Fourth Wing

I know there is a ton of hype around Fourth Wing, but I gotta admit, I think it is warranted. This book is fantastic, with incredible world building, character development, and a great plot.

Who doesn’t love a fantasy world where you bond with dragons and gain power (also called signets) that manifest as a combination of your power? Where you have to fight for your life every step of the way, and death is just a part of a normal day? Where you can challenge those you have issues with to fight and beat the shit out of them?

Basgiath War College is ruthless for those in the Riders Quadrant, and not for the weak. Which is why, with Violet Sorrengail as our FMC, it gets good right away. Violet is tiny, weak, and extremely smart. She was destined for the Scribe Quadrant and has grown up preparing to be essentially a scholar. So, it gets really interesting when she is thrown into the Riders Quadrant by her mother and expected to survive or die. We learn that Violet’s joints don’t work like everyone else’s, a condition in the real world known as ehlers danlos syndrome. So, you can guess that it won’t be a walk in the park for her to survive.

I love Violet as a FMC, thinks like a scribe and right away begins to come into her own strength and willpower, much to the chagrin of her oldest friend, Dain Aetos. From the moment he sees her cross the Parapet, Dain tries to get Violet to run away and hide from her mother in the scribe quadrant. At first Violet thinks it is sweet of Dain to try, but by the 239577365th time it naturally pisses her off… Who wants their best friend to continuously tell them they aren’t strong enough to be where they are? It really bothered me that her closest friend wouldn’t respect her decision and listen to her when she said she was staying, let alone reminding her that he thinks she doesn’t have what it takes.

Thankfully, Xaden enters the picture and while apparently Violet’s enemy, he seems to be doing a lot of advice giving and help for a person who supposedly wants to kill her. As they continue to interact and their chemistry grows, WHEW!! It is steamy and tense and oh so good.

Fourth Wing can boast a host of villains, all really well entwined in the story. General Sorrengail, Jack Barlowe, Xaden Riorson, Dain Aetos, The Venin, The riders, and a few sprinkled in I am sure I’m forgetting. for a book about your time at school it certainly doesn’t lack danger or death.

Both the villains and the rough-around-the-edges characters were brutal, sharp as a blade and tough as hell, and I appreciated that. There wasn’t a lot of gushy happiness or hiding behind fake smiles. It was all aggression all the time. You run from the dragons? Dead. You have an enemy? They will publicly announce they want to kill you. Someone hates you? You will sure as hell know. Scared? Well the leadership will not be telling you it is fine, that’s for sure.

The plot of Fourth Wing was great! I was interested in the story line the whole time, and was completely invested in everything happening. I love a good story of facing your weaknesses and bettering yourself, pushing your mind and body to the limits, and not letting any of your shortcomings hold you back. With fantasy, betrayal, spice, dragons, and magic sprinkled in? It makes for a great story.

My favorite characters were Tairn, Andarna, Rhi, Ridoc, Imogen, Obviously Xaden and Violet, and Liam. I don’t think I could pick from the crew who I liked best, because they all have a soft spot in my heart.

I loved all the dragons, the folklore, and how the bond works. Tairn and Andarna’s mental conversations with Violet were so interesting, and I loved the personalities they had. When Sgaeyl and Xaden were brought into the mix? it got even better. I loved the aspect of mind talking in ACOTAR, and love it just as much here in Fourth Wing! I think it was totally different but done just as good.

The signets were one of my favorite things in the book. There were so many different ones and we didn’t really see a repeat at all which I loved. With some of them being illegal, and the professor who helps hone your signet skills not appearing until the signets appear, it made for a very intriguing plot line. In general, the whole aspect of the school, classes, and professors was really interesting. Flight class, gauntlet training, challenges/sparing, battle review, signet training, history, etc. It all was interesting and a great way to weave additional world building into the story.

The ending though, WOW. I had no words. I will not spoil it for you, you will have to read it for yourself.

Overall, I LOVED Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. The plot, characters, romance, character development, all of it was fantastic. There were so many twists and turns, it kept me on my toes the entire time! This was my third time re-reading it, so I could prepare for Iron Flame, book 2 in the Empyrean series. I would definitely recommend Fourth Wing to anyone who loves good world building, great sexual tension, and high stakes in a tough world to live in.

if i took a shot for every stereotype and cliché shit that happens i'd be dead in the first 2 chapters why did i choose to finish this instead

Both the hype and the hate seems overblown. I have dozens of nitpicks but overall enjoyed reading this and kept wanting to pick it back up.

More of a 3,5 stars

The (in)famous and very hyped Fourth Wing. I had fun reading this, it is a very “readable” book.
I was expecting to either absolutely love this, or really hate it. I'm suprised at myself that it landed in the middle of the road. A few thoughts as to why:

What I liked:
- The characters are likeable and approachable. Even the more shady ones are easy to grasp. I enjoyed the dialogue a lot in this book, lots of snappy comments and snarky remarks, without it being too over the top. The sweet moments between characters also land well.
- The setting is very interesting. A school for dragon riders, where riders have a very possibility of dying in training, has more stakes than your typical magical school.
- Again, it's very readable. Fast paced just how I like my adventure/fantasy/YA books. Once you get invested, which for me was at about the 200-page mark, it's easy to fly through this in no time.
- The ending: While it took me a while to adjust to the rhythm of the final fight scene, which I found to be a little disjointed, the stakes become real for our squad and I liked to see it. The final reveal is promising for book 2

What I disliked (sorry, might be a little bit ranty):
- The “violent” female main character. We see it too often in fantasy romance, and I have stopped long ago to find it engaging. Besides, that's not even her main character trait, as she tries to talk her way out of situations more often than anything.
- The “smartest” female main character. Show it to me, don't tell. I know that as readers, we have a different perspective on events, but the whole "evil government" and "legends are real" was too easy to catch on. Probably also because it's a recurrent theme in politically-driven fantasy romance. But as a former scribe/scholar, Violet should have known to look into censorship and politics much earlier.
- More explanation for the magic, please!!
- I don't have the grounds to discuss the chronic illness rep, but I wish we had seen more of the consequences of her body being permanently affected by this. Our main character adamantly fights the prejudice that it makes her weak, which I stand for, but as we progress in the book, the illness is less and less present, as if shoved aside.
- The language. It's very modern, and the impacts works in the setting, but the modern swearing in a fantasy setting always bugs me (where the origins of the words don't carry the same meaning). It's a choice I can understand, and adds to the readability, but it's not what I prefer in my fantasy books.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but it didn't make it to the top of the top for me. It also didn't do anything much “different” from many fantasy romance books out there. If it's your thing, you'll most certainly enjoy this one, but if you're looking for something new, this might not be it. Will be continuing on with book 2 eventually.

I expected this novel to be different than most of the contemporary fantasy I read based on reviews and word of mouth... but all in all... it wasn't. However, it was compelling. I enjoyed it. The dragons and their personalities are the best part. I just don't think it's as “stand out” as people are saying, unless they haven't read as much of the genre as is current. But it is a good contemporary young female protagonist fantasy novel.

Its taken me some time to process this book. I am a big fiction reader, an even bigger fantasy reader. But dragons, I typically struggle within the genre. Simply put: I needed time to breathe, to appreciate and to understand so many things this book opened me up to. I assumed, as many mere mortals do, that the crazed reaction of booktok was overly played. A book like this one was introducing many to the genre, but that means nothing to the quality. I sit here, a week later. Still spellbound by Yarros' command of a quill (okay pen whatever!). Filled with enemies to lovers, Disability representation, devastating split second moments, beautifully described environments and dragons- wow. Ticks so many of my dream book boxes. The thing that stays with me the most? The disability representation. I had to place the book down for a moment, because I was caught by the one thing I always tend to avoid within the fantasy genre. I ignore my disabilities, because who could ever see a female main character limping around, assistance dog in tow, taking a breather from running to adjust medications? I certainly could not! I've never imagined myself in the fantasy genre, I've imagined myself as versions of my favourite characters, always shoving the things that make me ‘different' into the corner of a mental backpack, always niggling, never taking centre stage. This book interwove our MC's disability within the story in a way that felt like home. When she struggles to walk a flight of stairs, I hear the echo of my own footsteps. I feel like I could, like many other readers, write an essay on how this book will be ingrained into my life and my future book tales forever. Typically,-and true even of those who have disabilities- when approached in writing, a characters disability often feels leaden, and added as an afterthought. Yarros creates a calamity of chaos that welcomes the silver thread of Violet's imperfections as if it crests the waves of the stories chartered waters. Thank you Yarros. How do I follow that brief explanation? I can't. But the plot and the intricacies within the story have me reeling days after a one sit wonder of a read. There are moments I am still going back over, analysing in seven different ways, sharing with friends and discussing. Only SJM and JLA have had such a grip on me with theories, tribulations and discussions I could revel in for hours. I am rushing towards November, and where the adventure leads...


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?!?!?!?!?!??!! I FREAKING LOVE THE NICKNAME?!?!?!?!?!!?

booktok did not lie.

Alright, fine, it really did live up to the hype. And now I'm sad I have to wait for the second one.

Great characters, great plot, amazing dragons, awesome reveals. This book made me stress, swoon, kick my feet, laugh, and cry so much I absolutely adored it. Loved the tension between the two love interests, I was really rooting for them. I can't wait to read the next book in this series !

This is definitely very YA complete with the chosen one/underdog/love triangle tropes but it has DRAGONS so I let it slide a little bit. Honestly the romance is the worst part about this whole thing too which sucks.

I found out about this book on TikTok and was skeptical but excited. After reading, I can confirm that the book held up to it's fame. The characters are well written and all the action scenes were interesting to read. I found myself loving Violet more and more. She wasn't your usual main character, she held up on her own and grew throughout the book. The side characters were likable and the romance wasn't forced. I can't wait for the second book to be released!

umholycrap 6 stars

After seeing this book around for months, and resisting reading it because of the hype, I finally gave in. It. Is. Worth. The. Hype! I'm not sure I even know where to begin with my review. It has truly been such a long time since a book has made me feel like this. The level of excitement when finishing and all the questions and realizations, the way my heart was racing and the way I absolutely blew up my friend's phone with thoughts and theories. The Fourth Wing follows Violet, daughter of a decorated military general for Navarre. After her mother forces her to enter the military college, she is faced with challenges she never thought she would experience, and her eyes are opened to a world of new possibilities. There she meets Xaden, son of a rebel leader who is forced to attend the college as penance for his father's crimes, and it all takes off from there! Xaden is dark and mysterious, and Violet finds herself drawn to him. Their medium-burn romance is one for the scribes to write about! It is hot and forbidden and did I say hot? Because

I just have one big thought. If Vi doesn't accept him again she will be just downright stupid. And that person being on the freaking last page. Omg. I thought I would never meet him but here we are. I'm so glad and so mad because I didn't now this is the first of five books when I already need the next one. And to them to be happy and alive.

I really wanted to love this book, and I did! I will certainly say this has been the most enjoyable book I have read since probably The Hobbit as a child and also the only book since that very same book and age that has brought a tear to my eye.

I have to disclose that I listened to the audio book version from Audible and as such I do think that the Narrator (Rebecca Soler) certainly helped. The urgency in her voice at just the right points had me on the edge of my seat, and was potentially the main reason I felt enough to be so moved. However I also really thought the majority of the writing was exceptional.

Ok, so there are always negatives and that sits in one place for me. We know there is romance in this book so I won't mark it as a spoiler. Personally I thought there was too much kissing, at points it read like I imagine a 13 year old girl's diary would read (based on the teen movies I have seen, not from experience) and that was off-putting. I also felt the smut parts were too unrealistic. But that's just me.

I don't believe the negatives take away from my rating and I give this a solid 5 stars. I can't wait for book 2!

I can't believe that I had it on my TBR list for so long

still as good (and corny) as the first time, v excited for the second book

Let me cut to the chase: I found the book largely ridiculous.

The plot of “The Fourth Wing” revolves around Violet, a young woman grappling with a condition that I guess is basically EDS, except it gives her some sort of weird hair. Yarros can't stop herself from
using the word “subluxate” as often as possible. Any time Violet strains a little bit, she's bound to subluxate something.

Violet's life takes a turn as she's made to join an elite league of dragon riders who protect the realm of Navarre, in spite of spending her life up to the ripe old age of 20 preparing to become a scribe. Her
oppressive mother, a predictable trio of love interests, and the bonding of the weakest girl at school with the strongest dragon shape the plot.

Beyond the plot lies a narrative that, while not infuriating, lacks the depth to truly captivate. Yarros seems inexplicably enamored with the word “chuffed,” which is all the dragons in the book seem to
really do. The male protagonist's ceaseless smirking, along with his
textbook “hotness,” sent me into a rage more than once. How can one guy smirk so many times on one damn page? We get it. His only real facial expression is smirking. Of course this super hot badass guy loves smart women and recognizes Violet's underlying strength.

The culmination of their sexual tension, which isn't tense–you know from the start they're eventually going to have sex–feels really out of touch. It's as if Yarros harnessed her imagination from TikTok and brought it to life with forceful clumsiness. They have sex, they
destroy a room, the dialog made me cringe, the emotional depth was
lacking.

I thought Yarros would be a 20 year old TikToker who had never had
sex, but read her biography at the end and she's some 40-something
mother of six which made me laugh.

The writing is terrible. Short, choppy sentences started with “but” break up the book.

I have more criticisms than an Instagram post will hold. “The Fourth Wing” had potential to be a captivating tale, but falls short on multiple fronts. I will possibly read the second book–if I feel like
self-flagellating.

Oh my it's been a while since I've been smiling at a book almost the whole time. Loved the playful romance and the suspense throughout the book!

This is what I would consider to be a “junk” read. Delightful and fun, and exactly on trope. Despite the protagonist being an adult, the tenor of the story is decidedly YA - which makes the explicit sex scenes feel a little jarring and out of place. 

This is the first book in a five book series, and the next one is due later in 2023. 

Omfg.

6.90/10.00

Solid world-building, exhilarating romance, page-gripping action and a total twist cliffhanger. If could not put this one down. Lots of familiar tropes in the book but somehow reads new. Definitely better than SJM, because one can actually like the main character and she is the hero of the story.

I love that the book is so familiar and yet so completely unpredictable!

But yeah it's not good fantasy. Its Romantacy. Not for the sandarsonians, not for the wheelers.. but for people who were able to enjoy SJM books.

Hunger games, Eragon series, family drama, erotica all combined into one... fast and easy read - can't wait for November now

If you want to read an amazingly built world with multidimensional characters, I highly recommend Brandon Sanderson, especially the Stormlight Archive series. 

This book was fun but I enjoyed it the same way I enjoyed Sharknado. I can see why some less experienced readers would love it too. It was written so that young female readers will identify themselves with the “not like other girls” protagonist and if that's your cup of tea, go for it. It has cool fight scenes, Mexican novel levels of drama, and smutty scenes worthy of AO3. It's a light read and made me laugh with all the cringy dialogue and obvious plot twists. I'm giving it 4 stars because it fulfilled my need for a popcorn book.

Every time I see this book it makes me hate it more.