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A review by elsagrannvale
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
3.0
Maybe it deserves a 4? Unsure. It made me cringe so many times. But, also, I think it fulfills its purpose - I think this could be a great book for teenagers! (In short: it's a romance novel in a relatively traditional sense - think Twilight - in a fantasy setting.)
In the end, what makes me rate this lower isn't the blatant horniness - I'm not a prude - it's the rather shallow plot. I get that their romance is *supposed* to be the main thing here, but for me, it doesn't really ... cut it, for an actual book, for me, if that makes sense? When trying to retell what it is about, it's possible to do that very fast, but most climactic moments right up until the very end are more about Xaden/Violet than the world itself. I had a hard time trying to explain what the main conflict was, except "people don't like Violet but also they do and there's something going on". (Also, maybe I've forgotten what it's like to be 21, but they really do behave like teenagers.)
An extremely fast read; it's like reading fanfiction in more ways than one. Good fanfiction, mind, but still! It's all wish fulfillment and self indulgence. Thankfully, the wish fulfillment of the author (and her Violet) aligned with mine most of the time.
I think I need to read some more substantial fantasy soon. This felt like... a snack. Fast food. I need something with protein.
In the end, what makes me rate this lower isn't the blatant horniness - I'm not a prude - it's the rather shallow plot. I get that their romance is *supposed* to be the main thing here, but for me, it doesn't really ... cut it, for an actual book, for me, if that makes sense? When trying to retell what it is about, it's possible to do that very fast, but most climactic moments right up until the very end are more about Xaden/Violet than the world itself. I had a hard time trying to explain what the main conflict was, except "people don't like Violet but also they do and there's something going on". (Also, maybe I've forgotten what it's like to be 21, but they really do behave like teenagers.)
An extremely fast read; it's like reading fanfiction in more ways than one. Good fanfiction, mind, but still! It's all wish fulfillment and self indulgence. Thankfully, the wish fulfillment of the author (and her Violet) aligned with mine most of the time.
I think I need to read some more substantial fantasy soon. This felt like... a snack. Fast food. I need something with protein.