A review by hanrutous16
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Fourth Wing might be a booktok, bookstagram sensation, which isn’t always a good reference anyway, but it holds its own beyond that and absolutely grips you as a reader.

Firstly, having a disabled protagonist is so freeing. As someone who lives in chronic pain (and fatigue) having a character that suffers similarly, if not worse, is so exhilarating.
I absolutely love the way the people who truly love Violet enable her. They let her fight, they train her hard. Tairn picks her. Even Jack’s hatred of her is enabling as it continues long after she proves herself. Xaden’s saddle really clinched that element of the story, highlighting the impact of mobility aids. Tairn’s comment ‘you’ve worked as hard as, if not harder, than anyone here’ was incredibly moving because that is what life with a disability is. Equal or excessive work for lesser results.


Are there issues? Yes. Overuse of ‘toxic’, teenage relationship confusion, the fate of the world in the hands of young adults. But they are far exceeded by the superior narrative, the creative imagination and the driving storyline.

Yarros is a skilled and articulate storyteller. She brings so much to life on the page. She creates characters you love and characters you hate with equal skill. Her political creation is deeply disturbing and a harsh warning. But her characters are the absolute best part of all her writing. I am going to have to end this review because Iron Flame is waiting and then Onyx Storm. But I cannot recommend this book to fantasy lovers enough. It really is great.
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