Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Romantasy (Romance, Fantasy)
Publication Date: 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (Out of 5) (4.8/5 stars)
Introduction
I picked up this book on a whim. I’d been hearing so much about people loving it, but nothing about the contents. It remained completely unspoiled for me, and that, my friends, is how you start a good book. Fourth Wing has quickly climbed the ladders to rival series like ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses, read my review HERE) and honestly? I think it deserves a spot at the head of the table, for the litany of reasons we will be discussing today.
The premise of this book was interesting to me because I felt it was same-same, but different from other Romantasy books I’ve devoured this year. It starts off introducing you to Violet, a highly educated woman with a chronic illness who has been thrust into the deadliest program that her homeland has to offer. After spending her life preparing to walk into a simple, book-laden existence, Violet soon finds out that she has never been given any resources to help her survive the death-defying stunts she must pull in order to make it out of here alive. She must dig deep, find her strength despite her breakable bones, and figure out who she is and where her loyalties lie. This book has no shortage of action, romance, and above all else… Dragons. If you choose to read this book, may Malek have mercy on your soul. I know mine still hasn’t recovered.
Synopsis
The book begins with Violet realizing there is nothing she can do to change the current trajectory of her life. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to change the cold heart of her mother in order to save Violet from what is to come. Through twists and turns that seem to never end, Violet faces love, loss, fear, and the power to overcome the odds… if only she can survive that long. The settings are written in a way that I would describe as “just enough” to keep you imagining the full world, without being too detailed that you find yourself re-reading the same paragraph five times over. It’s beautifully tactful in the way it delivers imagery, and even more so… it’s a sneaky book. Some things you will figure out with the obvious context clues, and then other times you will be wondering how Rebecca Yarros could hurt us like this. Nothing is as it seems, and the things that are don’t last long in this world. In a land of secrets, can Violet find her way to the truth? And what will she do when she does? A wonderful book about finding strength in what is right, facing head-on what is wrong, and the wisdom to know when to just lay low.
Review
Writing Style
The writing style of this book is spectacular. You can tell that Violet is a highly educated individual by the way she speaks and is able to think through things critically, even when all the information has not been presented to her. As a reader, I found it very pleasurable to not be bogged down with pages long descriptions of a leaf on a tree but being given just enough to paint a full image in my head. I found myself immersed in a world that was both a fortress and crumbling into the depths at the same time.
Plot
The book takes little time getting you into the nitty gritty, the death, the horrors that Violet must face in this environment meant to kill her. From the first chapter to the last, you are carefully strung along at a manageable pace that gives you both all the information you need, and little bits of the information that you want. This pace sets the tone for the entire story, in my opinion, because we as the readers are not given time to breathe before yet another atrocity comes to light just like Violet is never allowed a moment of safety or peace. This book’s twists and turns took me from melting into a romantic puddle to wanting to snap my Kindle in half. It will both delight and horrify you, with the surprises along the way being truly, utterly, horrifyingly surprising.
Characters
Violet, as a character, is someone who takes the journey to find herself while protecting those around her as best she can. The characters all truly resonated with me and provided things to Violet’s character that she both wants and needs. She finds friendship, she finds love, she finds out that both of those things might be what cause the most pain. I’d say who my favorite character is but… if you’ve already read it you probably know who and if you haven’t, you’ll soon find out. I’ll give you a hint: Shadows. The character development? 11/10 for the majority of the characters, honestly. We see growth and nuances that were never mentioned before in everyone, and I’m here for it. It just makes it a little more of a punch in the gut if they die.
Themes and Messages
This book really explored the idea that strength comes from within. Violet was never meant to survive these trials; she was never expected to be anything other than dead once her journey began. I loved the way this book dug deep into her psyche, including doubting herself and the active decision to at least try, “I will not die today.”
I personally love a good “finding yourself” story, especially when it comes to those who never thought they held power only to find that they ARE the power. The inner monologue of Violet felt much like the younger version of myself, full of doubt and fear. While I grew up to be a 30-something adult, Violet appears to be growing up at the speed of light and once the wool is removed from her eyes, she can finally understand what it is that makes her the heroine of her own story.
Emotional Impact
When I tell you my Kindle suffered the consequences of me reading this book, I mean it. I owe a major apology to that little tablet. I remember sitting there multiple times after tossing it aside, across the couch, dropping it on the floor from my fumbling fingers because I could NOT for the life of me believe what I’d just read. Between giddily kicking my feet and trying to scrape my jaw off the floor, this book was it for me. It was everything I’d been craving in a good read, and I still don’t think I’ve come out of that “good book fog.” You know the one, where you can barely function and wonder how on earth you’re supposed to go on.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Well written, driving force keeps you going page after page.
Characters are relatable and swoon worthy.
Couldn’t put it down.
Cons
It’s hard for me to find cons for this one, but I’d say the amount of death in this one. You get so attached to these characters in a short amount of time that the death rate is… intense. You feel each one.
Sometimes the knowledge that I’m not being told everything I need to know to make my own judgements about situations or characters can be bothersome, but eventually everything is revealed. It’s just one of those “wait and find out” books.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, I’m forcing this book down my bookworm friends’ throats until they read it. I couldn’t escape my love for this one, and I truly think it should be a staple on the shelf of anyone who loves romantasy! I’d tell my mom to steer clear because, well, this book IS spicy but I think most of us who like romantasy like that about it. I gave this book a 4.8/5 stars because some of the story was a little predictable, but higher rating for the truly shocking surprises.
Your Thoughts
Have you read Fourth Wing? If you have and you liked it, tell us why. If you didn’t… please elaborate. I’m waiting…