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A review by _chelseachelsea
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In a world of truly excellent YA fantasy series, Fourth Wing is, well, fine. It doesn’t tread any new ground, and Yaros seems to struggle with deciding what kind of story she wants to tell, but it’s certainly not the wattpad-esque rubbish that haunts so much of the often frightening world of BookTok. Avid fantasy-smut readers will likely be bored by the lack of steam, and those looking for adventure and tension will likely be frustrated by the lack of challenging themes.
Personally, I found the greatest drawbacks are in the writing style. Yaros makes some really odd language and tone choices that don’t really fit the setting, and that is a massive weakness. I’m not opposed to the use of curse words, but it’s difficult to appreciate moments of sincerity when they’re constantly being punctuated by the word “fuck.”
In the same vein, the protagonist is insufferable. She is at her best when she’s working with a team of people much more interesting and reasonable than she is, and she’s at her worst when her pissy, whiny internal narrative is spinning without anyone to disrupt it. I found myself constantly fighting the urge to skim through chapters where I was alone with Violet for too long, desperately hoping someone else would appear.
Thankfully, there’s a pleasantly diverse cast of secondary characters, and where Yaros excels is in her ability to build intimacy and attachment to them. They don’t feel like cannon fodder, and even the minor losses feel heavier because of the time taken to get to know them.
Another plus is that the love interest in this book is fascinating (in addition to being hot), though Yaros does fall into the same trap many other YA authors have stumbled upon - making said love interest significantly more complex and interesting than your main character. Xaden is often the only voice of reason for Violet, which only highlights the misery of being stuck inside Violet’s head. At least we don’t have to suffer through a love triangle, I suppose.
Ultimately, Fourth Wing is entertaining, fast-paced, and exciting enough to keep you turning the pages - even if it’s a largely forgettable story wrought with familiar elements that other YA series have done better. I’ll be curious to see if the remaining books resolve any of the issues with the first.
Personally, I found the greatest drawbacks are in the writing style. Yaros makes some really odd language and tone choices that don’t really fit the setting, and that is a massive weakness. I’m not opposed to the use of curse words, but it’s difficult to appreciate moments of sincerity when they’re constantly being punctuated by the word “fuck.”
In the same vein, the protagonist is insufferable. She is at her best when she’s working with a team of people much more interesting and reasonable than she is, and she’s at her worst when her pissy, whiny internal narrative is spinning without anyone to disrupt it. I found myself constantly fighting the urge to skim through chapters where I was alone with Violet for too long, desperately hoping someone else would appear.
Thankfully, there’s a pleasantly diverse cast of secondary characters, and where Yaros excels is in her ability to build intimacy and attachment to them. They don’t feel like cannon fodder, and even the minor losses feel heavier because of the time taken to get to know them.
Another plus is that the love interest in this book is fascinating (in addition to being hot), though Yaros does fall into the same trap many other YA authors have stumbled upon - making said love interest significantly more complex and interesting than your main character. Xaden is often the only voice of reason for Violet, which only highlights the misery of being stuck inside Violet’s head. At least we don’t have to suffer through a love triangle, I suppose.
Ultimately, Fourth Wing is entertaining, fast-paced, and exciting enough to keep you turning the pages - even if it’s a largely forgettable story wrought with familiar elements that other YA series have done better. I’ll be curious to see if the remaining books resolve any of the issues with the first.