Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing sequel Iron Flame has inarguably become one of the most anticipated novels of the year, but some issues have cast a slight shadow (and, unfortunately, not of the Xaden Riorson variety) over the book’s launch. Here’s everything to know about Iron Flame’s misprint issue.
What Were the Misprint Issues with Iron Flame?
In addition to the release of Iron Flame, celebrated with midnight events at select brick-and-mortar bookstores, a special edition of Fourth Wing also launched on Nov. 7, with fans reportedly finding misprint issues in both titles. A range of complications have been shared by fans of Yarros’ romantic fantasy saga, from copies of Iron Flame that carried a Fourth Wing spine to upside-down printings and even missing pages. Another speedbump, denoted by Business Insider, arrived when some TikTok users claimed their pre-orders did not arrive on time, putting them in dangerous spoiler territory for one of the year’s biggest books.
Though Entangled Publishing told Variety that these reported misprints represented “a limited number of copies,” added complications to the situation resulted in Barnes & Noble creating a page to address fan concerns. Barnes & Noble’s page served to explain that only fans who preordered Iron Flame prior to Oct. 25 were guaranteed the special edition of the book with black sprayed edges offered by the retailer. While the sprayed edges concern was unique to Barnes & Noble, Business Insider clarified that the broader range of aforementioned misprints was connected to books purchased from a variety of retailers.
Fourth Wing became an undeniable BookTok sensation quickly after its Spring 2023 release, and, somewhat fittingly, TikTok has served as a source for many Iron Flame misprint reports. Though there were certainly plenty of disgruntled readers, there were also those who proved they could share a laugh about the situation.
How Did the Misprints of Iron Flame Happen?
Entangled Publishing has not offered an official statement on what led to the misprinting issues reported in copies of Iron Flame and the special editions of Fourth Wing. However, the phenomenon of Fourth Wing led to a quick turnaround between the series debut novel and Iron Flame, and the demand for Iron Flame was tremendous, with first-day sales reaching over half a million copies. These two factors may have contributed to some of the mishaps witnessed at Iron Flame’s launch, especially when taking into consideration Entangled Publishing’s status as a smaller publishing house.
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In a statement shared with Variety, Entangled Publishing implied that misprints are a common setback in the publishing industry. However, it is notable that Iron Flame did not suffer one uniform misprinting error but rather a wide range of defaults, according to reader’s reports. Regardless of whether misprints are commonplace or how few titles actually carried these reported mistakes, Iron Flame‘s status attracts an extra spotlight based on the sheer number of readers flocking to the title.
Iron Flame’s Publisher Promises to Fix the Misprints Quickly
Entangled Publishing, of which Fourth Wing‘s Red Tower Books is an imprint, has already resolved to ameliorate Iron Flame’s various misprints. The publisher told Variety, “We are actively working with our distribution partner to create a solution for those who wish to exchange their copy but are unable to do so at their original retailer.”
The majority of readers able to get their hands on an intact copy of Iron Flame were treated to the next installment of Yarros’ Empyrean saga. Fourth Wing, book one of the intended five-book series, ended on a major cliffhanger for both readers and the series’ protagonist, Violet Sorrengail. The speedy release of Iron Flame, coupled with the recent announcement that Fourth Wing will receive a Prime Video adaptation, have kept BookTok fans buzzing over the series, despite the occasional video detailing misprinting mishaps.
