype.

CHARACTERS
('Too many cooks' begins playing)

Like before, this book has too many characters. Admittedly the same, too high amount of last time, but there's still a solid few new ones who hang around. I grew attached to some of them (mostly the North Tower Crew, AKA 'My Gals'), and somehow managed to keep track of them all, but I do wish there wasn't such a high number in the main cast. I suppose it's more realistic for a rebellion to not just be six teens, but I would have preferred to get to know a few characters well than many, sort of.

The book is pretty good at giving me a rough personality for each of the many characters, though I don't think I could diverge some of the minor characters from others beyond plot purposes. Still, Ariel, Wynter, Marina, and Diana are the strongest leads, and it's wonderful to read such a girl-heavy YA book. The boys are more lackluster in personality, and also there's far fewer of them- that's actually pretty rare and awesome.

There's solid friendships and bonds between the main characters, especially the North Tower Girls. Diana of course steals the show, with edgy Ariel close behind. I'd die for those two.

We do see and understand more of the other characters, of course, enough that I can vaguely like them too. Andras was a very late addition to the crew in the last book, but has more importance and focus in this one. I didn't care for Yvan, but seeing him just chill with the others made him far more likable. Lukas became interesting, instead of 'evil'.

ROMANCES
Maybe it's because I'm a strange bi/ace/aro-spec person, but it was surreal how pretty much everyone in this book was paired off romantically. Especially early on, when there's a lot of concerns about pairings, pretty much everyone in the main cast had clear romantic interest in/was dating someone else, and also all these couples had barriers due to the current hostile political climate.

Let me list them off (not all of these are 'seen' but are hinted at, implied, said)

Elloren/Yvan

Diana/Rafe

Ariel/Wynter*

Aislinn/Jarod

Valasca/Ni Vin*

Andras/Tierney*

Gareth/Marina*

Lukas/Fallon*

*not actually dating, implied or one-way

Not to mention the unfilled Lukas/Elloren and Yvan/Iris ships.

It's surreal that the only characters without an apparent love interest is Gay Brother Trystan (he'll find one next book!).

It seemed sort of like overkill, and unneeded, to have this many romantic relations. I mean, I'm in a relationship, so I get they are neat, but I still value friendship far above romance, and would rather seen some of these be based on that. Of course, I've marked a number of these ships aren't dating, but it feels like its inevitable and slightly implied they will be fulfilled.

Of these, Ariel/Wynter most concerns me. I love both girls, and in canon Ariel tells Wynter she loves her. Wynter family-zones her. I think that's a good, interesting dynamic, and I'm actually slightly worried they'll end up together. Ariel loves Wynter for always supporting her and being there for her, but she's been her only friend for so long, and I hope Ariel finds a new home and more friends and someone else to date, while still being super close to Wynter.

She's precious to me, and I don't want the mark of 'inevitable romance' to fall down on them. They deserve happiness and acceptance and Ariel would be best finding someone else.

Main romance, right.

Yvan grew on me more as a character in this book, so I didn't hate his romance with Elloren. Of course, I still found him phenomenally not interesting, and the constant dialogue of 'he pulled on my fire lines' 'I felt his fire' 'he raced through my affinity lines' was... well, constant and non-titillating for me. He's a good, helpful, caring lad, which I have to appreciate in my YA love interests, and the fact that their dynamic is based on 'we shouldn't date because we'll just be driven apart by war' is fresher than jealousy/deep secrets/other such tropes.

Still, I found him generally unappealing, but he's decent. Nothing wrong with the boy, I suppose, though I do dislike how quickly characters in YA fall in love.

Other side of the coin is Lukas Grey, Elloren's other love interest. Or, er, not. Refreshingly, Lukas and Elloren's dynamic takes a major turn. He's no longer a love interest, but rather a possible-ally/complicated relationship. He holds a very powerful position in the army that is marching in and taking over the land, right under the fascist dictator Elloren despises. If he's on the rebellion's side, that's a wonderful help, but figuring that out is frustrating and difficult.

Lukas only respects power and believes everything is part of the cycle of history, and you best be somewhere advantageous, no matter what it takes. He is both a help and a concern, and while I think he's more interesting than Yvan as a love interest, his turn to 'dangerous ally...?' was unexpected and quite welcome.

Lukas is the very problematic aromantic representation I never saw coming.

OVERALL
The Iron Flower addresses its issues, is honest in them, and then goes on to tell a fun, large, women-centric story about finding your place in the world, resisting a growing fascist government, and friendship.

Really, I sincerely liked it a lot, even if it was so long and so full of character and place names.

Only thing I must part with, which is ridiculous:

It takes Elloren two giant books, over 1200 pages, to realize she has magic- something the reader knows from the prologue of the first book. That's just wild.

A riveting sequel to the Black Witch! Now allied with the Resistance, Elloren continues to defend her rag-tag band of outcasts and search for ways to secure their freedom from Gardnerian oppression. If you enjoyed The Black Witch, you will love The Iron Flower.

A few warnings for readers:

1) This is not the end of The Black Witch chronicles. This book continues a lot of the story lines from the first book, and leads to some satisfying resolutions (much better than the first book in that regard), but does not conclude Elloren's saga. Prepare for a third book. And possibly a fourth!

2) The evil in this book is exceptionally dark -- murdering children, mutilating minorities, oppressing the weak, and manipulating minors. This is not a fluffy feel-good read. The injustice is real, which also makes the hard-earned victories that much more gratifying.

3) The intricacies of the various groups, their appearances, their customs, and politics can be overwhelming. Names and descriptions (particularly hair color, skin color, and clothing choices) are often given to characters that have no lasting impact on the story. The sheer breadth of information given makes it hard to digest and remember.

4) The kissing scenes get steamier than the first book -- full body contact, touching beneath clothes, partial undressing. Just a heads up for those who want to know those details beforehand.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed the story and highly recommend it for anyone who liked the original!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Because I got hold of this e-ARC, I read The Black Witch and Wandfasted and now I'm really sad that I'll have to wait for the third novel in the series!

A rapidly darkening and stomach-churning sequel to The Black Witch, The Iron Flower picks up where its predecessor leaves off: Elloren has officially joined the Resistance, turning against the racial purity dogma of her home country in favor of a vision of a more diverse, tolerant world in which all races, all religions, and all sexual orientations would be welcome.

I couldn't help but sink into this world each time I picked up my phone to keep reading. The vivid colors of the world, the powerful personalities and heightened emotions, the inexorably ratcheting tension as the ethnic cleansing policies of Gardneria grow more and more extreme... whew. I rushed through the last 300 pages yesterday morning and had to catch my breath at the end.

I'm anxious for book 3.

I'm so glad I tried out the first book of this series, and loved it. The sequel did not let me down, I loved how the story developed, but the stakes remained reasonable. It's very difficult to find a fantasy series where the character development and conflicts pace evenly and well, and Laurie Forest does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, and not making you sit back and scoff.

One of my favorite things about The Iron Flower was that it was a long, meaty read. So much happens, and the story progresses in directions I couldn't have predicted. I'm really looking forward to reading the next installment of the series!

To put a little bit of context behind my review, I received this eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t realize it was the second book in a series until after I had downloaded it, so I spent the first few chapters figuring out who everyone was. It wasn’t impossible to read without reading the first book in the series, but there may be some underlying points that I missed in the plot because of that. Other confession: I don’t think I would have enjoyed the first book as much as I enjoyed the second, based on what I was able to piece together.

Now onto the review itself. The good was a protagonist who felt “human” (perhaps not quite the right word to use for someone who mentions their emerald skin from time to time, but I don’t think I have better words). Elloren has flaws, is confused, and is angry, but she also has a developing strong sense of justice, loyalty, and bright moments. There was also a revelation at the end of the novel I didn’t see coming that makes me want to read the next book, whenever it comes out. The less good was the heavy-handed use of history and rise of Nazism to create the atmosphere of the novel. I hesitate to say bad because I understand the use, and one of the takeaways from this book is a hit-you-over-the-head criticism of the ideology of racism. The parallels between the real-world and the fictional world deepen the fear and understanding of what could happen should the resistance fail. And racially charged mob violence can take regrettably predictable forms, such as the pogrom that occurs in The Iron Flower.

Final verdict: A solid choice for dystopian fantasy fans, and for readers looking for an imperfect feminist heroine to take on an overwhelming evil.

The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest continues The Black Witch Chronicles. I liked the first book a lot, and I like this one even more. The Black Witch dramatizes the prejudices in Gardneria and illustrates how those prejudices influence the treatment of others.

In Iron Flower, Elloren and her friends work for the Resistance, but the sinister Marcus Vogel has gained absolute power in Gardneria and is determined to eradicate any opposition.

In fact, Vogel doesn't even want submission, his goal is more ominous.

Elloren continues to gain confidence as the bonds of loyalty grow among her friends, and she commits herself to do all she can to protect those threatened with slavery, imprisonment, and death.

A lot of action and a little romance kept me turning the pages, but mainly I loved the way these young people are risking everything to stand up for their friends. Although Rafe and Diana are secondary characters, they are among my very favorites.

An epic YA fantasy, and I can't wait for the next installment!

NetGalley/Harlequin Teen
YA Fantasy. Sept. 18, 2018.

This would have received 5 stars if it hadn't been for the jumpy pace. At first, it seemed that it took forever for very little to happen, and then very little time for a lot to happen; the pace evens out after that and Forest will not leave fans of her first installment too disappointed. By the time the book finished I was left wanting more.