Fourth Wing

I read this for a book club as January's pick to explore some "romantasy" that seems to be taking over the shelves. For me, this was a rather middle of the road one. There were things I enjoyed, and things I didn't, as all things are. Here's what I liked:

1. It was a quick, simple read. Easily digestible. I read the entire thing in less than two hours of timed reading. It flowed very quickly.
2. It was fun in a corny way. It was like the fantasy version of watching a classic cult film like "Scream" ( quality of prose non-withstanding ). Pretty hilarious dialogue bits, some of the cheesiness that I expected. The "You missed." made me laugh out loud.
3. Mean Girls, as the Hunger Games, with dragons. Not necessarily a bad thing. It reminded me of my teenager telling me all about high school and its escapades.
4. The erotica was some of the better I've read, despite that corniness as well.
5. Her being pale being given an actual reason, confirmed by the author, as disability rep was a pleasant surprise. Also, the willingness to let Violet appear weak, which is a novelty.
6. I loved Xaden's innate ability and dragon bond. ( No more info here to avoid spoilers. )

What I disliked or could've left outside the door:

1. Too digestible. I know she made this as a more accessible fantasy read, but there is a difference between accessible and blank. I rarely knew what was going on in the world itself. I couldn't tell you a thing about how the Wings work, what the Dragons have going on, the politics besides the mentions of war. I had little descriptions to ground myself in, and the ones I did have ... ( see point 2 )
2. The descriptions were vapid. If I read one more "soft brown eyes" or "tender squeeze of the bicep" I was going to throttle the protagonist. I also understand it's intended to be romantic fantasy, but I was sore for the fantasy elements. I wanted more about the bonds, I wanted more serious emotions. Being "told" how I was supposed to feel via Violet saying it multiple times did zero for me.
3. Re: cheesy dialogue. Some of it should've been unwritten. The attempt at the love triangle was dubious.
4. Although "pale skin" is given a medical representation reason, considering the over-saturation of focus on protagonists who are light-skinned, and knowing Violet's other family members are briefly said to be darker / medium, I do wonder if there is some colourism, unintentional or otherwise, in this choice. Not everybody with EDS goes pale.
5. I appreciated the signs of weakness; at the same time, that did need to be balanced. The "saving" mechanism only worked up until the third time. Also, if she received one more injury to the ribs, she would be dead by page 150.
6. The second erotica scene contained some elements that made me laugh. I'm sorry.

I will not be continuing the series, but am glad I read it.