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thats_amoray's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Violence
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Late to the party again, I know... but I got there eventually! And I can TOTALLY understand the hype!
There are elements in here from all of your favourite fantasy/dystopian future series - Divergent, Red Queen, The Hunger Games, ACOTAR, Crescent City, Throne of Glass etc etc etc, so it's like slipping into something comfortable and familiar. But at the same time, it's completely its own thing, standing on its own merits and taking you on a fantastic trip into the writer's own little corner of fantasy land.
I have to admit I wasn't 100% sure I was going to enjoy it (that, plus the fact I wanted to wait until it came out in paperback is the reason it took me a while to read it), as I was uncertain about the dragon element in particular. They lead me more towards high fantasy, which I don't enjoy quite as much. However, I am very pleased to have my worries proven as unfounded; the dragons are amazing! I like the fact that they're characters in their own right and, of course, the way the relationships grow between dragon and rider is fantastically done.
Our main character, Violet, does fit within the usual mould of this sort of series; your unlikely hero who must go through tough times to get physically and mentally stronger whilst being exposed to both expected and unforeseen dangers. However, I do like the fact that the author has given Violet a physical reason for her weakness, as I understand it based somewhat on her own experiences; she's not just a girl that's fallen on hard times and had to learn to survive in ways which just so happen to give her the skills she needs. And more importantly, her perceived weakness isn't just forgotten or fixed - there are gentle reminders of it throughout, she and those around her find ways to adapt things that don't quite work, and in a couple of places it turns into an asset. She does perhaps come across as a little bit immature for her 20 years, but generally she's a likeable character that you're happy to accompany through the story.
As for Xaden and Dain, they are both immediately recognisable fantasy men; you'll start out rooting for the good guy, but then the shadow daddy appears with his brooding and bad boy attitude and you know exactly where we're headed. I can't say that I'm as enthralled by Xaden as I am with the Bat Boys (no wings of his own for one thing!), but I am only one book into this series so there's hope for me yet!
I am totally sold on the series though, and will absolutely be getting the graphic audios of this from Audible! Now I just need my library to get its systems back online so I can order Iron Flame...
There are elements in here from all of your favourite fantasy/dystopian future series - Divergent, Red Queen, The Hunger Games, ACOTAR, Crescent City, Throne of Glass etc etc etc, so it's like slipping into something comfortable and familiar. But at the same time, it's completely its own thing, standing on its own merits and taking you on a fantastic trip into the writer's own little corner of fantasy land.
I have to admit I wasn't 100% sure I was going to enjoy it (that, plus the fact I wanted to wait until it came out in paperback is the reason it took me a while to read it), as I was uncertain about the dragon element in particular. They lead me more towards high fantasy, which I don't enjoy quite as much. However, I am very pleased to have my worries proven as unfounded; the dragons are amazing! I like the fact that they're characters in their own right and, of course, the way the relationships grow between dragon and rider is fantastically done.
Our main character, Violet, does fit within the usual mould of this sort of series; your unlikely hero who must go through tough times to get physically and mentally stronger whilst being exposed to both expected and unforeseen dangers. However, I do like the fact that the author has given Violet a physical reason for her weakness, as I understand it based somewhat on her own experiences; she's not just a girl that's fallen on hard times and had to learn to survive in ways which just so happen to give her the skills she needs. And more importantly, her perceived weakness isn't just forgotten or fixed - there are gentle reminders of it throughout, she and those around her find ways to adapt things that don't quite work, and in a couple of places it turns into an asset. She does perhaps come across as a little bit immature for her 20 years, but generally she's a likeable character that you're happy to accompany through the story.
As for Xaden and Dain, they are both immediately recognisable fantasy men; you'll start out rooting for the good guy, but then the shadow daddy appears with his brooding and bad boy attitude and you know exactly where we're headed. I can't say that I'm as enthralled by Xaden as I am with the Bat Boys (no wings of his own for one thing!), but I am only one book into this series so there's hope for me yet!
I am totally sold on the series though, and will absolutely be getting the graphic audios of this from Audible! Now I just need my library to get its systems back online so I can order Iron Flame...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and War
Minor: Grief, Medical content, and Vomit
eldersong's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
It’s a decent read. The plot and world building is mostly sound but not amazing. The characters are alright but tend to stay within their archetypes. The author explores some interesting concepts about war and punishment, but these deep thoughts are often pushed aside for the protagonist to tell us about her ongoing weakness or her developing desire for teammates. If these concepts were fully fleshed out this book could have an actual message to it. Speaking of Violet though, she’s our favourite fantasy protagonist - weak and underestimated but with a vicious tongue. The flicks back and forth like a metronome as to her capabilities, yes she was raised to be a scribe and she’s overall weak, but she has no problem threatening you like she could take it. And apparently no issues throwing daggers? I don’t believe we ever learn why she is so good at that.
The only characters in this book that have any sort of interest or agency die. Which is tragic for the plot and for our beloved Violet but also for the reader as they are stuck with named shards of personality. Aurelie pissed me off when I first met her but the story about a trained legacy rider would be much more interesting than Violet’s nonsense. Oh and don’t forget she’s the special one, she’s bonded two dragons - one of them the biggest, baddest unbounded dragon out there - and she controls lightning. Oh and Brennan is alive because of course he is.
The pace to this book was good, I found myself wanting to read more, but don’t walk into this thinking it is the most well written. If you’re prepared to ignore some strange character behaviour and odd plot devices then you can go for it. I personally picked this up preparing for a trashy fantasy romance and that’s what I got. I am vaguely interested to see where Yarros takes Iron Flame but I won’t be purchasing it given she is a Zionist. It’s intriguing to me that you can write about war and injustices and your own message can still slip right over your head.
The pace to this book was good, I found myself wanting to read more, but don’t walk into this thinking it is the most well written. If you’re prepared to ignore some strange character behaviour and odd plot devices then you can go for it. I personally picked this up preparing for a trashy fantasy romance and that’s what I got. I am vaguely interested to see where Yarros takes Iron Flame but I won’t be purchasing it given she is a Zionist. It’s intriguing to me that you can write about war and injustices and your own message can still slip right over your head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism and Vomit
ka_cam's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is a good book if you want to turn off you brain, dissociate and pretend you haven’t read any YA fantasy from the last 15 years or so. The plot is predictable, writing not great, and characters flat, but that can be comforting in its way and I did finish it. I felt bad for how one dimensional Xaden and Dein were, and it felt stilted how the author randomly threw in a range of identities that had no real meaning in the world besides to make 2024 US readers feel like they were getting a ‘diverse’ book (though the treatment of Violet’s Ehlers-Danlos style condition was one of the more interesting threads, though also pretty predictable). World building in general left some to be desired. For me the sex scenes read like a high schooler fantasy, and the lusting was a bit tedious, but if it works for you it works for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Animal death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, and War
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Genocide, Abandonment, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Ableism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, War, and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Medical content, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Stalking, Vomit, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Toxic relationship
mercerhanau's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Medical content, Ableism, War, Death, Murder, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Death of parent, and Vomit
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
4.0
If you get fed any social media posts about books, you have probably heard about Fourth Wing. Admittedly, I went into reading this book thinking “Everyone is saying it’s a game changer, so it must be amazing” and I think that is the wrong way to start this, or any, book.
I’d like to start by saying it is good. If you like romantasy (fantasy+romance) with a touch of dystopia, you’ll have a great time reading Fourth Wing. The main character is also explicitly disabled and it is intertwined with her journey of self-discovery, as well as challenging the status quo of the society she is in. Based on the descriptions, I think she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. I also love the dragons. They are characters in their own right, not just tools to be used. However, the entire time I was reading, I couldn’t help but tell myself “This is just Divergent with dragons.” The general plot is almost identical. Everything was predictable because of this and the only things that I didn’t predict were because something we were told was “impossible” was, in fact, possible for our super special main character. This occurs multiple times. I don’t even think it’s an unreliable narrator at that point. I think it’s an unreliable universe. The upper hand that Fourth Wing has over Divergent is that this fantasy setting allows for more creativity (and covering up for narrative mistakes). Additionally, I did not enjoy most of the main character’s “love life”. This is enemies-to-lovers, so much so that it is almost anti-friends-to-lovers. I don’t care about either trope, but the blatant comparisons get old. I also felt that the main character thinks about “spice” a lot more than I care for, especially considering the actual spice level of the book. There may be people who want to see this since women’s sexuality is largely swept aside in many stories. But this was not it for me.
Overall, this is a decent adult romantasy book and probably a good introduction to the genre for people who prefer epic fantasy stories. I don’t feel like I wasted my time reading it. But it is not groundbreaking in the slightest and I’m not sure if I will continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Blood, Chronic illness, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Vomit, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Sexual content
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
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