BOOK REVIEW: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

This high octane, edge of your seat fantasy will keep you reading late into the night and leave you demanding more.

Oh

My

Goodness

Gracious

This book lived up to and then completely surpassed the hype and expectations that I had been hearing. It was literally everything that I would want in a fantasy: complex characters, internal and external conflicts, dragons, magic, family complications, lies, secrets, manipulations and yes, some spicy spice. For this one, I did both the audio and the physical book, and it worked out great for some of the name pronunciations.

I don’t really know how to give a quick synopsis other to say that Violet has planned her whole life to be trained as a scribe, but when mommy dearest is a top dog, there is no choice and she is now following in her mother, brother and sister’s footsteps and finds her forced into the dragon quadrant to become a dragon rider. Granted the is about a fifty percent of dying, considering everyday they read names of 1st-3rd years that have perished in some fashion.

As an adult fantasy, I found this to have absolutely everything I would want in a fantasy, but with a flare that comes when characters are in their early 20s vs teenagers. And, let me just say this cast of characters is fabulous. Yarros’s character development is superb. There are secrets, alliances, motivations, grudges and hiding feelings at every turn. Each interaction between characters creates just a little more depth not just to them, but to the world they find themselves in.

Twenty year old Violet is little and weak compared to everyone else. From the moment she steps onto the parapet and is assigned to the Fourth Wing, she has a target on her back and a mountain to climb to prove herself worthy. She’s spunky, sarcastic and recognizes her flaws with 20/20 vision. I love her! She develops a determination that makes her stronger, but also makes more people want to kill her. Her training to be a scribe might not help her on the mat in hand to hand matches, but it gives her a strategic and intellectual advantage that is egregiously overlooked by everyone around her.

Dain, her childhood friend and a 2nd year, tries every other day to help her escape to the scribes. Like, I wanted to throat punch him. He was annoying and refused to give Violet even a chance to see what she was capable of. I really wished his dragon would have just flipped him off. His antithesis is Xaden, who is definitely one of the most complex characters in the book. I absolutely loved watching him develop, highlighted by the contrast between his actions and his words. It added a comical frustration for Violet. I mean there has to be some comic relief in just a high action book.

A dragon without its rider is a tragedy.
A rider without their dragon is dead.

All the other secondary characters play such a critical role that the book would simply not be what it is without them. From Liam, Garrick and Imogen to Rhiannon, Mira and Jack Barlowe. And, we would be remiss to ignore the fact that the dragons themselves are essential and powerful characters. Every character element was well thought out, developed and presented on the part with care and unique dimensions. They each serve to mold Violet into the character she is at the end of this book. She doesn’t become this person without each and everyone other character’s influence.

Every scene seems to be developed to create the highest level of tension and engagement. I, for one, struggle with my attention span to sit and just read for long periods of time. I’m always able to put a book down or to pause an audiobook. Let me say that all I wanted to do was binge read this book. I COULDN’T put it down. One scene just blended into the next with such ease and importance that even though there was an ebb and flow of the peak action, I still felt that there was no good place to pause. I literally had to know what was coming next. Many scenes had multiple purposes. For example, the Parapet scene at the beginning of the book also helped to deliver some initial elements in the world building process.

There was just such a successful push and pull between the characters in connection to each other and the world itself. The strong word choice and descriptive language pulls the reader in. The tone surrounding even just being at the academy not only magnifies Violet’s challenges, but supports the high stakes of this world. 

I could list a whole page of some of the possible themes that come through in these 528 pages. But for me this is really about finding our inner strength and tapping into your potential. It’s never giving up and fighting through the pain and challenges even when you think it’s impossible. However, there is a human element here. Violet was told to not have friends, but it’s impossible to make it through something like this with having friends - it’s critical to surround yourself with people who have your back and support you, but it is equally important to not keep people in your circle who are not good for you just because you feel that you need to.

Clearly, I absolutely loved this book and let’s just say that the climatic scene at the end of the book was epic, heartbreaking and gripping. However, if there was one area to provide some “constructive criticism “ it is that this was the only scene in the book that I felt was a little dragged out. I got to a point where I just wanted it to be over to see what was going to come from the aftermath. 

This is part academia, part family drama, part American Ninja Warrior, part dragon fantasy, part rising secret rebellion and 100% character driven. In my world, this book lived up to and surpassed the hype that has surrounded it since it’s release.

Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you’re really a violent little thing, aren’t you?

Where does it land on my bookshelf?

TOP SHELF BABY!!!!  It got 8 out of 5 stars. This by far is my favorite fantasy novel that I have read in a really, really long time. I think some of that comes from the role that the dragons play, but there are so many elements at play here. I am still suffering from the book hangover, and I’m thrilled that we are already able to see the cover for book 2 which needs to come out NOW. I mean, this ended on a cliffhanger, and I can’t imagine what the next words out of Violet’s mouth are going to be. Plus, there are maps. I LOVE books with maps! Get this book! Read this book! Love this book! It absolutely lives up to the hype.

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