First Fantasy Read EVER: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

**Spoiler free**

I’ve never been a Fantasy reader. My mind just isn’t built that way. I have a hard time with make-believe things and picturing stuff that just doesn’t exist. Even as a kid I sucked at make-believe/playing pretend games.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS BOOK. I decided to give Fourth Wing a try after seeing it blow up over bookstagram and booktok. I read that it wasn’t heavy fantasy and more so focused on the new adult relationships. Plus, I hadn’t given a fantasy book a real shot in many years.

I freaking LOVED this book, you guys. It was the right amount of fantasy that left me actually wanting more instead of being left confused and overwhelmed. The depictions of the dragons made them easy to picture and the world building was so well done that I felt like I could transport myself into that military school. The character relationships were fun to watch develop and I’m thrilled about how they played out in terms of which love interest won.

You likely already know what this book is about, but if you live under a rock and don’t know here is the summary:

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.

My favorite part of this book was how much action was in it. I was never bored, and I liked that the action didn’t take a back seat to the slow burn romance. It’s a LONG book. I mean, it is a fantasy novel. It’s bound to be long. At first it intimidated me, but towards the end of it all I wanted was for it to keep going.

The dragons were also dope. I listened to the audiobook for most of this read because that was the only way I was going to get through this book quickly (literally listened to this book while working, cleaning, cooking, eating, driving, you name it). The narrator was so good at making voices for all of the main characters and especially for the dragons. Each dragon had its own unique personality and I’ve grown fond of all of them. Tairn, Andarna and Sgaeyl are all special in their own ways and even though Tairn is quite the grouch, he’s a lovable grouch.

Luckily, there’s a second book coming called Iron Flame. Unfortunately, it is not expected to be released until November 7, 2023. I’ll just be counting down the days until then I guess. BUT, Rebecca Yarros has posted that this storyline is fully outlined for FIVE books in this series!!! I can’t wait to follow Violet’s journey and see how badass of a Rider she becomes.

Now I’m off to explore more of the Fantasy genre. Drop a comment if you have any recommendations!