Fourth Wing
Ratings1,690
Average rating4
Surprisingly poorly written for a book that's been hyped across social media. It's an easy read, but I wonder if I finished it skimming because I couldn't get through the dialogue, internal monologue, and vague descriptions of the world.
After reading a few other magic school books this year (The Will of the Many, The Scholomance), I wasn’t sure this one would live up to the hype of being the #1 trending book on Hardcover. Turns out it did.
Forth Wing takes place in a cutthroat school for dragon riders. Students learn the skills needed to defend their homeland from invading forces and protect society.
At times it reminded me of The Hunger Games, LOTR and others in the dark-academia genre while still managing to be original enough to keep me wondering. Sign me up for the next in the series.
Well, that was ... something. Definitely a page turner. Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games meets a graphic romance novel. Something for the whole family!
Harry Potter and Hunger Games had a baby with dragons and dragon riders--I was all in right from the first page. Yes, book nerds cna be dragon-riding warriors too! This was a quick, fun read with rapid-fire drama and action. Luckily the love triangle between over-controlling Dain and mysterious shadow-weilding Xaden did overtake the main story or Violet character growth. The spice, what little exists, was more graphic than I thought! The whiplash in tone shift make me cackle. Still, I can't wait to read the sequel as I learn more about the world as the stakes get even higher.
This was going pretty good, until it wasn't.. I was enjoying the story until about midway through the book, and then I realized I might be getting too old to like or relate to MC's that make everything and everyone about themselves, annihilating the supporting characters who have incrementally more interesting backstories in the process and whom I would have loved to read more about.. again, if not for the MC.
By the end of the book I was wondering how useless can this character be after we spent the entirety of the book sacrificing plot left and right for their sake only to end up with nothing ¯_(ツ)_/¯
REREAD January 2025
This was my 3rd read of this book, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time I read it. It never fails to suck me in and have me fully invested in all of the characters even though I know what is going to happen. I reread this one in anticipation of the release of Onyx Storm even though I really don't need a reread I just love it so much that I will seize the opportunity to read it again.
I was meant to read this in June as part of the Lost in Romance Book Club that I cohost with my friend Michelle. I ended up going out of town for the last half of the month so I didn't manage to get around to reading this one. I saw that Destiny had started this book but hadn't gotten very far so I asked her if she wanted to buddy read it with me and here we are.
I've been seeing this book making the rounds for a while now and everything I've seen about it has been high praise. I am here to tell you I totally get the hype surrounding this book. I'm always skeptical going into books that are this hyped because I'm afraid that I won't like them. Luckily that was not the case with this book. I loved this book so much. It is hands down my favorite book of the year so far and I honestly don't see it being dethroned.
I listened to the audiobook for this one because I never bought myself a physical copy but you better believe I will get me a copy eventually. I've actually already preordered the second book Iron Flame because I need it ASAP.
Anyways back to my thoughts on this book. I don't want to say to much because I think you should go in knowing as little as possible like I did. I was sucked in from the very beginning. We get the action from the very first chapter. I loved the chronic pain rep. I loved the romance so freaking much and the dragons actually had their own personalities. I actually laughed so much at several of the scenes involving certain riders and their dragons.
There is so much I could say about this book but it would spoil things. You will just have to trust me when I say run don't walk and get you a copy and read this book. It's utter perfection in my opinion.
Why did I wait this long to start this book? The world-building is amazing and the plot is incredible. Can't wait to continue with the next books.
Contains spoilers
March 12th, 2024
I currently just listening to part 1 of the DRAMATIZED version of Fourth Wing. The dramatized version by the company "Graphic Audio" makes the story much more interesting. I actually liked what I was listening to, and I didn't feel like the story was mediocre like I did when I read the novel. There are still some plot hole issues, the main character is still a Mary Sue, and I don't think the author really understood what "enemies to lovers" meant. With all that said, the dramatized version is STILL exciting and entertaining. It's definitely worth the listen, especially if you're like me and you didn't like the novel upon your first read.
I'm giving the DRAMATIZED version 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
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October 1st, 2023
I wanted to come back and also add that the characters were flat and one dimensional and the main character didn't <spoiler>train with her dragons not once. she had two dragons and we got no training sequences ? yeah , lmao okay.</spoiler> I could deal with her being a Mary Sue but the dragon bit that I just mentioned? Very disappointing. This was just really mediocre.
I'm giving this a 2.5 stars out of 5.
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July 7th, 2023
I would say that I read this book because I had FOMO (fear of missing out) because almost everyone in my friend group was talking about this book and I couldn't join the conversation, I just had to sit there feeling silly and confused. So I decided to pick up this book!
That being said, I think it was okay. I'm not used to reading long fantasy books so I'm not sure if it was me or the book, but certain parts seemed to DRAGON (drag on - lmao I love puns). The audiobook was about 21 hours and I just remember listening around hour 18 wishing it was already over.
I also had an awkward time with the intimate scenes, not because I'm a prude and don't like sex or intimacy but because I'm a women who is 32 years old (as of writing this review) and the main character was about 20 and her love interest was about 23. I have no interest in reading inmate scenes about characters more than 10 years younger than me, it just felt a bit awkward.
Other than those two issues, I think the book was fine. I enjoyed certain parts more than others, like I really enjoyed the actions scenes and the scenes where "secrets" were releveled. If there wasn't much going on in the story, I was probably a bit bored.
I'm giving this a 3 stars out of 5.
After reading this book it’s easy to see how Fourth Wing became a hot topic in the fantasy genre. The book is full of twists and turns and constant cliff hangers that make you want to keep reading. Thre is a good mix of world building and plot. Enough to keep you guessing what will happen, but answers all the questions you could have! The story will leave you fulfilled and satisfied. It’s a totally addicting and well worth a read!
I feel bad for this rating, but damn, I really didn't like it ... I really need to stop reading popular Booktok-books, since I hardly like any of them.
I really couldn't connect with this story. The characters were annoying, I despised the love interest (sorry). I did really like the dragons, so that's something! :p
This book was pretty whack! Torn between three stars and two, but honestly I don't think I would ever do anything besides tell someone not to read this.
I read a review that called the love interest “discount Rhysand” and tbh, cannot unsee.
This book was trite, predictable and poorly written. The characters were one dimensional, and the romance was uninspired. The way that death was dealt with was shocking—very little energy or attention given to it despite the fact that it was EVERYWHERE in this book.
Beyond that, there was zero “show don't tell” in this text. All exposition happened in conversation, nothing left to be inferred. The twist at the end was equally predictable and telegraphed.
As a YA/academia novel: the setting lacks exploration. As a romance novel, it lacks good romance, or well-written meaningful scenes. Truly it delivers on nothing. Read dragon riders of pern instead. :)
I didn't think I was going to love this book like I did. and the ending OMG. I need book 2 now. Staying alive would be a lot easier if Violet didn't have a target on her back for not only being ‘small and frail' but the daughter of the woman responsible for the deaths of many cadet's traitorous parents.
4.5
Violet sometimes gets on my nerves bit maybe bc shes young BUT that being said, the book kept me on the edge of my seat.
I love the dragons so much. Tairn is so sassy. and fk you DAIN.
I hated the secrets but I understood why they needed to be kept.
running to the second book
4.5 starts.
Action, plot twists (that I actually kinda didn't predict), drama, enemies to lovers, found family
Trate de no tener muchas expectativas pero fue difícil considerando todo el hype que tiene el libro y que se ha mantenido en top de ventas a lo largo del año en el lugar en que trabajo.
Habiendo dicho eso, realmente no entiendo como es tan popular. Para ser catalogado YA muchas de las líneas y la forma en que piensan y actúan los personajes parece algo que escribiría una preadolescente y me encontré molesta con la forma de pensar/actuar de los personajes muchas veces.
Algo aparte, la forma de coquetear que tienen los protagonistas? Corny.
I don't think I could disagree more with the five-star and one-star reviews I've almost exclusively seen for this.
I (male, 20s) actually enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, the romance was better than I was expecting, and it had a nice ending. It was also better fantasy than I would have expected from someone new to the genre, tropes and all notwithstanding. This had less problems than a lot of the more traditional dragon rider books I've blundered through over the years.
That said, the sex scenes were jacked up beyond belief (although hilarious), the prose was written at an elementary level, and the characters were overly simplistic. It's really hard to try to convince the reader that Xaden is a bad boy when everything he does is literally a paragon of morality. I can't really give this a higher rating because of the bluntness and repetitiveness of it all.
Five years ago, I probably would have said this belonged on AO3 and deserved a ton of attention. But fanfic style has now entered the mainstream, and Rebecca Yarros certainly gets a 5/5 on mastering the fanfic style, so it's nice that she gets to get paid for it now. This will be a very nostalgic read for anyone who has stayed up until 2 in the morning binge reading fan fiction. More discerning epic fantasy fans might want to give it a pass.
DNF @ chapter 5, 1.28.24
I don't like to leave a book unfinished, but life is too short to hate-read a book I'm not enjoying. I made it to chapter 5, and gave up. It got rave reviews, but it did not live up to the hype. It's promoted as a “new adult” fantasy, but it reads like a modern day romance, with dragons thrown in for spice. The modern day speech was rather jarring, for a presumably medieval fantasy setting. After the third or fourth use of the word “fuck” I did a search, and that particular expletive shows up 264 times. The world building is lacking, the foreshadowing is ridiculously obvious, and most of the characters are just there. The characters that are described are presumably going to be part of a love triangle, as we only hear how hot they are, in painful detail.
What's wrong with people? Is it one of these glitches in the matrix? Bc there is no logical explanation why this book is so popular. Not a single redeeming quality.
Not personally a fan of the romance or the main character - but the story telling and world building is mesmerizing. I was out of breath and constantly at the edge of my seat.
On Hold. Will finish eventually, just not in the mood for it right now. However, I was enjoying it a lot.
