FOURTH WING REVIEW

 

FOURTH WING

(REVIEW)

📖 Book Info

Title: Fourth Wing

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Romantasy, Dragon Fiction, Enemies to Lovers

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

Spicy scenes?: yes

Completed series?: NO. 3 / 5 books are out.

Plot (taken from Wikipedia): It follows the journey of Violet Sorrengail, who is forced by her mother, General Sorrengail, to join the Basgiath War College and become a dragon rider in the kingdom of Navarre. Even though she has been trained her entire life to enter the Scribe Quadrant, Violet must endure deadly quests and competitions that push her to her limits while trying to avoid being killed by one of the most powerful riders in the quadrant, Xaden Riorson.

✨ Spoiler-Free Review

(For those who are interested in the book, but haven’t read it yet!)

• What drew me into the story? The first thing that absolutely drove me in were the

dragons, without any doubts LOL. As a lover of fantasy stories with dragons, this was

a pleasant discovery, and what immediately hooked me in. Besides the fact that fantasy

settings are one of my personal favourites, the plot isn’t just a background of this romance

story, but actually the main protagonist.

• The pacing: was it slow-burn, fast, or balanced? The story immediately throws you

in what’s the current reality and situation of the protagonist like a brutal whip,

and doesn’t spare you a moment, keeping you always on your toes.

I found the pacing particularly flowy, I understood easily everything that was going on,

and it kept me hooked from start to finish. From the action scenes, the moment

of tension and troubles between the main couple, I found the overall pacing enjoyable;

to the point that I finished this book (of 500 pages overall), in one week.

• Writing style: lyrical, cozy, dark, witty? The writing style is really simple. If you don’t

like big words or scenes that need to be studied before understanding what’s going on,

then this book is perfect for you. The protagonist doesn’t beat around the bush about

her feelings, and openly describes them in a first person POV. And that’s honestly what

makes this book very easy to read. I recommend it especially to teens who just started

reading fantasy, and want to start with something easy.

(Beware that spicy scenes are present though!)

• Overall mood: perfect for autumn? cozy? magical? I’d describe this series as one

perfect for winter. Even if it is easy to read and go through, the atmosphere of the book

is chilly, almost brutal in some parts, and thrilling, especially for the dragon's presence.

• “If you liked this book, you’ll love this one too”: A Court of Thorns and Roses,

Daughter of No Worlds, The Serpent and the Wings of Night,

The Priory of the Orange Tree.

For those who die to know and can’t wait, these are the spicy chapters: 22, 30, 32. 

(WARNING: after this picture, there will be the spoiler version. Beware.)

🌒 Spoiler Review

(For readers who finished the book. SPOILER WARNING!)

• Favorite and least favorite characters. My most favourite characters are actually the dragons. As predictable as it could sound (since it’s the first thing that brought me in this book), I actually loved how the dragons are executed. They’re mysterious and dangerous from the outside, but witty and have their own little moments and personalities when you get to know them. I especially enjoyed Tairn’s banters with Violet and their bonding moment during the Threshing. Andarna is of course second to that, and her unexpected will to bond despite her young age. I screamed during the scene where both Tairn and Andarna chose to bond with Violet, and she had to announce it. Despite that, I also love the mysterious aura that surrounds Sgaeyl, Xaden’s dragon. Honestly I’d love to know more about their backstory, especially how Tairn and Sgaeyl met and became a pair. But honestly I doubt that will be covered, since Rebecca mainly focuses on the main couple and the political issues.

My least favourite character is Jack Barlowe, who was considered the main enemy and issue of Violet throughout the first book. I understood that he mainly served as an obstacle for Violet to go over with, since he has been bothering her since the crossing of the Parapet, but I didn’t see any hint of personality in this character. He was merely there and appeared to make uncomfortable situations for the protagonist, and had very basic to none reasonings to hate on her. I would have appreciated a bit more of a look inside of this character. For example, even if Dain is a disliked character for all the things he has done, I still find him well written so far, and will like to know more of him in the future.

• Emotional reactions to key moments. I found the main challenges satisfying enough. There was tension and enough explanation for me to immerse in them, and even if it was predictable that Violet would have completed them all, I liked the fact that she didn’t magically become better, but actually trained and worked hard for it. Maybe only the first encounter with the dragons disappointed me a little bit, as it looked more like a walk in the park rather than showing off to some ancient beings. The atmosphere could have been handled a bit better.

The romance: for this book, I thought it was smooth enough. It wasn’t forced or out of nowhere, it was well executed. I just didn’t enjoy the continuous repetition of Violet drooling over Xaden each time (which is understandable, but still…). The spicy scenes were good too, especially their first time together. Could be considered a bit absurd since Violet is always pictured as a frail woman from start to finish, but they did make me giggle a bit.

Of course the part I loved the most was when Tairn showed up for the first time and was willing to bond with Violent (along with Andarna later). I just prefer overall all the moments shared with the dragons, being fight scenes or not.

• Specific themes or plot twists that stood out. I couldn’t predict Brennan’s death at all (since there weren’t any signs to begin with), but unlike many who disliked him ‘coming back to life’, I found it intriguing. Maybe not extremely necessary for the plot, but I’m happy to see more of him in the next book.

Liam’s death was another I couldn’t exactly figure out. Like most readers, I was honestly devastated. I wanted to keep seeing more of him, but I was expecting at least one important character to die in this book. I just didn’t think it was going to be him, since he already had a close call once. I felt very sad, but I wished I could have seen or got to know more of Xaden and Liam’s friendship. Overall I enjoyed his character, and his role.

Speaking then of the last and main plot twist: the existence of the Venin and Wyverns. I actually liked the add on of a new species and enemy, especially one they aren’t used to fighting against. The main enemy seemed to be the gryphons and its people at the beginning, but now it seems to be these new kinds of creatures. I would have wanted to know more about the gryphons too, but maybe it’ll be covered in the next books. Since these new beings seem to be lethal and 10 times more dangerous, I hope there will be more fighting scenes and mysteries to uncover in the next books.

• Ending discussion: satisfying or not? Personally? Yes. Despite its flaws Fourth Wing was an enjoyable adventure that can become even greater in the next books if executed well. If you don’t want a complicated book that only revolves around romance, then you’re good to go. Hopefully the story won’t get ruined as we go on, since it has been confirmed that there will be a total of 5 books.

🍂 Final Thoughts

A short conclusion tying it all together:Fourth Wing is addictive, atmospheric, and emotional: the kind of book that leaves you up at 2 a.m. saying “just one more chapter.” I’d recommend it to anyone who loves dragons, strong heroines, and romances that smolder before they ignite. Just do not expect anything too deep or elaborated. 

Best enjoyed with: a stormy night, a blanket, and maybe a candle or two. 🕯️🐉

Yours in ink,

Inkwyn.