Categories: BOOK BLOG POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
ABOUT THE BOOK
Author: REBECCA YARROS
Genres: NEW Adult Fantasy
SERIES: EMPYREAN #1
Publisher: ENTANGLED:
RED TOWER BOOKS
Publishing Date: 5/2/2023
Format: HARDCOVER
Page Count: 528
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
GOODREADS SUMMARY
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.
MY THOUGHTS:
So, I hopped on the bandwagon and headed out in search of the book that everyone has been buzzing about on BookTok, BookTube, Bookstagram, basically everywhere you can think of.
I must admit, besides Game of Thrones, dragons aren’t really my thing. Despite that, I confidently approached the Barnes & Noble counter and politely asked the clerk to assist me in finding Fourth Wing.
“Sorry, we’re completely sold out,” she informed me.
“What? Sold out?” I asked, taken aback.
“Yes. SOLD OUT. The publisher didn’t anticipate this level of popularity. Would you like me to order it for you?”
At that point, I was fully invested. I had to get my hands on it. I absolutely had to have this highly coveted book with the beautiful golden cover and dragons on it. So naturally, I told her to order it.
When it finally arrived, I held it in my arms with the same intensity as Gollum when he gazes at his “precious”. The promises of the influencers had gotten me pumped and ready for the literary event of the century. I couldn’t wait to embark on this amazing reading experience.
Now, you’re probably wondering if it lived up to the hype. But before I spill the beans, let me highlight the aspects I liked and didn’t like about this book.
LIKED
Representation of Chronic Illness
Heroine witH Grit
Spicy SCENES 🌶🌶
Sarcastic Dragons
Numerous LOL MOMENTS
Cinematic Action SCENEs
Enemies-to-Lovers Trope
DISLIKED
Excessive World-Building Early On
Unnatural Dialogue
Occasional SLOW Pacing
One-Dimensional side Characters
Inconsistencies in the StoryliNE
Violet Sorrengail possessed a heart of gold and determination, despite being underestimated by everyone, including her own mother.
The author skillfully crafted a character who was witty, relatable, and easy to root for. As someone who deals with a chronic illness, it was truly touching to see this represented within a fantasy narrative.
I found myself getting slightly emotional when Violet’s dragon, Tairn, offered her words of affirmation.
"You are the most intelligent among your peers. The most cunning... You fought fiercely to protect the weakest. And the strength of your courage is more valuable than physical strength. Since it seems you need to know before we land."
The story had a strong start and managed to keep me engaged up until the midpoint, despite occasional confusion due to the excessive world-building. Rather than resembling Hunger Games, this book gave me more of a Divergent vibe. It depicted a seemingly meek girl joining a group of thrill-seekers and developing romantic feelings for her commanding officer.
I greatly enjoyed the internal dialogue that Violet had when she discovered her attraction towards Xaden Riorson, a wingleader whom everyone advised her to stay away from.
She also harbored complicated emotions for her childhood friend, Dain Aetos, leading to a predictable intense rivalry among the males. There were a few spicy scenes that I thoroughly relished – I give 🌶🌶 for Spiciness. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if the author included more.
The world-building, on the other hand, was a different story. Maybe you could help me out here, but the entire purpose of Basgiath War College is to train students in dragon riding. So, if the dragons are highly intelligent and occasionally scorch the students (Again, why?), shouldn’t bonding with dragons be unnecessary?
Couldn’t the dragons operate perfectly well on their own?
Towards the end, one inconsistency truly bothered me. Throughout the story, Violet described the riders as heartless, uncaring jerks. However, when faced with the choice to help innocent people or flee to safety, she suddenly contradicted herself by characterizing the riders as defenders of the weak.
So, Violet, which is it? Are they emotionless sociopaths or guardians of the weak? Because several of your classmates who ride dragons have been trying to kill you throughout the entire book because they perceive you as… WEAK.
There were more problems concerning unrealistic dialogue and an abundance of world-building that detracted from the story. These issues could potentially be forgiven, but the slow pacing was simply unforgivable. After the midpoint, the story dragged on until the neatly wrapped-up ending.
Although I enjoyed most of Fourth Wing, I can’t say I’m obsessed with it. Perhaps it’s because dragons aren’t my cup of tea, or maybe it’s due to the aforementioned problems. Out of all the characters, I only truly cared about Violet. However, just when she seemed to achieve her goals, my emotional investment waned. The supporting characters lacked complexity, leaving me indifferent to their survival or demise.
I wonder if I’m the only one with this opinion. What are your thoughts, dear reader? Please let me know in the comments below. If you haven’t read the book click the button below to obtain your copy.
If you want to read about similar titles, check out my post Best YA Dystopian Novels.
I’d have been exactly the same in hearing it was sold out! It’s a shame it didn’t quite live up to the hype but there seems to be enough good points that I’ll maybe give it a go sometime!
It honestly entertains, but it was not at the level I thought it would.