Fourth Wing Paperback by Rebecca Yarros Latest Edition

Fourth Wing, the first book in The Empyrean series released on the second of may, but I read it only a few days ago. I’m not sure what went wrong where that this book escaped my notice for so long. Either way, I’m not sure where I heard of this book (probably bookstagram), but I bought the Kindle version immediately *weeps a river of tears that there’s no paperback version available*.(Random anecdotal rant commences)Then (and this is the most heartbreaking part of the story), my best friend read the book before I could and loved it. This is of course fantastic, except it’s not. Why? Well, it’s because I should’ve read it first and suggested it to her and then she should’ve read it and loved it. I blame this all on whatever strange magic has been in the air that kept this book away from my awareness and made me lose the chance for my best friend to tell me how much she loves because I recommended this book to her.(Random anecdotal rant concludes)I don’t think it has ever happened that once I finish a book I immediately want to read it again. Usually when I love a book, I float on a cloud of bliss for a few days before hunkering down to put all my feelings into fairly comprehensible words for a review. I’ve never—as far as I can recall—dove back into the book. But with Fourth Wing that’s exactly what I did. I just dove back into the book and re-read a good portion of it. And then did it again.The writing made the scenes so vivid, I was surprised I was reading and not watching it all play out on a screen. Whatever it is that Yarros did while writing, she certainly added a large dollop of something addictive to her work because the book felt like it was written to suit my senses. There was never a stagger or a stop, just flowing prose, fantastic, witty dialogue, stunning imagery supporting thrilling, heart jolting events. Honestly, all the pages of highlighted content on my Kindle is testament to that. I truly won’t be surprised if this book is picked for a movie/series because of how strong the words read.The world-building is so closely linked to the writing because the author employs a very unique and effective method to explain some of the rules of the world to the readers. If you’re reading my review and then starting Fourth Wing, I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean when the world-building scenes roll by. My only advice would be to take it a little slow (the book is devour-worthy and will force you to consume it in way lesser time than is usual) so that you’re able to truly know the rules, past and happenings of the world. It also helps if you’re buddy reading; you can help fill gaps in understanding, if there are any, with each other. *stares at my traitor best friend who didn’t buddy read with me*.Imagine the fastest book you’ve ever read, Fourth Wing is 10X that. The narrative being so conducive to the pace only adds to the way the book reads. The book is just event after event after event racing against time without any pauses/lags or inconsistencies that I could feel/find. When a book reads this way, without a stumble or a gap, to me that usually means the book has been planned down to the last letter. I’m 100% sure that Yarros has this all played out in her head, laughing at us as she types away on her keyboard. There’s no other way that this series is a five book series if she doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing.The characters are truly very many and it might be quite impossible to keep track of everyone all the time. That being said, the people that you need to know you will because their personalities are clear and constructed. I’m aware that reading a name on page and not knowing who that even is sometimes doesn’t feel great, so if you do feel that in this book I would say ignore it, mostly because if you don’t know them they’re probably not important. Think of them as NPCs. *feels proud of her computer game reference*Being in Violet’s mind was a true pleasure. The girl is whip smart, funny, honourable and filled with all the complexities and contradictions you’d enjoy in a FMC. I loved how the author stayed true to Violet’s age, adding so much strength and courage not just in her actions regarding her path but also her emotions. She was so brave and I was so proud. It added to the realness of the story when Violet had to coach herself constantly to be brave, to keep going to just stay.Xaden reminds me of the song line “hit you like a shotgun shot to the heart” because that’s how it feels from the moment he enters scene. He’s a presence in the book you can’t see past and he certainly is here to steal your heart. He was an intense and complex character to understand until suddenly you do and all the pieces come together. He and Violet truly have my heart and I can’t wait for the mental and emotional wreckage this series is going to cause in me.The disability rep in this book was a very very important part of it. I personally felt I would've loved to see it be spoken about more. Perhaps the author intends to delve deeper into it more in the second book/in the rest of the series, we’ll have to wait and see.Five stars! Happy reading! Please do check trigger warnings! The book can be a heavy and intense read for anyone, so please go in warned that there’s violence, murder, killing, death, gore, graphic content, death of a loved one (to name a few).(Also, update on the betrayal anecdote)My best friend totally re-read the whole book and pretended I recommended it to her and sent me a billion messages reacting like she was reading it the first time. I am appeased, she has been forgiven. Also, I should probably mention that she asked me to start with her but I couldn’t because well I had another book to finish and review. The point here is however, that she didn’t wait for me. Just wanted to make that clear.

Excuse me, but how am I supposed to wait till NOVEMBER for the the second book to come out? And MONTHS for the rest of the series?! WHAT DID I JUST READ?! This book can literally give ACOTAR a run for its life. AND THIS BOOK HAD ME ON A CHOKEHOLD ONCE I CROSSED THE 50 PAGES MARK. You have to read this. That’s I all I have to say. It’s be best fantasy I’ve read since ACOTAR and that’s something. Oh and XADEN AND VIOLET? My heart just gave out. Those two are the epitome of badass. Their love burned so bright I can’t even suffice in words. And I hate Dain that’s all I have to say :) And I love the rebellions and Rhi with all my heart thank you very much. And my adorbes Dragons. Now I want a cute dragon in my life. This book was everything. And so much more and I mean I NEED to read the next book. Like now.I mean 6/5⭐️ OBVIOUSLY. Read it NOW.

Wow! Why and when did I stop reading fantasy? Did I think I have grown above it? Perhaps. But from the moment I entered Violet Sorrengail's life, she literally grabbed me by my hair and pushed me face down into chilled well of water. An awakening into the world of Basgiath War College.Violet Sorrengail has always trained to be a Scribe, too weak according to her loved ones to enter the Riders Quadrant. Only when the Commanding General - her hard task mother forces her to enrol in the Riders Quadrant does her life flip over and over again. From broken bones, to poisoned weapons to soul sizzling chemistry she finds all of it and more on her plate. Brutal games that have the ultimatum do or die. You either bond with a dragon or die under its fire.Xaden Riorson the rebellion leader's son who is out to get his revenge. Whom Violet needs to runaway from but only finds herself drawn towards his magnetic charisma. Dain Aetos the best friend every girl wants to share secrets with. Every character taps a pulse so deep and endearing. These characters stay with you, period.And the dragons, the dynamic, magnificent dragons, I never imagined these intimidating creatures would do anything but command power in a scene. But the author has fleshed out dragons with characters, I found myself falling in love with.An exceptionally woven tale with heightened action packed drama. The plot moves smoothly laced with suspense, thrills and romance at every stage. The language and dialogues are whipped with emotions and never once dips low. A page turner which gets completely under your skin. So much to take back from this amazing tale. Simply cannot wait for the sequel to release.I highly recommend this to all those who love a good fantasy romance.

SPOILER ALERTIt’s been all over social media, everyone across the globe has been shouting about this book from the rooftops and of course, I went and bought it just like everyone else! I went to Amazon.co.uk and purchased the hardback which arrived the next as expected. Honestly I remember when Amazon first started out and the concept of next day shipping wasn’t even thought about, it was an absurd notion. Back then, ordering anything online meant hoping and praying that one day within the next month or so the order would arrive. Usually it would be a nice surprise by then, completely forgotten as the original purchase had been so long ago. We also were happy to pay for shipping, hoping to get the purchase a lot sooner because it was so chaotic. I digress of course, modern day internet shopping is a dream in comparison.I bought Fourth Wing on June 10th after seeing post after post online about it. What I hadn’t realised is as a fantasy story, it was based on one of my favourite mythical beasts; dragons. That sold it for me and after realising, I went to immediately order it. When it arrived, I looked at the book, liking the pretty cover and initially flicked through the first few pages.I have sensory issues so a few of what attracts me to physical books are the feel of the pages and the visual aspects like drawings, maps, fancy lettering. This book was visually pleasing and I seem to be developing a love for gold these days. However, I’ll be brutally honest, I put the book on my shelf and left it there…Fast forward to June 28th where after finishing another book (admittedly that was the first book I had read in months) I picked up Fourth Wing and was instantly hooked. The first chapter completely reeled me in and I was absolutely submerged in the world of Basgiath War College. I was annoyed at myself for having waited so long to start the book. I have a way of knowing when I read the first chapter whether I’ll like a book and I was absolutely correct about Fourth Wing. I absolutely loved it. By July 2nd I decided I had to finish it because I couldn’t wait and I stayed up until about 2am so I finished it on July 3rd.I found it fast paced in the sense that the story moved along well, there were some little time jumps but nothing drastic and I feel the story flowed well overall. I had managed to stay away from spoilers overall despite every post on social media seemed to be about this book, so I was unaware of who died/who made it or any of the main story arcs throughout reading it, nothing was spoiled and I’m glad for that for once (normally I like spoilers).The main character was Violet and I actually liked her fully. She’s fierce, she’s struggled with her physical disability and pushes herself to overcome what she can but also adapt herself to succeed in a way that works for her, not against herself. I do like that there are characters who support her in this, knowing that regardless of the disability she has, it’s her choice to want to succeed in college and become a rider like her older siblings and her mother and they try to encourage and help her as best they can.In that I did really like a lot of the characters, I felt there was enough character development in so many different individuals I was genuinely invested in how they were performing, how their own relationships were developing. I really liked the friend group that Violet ends up with. There was a lot of queer representation which felt natural and not forced in any way. Overall, I felt there was a great selection of characters who I did care about.There is a death later on in the book which I wasn’t a big fan of. Poor Liam, I can understand why he died like he did but it didn’t make it any easier to go through. It is war, it is riding with dragons, it’s an extremely dangerous world that these characters live in so people are going to die, that’s inevitable. I did like Liam, I thought his friendship with Violet was good, it was strong and he was likeable. It’s a shame but I understand why it happened.Violet does start off with a crush on her childhood best friend who I disliked almost immediately. He was too controlling and critical of Violet for me to support him at all. Again, I can see his reasoning but I don’t agree with it. There’s one major line in the book which was manipulated slightly by Xaden, knowing exactly what Dain’s response would be and that was in relation to whether Dain would have saved Violet when she was in trouble IF it went against the rules. Dain, almost without hesitating, states clearly that he would not have violated the rules, not even for Violet. To me, immediately that’s a red flag. I can see the relationship between them being explored possibly in a future book if for no other reason than to stamp it out completely but Dain, I believe, would not be the right choice for Violet.Xaden… What can we say about Xaden, he is exactly the right kind of “bad” boy that is typical in these kinds of stories but it works, and he is perfectly that character. From the initial interaction she has with him and being warned how he will murder her because of their families horrific past with one another, they both have reasons to want the other dead. I did find it funny though as time went on and it’s Violet’s POV of her interactions with him where she’s struggling with realising she has feelings for him but also waiting for him to murder her. She addresses how problematic that is but what made me laugh was how it came across very clearly, to me anyway, that he was already completely head over heels in love with her, almost right from the beginning, even if he wasn’t fully aware of it himself. He even tells her later that she should not fall for him, that he will not fall for her.He actually reminded me of someone I know in that sense.Men are silly creatures. Anyway, the spicy scenes were in fact quite spicy. I liked the descriptive work in these scenes, lots of tension that built slowly. There was a lot of yearning, which was nice. What I also liked was that it shows Violet being very normal in the sense of her experiencing a wide range of emotions, including exploring sex and her sensuality. There’s a good scene in the gym where she and her bestie, Rhiannon literally stop what they are doing and stand to watch, mostly stare at Xaden and one of the other men fighting. They are stripped to their waists and it’s pure objectification but it’s good to see in this sense because that’s rarely shown with female characters or at least not well. It was in this story and there was no shaming of behaviour that is actually normal.Back to Xaden and honestly that scene towards the end when Violet realises that he is in fact a traitor had me almost throw the book across the room while screaming. I hadn’t wanted to believe it was possible, I had no idea where the story was going but that almost ended me. I did close the book for a few minutes while I sat with my mouth wide open before picking it back up and finding that it’s not quite as bad as it sounded of course but that didn’t make it any better really. I’m not happy at Xaden for that BUT the introduction of her brother at the end shows that there is a possibility that she’ll come around.I did wonder if the brother was still alive, he had been spoken about so often and the fact that we got a little of his POV from his book, which in itself was a forbidden object… That suggested to me it was a possibility and of course, whatever is going on will be easier on Violet to accept if her brother whom she trusted is still alive. That being said though, on more than one occasion she suggested that her father had only died because he had not coped with the death of her brother, that it definitely contributed to his death and she loved her father. How will she manage to reconcile him while still being alive?I do like that despite everything, she doesn’t instantly jump into trusting Xaden and forgives him. The book ends with that very much up in the air and not as a main priority for her. It is for him as we get his POV in that last chapter. I do believe that he is good deep down, I do believe him when he says that he will do whatever it takes for her to trust him again.What I did especially like were the dragons. Firstly the fact that the dragons do not listen to humans, they are not submissive to them is hilarious. The army likes to think they are in control but that is simply not the case. Never more evident than when Violet tells them that she has bonded with not one but two dragons, something unheard of but it was the dragon’s who made the decision.I have to say, that whole part of her going after the smaller dragon, Andarna, to protect her was lovely. You know in these stories that the main character is going to survive these things but there is genuine peril. I liked that she took it upon herself to do that and regardless of not being a physically big enough threat herself, Violet didn’t stop, didn’t back down against that awful Jack and his friends who attacked her with the intention of killing both Violet and the golden dragon Andarna. I adored little Andarna, every part she is in is endearing and wonderful and it genuinely filled my heart with joy. Especially the part where Violet realises she has also bonded with the smaller dragon, that first sentence where she could hear the dragon’s thoughts I knew, I gasped out loud and was quickly rewarded with the fact it was true.Absolutely adorable. Same with Tairn, he is old and wise, lacks patience but does a lot to make Violet become the best dragon rider in ways that work for them both. He’s considerate and helpful, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time. I like how the bigger dragon’s care for Andarna too, it’s beautiful.I had a lot of reactions while reading, lots of laughing out loud and moments of frustration too. There were a few points where I was concerned for the characters but mostly, it turned out ok.I am very much interested to see what happens next in the story and am looking forward to book two; Iron Flame. Amazon has the release date as November 7th here in the UK. I will be preordering that.

Everything you're hearing about Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is absolutely the truth! If you're ready for an action packed, magically breathtaking, and heartbreakingly romantic read that will steal your breath away then this is the read for you. Also be aware that this is most definitely an adult novel. While the heroine is just past teen years, you could call this New Adult. I don't think I've seen the *-word used so many times on one page before and throughout a novel as a whole, but there you go!Right away I found myself connecting to Violet in certain ways. She's the daughter of a powerful commander mother, her older brother died a war hero, and her older sister is one of the best dragon riders in the provinces. But unlike her siblings, Violet does not have that physical strength. As a child she had medical issues and that turned her into the adult woman she is today, who can easily be broken. But for untold reasons, her mother wants her to be a rider instead of a scribe as she longed to be.With no other choice she's off to the school that will either train her to be a dragon rider or she will die trying. Even those who are better fit than her will still lose their lives somewhere in their three years of training. Violet isn't happy with the course that's forced upon her, but she's not going to back down from the impossible challenge set before her. Even when she learns that a great deal of the students at this school are children of the dissenters. There was a great battle a few years ago, one her brother fought in and lost his life when a man was set against the king of the provinces and wanted to tear down the structure of life everyone lived by. It was an ugly battle, but the king granted mercy upon the dissenters' children if they were to join the riders, which that in itself is almost a death sentence since not many can survive the years leading up to graduation. And at the helm of all this is Xander, the son of the man who started the war that ultimately killed her brother...and Violet's mother was the one to execute his father, so there's no love lost between these two.So naturally, we all know what's to come between them! But I will say that it's not something that happens instantaneously. In fact, this was an ultimate enemies to lovers situation as Violet is certain that Xander would rather murder her than let the grueling trials of college do her in. That and the fact that Violet makes an enemy of one of the other students on her first day. Surprisingly, not a child of a dissenter but just a regular old d***** b**.Every first year is training to be physically fit and worthy of becoming a dragon rider. That eventually leads to trying to earn themselves a dragon, for the rider doesn't get to pick the dragon, the dragon picks the rider.There's almost 500 pages of story in this book and a lot happens over the course of a year. Violet makes friends, she makes enemies. It's a wild ride for sure! The story even reminded me of another one I read years ago, but instead of dragons that one involved vampires (naturally!) and while I saw some similarities with the competition within the school that trains young adults to be protectors essentially, but that is about all they shared. I was expecting to see a lot of "school days" scenarios going down in this one and while we do get that sense with classes and tests and challenges, there was a whole lot more to this one. Though Violet appears weak at first glance, she is a force to be reckoned with and I so, so admired her for all that she accomplishes while being looked upon as someone who is weak and pitiful.I also wasn't expecting to see Violet make true friendships in this one! At a cutthroat school where only the best of the best can win and even those who do win may not even be chosen by a dragon, you don't really expect anyone to be genuine or kind. But I was happy to be proven wrong in this one.Then there's the every complicated relationship brewing between Violet and Xaden. Xaden being the son of the most hated man in the provinces, he's a dangerous unknown entity and yet he and Violet continually circle one another. They have an odd dynamic where they are never quite sure of the other one and eventually that evolves into something deeper. Honestly, none of it was a surprise. I mean the blurb pretty much tells you that without telling you that, as any reader could tell you.I do enjoy the slow burn romance though. The ones that take time to build and where the lovers start out as enemies of a kind.This book was just full of surprises and I pretty much loved every moment of it! The pacing was sort of a slow buildup but in a way it was more like Yarros was slowly reeling the reader in by giving little nibbles of the ultimately entertaining moments and then letting us simmer before reeling us in deeper as the pages went by. True, some fighting moments felt a bit drawn out but in a sense, I can kind of understand why those moments had to take up so much time.The ending...oh that ending! As soon as I finish writing this I am going back to read the blurb of Iron Flame because I wouldn't let myself read that the other day when it was revealed! The ending is something of a cliffhanger, but not one where you scream at the agony of the wait ahead of you. It's the kind of explosive ending that just gears you up for the next book and all the excitement that's to come from it! You won't scream in agony, but you will have emotions. My emotions are rolling all over the place! From the looks of things, Fourth Wing was Yarros' first Fantasy novel and what a novel it was! I mean you can't go wrong with DRAGONS! Dragons are everything in fantasy! All I can really say that the hype behind this series is justified! This was an incredibly epic and amazing read that held me riveted from start to finish! Violet is my new favorite heroine that I can relate to! She's a girl I will root for until the very end! If you're ready to be reeled into the spellbinding new fantasy everyone is raving about then be sure to pick up a copy soon!And on a side note, I can't decide if it's a good thing or not that we get the sequel before the end of the year because the real question remains...what happens AFTER THAT?! How long will that wait be? Time will tell I suppose, but I'll be here for it for sure!Overall Rating 5/5 stars

•Fourth Wing von Rebecca Yarros•Ein absolut unbeschreibliches Jahreshighlight, das ich sicher nicht so schnell vergessen werde und mir sehr unter die Haut gegangen ist. Violet, Xaden, die Drachen, diese Welt und alles andere konnte mich von Anfang an nicht mehr loslassen und hat mich süchtig gemacht. Ich kann den Hype nun wirklich zu 100% verstehen und möchte diese Geschichte nie mehr missen!🖤Außerdem habe ich mich sehr in das Cover und die gesamte Gestaltung des Buches verliebt. Während das Cover auffällig und unglaublich passend ist, ist der Inhalt des Buches sehr liebevoll und bildlich gestaltet worden. Ich liebe vor allem auch die Karte sehr, genauso wie ich mich in den wunderschönen Schreibstil verliebt habe, der unfassbar authentisch und intensiv ist. Man fühlt alles hautnah mit und wird zu einem Teil der Geschichte, die aus Violets Sicht erzählt wird.Violet war wirklich meine Heldin der Geschichte! Obwohl alle ihr gesagt haben, wie schwach sie ist und dass sie niemals überleben wird, hat sie nicht aufgehört zu kämpfen und ist so zu einem der stärksten Charaktere geworden. Ich habe sie so sehr für diese Entwicklung und ihren Kampfgeist bewundert. Von allen Charakteren hat Violet definitiv die krasseste Entwicklung durchlaufen. Gleichzeitig ist sie nicht auf den Mund gefallen, selbstständig, unabhängig, herzlich und mitfühlend. Liebe sie sehr!Allerdings hat auch Xaden mir absolut mein Herz gestohlen und einen Platz auf meiner Bookboyfriend-Tribüne ergattert. Auf den ersten Blick war er kalt, unberechenbar, distanziert und gemein zu Violet. Aber er hat sie auch gefordert, ihr Mit zugesprochen und sie nicht verhätschelt. Xaden kann so unglaublich sanft und aufmerksam sein und hat Violet teils auf Händen getragen. Auch er hat immer unerbittlich gekämpft und für das eingestanden, was wichtig ist, vor allem für Violet. Er ist knallhart, unfassbar stark und weiß genau, was er will.Es gab einfach so unglaublich viele Nebencharaktere in diesem Buch, die teils gekommen und schnell wieder gegangen sind. Doch wer immer geblieben ist, waren Rhiannon, Garrick, Bodhi, Liam, Tairn, Sgaeyl, Adarna, Imogen und Mira. Ich habe diese Charaktere unfassbar doll ins Herz geschlossen, vor allem Xadens und Violets Drachen sowie Liam und Rhiannon. Ihre Gesellschaft war immer wundervoll aufmunternd und die Drachen wussten genau, wie sie ihren Reitern zur Seite zu stehen hatten. Tairn ist einfach großartig! Auf der anderen Seite gab es auch einige Charaktere, die ich gar nicht leiden konnte. Dazu gehörten an erster Stelle Dain, Violets Mutter, Jack und einige andere, die Violet das Leben schwer gemacht haben. Es war teils einfach super anstrengend, vor allem mit Dain, der Violet viel zu sehr verhätschelt und klein gehalten hat. Das war nicht in Ordnung.Als ich das Buch begonnen habe, hatte ich zwar schon entfernt eine Ahnung, was mich erwarten würde, aber ich hätte nicht damit gerechnet, dass mich dieses Buch so sehr umhauen und für sich gewinnen würde. Von der ersten Seite an habe ich mich unfassbar in die Geschichte, ihre Charaktere und alles andere verliebt. Ich konnte das Buch gar nicht mehr aus der Hand legen und wollte immer mehr. Zuerst aber habe ich mich in dir Atmosphäre, das Setting, die Welt und ihre Magie verliebt. Die Atmosphäre war immer ein wenig düster und geheimnisvoll, während das Setting reine Brutalität und Gefahr vermittelt hat. Man war irgendwie stets auf der Hut. Doch was die Autorin mit der Welt, den Drachen und der Magie erschaffen hat, war einfach beeindruckend und unglaublich spannend. Ich habe jede Information über die Verbindung von Reiter und Drachen in mich aufgesaugt und fand das Ganze richtig cool! Es war spannend zu erleben, wie Drache und Reiter sich aneinander binden, praktisch eins werden und sich gegenseitig unterstützen. Da war ganz besonders Violets Bindung zu Tairn und Adarna interessant und wundervoll! Aber auch die ganze Geschichte rund um den Krieg, die Rebellen und das Trainingslager, in dem Violet war, waren total abwechslungsreich und unglaublich gut ausgebaut. Ich war richtig gefesselt! In all dem waren jedoch Violet und Xaden mein großes Highlight. Ihre Enemies to Lovers Geschichte ist wirklich etwas ganz Besonderes und geht einem richtig krass unter die Haut. Man fiebert mit ihnen mit, saugt ihre intensiven Emotionen in sich auf und wird von dem Spice sicher nicht kalt gelassen. Violet und Xaden funktionieren zusammen einfach perfekt und sind ein unglaubliches Paar! Ich war teils sprachlos und konnte nicht genug von ihnen bekommen. Es war besonders, wie sie sich gegenseitig unterstützt haben und aus diesem Hass unendliche Liebe wurde! Natürlich gab es auch genug Drama, das einen auf Trab gehalten hat. Denn in dieser Geschichte hat praktisch an jeder Ecke eine Gefahr gelauert und der Tod war ein stetiger Begleiter der Charaktere. Manche Tode haben einen weniger getroffen, andere haben einem das Herz gebrochen. Vor Tränen bleibt man ganz sicher nicht verschont! Aber all das hat das Buch so einzigartig gemacht. Denn man wusste wirklich nie, was als nächstes kommt. Die Story war einfach der Hammer, spannend, abwechslungsreich, voller Nervenkitzel und starker Teamarbeit. Ich habe es geliebt, Violet, Xaden und die anderen durch das Jahr im Trainingslager zu begleiten. Man hat einfach unglaublich viel erlebt, Liebe wie Feindseligkeit und Hass. Vor allem zum Ende hin haben sich die Ereignisse heftig überschlagen und einen schockiert zurückgelassen. Mit dieser Wendung hatte ich wirklich nicht gerechnet. Es hat mich kaputt gemacht und mein Herz brechen lassen. Allerdings war es auch gleichermaßen interessant, weil so viele neue Informationen ans Licht gekommen sind. Nach dem Ende muss ich definitiv sofort Band 2 haben!Fazit: abschließend gebe ich dem ersten Band der Geschichte von Violet und Xaden definitiv 5+ von 5 Sternen. Ich kann gar nicht beschreiben, wie sehr ich das Buch geliebt habe und wie sehr es mich ins Herz getroffen hat. Ich will es am liebsten direkt noch mal lesen!

I first came across Fourth Wing when I noticed it in the #1 position on Amazon's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2023 So Far. But beyond that selection, I looked at how the reviews were trending. At the time, there were more than 21,000 reviews (it's now about to crest 40,000), and the average was a whopping 4.8 stars. It has to be good for that many people to love it, right? In need of a palate cleanser after the difficult read that was The Whispers, I decided I'd limit the likelihood of another clunker and see what all the hype is about. And I'm happy to say that I get why so many people love this book: it's pretty great.Fourth Wing is set at Basgiath War College in the mythical land of Navarre. It opens on Conscription Day, where thousands of twenty-year-olds assemble to take their place among the healers, scribes, or infantry. The most elite of them try to join the most selective branch and become dragon riders.Our heroine is Violet Sorrengail. Bookish and smart, yet frail, she always imagined a future as a scribe, just as her father had been. But her mother is a rider and a general in the army, and she has other ideas. Against Violet's wishes, her mother insists she attempt to be a rider as well. But this isn't an idle push in a different direction. The stakes are the highest possible for those trying to become riders: from the opening conscription challenge through bonding with a dragon, there are dozens of opportunities to fail, and any failure when attempting to become a rider equals death.In addition to the general peril of the tasks at hand, there is also a ruthlessness among the members of the War College. Fewer classmates means better opportunities to bond a dragon, and so the murder of fellow classmates, while perhaps not encouraged, is certainly allowed, making every waking moment one filled with potential death. Yarros creates an interesting caste within the college of students who carry "rebellion relics". They are the children of adults involved in a rebellious uprising six years prior. All of the adults were executed, and the children were only spared execution as well by being forced into conscription as riders. As a result, they all tend to possess a brooding darkness -- you could think of them as the "Slytherin" of Basgiath. To further complicate things for Violet, those children of the rebels all intensely hate her because Violet's mother was responsible for ordering their parents' execution.The novel is packed with a ton of genre-bending elements. There is the basic plot -- Violet's unlikely journey through her first year at Basgiath War College -- which stirred up memories of one of my all-time favorite books, Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline, based on Conroy's first year at The Citadel military college. There are dragons and dragon riders, which of course evokes memories of plenty of fantasy novels, with Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series top of mind. And then there's some romance, and a potential love triangle, which starts out feeling like something from a YA novel, but ends up a lot more R-rated and steamy, and more akin to what you might find in a novel with Fabio on the cover. Add to this a nuanced backstory and some misdirection on who the reader should trust and believe, and Fourth Wing truly has something for everyone.There is depth to the story and characters, which elevates the story and I'm sure plays a big role in the stellar reviews. Yarros handles relationships well, whether it's the strained relationship between Violet and her mother, the love between Violet and her sister, or the friendships Violet forges with her classmates. The romance is the romance; honestly I could have done without it, and while it was almost humorous at times, it works for what it is meant to be. Yarros also does a standout job of presenting how her characters handle loss. Whether it's grieving the loss of family members or their classmates, there is an undercurrent of sadness and longing that affects many of the characters and hardens them to the task at hand. Despite the intensity of their training, Yarros does a pretty good job reminding us that they're only in their early twenties and still figuring out a lot of life.I suspect a lot of the hype and enjoyment of the book is related to how Yarros turns a straightforward "year 1 as a student story" into something more. I can't help but compare that to the Harry Potter books (except, of course, Harry never had hot magical sex with Ginny Weasley -- at least not within the pages of any of the books!). Those novels changed significantly for me with the third book in the series, The Prisoner of Azkaban. Where books 1 and 2 were decent and straightforward YA novels, The Prisoner of Azkaban took the story to a more nuanced and mature level. Yarros does the same thing here, but all within the pages of a single book. I get why people are so drawn to the story.Overall, it's a winner. It's fun, and while it feels derivative of several other novels, it also combines those stories and plots in its own unique way. Book 2, Iron Flame, is already set for release this November (I've already ordered my copy!), and so if you fall in love with the characters, you'll have the opportunity to spend more time with them before long (well, at least with those who survive Fourth Wing). It's a compelling read and like the other 40,000+ readers who have this trending at almost 5 stars, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

So you all were not kidding when you said this would be my new obsession. If infinite stars were an option, this book deserves it all. No because I don’t even know what day or time it is and yet here I am trying to string together words that will somehow makes sense and do this masterpiece justice. There are some stories you read and enjoy but every so often you come across one that just obliterates everything and takes over your entire being within a few pages and becomes your world and personality. Well, this is the one."Tell me what you're thinking?""I was thinking you are exactly as I predicted the first time you took me in my room.""Oh yeah? And what was that?""A very dangerous addiction."What Rebecca has created is something that not only exceeded everything yet at the same time made me feel as if I was returning home. Growing up with books like The Divergent or The Hunger Games I always yearned for more reads like this, and you guessed it, I found my new religion. The world not only captivated me but dragged me in so deep I was living, breathing, and watching the action unfold and spread amongst these pages. The characters truly all felt larger than life itself. This is still one I think about daily even though it has been a few weeks since I turned the last page.What you can expect to find• High fantasy romance• Underdog FMC/Broody morally grey MMC• Enemies to lovers forbidden romance• Academia War College setting• DRAGONS• Slow burn with delicious spice pay off• Hand to hand combat• Chronic illness rep• Unique magic system“I’m not going to die today.”Violet “Violence” Sorrengail aka my newest ride or die gal. I have never experienced this much love towards a FMC before. She is one tough, resilient, badass strong, compassionate, strong soul that has this vulnerability to her that just makes her relatable, real, and raw. Her bravery and the lengths in which she goes to protect those she cares and loves has brought tears to my eyes. I could spend my days being inside her head. Her heart is her biggest gift.”Here’s the thing, Sorrengail. Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities.””I’m not sweet. Please don’t mistake any part of me for soft or kind. That will only get you hurt, and whatever you do…” “Don’t fall for me."Xaden oh the way this man has ruined me for everyone else... Seriously not only has he overtaken my thoughts and have been the star of a few recurring dreams but just his whole being is my new addiction. He is an enigma. Even though we weren’t in his head, just the glimpses we got had me weak in the knees. I loved the tension between the two. If anything, it made my angst loving heart soar. He has the whole touch her and d!e attitude without actually coddling Vi and how he believes in her and pushes her to be her strongest self was everything. He was not smothering yet he was still folding over at the sight of her was what my soul needed. His past is not easy but once we got to see him treacle in through her eyes, it was honestly something beautiful. He is delicious and divine. Plus, that mouth on him… *chefs kiss*“Am I affecting your schedule, Violence?” There’s a definite smirk on those lips. “I just need to know what my chances are here.” My hands curl into fists. The ass has the nerve to smile.“That’s the oddest way I’ve ever been hit on—”“Not my chances with you…!”I could read about these two and their delicious chemistry forever.”"Oh, gods.""Which one are you calling out for? Because it's just you and me in this room, Vi, and I don't share."”Come on, let’s get you to bed.” I lean in and kiss the scar on his eyebrow. “It will be tomorrow when you wake up.” “I don’t deserve you.” His arm curls around my hips and he tugs me closer. “But I’m going to keep you all the same.”The found family healed parts of me that I didn’t even think needed it. Liam, Rhiannon, Imogen, Garrick. I love them so much. They really made me feel like I was part of their chosen clan. But I swear if we don’t get justice for a certain character I will riot.Of course I cannot end this without giving a shout out to one of the main factors of what made this book so unique; Tairn and Andarna. These two have been such a breath of fresh air. Their interactions and acceptance of Violet was incredible."A dragon without it’s rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”Truly thank you, Rebecca, for creating the perfect escapism and my new lifeline. I can speak with all the certainty that this is a world I will be returning to time and time again. The hangover I am still experiencing from this is strong!