A review by rayleejay
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I enjoyed the novels main plot and enjoyed that it was fast paced and action-packed.

However, a lot of the book had minimal scene setting and was difficult to really picture. It almost felt too plot and romance driven that it lost the ability to give more authentic and enjoyable characters and a fleshed out world.  Overall, it felt poorly written and felt sloppy in it’s intended audience - I still cannot tell if this was meant for adults or young teens.

It is also NOT an enemies-to-lovers. It is very clear that the author separates Violet from the beliefs of her mother from the beginning, so the plot point of “i hate you because you are a child of the rebellion” ark doesn’t stick, and on top of that she talks non-stop about how attractive he is. So why are we meant to think they’re enemies? 

Also the battle scene at the end feels very clunky in its writing. There is SO much dialogue and so little scene setting that it was difficult to visualise and feel engaged with. 

Lastly, Xaden’s chapter felt extremely inauthentic and I felt let down that the depth of his character wasn’t explored at all - the whole chapter was just him existing to love her.


I understand why people are so excited about this book… but I feel it has serious writing flaws and plot holes that let down its potential.