Book Review: Fourth Wing
- Series: Book #1 from The Empyrean
- Author: Rebecca Yarros
- 528 pages, Hardcover
- First published May 2, 2023
- Winner of the TikTok Book Awards 2024
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war school for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to join the Writer Quadrant and lead a quiet life between books and history. Now the commanding general— – aka her badass mother – —has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of aspirants striving to become the elite of Navarre: Dragonriders.
But if you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is fragile, death is just a heartbeat away… because dragons don’t bond with “fragile” humans. They burn them.
Since there are fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to increase their own chances of success. The others would kill her just because she’s their mother’s daughter — like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wing leader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every advantage she can get to see the next sunrise.
But with each passing day, the war outside grows deadlier, the kingdom’s defenses fail and the death toll continues to rise. Worse still, Violet begins to suspect that the leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has a purpose — because when you enter, there are only two ways to leave: graduate or die
I think I’ve a new favorite. Sorry, Rhys, you’re the runner-up.
Rider Quadrant
The Rider Quadrant is the most elite and ruthless place at Basgiath College. This is where the most chastened apply. You get in if you survive, and graduate if you stay alive. Death lurks at every turn. If the dragons don’t kill you, the other students will. Death is a daily event. Every day, the names of the dead are read out in front of the formation. The college removes the weak links, or the dragons do it.
Violet doesn’t want to be a rider, but her last name compels her. Now that she’s above the parapet, all she has to do is survive. A difficult task. Especially when you have a target on your back for being Sorrengale, or for being the weak link.
A world full of dragons and magic
The story in Fourth Wing is different, it’s captivating. There are elements that may remind you of other books, but they aren’t intrusive. Rebecca Yarros has created a world that is so original that a few small details don’t stand out.
The dragons in this book are sentient beings who have their own will and their own rules. The connection to the riders is strong. The relationship between Violet and Tairn kept me entertained the entire time. Honestly, the whole book is full of light, entertaining humor that lightens up the tense situation at the college.
“I’m not going to die today.”
I liked how the heroine changes. In books, I often come across strong women who are trained to be invincible. Violet is different. She’s much more grounded, much more real. She doesn’t have that irritating, conceited confidence, she just has a strong sense of purpose. She’s physically weak, but she stands her ground. She’s been told all her life that she’s not a rider and that no one thinks she’ll survive. But she finds her own way of dealing with everything and accepting her weaknesses.
“The right way isn’t the only way”
Violet is extremely clever and stubborn. She has emotional intelligence, cares about her friends and refuses to hide her feelings. Her inner strength and courage make her an unforgettable character.
“It only takes one generation to change history – or even erase it.”
Surviving college is a battle won, but not a war. Evil lurks behind the barriers that protect the kingdom. The enemy isn’t the one I expected. And the truth is guarded by the students. Will the secrets protect them or deceive them? Who will betray whom? Who deserves to be trusted? Lots of questions to ask yourself if you want to read “The Fourth Wing”.
A second book in the series has just been published. There won’t be just one, and how could there not be with this ending. Rebecca Yarros gives a taste of a much more complex world than I expected. Yes, I was biased when the “Fourth Wing” craze broke out. “Aw shucks, this isn’t good,” I said to myself”. I didn’t read a single review before I started it because I didn’t want to prepare myself. And now I can’t wait for the sequel to come out.
Enemies to lovers and slow burn
I first experienced this kind of “scab” when I finished a book with A Court of Roses and Thorns, and now it’s happened again. The romance between Violet and Xaden is addictive. It’s a thick book, but you read it in one breath. The tension is evenly distributed and you won’t want to put it down until you’ve fully unraveled it. Everything in Fourth Wing is written in a very balanced way. There’s fighting, there’s romance, there’s heartbreak and humor. I enjoyed it so much that I’d love to read it again.
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die
