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pao_villalobos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Drug use
zydecovivo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Death
venlareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
Not bad. Not bad at all. This was an action filled medium to fast-paced fantasy novel, based around a battle college called Basgiath. In a world where there are four quadrants (slightly reminiscent of Harry Potter): healers, scribes, infantry, and riders, the main character, Violet, is definitely a scribe. She could never have the strength to battle, ride a dragon, or kill somebody. Until her mother, who just so happens to be General Sorrengail, decides she's a rider. So off she goes to war college. Now, I thought initially that the main character was naive and annoying, but she did eventually grow on me and had strong character development.
I made notes on my first impressions, and I pointed out that it was irritating to have so many expletives in one sentence. This book really had the F-word twice a sentence at times, which made it quite useless and repetitive, to say the least.
What I enjoyed by far the most was the dialogue between mythical creatures. In this case, dragons were a central part of the story, and they really had an attitude which was entertaining to read. Violet's dragon really humbled her at times and made her think.
In conclusion, I will be delving further into the fantasy genre after this. I enjoyed the action and adventure this book had to offer and although it took me a long while to read (started in February) it was worth my time just the same.
rating: 4,25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not bad. Not bad at all. This was an action filled medium to fast-paced fantasy novel, based around a battle college called Basgiath. In a world where there are four quadrants (slightly reminiscent of Harry Potter): healers, scribes, infantry, and riders, the main character, Violet, is definitely a scribe. She could never have the strength to battle, ride a dragon, or kill somebody. Until her mother, who just so happens to be General Sorrengail, decides she's a rider. So off she goes to war college. Now, I thought initially that the main character was naive and annoying, but she did eventually grow on me and had strong character development.
I made notes on my first impressions, and I pointed out that it was irritating to have so many expletives in one sentence. This book really had the F-word twice a sentence at times, which made it quite useless and repetitive, to say the least.
What I enjoyed by far the most was the dialogue between mythical creatures. In this case, dragons were a central part of the story, and they really had an attitude which was entertaining to read. Violet's dragon really humbled her at times and made her think.
In conclusion, I will be delving further into the fantasy genre after this. I enjoyed the action and adventure this book had to offer and although it took me a long while to read (started in February) it was worth my time just the same.
rating: 4,25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and War
eleek0609's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexual content, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
ephie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: War
tinyysue's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, and Violence
eh_haggarty's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was fine, but I found it very derivative - like I had read all of it some place before. It’s basically like Top Gun plus Hunger Games plus A Court of Thorns and Roses. If you like the dragons, I cannot recommend Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series enough - it’s basically the same dragon-magic system but the world makes more sense.
Basgiath has to be the world’s worst military school - it seems like it exists simply to kill off its cadets which seems counterproductive? Call me crazy but there are stakes higher and fates worse than death. In a book written in first person POV you know from the jump that the narrator isn’t dying soooooo the tension I wanted in the first part of the book simply wasn’t there.
In the year of our lord 2024, I simply cannot get into a hero named Xaden, even though I liked him just fine in terms of his actual actions/personality. Tairn was the best character in a SEA of named characters who were interchangeable and forgettable. Violet is very much a 20 year old dystopian fantasy heroine.
Basgiath has to be the world’s worst military school - it seems like it exists simply to kill off its cadets which seems counterproductive? Call me crazy but there are stakes higher and fates worse than death. In a book written in first person POV you know from the jump that the narrator isn’t dying soooooo the tension I wanted in the first part of the book simply wasn’t there.
In the year of our lord 2024, I simply cannot get into a hero named Xaden, even though I liked him just fine in terms of his actual actions/personality. Tairn was the best character in a SEA of named characters who were interchangeable and forgettable. Violet is very much a 20 year old dystopian fantasy heroine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, War, Xenophobia, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
bella613's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
OK, this book was good.
I'm going to be honest, it's not particularly well written. It's a little YA at times. The world building isn't spectacular and I got annoyed at some of the fantastical bits especially at the beginning, because it didn't feel real like a good fantasy story when it sucks you in.
This was a recommendation from a coworker, and for the first couple chapters I was pretty sure it was going to be one I barely finished.
However, it's worth sticking around because the book gets better as it goes (in my opinion). Once I was into it, I was really into it. Looking back, I don't know if it deserves as high a rating as I'm going to give it, but I'm doing it anyway because of how much I simply liked it. I enjoyed listening to this more than I've enjoyed a fantasy book since I was a teenager, so it kinda brought me back. I honestly felt nostalgia for my Eragon-reading tween days. I loved the dynamic between Violet and the dragons, and I'd like to see that with more characters. I want to know more about the dragons in general.
I think the author could do a lot better with the relationships between characters. The main romantic relationship feels too lovesick and kinda exaggerated. And the friendships need deeper interactions and better dialogue.
I also want to mention I definitely disliked the telepathy bits. It seemed unnecessary and weird and too much like the trashy werewolf stories you get on fanfiction apps. That and the fact that the sex scenes were more violent than the fight scenes LOL.
But it's pretty easy to ignore that because there's a lot more to the story than just the romance.
I'll be reading the second book and I hope to get more developed backstories and get into the dragons' characters a bit more. This book felt very present-tense focused and didn't do a lot for story besides telling you what's happening. My favorite character was Liam, so.. well.
Anyway, the world is built now and it feels like the story is just beginning. So I'm excited to see what Iron Flame will bring.
I'm going to be honest, it's not particularly well written. It's a little YA at times. The world building isn't spectacular and I got annoyed at some of the fantastical bits especially at the beginning, because it didn't feel real like a good fantasy story when it sucks you in.
This was a recommendation from a coworker, and for the first couple chapters I was pretty sure it was going to be one I barely finished.
However, it's worth sticking around because the book gets better as it goes (in my opinion). Once I was into it, I was really into it. Looking back, I don't know if it deserves as high a rating as I'm going to give it, but I'm doing it anyway because of how much I simply liked it. I enjoyed listening to this more than I've enjoyed a fantasy book since I was a teenager, so it kinda brought me back. I honestly felt nostalgia for my Eragon-reading tween days. I loved the dynamic between Violet and the dragons, and I'd like to see that with more characters. I want to know more about the dragons in general.
I think the author could do a lot better with the relationships between characters. The main romantic relationship feels too lovesick and kinda exaggerated. And the friendships need deeper interactions and better dialogue.
I also want to mention I definitely disliked the telepathy bits. It seemed unnecessary and weird and too much like the trashy werewolf stories you get on fanfiction apps. That and the fact that the sex scenes were more violent than the fight scenes LOL.
But it's pretty easy to ignore that because there's a lot more to the story than just the romance.
I'll be reading the second book and I hope to get more developed backstories and get into the dragons' characters a bit more. This book felt very present-tense focused and didn't do a lot for story besides telling you what's happening. My favorite character was Liam, so.. well.
Anyway, the world is built now and it feels like the story is just beginning. So I'm excited to see what Iron Flame will bring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, War, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, and Violence
elisalasater's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexual content