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A review by mbomersheim
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Generally, books with dragons just don’t do it for me, and I think this is the most success I’ve had with this mythical creature.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is the first book in The Empyrean series, taking place at a cut-throat school for those who hope to become a dragon rider. This book is something I’ve seen all over bookstagram and has gotten a good deal of hype, and I get why. It’s got your forbidden romance, love triangle, and hate-to-love tropes on top of the political maneuverings throughout the book. I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t really interested in picking it up; however, a couple of my friends suggested that I read it, so I thought I’d give it a go.
Overall, I think this book was fine. The world-building was pretty solid, and the writing, while a bit cliche at times, was not bad. This being said, I had some issues. I thought the plot was pretty easy to predict. I thought there was an opportunity missed to do more with the students vying for a higher social/academic standing; I kind of wanted there to be more mind games played, but instead, the book was pretty clear about who the good guys and the bad guys were. There were abrupt cuts and time jumps throughout the book that made me feel like I was missing something, especially during the beginning of the training. Also, it felt like the main male “love interests” were just having a pissing contest with each other which got quite annoying after a bit. I guess it just felt like I’ve read similar stories before, granted without dragons, that I’ve enjoyed more, such as the Nevernight Chronicles. All this being said I have already started reading the sequel, so I guess I’m invested enough.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is the first book in The Empyrean series, taking place at a cut-throat school for those who hope to become a dragon rider. This book is something I’ve seen all over bookstagram and has gotten a good deal of hype, and I get why. It’s got your forbidden romance, love triangle, and hate-to-love tropes on top of the political maneuverings throughout the book. I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t really interested in picking it up; however, a couple of my friends suggested that I read it, so I thought I’d give it a go.
Overall, I think this book was fine. The world-building was pretty solid, and the writing, while a bit cliche at times, was not bad. This being said, I had some issues. I thought the plot was pretty easy to predict. I thought there was an opportunity missed to do more with the students vying for a higher social/academic standing; I kind of wanted there to be more mind games played, but instead, the book was pretty clear about who the good guys and the bad guys were. There were abrupt cuts and time jumps throughout the book that made me feel like I was missing something, especially during the beginning of the training. Also, it felt like the main male “love interests” were just having a pissing contest with each other which got quite annoying after a bit. I guess it just felt like I’ve read similar stories before, granted without dragons, that I’ve enjoyed more, such as the Nevernight Chronicles. All this being said I have already started reading the sequel, so I guess I’m invested enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, War, Blood, Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Classism and Grief