Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

     With a whopping 4.6 star rating on Goodreads, I had high hopes for Fourth Wing, and I can say that my hopes have been met. This book has been an internet sensation for nearly a year, so I am a bit late to the party (I see this becoming a trend). Nevertheless, I’m so glad that I finally picked it up.

     I loved the world-building in Fourth Wing; it was unlike any other novel I have read. I was worried that the “dragon rider” concept would feel a little immature, but the author wrote it in such a tasteful way, and I could feel myself getting immersed in the story. Another thing I love about Fourth Wing is its fast pace. Now, it is a fantasy novel, so naturally, it’s going to be longer than general fiction, but it really didn’t feel like the 500 pages it is. The story draws you in, and before you know it, you’ve already finished the novel.

     Let’s move on to the characters. Personally, I really loved Violet. She’s tough as nails and will stop at nothing to protect her friends. She’s at a natural disadvantage to her peers because of her special circumstances, but she doesn’t let that stop her, and she fights every day to do her best. I know some people found Violet a little annoying and somewhat of a “pick-me” character, but I didn’t feel the same. Another thing that people were worked up about was how unrealistic Violet’s character was. I’m specifically referencing her chronic pain and physical weakness and how, despite this, she still manages to take down many of her enemies. Would this be physically possible in the real world? Absolutely not. Is it possible for this to occur in a fictional world? Of course, your imagination is the limit. I know a lot of people get hung up on the impossible circumstances found in fantasy novels, but this may be a sign that you don’t actually enjoy fantasy, because fantasy means that the rules we have in our world just don’t apply. I’m simply saying that anything is possible with a book like this.

     Okay, I went on a bit of a tangent there, but let’s move on to Violet’s love interest, Xaden. Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of feelings about him. This was your pretty run-of-the-mill enemies-to-lovers trope, and while it was certainly entertaining and enjoyable, it wasn’t something that will really stick with me. My one pet peeve with Xaden was the nicknames. Can we please, and I am begging you authors, stop giving cringy nicknames to our main characters. Every time Xaden called Violet Violence, I think a little part of me died inside. On another note, I just want to give you a warning that the romance is extremely prominent in this novel, especially in the last half of the book. While I love romance, I felt as if it was a little overdone for a fantasy.

    Overall, this book was very entertaining, but it’s not for everyone. If you can move past some small imperfections within the story, I think you would really enjoy Fourth Wing.

Thanks For Reading!

Published March 10th 2024