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A review by michellefromsomewhere
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. The story is gripping and the characters are dynamic. If a five star book is a book I want to reread, I can see myself rereading this one again and again.
The good:
-The writing was accessible and the story digestible, which are key elements to why so many devour this book in no time at all. Descriptions were clear, and allow many of us to visualize things similarly.
-I found Violet totally likeable. She's grappling with her own growth like any bildungsroman story. She has strong values and you see her fight with staying true to them vs. the effects the Riders Quadrant has on her.
-the romance has a fun slow-burn. Sure, the enemies aren't convincing enemies but that's ok! It's still a lot of fun!
-THE DRAGONS. Ok, obviously. But not just that there are dragons. The dragons' personalities! Tairn is sardonic and sassy! Andarna is the cutest thing ever!!! I love them so much!!!!!
-The dialogue and banter. I find so many books struggle a LOT with good banter, especially with quippy remarks. Rebecca Yarros suffered no such fate. The conversations are realistic, and honestly, funny! I laughed out loud.
-Disability representation, and the showcasing how exhausting it can be to fight your own body but still get frustrated when other people try to dictate your needs.
The neutral:
- Predictability. Because the story is so digestible, it's also a bit straightforward. I predicted every twist, including the ending. Personally, that actually never bothers me because I like being right! And also people like familiarity a lot. That's why a book like ACOTAR is so beloved as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's familiar and fresh at the same time. Fourth Wing is predictable, but it's not about what's waiting on the other side; it's the climb.
The less good:
-A few things don't make sense to me and I'm hoping they're cleared up more in the future books. I'm hesitant to cry out "Plot hole!" in an unfinished series.
1) The government doesn't trust children of rebels and originally wants to execute them, but instead, they get the opportunity to join the Rider's Quadrant. Because most of them will die, but the ones who don't get the chance to elevate themselves to the highest levels of the military with functional WMDs. I didn't find the explanation satisfactory.
2) [MINOR SPOILER IN THIS POINT ONLY] Dragons want to keep everything about their young secret, including everything about Andarna's gifts. I understand the gifts, but won't everyone else notice that Andarna gets bigger and changes? Especially considering it's implied she grows A LOT in a very quick time at the end?
The good:
-The writing was accessible and the story digestible, which are key elements to why so many devour this book in no time at all. Descriptions were clear, and allow many of us to visualize things similarly.
-I found Violet totally likeable. She's grappling with her own growth like any bildungsroman story. She has strong values and you see her fight with staying true to them vs. the effects the Riders Quadrant has on her.
-the romance has a fun slow-burn. Sure, the enemies aren't convincing enemies but that's ok! It's still a lot of fun!
-THE DRAGONS. Ok, obviously. But not just that there are dragons. The dragons' personalities! Tairn is sardonic and sassy! Andarna is the cutest thing ever!!! I love them so much!!!!!
-The dialogue and banter. I find so many books struggle a LOT with good banter, especially with quippy remarks. Rebecca Yarros suffered no such fate. The conversations are realistic, and honestly, funny! I laughed out loud.
-Disability representation, and the showcasing how exhausting it can be to fight your own body but still get frustrated when other people try to dictate your needs.
The neutral:
- Predictability. Because the story is so digestible, it's also a bit straightforward. I predicted every twist, including the ending. Personally, that actually never bothers me because I like being right! And also people like familiarity a lot. That's why a book like ACOTAR is so beloved as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's familiar and fresh at the same time. Fourth Wing is predictable, but it's not about what's waiting on the other side; it's the climb.
The less good:
-A few things don't make sense to me and I'm hoping they're cleared up more in the future books. I'm hesitant to cry out "Plot hole!" in an unfinished series.
1) The government doesn't trust children of rebels and originally wants to execute them, but instead, they get the opportunity to join the Rider's Quadrant. Because most of them will die, but the ones who don't get the chance to elevate themselves to the highest levels of the military with functional WMDs. I didn't find the explanation satisfactory.
2) [MINOR SPOILER IN THIS POINT ONLY] Dragons want to keep everything about their young secret, including everything about Andarna's gifts. I understand the gifts, but won't everyone else notice that Andarna gets bigger and changes? Especially considering it's implied she grows A LOT in a very quick time at the end?