So, I finally read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. You might be thinking to yourself, that book has been out for a while. Yes, yes it has. It came out in April with the second book, Iron Flame, right behind it in May. Then why did I wait so long to read it? Good question! I waited because I was tired of overhyped “new adult” books that were too grown up to be considered YA and to childish to fully fit into the “adult” category. I wanted to wait to see if, after the initial hype, there would be a chorus of naysayers who started to share that the book wasn’t actually as good as it was supposed to be. So, I waited. By Christmas break, when I never heard anyone say anything bad about this book, I decided the wait was over. And I can honestly say that I’m slightly mad at myself that I waited so long to read it. Because it. Was. So. Good!
If you have never heard of this book, or just don’t remember what it’s about, here is the synopsis found on Goodreads:
“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.”
So now that you know why I hesitated, let me tell you three reasons why I’m mad at myself for waiting so long to read this book. First, this book is action packed. There were no slow world building descriptions that took chapter upon chapter to cover. While the reader learns about the world that is Navarre, it is while the action is taking place. Second, the characters are fantastic. The main character Violet, was a well thought out, overcoming her obstacles based on her own personal strengths, tough as nails, girl. There is nothing more aggravating to me than reading a book with a female protagonist who is supposed to be tough and whip smart and read her make stupid mistake after stupid mistake in order to move the plot along with the male protagonist. Which brings me to Xaden Riorson. Just like my annoyance with flimsy female protagonists, I also cannot stand male characters who are so obviously toxic toward their female counterpart that I want to physically reach inside the book and shake the poor girl. Now, despite the obvious negative points for the ridiculous and very “YA” name, he was a fantastic character. He was smart and cunning without being cruel and pompous about is own abilities. He was just secretive enough to hold some mystery for the reader, and the other characters, and transparent enough that you rooted for him once his secrets had been told. Outside of these two main characters, were side characters who made me laugh, cry (iykyk), and scream with annoyance and frustration. My third and final reason is dragons. I say this as not-typically-reading-fantasy girlie, but the dragon scenes were some of my favorites in the book.
So, all that to say, you should really this book. Now, you might also be thinking to yourself, I bet when she finished Fourth Wing, she immediately picked up the second book, Iron Flame, and started reading. And that my friends, is where you would be wrong. After looking to see when the third book would be out, which hasn’t even been revealed yet, at the time of this posting, I decided to wait. Fourth Wing does end on a HUGE cliffhanger, and I’ve heard rumors that Iron Flame does as well, so I’m thinking that I want to savor this series a little bit and hold off, before devouring the second book.
Have you read Fourth Wing? Did you like it? Did you read Iron Flame? Am I making a horrible mistake again by not reading it immediately? Let me know in the comments! See you at Book Club on February 14th @ noon!
Fourth Wing by
Iron Flame by