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adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sept 30, 2023-
I know, I know - what took me so long to read this book?! And I have no idea. Seriously, if you have been holding onto this book but haven't read it yet, READ IT!
I know, I know - what took me so long to read this book?! And I have no idea. Seriously, if you have been holding onto this book but haven't read it yet, READ IT!
Violet was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant- something she was training for in all her twenty years- to record the war for future Basgaith residents to study, but her mother and commanding general pushed her into the Riders Quadrant - with only six months of training- to become a Dragon Rider, those on the front line of the war. And the only ways out of Basgaith War College, Rider Quadrant is graduate, or death.
But when you're smaller than everyone else, and your body is more brittle, death is only a heartbeat away. Between dragons not wanting to bond to fragile humans, and her being on other cadets hit lists- not only for a better chance at getting a dragon to bond with, but just because of who her mother is, her being thrust into the Rider's Quadrant seems more like a death sentence than a blessing- can Violet beat all the odds and survive, or will she just become another name of the fallen Cadets?
So, I have had this book on my shelf since May, but have put it off. I have been struggling with a reading slump off and on for months. I'm also a mood reader, and it being a high fantasy, I had to be in the right mood & mindset to read it. Not to mention,I was a little intimidated to start something that is so highly hyped.
But, I picked it up, and immediately was transported to a world of magic and dragons, and fell in love with the characters, and world.
Even though Violet may have been viewed as weaker by everyone around her, and a liability with her illness, she was still strong, and brave, and cunning. She may not have been as big, or physically strong as the other cadets, she may not have been able to wield a sword, or may have to deal with pain on the daily, but she still stood up for everything she believed in, still faced the challenges each day brought, and overcame the obstacles placed in front of her.
Xaden was the most powerful wingleader in the Rider Quadrant Cadets - and he was one of the first in line to want her dead. Violet should stay far away, but fate has other things in store.
This book was more than I expected, and I stayed up way too late finishing it. If you love worlds of fantasy, magic, and dragons then you will love this book. And I can't wait to see what is next in store for these characters
4.5⭐ out of 5⭐
Nov 17, 2023-
In a world at war, young adults can enter the war college to face the challenges of possibly becoming a dragon rider, and protecting their lands. But the challenges at the college is just as capable of killing them as any dragon or opponent can. The only options of the college once you enter, is graduate or die. So when Violet is thrust into the Rider's Quadrant - Violet who can barely make it up the stairs with her pack without getting winded, Violet who's joints can pop out at any inconvenience, and bones snap easier than others- she is viewed as the weakest link, and becomes target number one. Especially from the marked ones. Being the daughter of the general who helped execute their parents who led the rebellion six years ago. So her main objective- don't die, and stay away from Xaden- the one who wants her dead more than any other... But staying away from Xaden becomes infinitely more difficult when their lives become tied together.
So, I reread this book - not only to read the bonus chapters but also to prepare for Iron Flame.
And I loved it just as much the second time around.
I loved the world, the magic & dragons, and the characters.
It has great world building, - that isn't overwhelming. It has the nostalgia feel of dystopian novels, with the fantasy element of dragons, and dragons woven in.
And the characters.
Violet's illness may make others view her as a liability - she's more brittle, weaker, smaller than everyone else- yet she is stronger- maybe not in muscle but in her compassion & personality & also dealing with pain on the daily- and smarter & more cumning than those around her.
Rhiannon who is smart, loyal & a great friend.
Liam who is protective, sweet & caring.
Xaden who is dark, brooding, lethal & ruthless but more than he seems.
I loved this book and cannot wait to dive into Iron Flame - dive more into this wonderful world of magic & magnificent dragons & see more from this characters. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
4.5 ⭐s out of 5⭐.
3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. Multiple scenes throughout in detail.
Tropes:
→ fantasy romance /romantasy
→ enemies to lovers
→ forced Proximity
→ academy (war college)
→ New Adult romance
→ chronic illness (h) representation
→ morally gray H
→found family
→ slow burn
→ overcoming adversity/underdog
→ dysfunctional family
4.5⭐ out of 5⭐
Nov 17, 2023-
In a world at war, young adults can enter the war college to face the challenges of possibly becoming a dragon rider, and protecting their lands. But the challenges at the college is just as capable of killing them as any dragon or opponent can. The only options of the college once you enter, is graduate or die. So when Violet is thrust into the Rider's Quadrant - Violet who can barely make it up the stairs with her pack without getting winded, Violet who's joints can pop out at any inconvenience, and bones snap easier than others- she is viewed as the weakest link, and becomes target number one. Especially from the marked ones. Being the daughter of the general who helped execute their parents who led the rebellion six years ago. So her main objective- don't die, and stay away from Xaden- the one who wants her dead more than any other... But staying away from Xaden becomes infinitely more difficult when their lives become tied together.
So, I reread this book - not only to read the bonus chapters but also to prepare for Iron Flame.
And I loved it just as much the second time around.
I loved the world, the magic & dragons, and the characters.
It has great world building, - that isn't overwhelming. It has the nostalgia feel of dystopian novels, with the fantasy element of dragons, and dragons woven in.
And the characters.
Violet's illness may make others view her as a liability - she's more brittle, weaker, smaller than everyone else- yet she is stronger- maybe not in muscle but in her compassion & personality & also dealing with pain on the daily- and smarter & more cumning than those around her.
Rhiannon who is smart, loyal & a great friend.
Liam who is protective, sweet & caring.
Xaden who is dark, brooding, lethal & ruthless but more than he seems.
I loved this book and cannot wait to dive into Iron Flame - dive more into this wonderful world of magic & magnificent dragons & see more from this characters. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
4.5 ⭐s out of 5⭐.
3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. Multiple scenes throughout in detail.
Tropes:
→ fantasy romance /romantasy
→ enemies to lovers
→ forced Proximity
→ academy (war college)
→ New Adult romance
→ chronic illness (h) representation
→ morally gray H
→found family
→ slow burn
→ overcoming adversity/underdog
→ dysfunctional family
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
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:
Yes
What a great book!
Dragons will always be my weakness when it comes to reading fantasy books.
Dragons will always be my weakness when it comes to reading fantasy books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, War
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gore, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Vomit, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Yes
This one gripped me about 30% in. It was a lot of fun and very approachable. The world building was a little hollow but the plot was very well woven. It’s diverse, but sometimes the diversity feels a little forced. One side character is deaf and the main character signs with her. However, the deaf character is part of a group that values keeping a stoic face and she isn’t able to be very expressive. Most sign languages use facial cues very heavily so it felt a little like it was just thrown in there with little thought. It could have been an interesting thing to explore briefly, but was overlooked.
So world-related plot holes aside, it’s well worth the read. And it’s very much my jam. (The sexual scenes were probably the best written smut I’ve read in a long time. Well done.)
So world-related plot holes aside, it’s well worth the read. And it’s very much my jam. (The sexual scenes were probably the best written smut I’ve read in a long time. Well done.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
I'm in too many book clubs to keep up with. Four months ago, one of those book clubs chose Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, so I sent a hold request to the library. I had heard of it but was unprepared for how popular it was. I was 50-something in the hold request line and it took these four months to actually get my hands on it. Needless to say, I didn't read it in time for the club, but I'm still glad I read it!
The author, Rebecca Yarros, is a busy woman. Not only does she write books, but she's a military wife with six kids. While she has written a lot of books, I think Fourth Wing is her first fantasy novel.
"A dragon without a rider is a tragedy. A rider without a dragon is dead."
Fourth Wing is an elite fantasy romance. Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail is forced to join the war college and train to be a dragon rider, rather than join the scribe quadrant like she wanted. Violet is unsure she'll survive the tests and training--many die and she's weaker than most, with brittle bones and a small stature. To make matters worse, Xaden Riorson is there, the son of a traitor--he would want to kill her just for being a Sorrengail, the daughter of the general. When things can't seem to get more complicated, Violet starts to suspect that leadership isn't being completely honest about what's going on outside the college walls.
If that summary doesn't sell you, let me tell you how much I loved this book. I loved it so much that I'm not sure I can express it properly in words, actually. It has been months, almost a full year, since I felt so connected to a book like this. Maybe because it has some of my favorite things: magic schools, enemies to lovers, training sequences, political intrigue, dark secrets.
The characters were wonderful and well-rounded. Violet shows a good source of disability representation within a fantasy novel. Because her mom had a sickness when she was pregnant, Violet is very weak and her bones break easily and she's always in pain. While this is a fantastical chronic illness, I think a lot of people may be able to relate--for example, I have chronic migraines, chronic knee and back pain, and stomach issues and yet this book made me feel like I can still be badass. I also loved how there were things about her illness that she could not overcome but had to adapt instead, showing the reader that this difference was not weakness.
Xaden was the brooding dark figure we all love in a good fantasy novel. He had his secret and deep down a sweet, protective side. But his protectiveness was a foil from Dain's--their characters showed how protectiveness can be sweet if you still trust someone to make their own choices and support them or it can be overbearing and belittling if you box them into a corner.
The side characters were also amazing. My favorite, of course, was Liam. He showed what it means to be a quiet friend, what it means to be humble, how to show your emotions through facial expressions. And Rhiannon was also great--the girl best friend every girl should have who loudly supports her friend and is determined to train and help.
Talking about the characters would be so incomplete without mentioning the dragons! I loved these dragons. Tairn, the fierce but noble one. Andarna, the sweet and stubborn and sometimes naïve. Sgaeyl, ready to strike down any enemy. These dragons had their own personalities and their own laws and they provided more insight onto our mere human characters.
The worldbuilding and plotline were so intricately intwined. I don't want to give any spoilers, but one thing I thought was clever was to have a main character who was so interested in books and history that we as readers get tidbits of the world's history from her. But in all fantasy novels, what never fails to amaze me is the research and grit put into designing magic school's classes, magic systems, maps, borders, fables, history, governments, books, fantastical creatures, and more. And being able to keep track of it and incorporate it into the plotline so they become key plot points. If only I can be such a good world creator and writer someday!
And the writing style was also great. I truly felt like it was Violet's voice, like I was in her head as she took in everything, from gigantic dragons flying overhead to the deathly obstacle course she had to complete and more. It made reading the five hundred pages fly by and made me wish for more.
The only drawback is there was some predictability. Maybe it's just because I read a lot so I can instantly recognize key tropes and foreshadowing. I still loved the book despite being able to predict some of the key plot points. I still highly recommend the book.
In fact, I give this book five stars, which is rare for me this year. I need to get my hands on the copy AND preorder the sequel, Iron Flame.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
Usually hyped books never end well for me, I get my expectations set to high and then when I finally read the book I am disappointed and let down. Happy to say that this did not happen to be one of those times.
I am not going to say this is an out of this world, top fantasy book (like that of Sanderson, Kristoff, Ambercrombie, etc.) as this does fall under the "fantasy romance" genre. I will say that a lot of the elements were well executed. We were given a variety of characters across multiple diverse spectrums from lgbtq+ representation to disability representation (I see you deaf rep, chronic illness rep, and mental health rep). And while, I will agree that these representations could have been explored more on, I am putting hope into the second book.
As for the plot and fantasy element. I do think that since this is heavy on the romance, the plot at times got lost in the background. We were so focused on Violet, her feelings, and her trainings, that it didn't feel like a real plot was happening at all. There were hints of a war going on outside of the academia and I wish there was more explanation and discussion on it, especially when it becomes such a large piece towards the latter half of the book.
For the fantasy element, I think there was good execution in the dragons, the history and education on dragons, and the magical elements. However, once again we need a little bit more explanation on some items which fell to side to make way for the heavy sexual tension and romance. Not saying the romance was bad but it is a spotlight piece in the book when I personally would have loved more fantasy and plot.
Then again I am someone who doesn't care for romance a lot in my fantasy novels I like the focus to be on the story itself. However, the romance was good, granted predictable but good.
I can't wait to get my hands of Iron Flame - I am hoping it will dive deeper into the plot, story, and more of the dragons! Also have a few predictions for the second book already.
I am not going to say this is an out of this world, top fantasy book (like that of Sanderson, Kristoff, Ambercrombie, etc.) as this does fall under the "fantasy romance" genre. I will say that a lot of the elements were well executed. We were given a variety of characters across multiple diverse spectrums from lgbtq+ representation to disability representation (I see you deaf rep, chronic illness rep, and mental health rep). And while, I will agree that these representations could have been explored more on, I am putting hope into the second book.
As for the plot and fantasy element. I do think that since this is heavy on the romance, the plot at times got lost in the background. We were so focused on Violet, her feelings, and her trainings, that it didn't feel like a real plot was happening at all. There were hints of a war going on outside of the academia and I wish there was more explanation and discussion on it, especially when it becomes such a large piece towards the latter half of the book.
For the fantasy element, I think there was good execution in the dragons, the history and education on dragons, and the magical elements. However, once again we need a little bit more explanation on some items which fell to side to make way for the heavy sexual tension and romance. Not saying the romance was bad but it is a spotlight piece in the book when I personally would have loved more fantasy and plot.
Then again I am someone who doesn't care for romance a lot in my fantasy novels I like the focus to be on the story itself. However, the romance was good, granted predictable but good.
I can't wait to get my hands of Iron Flame - I am hoping it will dive deeper into the plot, story, and more of the dragons! Also have a few predictions for the second book already.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Death of parent, War