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ursimae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Cursing, Sexual content, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Bullying, War, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Genocide
Minor: Torture, Classism, and Colonisation
farawaymoon0719's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Chronic illness, Violence, Medical content, Gore, and Death
Minor: Gaslighting, Genocide, and Death of parent
malmark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: War, Bullying, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Murder, and Violence
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I could not read the word badass without cringing. The world building was positively wild. It's in a more historical fantasy setting where they write with quills, use weapons, crossbows were a big deal, people who wield magic have access to smaller abilities like locking/unlocking doors, making mage light, etc. There lots of wooden shit, but that also translated to having wooden exercise equipment to essential get swole in a modern fashion, rather than bodyweight exercises. There's a brief mention right at the beginning about shoe sizes which means they have standardized them? And the whole riders quadrant can get married before everyone else when the graduate.... At age 23? That's early for this society? And the focus of sexual relations was just pervasive. The talk of raging hormones... The convenience of fertility suppressants getting a brief mention before boning down. Oh and gods are worshipped, but not by dragons.
There was some disability rep that I think was decent considering that it was a fantastical setting with healers, and the character didn't want to "look weak" and would refuse treatment to speed the healing process. There was some LGBT+ rep as well, but mostly on a surface level for side characters.
Honestly, it was fine but the romance had me putting the book down regularly and made finishing this book difficult.
Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Stalking, Classism, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, War, Violence, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Body shaming, Death, Grief, Torture, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse
cdoubet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Grief, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
cait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Genocide, Sexual content, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Body shaming, Classism, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Vomit, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Stalking
erynlasbelin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The writing was clunky and repetitive, the author used words whose meanings she clearly didn't understand, and the logistics of what was supposed to be physically happening (especially during battle scenes) were often difficult to follow. The smut wasn't bad, but was outweighed by the endless stream of horny thoughts every single time the two main characters interacted with each other, even when they're supposed to be in dire circumstances or experiencing emotional devastation. The worldbuilding was weak as fuck and seemed to be made up on the spot throughout the book. The way the "war college" works doesn't stand up to even the slightest amount of scrutiny - why would they want to relentlessly kill off all their able-bodied young soldiers when they're at war? Luckily, given the death toll, other than maybe 3 of the main characters, no one has a personality at all; best friends, squad mates, teachers, and family members are basically cardboard cutouts with little to no identity. And while Violet herself is the best-developed of the bunch, it has to be said that her motivations simply aren't there. Other than ~proving people wrong~ once she's there, there is no explanation for why she would commit herself to fighting herself into a violent and early death, when she's given multiple opportunities to go back to the life she always wanted and planned for. She never thinks about the future at all.
All that being said, it was a quick read, and I do wonder where the story is going next. Future books could be good pulp romantasy fun if given the kind of editing they need. My one bit of praise is that I appreciate the hEDS representation, and that she receives accommodations for it. I have literally never seen this aspect of myself reflected in a book before (although I know of another one coming out soon!) and that element was genuinely well done.
Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Medical content, Murder, Chronic illness, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, War, Animal death, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Terminal illness
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, War, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Ableism, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Torture, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
zakcebulski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Fourth Wing ... What can I say?
This book is one of those that is taking the internet, specifically TikTok by storm and it is easy to see why!
I was recommended this book by my girlfriend who had devoured it in two days flat. She is a fast reader anyway, but, this was something special.
So, I read it and took much longer to read- to her dismay as she wanted to talk about it as quickly as possible.
I will not be covering the entire story, as I hardly ever do. This book follows Violet Sorrengail- the daughter of a high ranking General who is famous (or, infamous) for putting down a rebellion that was taking place in Navarre- the land where the story takes place.
Violet is a very smart individual who has aspirations of becoming a Scribe- one of the roles that is up for choosing in this world, along with Healers and the Riders- literal dragon riders, which is pretty hype.
General Sorrengail forces Violet to go the Rider's quadrant- she will not have a Scribe daughter.
So, in an effort to follow in her older sister Mira's and deceased brother's Brennan's footsteps as Riders.
This is a plot set up that we have seen before- a character who is greatly out of their depths jumping feet first into a scenario where they should not flourish.
Along the way we are introduced to many other characters- Dain, a childhood friend of Violet's who is a dickhead, Rhiannon and Ridoc, Liam and.... Xaden Riorson.
Xaden is the son of the man who attempted to start a revolution to overthrow the government of Navarre and was executed by Violet's mother for his act of attempted secession and treason.
Over the course of the book we are shown the world that Yarros created here, which is interested, but feels well-treaded.
The classes and sparring that take place have the potential to be interesting but are... boring? Ill developed? Not sure, I would have liked a little bit more discussion into them, however.
The most interesting section is the Threshing which is where we are taught about how potential riders are able to link and bond with dragons, which, again, is fucking sweet- who doesn't like goddamn dragons??!?!
At this time Violet bonds with two dragons, which is absolutely unheard of throughout history. Not only that, but, she bonds with Tairn- who is the strongest dragon and a younger dragon Andorna (sp?).
Now, we learn that if a dragon dies, the rider dies as well, and, the dragons are able to channel their energy through the rider and grant them special powers. Cryokinesis, slowing time, reading minds, etc. I will say that the powers are enough of a variety on the standard powers that you may see that they are pretty interesting.
After the Threshing we learn further that Xaden's dragon Sgaeyl is bonded to Tairn, which links Xaden to Violet and dun dun dun!!!!! Violet ends up in bed with the enemy who is not the enemy, whodathunk?
I will be honest, I didn't expect for a second that Xaden and Violet were actually going to be at odds with each other throughout the book. From his very introduction it was clear to me that she and he would end up together, and boy howdy do they end up together.
The absolutely graphic sex scenes in this book are... alot to read... to the point where my apparently prudish ass could have done with them being stripped (wrong word) back a little bit... I had heard that there were sex scenes, but good heavens.
I am good on reading about the cock being at one's opening or talk about clits for a while.
I have to commend Yarros' writing when it comes to action set pieces- she clearly, to me, has a knack for writing amazing and awe inspiring action. There are several fast paced action scenes that if done with any less finesse would have come off as very sloppy, but, Yarros absolutely nails it and I think that this is something that should be talked about more.
One thing I do have to take a little bit of objection with is some more of the cliches that I saw in this book.
When this book started and Violet was a nerdy character I would have put all of my money on her being exquisite with knives as her weapon- and wouldn't you know it? That is exactly what happened. This is jsut one example of things that I have seen before that felt like they were well worn.
I also wish that the constant use of adjectives and some clunky dialogue would have been parsed through a little bit. I mean the constant reference to people being ruthless is overdone. What makes this worth mentioning is that Yarros absolutely has the pen game necessary to show the ruthlessness and brutality of characters- show, don't tell! I think that this would have opened up the character development to be even more nuanced and well done.
That leads me to the characters. To be honest, I think that the characters are likable when they are supposed to be, and they are abhorrent when they are supposed to be. There is very little gray in this book that isn't resolved pretty quickly. The character who has the most intrigue is Dain's bitchass, as he is a very... rules above all type of character. He even gives me incel type vibes, which is icky as fuck.
I think that the characters are serviceable to move the story along but I do hope that they are fleshed out more in the future installments of this series.
Also, is there any credence to Dain's powers being a subversive type and his high government standing? It run a very unsettling parallel to the real world where people in power use their power to get things like sex from the less powerful. An interesting potential reading on a power dynamic.
Overall, I thought that the world that Rebecca Yarros erected here was interesting, if a little less fleshed out than would have liked. I can say the same for the characters- as soon as Violet and Xaden were introduced it was evident that they were going to both survive this book and would end up together. The side characters could also get a bit more fleshing out to make their stories more impactful, in my opinion.
I will definitely be reading the sequel, when it comes out, but I just hope that it takes more risks and does more that we haven't seen before.
Rebecca Yarros is a strong fantasy author, and I hope that she continues building on the strong foundation that she has started.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Murder, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Violence, Physical abuse, and War
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved the characters and I surprisingly loved Xaiden (I'm really not too big on morally grey characters, but he was great). I can't wait to learn more about him and his past (as well as learn about his cousins). Can't wait for book 2!
Spice Rating: πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ/5 (just in case someone wants to know or isn't too fond of explicit scenes like that in books; it is more in the later chapters and it's only in a chapter or two, I think, however, stuff like that [hooking up and what not] is still talked about throughout the book; just a heads up)
Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Sexual content, Cursing, Grief, and War
Minor: Gaslighting, Ableism, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse