Fourth Wing

Violet Sorrengail has her heart set on living a life among books and history as a scribe. But her mother has other plans. As the commanding general, Violet’s mother will never allow one of her children to hide away in books. Forced into joining the elite college of dragonriders, Basgiath War College, Violet must embrace her new life or die. Every day she walks a fine line. If the training doesn’t kill her, one of her fellow students certainly will.

Violet must learn to survive in a dangerous and fast-paced world. Each day brings on new threats as fellow students put the pieces together of who her mother is. Not only will she have to step up her physical prowess, but she will have to quickly learn who to trust. And not everything, or everyone, is as it seems. Rebecca Yarros has artfully hidden away twists and turns readers will never see coming.

As soon as the dragons are introduced the stakes are raised as they begin to burn those deemed unworthy. And each time they reappear the intensity ratchets up. The dragon interactions and violence of the trials create a wonderful mix of apprehension. Violet is forced into a pulse pounding scene of events. And despite playing into common tropes, the writing does a wonderful job of pulling readers into the moment.

Alongside the close calls and emotional devastation, a romance begins to simmer. While there is an abundance of sexual tension between characters, there is no build up of the relationship. The writing created a way for this relationship to be an instant attraction, but it felt hollow. The romance created an abundance of conflicts to drive the plot forward. Yet it never felt like a true relationship. Sure there were physical moments, but the emotional side was not as well portrayed.

Fourth Wing does a fantastic job of building friendships and rivalries. With the constant friction between characters and overall dangers, it’s sure to be an engrossing read. For those who enjoy the instant attraction and a physical instead of an emotional relationship, there will be an additional draw to the writing. But even if you do not enjoy romance in your novels, there is plenty of combat and risks to still give this a try.