Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros was an easy five-star read for me. I loved the characters, the dragons, the friendships, the romance, and the mystery surrounding everything happening at Basgiath War College. From the beginning, I was completely invested in Violet’s story, and the combination of dangerous trials, dragon riders, political secrets, and complicated relationships kept me turning the pages. By the time I finished, I was already looking forward to getting my hands on Iron Flame.

Violet Sorrengail was one of my favorite parts of the book. She’s spent most of her life preparing to become a scribe, only to find herself thrown into a world where physical strength and survival skills can mean the difference between life and death. What I loved about Violet was that she isn’t the strongest person in the room, and Rebecca doesn’t suddenly make her physically invincible just because she’s the main character. Violet has limitations that she has to work around, but she’s intelligent, stubborn, resourceful, and determined to survive. She pays attention, uses what she knows, and finds ways to turn her knowledge into an advantage. I especially appreciated that her intelligence was just as valuable as any physical ability she developed.

I also liked that Violet wasn’t written as someone who needed to be rescued every time things became difficult. She makes mistakes, gets hurt, and has moments when she doubts herself, but she continues finding ways to move forward. Her determination doesn’t mean she suddenly stops struggling, and I thought that made her growth much more believable. I enjoy a strong female character, but strength doesn’t always have to mean being able to overpower everyone around you. Sometimes it’s about knowing your limitations, figuring out how to work with them, and refusing to give up.

Then there’s Xaden Riorson, who I really enjoyed getting to know. He’s powerful, intimidating, protective, and has plenty of reasons for keeping people at a distance. I liked that his relationship with Violet wasn’t built on instant trust or attraction alone. There’s a complicated history between them, and both have legitimate reasons to be cautious. Their chemistry and banter were entertaining, but I especially enjoyed watching their opinions of each other change as they began to understand one another better. The romance develops alongside everything else happening at Basgiath, which is something I appreciated because there was far too much going on in this world for the entire story to revolve around their relationship.

Of course, the dragons were a huge part of why I loved this book. I’ve always had a weakness for dragons in fantasy, but I particularly enjoy stories where they’re intelligent beings with their own personalities, relationships, and motivations rather than simply creatures the characters ride into battle. Rebecca gave the dragons their own rules, histories, and opinions, and I loved learning more about how their world operates.

Tairn quickly became one of my favorite characters. His sarcasm, attitude, and interactions with Violet were some of the most entertaining parts of the story. I loved that he has absolutely no problem expressing his opinions, especially when Violet is doing something he considers questionable. Andarna was another favorite, and I adored her personality and the relationship she develops with Violet. Between the two of them, I was completely attached to the dragons and just as interested in their stories as I was in the human characters.

The friendships and found-family aspect were another reason this book worked so well for me. I enjoyed getting to know Violet’s squad and watching the relationships develop between people who are constantly being pushed to their limits. Life at Basgiath is dangerous, and the characters have to figure out who they can depend on while dealing with competition, training, and the possibility that not everyone around them has good intentions. I appreciated that the friendships felt important rather than simply existing in the background while the romance took center stage.

Unfortunately, becoming attached to these characters also meant that Rebecca managed to completely wreck me emotionally. There was one particular moment that had me ugly crying so hard my husband actually came over to find out what was wrong. I won’t say what happened because I refuse to spoil that experience for anyone who hasn’t read the book, but it absolutely got to me. I had become so invested in these characters and their friendships that what happened felt genuinely heartbreaking.

What makes that even worse is that several months later, I listened to the dramatized audiobook knowing exactly what was coming, and I cried just as hard the second time. Apparently, knowing what happens doesn’t make it any easier when you’ve become that attached to fictional characters. If anything, hearing the scene performed by the cast made the emotions hit even harder.

I originally read Fourth Wing as an eBook, and I really enjoyed being able to take my time with the details, especially when it came to learning about Basgiath, the dragon bonds, and the history surrounding Navarre. There’s quite a bit of information introduced throughout the book, and I liked being able to go back and reread certain sections whenever I wanted to make sure I understood something.

The dramatized audiobook was an entirely different experience, and I absolutely loved it. The full cast brings so much personality to the characters, but what really impressed me were the sound effects. I loved hearing the dragons, the battles, the background noises, and everything happening around the characters. The different voices made conversations feel more natural, and the added audio created an atmosphere that made it easy to picture what was happening. It felt much more like experiencing the story than simply listening to someone read it.

I especially enjoyed how the dramatized adaptation handled the dragons. Their voices and personalities come through so well, and hearing Tairn’s sarcasm and Andarna’s interactions with Violet made me love them even more. The action sequences were also fantastic to listen to, particularly when there was so much happening at once. I know full-cast audiobooks aren’t everyone’s preference, but I thought the dramatization worked incredibly well for this story. I enjoyed it so much that I knew I wanted to continue experiencing the series in both formats.

Beyond the characters and romance, I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding Navarre and the things Violet begins questioning throughout the story. There are secrets, hidden histories, political tensions, and hints that the world she’s always known might not be quite what she’s been led to believe. I liked that Rebecca gave us enough information to start asking questions without immediately explaining everything. It kept me interested in the larger storyline and made me want to understand what was really happening beyond the walls of Basgiath.

The pacing worked really well for me, too. There’s a good balance between training, danger, character development, romance, and the larger mystery, and I never felt like one part of the story completely overshadowed everything else. There was always something happening that made me want to keep reading, whether it involved Violet’s training, the dragons, her friendships, or another piece of information that made me question what I thought I knew.

As for the spice, I’m giving this one three out of five peppers. There’s plenty of sexual tension between Violet and Xaden, along with explicit intimate scenes, but the romance doesn’t take over the entire book. I liked that their attraction developed alongside their changing relationship and that the story still gave plenty of attention to the dragons, friendships, training, and political intrigue. For me, the balance worked really well.

What I enjoyed most about Fourth Wing was how much it made me care about the characters and their world. I loved Violet’s determination, Xaden’s complexity, the friendships she built, and especially the dragons and their personalities. The story gave me plenty of action and romance while also introducing a larger mystery that left me wanting answers. I became genuinely attached to these characters, and the fact that the story could make me laugh, keep me on edge, and eventually leave me ugly crying says quite a bit about how invested I was.

My Verdict: Would I Recommend Fourth Wing?

Absolutely! If you enjoy fantasy romance with dragons, dragon riders, dangerous academy training, political intrigue, hidden secrets, strong heroines, protective love interests, banter, and found family, I definitely recommend giving Fourth Wing a read. There’s plenty of romance and spice, but there’s also a substantial fantasy storyline with interesting world-building and characters worth becoming attached to.

I also highly recommend the dramatized audiobook adaptation. I loved the full cast, the character performances, and especially the sound effects. Hearing the dragons and action sequences brought to life added so much to my experience, and even though I’d already read the eBook, listening to the dramatized version made me appreciate the story all over again. Just be prepared for the emotional moments because apparently they can hurt just as much the second time around.

For me, Fourth Wing earned every one of its five stars. I loved the characters, the dragons, the friendships, the romance, and the mystery, and I never felt like the story was dragging or losing my interest. It’s exactly the kind of fantasy romance I enjoy, with enough action, emotional depth, and unanswered questions to make me want to continue the series immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed both the eBook and dramatized audiobook, and this is definitely a series I’d recommend.

⭐ 5/5 Stars | 🌶️ 3/5 Spice

-SASSY