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mandathebiblio's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book fully lived up to the hype for me. Honestly, I was extremely nervous going into it because everyone loves it so much. If it weren't for the fact my best friend read it and absolutely adored it, I probably would have put it off for longer. But I put my trust in her opinion, especially since we have kind of similar reading tastes and I put this one on hold at my library (despite being able to get it on Scribd, I decided I wanted to have that timeline).
This book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. I'm so glad that I was able to message Donna literally SCREAMING about this dang book. I was sucked straight into it and just was not let go.
I will say that if you're looking for something that's going to have flowery writing or super poetic, this is NOT going to be it. While, yes, it has some great quotes, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea.
The spice was there for me though. I LIVE for tension. The sex scenes themselves were a bit over the top, but I also was LOVING every second of it. While I feel these two series are very different in many ways, I honestly felt like this brought me back to my ACOTAR days. The feelings that I felt for this book were very similar to how I was when I read ACOTAR for the first time.
I would LOVE to reread this book as a Graphic Audio, though. I feel that would be such a wonderful experience and I'm honestly writing this review without knowing if there is one or not. But I'll have to look and find out. If there isn't one, there should be.
All I can say for this one is DRAGONS. Check content warnings here on StoryGraph before going in, but DRAGONS.
This book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. I'm so glad that I was able to message Donna literally SCREAMING about this dang book. I was sucked straight into it and just was not let go.
I will say that if you're looking for something that's going to have flowery writing or super poetic, this is NOT going to be it. While, yes, it has some great quotes, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea.
The spice was there for me though. I LIVE for tension. The sex scenes themselves were a bit over the top, but I also was LOVING every second of it. While I feel these two series are very different in many ways, I honestly felt like this brought me back to my ACOTAR days. The feelings that I felt for this book were very similar to how I was when I read ACOTAR for the first time.
I would LOVE to reread this book as a Graphic Audio, though. I feel that would be such a wonderful experience and I'm honestly writing this review without knowing if there is one or not. But I'll have to look and find out. If there isn't one, there should be.
All I can say for this one is DRAGONS. Check content warnings here on StoryGraph before going in, but DRAGONS.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Ableism, War, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Blood, Death, and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent
I just want to say, in relation to the death of parent, it is mentioned A LOT throughout the book, but it's not on page and some time has passed. That doesn't diminish the pain from it, but I put it into moderate because, comparing it to the other warnings I listed in graphic, it felt more moderate. Check other people's as well, though, because I know I'm missing some.abicaro17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-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
5.0
I couldn't have seen anything in this book coming. The twist and turns were surprising and the story was rich with intrigue. I can't wait for Yarros to finish off this story in the next few books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Medical content, Gore, Murder, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
giving a four for pure grippingness, as I was totally glued to this. fair bit of unoriginality though.
pros:
- it's pretty unputdownable, constantly keeping the tension high and the ball rolling. very good writing and pacing in that sense as there was never a dull bit.
- the different scenes were written well too, the fighting, dialogue, reflection and romance were all solid.
- I likes the setting, the dragons, the politics and worldbuilding, but the characters were the strong point. xaden and violet were both compelling and conflicted in their own ways.
- especially liked the flashing out of the side characters. I was definitely emotional when Amber's dragon grieved and Liam died. . Yarros does a good job of giving enough details about side characters to make them feel real.
- I hear from my friend witty Eds that Violet's was written well and it's great to see more disability representation, since its sadly lacking. great that she wasnt magically cured of it, and was supported by others throughout the story even as others tried to take her out.
- focus on sibling relationships was cool top, great to see mira and violets positive sisterhood and rhiannon and her sister.
- a fair number of twists were unpredictable, like getting 2 dragons, xaden taking her to the rebuilt city and brennan being alive
- I also liked that the characters were 20y/o plus, and the women were called that, not girls.
- inclusion of queer side characters was great to see too, including rhiannon and Heaton, neither of which faced any discrimination for it.
cons:
- it was all very classic YA tropes with an adult bent. Dane and xaden were immediately obviously love interests (twilight) though I'm glad Dane was revealed as shitty pretty fast. , we have a murdery military school and a catch the flag games (like divergent and percy jackson), untrustworthy leadership and rebellion (hunger games). also knife throwing and the MC getting the best dragon and the best magic and the hot unavailable older man, whilst being a tiny little pixie girl with silver hair. and enemies to lovers of course
- though called clever, violet does have some dim moments for sure, like she really didnt expect xaden to be part of a rebellion at all?? honestly.
- also didny like the last chapter being xadens POV. it sounded the exact same to violets which was disappointing and was unneeded. he was better just through violets eyes.
- overall, I would have liked some more real failures for violet, and less cliches. plus some more real violence rather than the squeamish stuff. go big or go home for the morally grey characters is what I say.
but it still gets a four because it was very gripping, I did like xaden and violet and their chemistry, plus the side characters and the dragons.
pros:
- it's pretty unputdownable, constantly keeping the tension high and the ball rolling. very good writing and pacing in that sense as there was never a dull bit.
- the different scenes were written well too, the fighting, dialogue, reflection and romance were all solid.
- I likes the setting, the dragons, the politics and worldbuilding, but the characters were the strong point. xaden and violet were both compelling and conflicted in their own ways.
- especially liked the flashing out of the side characters. I was definitely emotional when
- I hear from my friend witty Eds that Violet's was written well and it's great to see more disability representation, since its sadly lacking. great that she wasnt magically cured of it, and was supported by others throughout the story even as others tried to take her out.
- focus on sibling relationships was cool top, great to see mira and violets positive sisterhood and rhiannon and her sister.
- a fair number of twists were unpredictable, like
- I also liked that the characters were 20y/o plus, and the women were called that, not girls.
- inclusion of queer side characters was great to see too, including rhiannon and Heaton, neither of which faced any discrimination for it.
cons:
- it was all very classic YA tropes with an adult bent. Dane and xaden were immediately obviously love interests (twilight)
- though called clever, violet does have some dim moments for sure,
- also didny like the last chapter being xadens POV. it sounded the exact same to violets which was disappointing and was unneeded. he was better just through violets eyes.
- overall, I would have liked some more real failures for violet, and less cliches. plus some more real violence rather than the squeamish stuff. go big or go home for the morally grey characters is what I say.
but it still gets a four because it was very gripping, I did like xaden and violet and their chemistry, plus the side characters and the dragons.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Murder, War, Bullying, Gore, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Medical content
diana314's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.75
What. In. The. Fantasy. Heaven. Just. Happened?
(Don’t pay attention to this, it’s 3 AM and I’ve just finished the book, so I’m hyped)
Like…. 🤯🤯🤯🤯
I literally had to abstain myself from giving the book 5 stars cause I kinda hated the beginning (it was being narrated as a fanfic, istg, it was WEIRD… I certainly hope that it was not the translation, cause I read it in Spanish, but still. Talking about the translation, idk how English speaking people do this, I CAN’T for the life of me read smut in my native tongue, it sounds awful 😭🔫 ).
But hOLY COW DOES IT PICK UP???? The world-building, the nearly-politics around the school and the dynamics around the characters, omg
And the stories of each and every one of them?? Xanden, VI’s father, their friends, the revolution,Liam’s (😭😭😭) and Brennan’s (🤯🤯) .
I need the sequel, like, yesterday.
Oh! I also took away from the 5 stars cause of the romance part of the plot :/// like… Xanden didn’t really grow on me until we found out about the scars and what he did for every kid like him, and Dain always was a f***ing joke. And there was Violet in the middle playing with taking decisions about them… as if there weren’t more interesting things!!! I was sighing like 3/4 of the book cause of it. It kinda is my fault cause it’s nearly YA, but like 🤨🤨🤨
(Don’t pay attention to this, it’s 3 AM and I’ve just finished the book, so I’m hyped)
Like…. 🤯🤯🤯🤯
I literally had to abstain myself from giving the book 5 stars cause I kinda hated the beginning (
But hOLY COW DOES IT PICK UP???? The world-building, the nearly-politics around the school and the dynamics around the characters, omg
And the stories of each and every one of them?? Xanden, VI’s father, their friends, the revolution,
I need the sequel, like, yesterday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: War
arbramirez's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, Death, Xenophobia, Ableism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
bookswithbethx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, War, Child abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit
microbemom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
5.0
This is the best fantasy I have read in a long time. Might be my top read if 2023z
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, War, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, and Vomit
skillyillian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.75
updated review, with original review below
i did a reread for this before iron flame dropped and y'all i found enough flaws to change my mind on my rating, starting with my biggest peeve with FMCs that are written to be smart, and that is when they're actually dumb. there's several things that are staring violet in the face and she just doesn't see them, and it feels like it's for the convenience of the plot. having learned about the whole thing with yarros using scots gaelic without any regards to the actual language has given me major ick. yeah she apologized and got a tutor but she should've done that first and her publisher should have checked it all with someone who actually speaks the language. there were a lot of other things that bothered me but i'll come back to this later bc i forgot. anyway, not my book of the year anymore, after rereading it. i loved how exciting it was, don't get me wrong, this one is action packed and extremely entertaining. but don't expect flawless logic throughout.
original review:
i did a reread for this before iron flame dropped and y'all i found enough flaws to change my mind on my rating, starting with my biggest peeve with FMCs that are written to be smart, and that is when they're actually dumb. there's several things that are staring violet in the face and she just doesn't see them, and it feels like it's for the convenience of the plot. having learned about the whole thing with yarros using scots gaelic without any regards to the actual language has given me major ick. yeah she apologized and got a tutor but she should've done that first and her publisher should have checked it all with someone who actually speaks the language. there were a lot of other things that bothered me but i'll come back to this later bc i forgot. anyway, not my book of the year anymore, after rereading it. i loved how exciting it was, don't get me wrong, this one is action packed and extremely entertaining. but don't expect flawless logic throughout.
original review:
- screaming
- crying
- throwing up
- sobbing openly in public
- kicking my feet
- twirling my hair
- giggling
- setting things on fire
- grinning like an idiot
- waiting impatiently for MORE.
god damn this lived up to the fuckin hype, y'all. thank you booktok, you did not disappoint. this book has all the goodies, all the tropes, all the rep.
chronic illness that doesn't just get magicked away? check.
lgbtq and nonbinary rep? check.
poc rep? check.
another shadow daddy book boyfriend to add to the collection? bet.
a badass, super powerful FMC who is unstoppable despite being chronically ill? oh FUCK YEAH.
god i love violet so fucking much. as someone with joint issues (stemming from something else but still very much there) it was dope as hell to see someone else have good days and bad days and do what she needs to do to survive. a nice lil reminder that i can do that too, even when i have bad days that make it painful to get out of bed. violet feels like a real person. she's fleshed out with strengths and weaknesses and a will of her own.
xaden, my dearly beloved. i'm not saying he isn't another sexy, brooding, romantasy angst factory who can and will kill anyone who gets between him and his lover... i'm just saying that's what i fuckin love and he fits the bill to a tee. he's gentle where it matters most and pays such close attention to violet in all the ways you want, and then some. 10/10, more please.
all the side characters are great, i got attached to them all so quickly. they had their own lives going on outside of violet. the part of the world we see actually feels lived in, and even though it's not fully fleshed out, it's just the first book and i know there's more to come with the rest of the series. the dragons were fucking stellar. the powers they share with their riders, their own system of politics, all of it. so damn cool. tairn and andarna have my heart til the day i fucking die. all of the action and stakes are nonstop and sky-high from start to finish; it just sucks you in and doesn't let go. i read all of this in like, two and a half days, i absolutely could not put it down.
it's been what feels like forever since the last time i gasped out loud or yelled or cried or laughed or slammed a book shut only to immediately reopen it. but fourth wing had all of those reactions and more. the flirting and banter had me grinning like an idiot, the spicy scenes had me blushing, although "We're going for five" was a little over the top imho? but whatever. dragons exist. let's pretend they weren't sore, just for fun. i shall suspend the disbelief. i won't hold it against the author.
overall, 10/10, i may have just found my book of the year, and it'll take a helluva lot to take that spot now. action, romance, high stakes, characters to give a shit about, sick magic, badass dragons, all kinds of representation, and more. the modernized writing style was so fun, it made it even easier to get into, which is exactly what yarros was going for. mission accomplished. basgiath would grind me up, spit me out dead, and shit on my grave and i'd still volunteer to go. the vibes and aesthetics and everything about it, just. ugh. stellar. counting down the days until the next book drops. god fucking help me, how do i read anything else after this?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Ableism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Medical content, Murder, and Sexual content
lynini's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, and War
lemonwrlds's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Classism, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Violence, War, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit