Welcome to Bookish Fridays! I'll share a review of a book I recently read, what I'm currently reading, or other bookish related things.
The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros has been insanely popular. There's dragons, peril, and romance. What more could you ask for? Did I mention there's dragons? I was so excited to read this book, and I can't wait for the sequel, Iron Flame, to come out in November. I've already pre-ordered my copy.
Fourth Wing Summary and Synopsis
We meet Violet Sorrengail, a twenty-two year old girl with dreams of being a Scribe, living her life around books and history. However, her mother who is a commander, orders her to join the dragon riders instead, and she ends up in the Fourth Wing. There's a small problem with that: Violet is small. And fragile. Death is always knocking on her door. And when you're a rider, there's danger everywhere. Before you even have the opportunity to fail in class, you can die on the Parapet, or someone can try to kill you.There's some who want Violet dead anyway, for what her mother did. Like Xaden Riorson. I'll let you guess where he fits into the story. At Basigiath War College, you either graduate or die. Sounds like a great read, right?
WARNING: The rest of this post contains spoilers. If you haven't read it yet, and you want to, come back later and share your thoughts. Otherwise, on to the review.
What I liked Abour Fourth Wing
Violet, also known as "Violence" (Xaden's nickname for her), goes from being the fragile underdog, to totally spectacular at the end. She doesn't let her disability get the best of her, and I really admire that. She keeps trying, even when she fails over and over. And when she can't win fairly, she's not afraid to cheat a little and poison her opponents. Whatever works right? She's full of courage and is rewarded with an extremely powerful ability: lightening wielding.
Xaden ( leader of the Fourth Wing) is the typical "bad boy" trope: afraid to love, dark, brooding, and really attractive. Of course, we all know that's not all Xaden is. Under all that hardness is a sensitive guy waiting to be let out. It starts slowly of course, as we see Xaden has his reasons for being secretive and brooding. He took on the responsibility of all the rebel's children to ensure they won't die simply for being born. That's pretty noble. He will do anything for those he cares for and are under his protection. Fortunately, Violet ends up there.
Her dragons are unlikely heroes as well; Andarna is a baby and Tairn hasn't chosen anyone since his Rider died many years ago. Both dragons see something in her no one else can, and they form an intimate bond. I really enjoyed how Xaden is Sgaeyl's Rider, and Sgaeyl is Tairn's mate. Xaden spends the rest of the book trying to keep Vi safe because if she dies, Tairn could die, which means Sgaeyl could die, eventually killing himself. And he very much wants to stay alive. Nice way to include some "forced proximity", Rebecca, another one of my favorite tropes.
The communication between Dragon and Rider is brilliant. Sometimes it's funny and sweet, and other times it's serious, and maybe a little violent. The faith they have in her is endearing, and you can feel the love her dragons have for her in every interaction. Tairn definitely has a "fatherly" vibe, as he cares for both Violet and Andarna. One of my favorite quotes from Tairn: "You're making us look bad. Stop it."
I love how Tairn and Xaden came up with a solution to keep Violet on her dragon as she rides. Neither coddles her, but helps her become the best she can be. Isn't that what everyone wants from a relationship? Andarna is very child-like (which makes sense considering she's a baby), and has a special power that stops time. Unfortunately, she loses it at the end, but it's a life-saver: literally.
Obviously, the romance is first-class. Why else would it be so popular? You think dragons made it a best seller? Xaden and Violet's relationship is a slow burn, but once ignited, they exploded. Literally. Violet caught trees on fire with her lightening powers and broke windows. Of course, Xaden gets scared and pushes Violet away before finally accepting his fate. But we'll have to wait to find out if Vi forgives Xaden after he didn't tell her the truth about the rebellion and what her dad knew.
What I didn't love
This isn't a critique on the author, but the slow burn romance in Fourth Wing isn't my favorite. I'm more of a "love at first sight" and "touch her and you die", kind of girl. Violet's "I'm not like the other girls" vibe is a little annoying at times. I didn't like how after Violet and Xaden seemed to have worked things out, there was more drama to force them apart. One separation was enough, we didn't need two. And we still don't know for sure if they'll work things out.
There was a lack of world-building, so if you enjoy that, this book may not be for you. I do wish places had more descriptions, so I can imagine the characters in their world. It would've made for a slightly more pleasant reading experience.
Alycia's rating
Overall, my critique is low. I really loved Fourth Wing, and it's one of my top reads for the year, so far. Rebecca's mind is astounding and I love the story she has to tell. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me if you loved it, hated it, or somewhere in-between.
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