Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Dates Read: December 20, 2023 – December 27, 2023
Date Published: May 2, 2023
Source: Owned hardback

Goodreads — Amazon

Son of a… Ok. I thought I had a favorite series of the year butttt… here came Fourth Wing. Just marched right in here and stomped all over my heart. My already fragile and aching heart. I don’t know if this was the series I needed for my Once Upon A Broken Heart hangover or if it was the LAST thing I needed. Who am I kidding? I loved it.

“I don’t deserve you.” His arm curls around my hips and he tugs me closer. “But I’m going to keep you all the same.”

So. Ugh Ok. So… (Get it together!) Xaden. Phew. There we go. I did it. I sought this book out because of book propaganda. Xaden this and Xaden that and, “I want to have Xaden’s babies.” So I grabbed Fourth Wing. I DID NOT get Iron Flame… until I was about halfway through this book. Then I quickly ordered it so I wouldn’t have to wait. Because WOW. This book.

So Violet is the daughter of a general. A general who doesn’t want her to join the scribe quadrant but instead orders her to follow the path of her family name and join the most brutal of the quadrants, the Rider quadrant. She will have to cross a dangerous parapet, survive dragons (and hope one chooses her to bond with), and then learn to ride and wield that dragon. Violet was also born with a condition that makes her bones fragile but she doesn’t allow that to stop her. (Fun fact: the condition is called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which Rebecca Yarros, herself, also has.) Afraid as she is, she’s going to prove to herself and everyone who thinks her weak that she can ride a dragon. Her brother did it, her sister did it, they both became famous, top of their class riders, and now she will too. But weak, less-than are hunted by those who seek to eliminate the weak from their wings. Violet is a target. And for some reason, the terrifying commander of the Fourth Wing has taken an interest in her. Can she survive her new intimidating and deadly commander AND the other cadets who want to see her dead either for her connection to the relentless general or her flaws and weaknesses?

“What changed between the parapet and now?” Dain asks again, a wealth of emotions in his eyes that I can’t begin to interpret. Well, except the fear. That doesn’t need any interpretation.
“Me.”

This is what I want in a fantasy book. The world-building was amazing. The characters and their powers were amazing. The battles in the sky and on the ground were heart-stopping. The plot was completely gripping. This was a page-turner for sure. When I wasn’t reading it, it was all I thought about. I couldn’t get enough. I loved Violet and the way she adapted to her situations. She was bold and daring and held her own. The friendships she makes are absolutely beautiful (and then devastating). I found myself connecting to her almost immediately.

Ya know who I definitely connected with immediately after meeting? I’m sure you guessed it… Xaden. Holy moly. Every time I think I’ve met a MMC who no other MMC can top, I meet another who makes me a friggin believer. Was he difficult and mean… yes… yes he was. *swoons* (That’s it. There’s no ‘but’ coming.)

Honestly though, the character-building and the tension and the events that take place that end up bringing people in this book together… PHEW LAWD. I won’t reveal anything because I was literally hollering when things transpired and I love that I was able to go in blind with absolutely no spoilers regardless of the hype and content all over the internet about this series.

The dragons were one of my favorite things to read. The SASS. Oh, man. I was laughing out loud and smiling so big that my cheeks were killing me.

Such a good read. All the way around. Characters. World. Plot. It was all a 10/10. This could very well be my new favorite series of the year and it’s not even finished yet. We did get a lil ‘ol cliffhanger at the end but it was manageable. Maybe because I had book two on deck? Regardless, 10/10. Highly recommend. If you haven’t read it yet, WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?! Go read it, ya weirdo.