A review by ozlitlist
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

Fourth Wing is an example of an author who I think genuinely has some good ideas, but lacking execution. Similar to a broken clock being right twice a day, there were a handful of scenes I found endearing, and genuinely several ideas I think were good! But there are so many tropes, faux pas, and overall clunky writing that it would knock me out of enjoying the scene every time.

The fact that the book is set in a world with dragon riders - yet every ONE is only ever described with a modicum of detail other than “large” “fierce” with x color skin and y weapon for a tail, really speaks to the fact that I just don’t think this author knew how to pull off the ideas she had. The dragons are about as diverse as our cast - which is to say not much.

Rebecca Yarros is also an example of what I’d call a confused author. She either doesn’t know what makes her world interesting, or isn’t sure exactly what to focus on. As a result the book just feels messy and poorly thought out. Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually a massive fan of romantasy, but this book just feels confused between a “brain off fun romantasy” where you suspend disbelief and forgive perhaps silly heterosexual tropes - and an attempt at a more serious commentary on war propaganda that in my opinion is not handled with much grace. 

You cannot make a plot driven political war commentary fiction, and a dime-store-style “just for fun” kind of book.

The fact that Violet is as bigoted as anyone else until she meets a rebel’s child who is “the hottest man she’s ever seen” and THAT is one of the biggest factors in turning the tide?? Had her and Xander actually become friends, or had any discussion at all without a constant inner commentary about her intense and unquenchable sexual desire it would have been much better handled. But that doesn’t happen.

Finally, Rebecca Yarros has a frankly juvenile style of writing I just couldn’t get into. Using anachronism constantly in your fantasy world does not make it “accessible” to people who don’t like fantasy. And EVEN if it did - why are you writing your fantasy book for people who don’t like the genre? This is among a HOST of questions I don’t believe this author asked herself.

This author has good ideas, which is what kept me reading, but her characters are wasted on the page, flat and caricature-esque. She obviously attempts to play and subvert tropes, but only reaffirms them. She tries to pull off too many ideas to be terribly successful at any of them.

But what really knocked this down a peg to one star was the one of the final twists of the book.
You’re going to tell me that a woman raised by a Scribe, who PRIDES herself on her critical thinking and bookish tendencies was never taught history is written by the winners?


Do better.
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