I read The Wrath and the Dawn for the first time in anticipation of Flame in the Mist's release, but I really wish I hadn't -- I couldn't help but compare the two.  I did enjoy this book -- it has a well-constructed world filled with interesting men and women and a hint of magic.  But where The Wrath and the Dawn drew me in instantly, Flame in the Mist was a little more slow to start.