Written by Rebecca Yarros, published in 2023. Summary and review.

I chose The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros as a new read based off a TikTok I saw that showcased it’s 4.66 Star Rating on Goodreads.com. I perhaps should’ve done a little research into this decision before diving right in. Google says this is a “fantasy romance” book, I might argue it’s YA… with the caveat death is often discussed and there are a couple very, very graphic sex scenes, which are not at all my cup’o’tea. I can certainly understand the draw, Fifty Shades is basically the best selling book of all time and it’s central theme is detailed and graphic sex scenes.

I dove in as a fan of fantasy, dragons, rebellion, magic, etc. and I’ll admit, The Fourth Wing does provide all of those aspects. However, it’s centered around a young woman who crushes hard on the bad boy. As a 38 year old man, this is simply not for me.

Additionally, I felt as though the characters were a little flat and events were not particularly shocking. You can likely guess where the story is going to go the entire time. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in this particular case, it is.

Also, this book felt quite derivative of other works – namely Eragon. The parallels to dragon riders and a connection with your chosen dragon complete with telepathic communication was simply a copy/paste. One might also compare this to Avatar with the mind/body connection between man and beast.

As far as the story goes, we follow Violet Sorrengail (aka Vi, aka Violence) as a young new cadet in the army set to defend their lands against the evil Gryffin Riders. This military school clearly prefers weeding out the weak… or strong… or anyone not liked by anyone else. Cadets die left and right. From dragons, accidents, or (mostly) by fellow cadets. A wild concept if you were to ask me… but understand it’s not my story to tell.

I did enjoy the twist of Violet gaining not one, but two dragons as part of her initiation. That was not something I expected to happen, and the dynamic between her and the two dragons (at times) can be fun. Though the more mysterious Adarna is much on the backburner throughout the story. Sad given she’s got some very special powers and abilities.

I will also give credit as Vi was not written in the perhaps-exclusively-Disney-woke-princess manner. Vi is weak and flawed, but manages to overcome many struggles and develops into something great. At least with her abilities. For me, she’s wildly unlikeable, but her arc was solid. Growth and development. Not “I’m already great I just need to say it out loud”.

We don’t encounter the real enemy until nearly the end, perhaps the last 15% of the book or so. And while I enjoyed the confrontation, I also disliked the derivative of what I’ll call the “mothership” dynamic.  You kill the Venin and all the “possessed” Wyverns go down with. Think Independence Day and the “mothership”. Not a new concept, and one that just felt convenient for ending the climactic battle.

All in all, this was not a book I would’ve read had I known a few things beforehand. Lesson learned.

TLDR: The Fourth Wing is basically a YA dragon rip off of previous works, combined with Fifty Shades of Grey sex which might appeal to some folks… but not I. A derivative story that does not provide many (though can admit there are a couple) twists and turns. Would Not Recommend. 2/5 Stars.