Fourth Wing: Dragons, death, and damn those tight pants!

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Typically I write a summary in my own words about a book I’m reviewing, but I would like to start this review by sharing the publisher’s description because it plays an important role in how I initially perceived Fourth Wing (2023) by Rebecca Yarros:

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away … because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

That’s what I read, and that’s why I picked up Fourth Wing. I hadn’t heard of it before, but the description alone convinced me. It sounded like HARRY POTTER meets GAME OF THRONES with a splash of Lord of the Flies thrown in. I was sold! Nothing piques my interest more than superpowered teenagers murdering each other on dragons and, in that regard, Fourth Wing delivered in spades.

However, there was one aspect I wasn’t expecting… icky romance. Not romance in the way Ron kisses Hermione after destroying a Horcrux. This was romance in the vein of a Harlequin novel. It was graphic and, at times, seemed to go on forever. An entire chapter was practically dedicated to getting it on. This is fine, of course, and romance is very popular. I just wasn’t prepared for it based on my initial impression of the book. I had to do the reading equivalent of closing my eyes and skimming past the “squishy bits.”

The sweaty sexy stuff aside, Fourth Wing was a blast. I thoroughly enjoyed every other aspect of it. The protagonist is smart, driven, and easy to root for, if a bit “thirsty” at times. She’s easily distracted by hot dudes in tight leather pants, which actually makes her quite relatable. Here she is in a life-or-death school, and she should be focusing on the fighting techniques being demonstrated but, damn, those pants are tight! This adds a welcome touch of humor and provides a break from the intensity of the story.

The action scenes are well-written and intense. I love that the heroes rarely emerge unscathed. They get beaten up, bloodied, and often, they simply die. Yarros weaves in many unexpected moments and keeps you on your toes.

Let’s talk about the dragons. Boy, are they cool! Yarros has created a complex and fascinating dragon society. While the dragon magic and their connection to human riders isn’t entirely unique, the personalities and types of dragons are truly enjoyable. I found it awesome that a dragon will roast someone to ashes for simply looking at them the wrong way. Not only do the students have to worry about getting knifed by each other, but they also have to deal with grumpy-ass murder lizards daily!

Overall, I had a great time with Fourth Wing. Rebecca Yarros does a fantastic job of creating an intense world with compelling characters. While I was put off a bit by the gratuitous romance, I was still able to enjoy the story as a whole. I’ll definitely be moving on to the sequels, as I’m invested in the story. The version I enjoyed was the Recorded Books unabridged version narrated by Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton. There’s also a dramatized version available with music and individually voiced characters, and a TV show adaptation in the works from Amazon. If Fourth Wing sounds like your cup of tea, I highly recommend you give it a try.