Review by tellatrix - Fourth Wing

tellatrix 's review for:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

𝔉𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔱𝔥 𝔚𝔦𝔫𝔤
ℜ𝔢𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔠𝔞 𝔜𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔰

Disclaimer: This review may contain spoilers. Reader discretion is advised

What a ride this book was!

First of all, I want to say that I was never into fantasy books before—or rather, I never even attempted to read them because I assumed they’d be boring. But wow, was I wrong!

I’m so glad I bought this book on impulse. I’ve always loved watching fantasy shows—Game of Thrones is actually one of my favorites—and I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about the plot. I didn’t even read the back cover, and I’m so glad I didn’t. When I found out there were dragons in it and that our protagonist literally looked like Daenerys Targaryen herself, I was shocked. Is it just me, or do some of the characters resemble Jon Snow and Daenerys from GOT? Of course, their personalities are completely different, but that small resemblance made me even more curious. And now here I am, talking about fantasy books—never thought I’d do that!

I haven’t read many fantasy books to compare this to, but I think what matters most is whether a book captures the reader’s attention—and this one definitely did! I loved the characters, especially the dynamic between Violet and Xaden. At first, I thought their relationship might be toxic—maybe it will be in the next books—but for me, Xaden is literally the kind of man every woman would want in her life. And as for Violet, I loved that she had a strong mind of her own and could quickly assess situations.

Another honorable mention goes to Liam. Honestly? Yes, I cried when he died. It completely shocked me, but I do feel like it was a little rushed. I would have liked the ending to focus more on him—to give his character more closure, if that makes sense.

Other things I loved? The world-building, hands down. The way the book introduced the reader to Basgiath and all its details made me feel like I was inside the story, seeing everything firsthand. The writing style was also a highlight for me. And while there were spicy scenes in the book, I really appreciated that they came later in the story. The beginning focused on immersing the reader in the world rather than jumping straight into romance, which I think was a great choice. Don’t get me wrong—I love romance—but in a book like this, it’s important to emphasize self-growth and strength first, which this book did perfectly.

Obviously, I loved the dragons—maybe the most. I adored the concept of them speaking inside their riders' heads, having full-on arguments, and all the little bickering moments. It was such a unique and fun idea, and I can’t help but wonder how the author even came up with it—it’s just incredible.

I’m sure there are better fantasy novels out there, but for me, what truly matters is whether I was invested in the story—and I absolutely was, right up to the last page. And that ending? Mind-blowing. I honestly didn’t see it coming, but I loved it. It left me shocked and happy at the same time.

As always, I’ll end my review with my favorite quote from the book:

“You love me, and-'

'Loved,' I correct him, sidestepping so I can get some fucking space and then taking it.

'Love!' he shouts, stopping me in my tracks and earning us a glance from every rider within hearing distance. 'You love me.”

Content Warnings