A review by rtjasa
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I actually enjoyed reading this more than I expected. I'm struggling to rate it because there are parts of it I really enjoyed and parts I had a few problems with. The main thing is I didn't go into it expecting the best book of the century, as I'm sure many do. I think it's a good read, I started really liking Xaden quite fast, but I have a major problem with how his character - or I guess their relationship is presented as enemies to lovers, and then
towards the end they're like "i loved you from the first moment i saw you",
honestly things like this one almost made me rank it lover, it's a pet peeve of mine when
once they get together they're nearly married by the time they do it for the 2nd time
. I did like how Violet realized her reaction to him soon (it annoys me so much when they pretend they don't know they're attracted to them and then they kiss and suddenly it's fireworks - can be done, but usually isn't done well) and I actually loved how
she set the boundaries when she realized she is falling for him (and also understood he is falling for he and didn't pretend she doesn't she it as many fmc do).
I LOVED
  in-head communication with the dragons and Xaden and I thought their tension was actually done well.
I liked that Violet was scared but also had some confidence. I don't think other characters are very developed, but I liked (even though if fucking hurt)
learning that Dain accessed her memories without her permission
, what a fucking violation. I also didn't feel like everything went well for Violet, which is a criticism I often see - so disadvantaged and then
bonds 2 dragons and has a strong power
idk, for me it made sense, because it's not like she suddenly became
the best fighter, she found a way around it through poison, she still couldn't keep her seat hence the seddle.
I think my main issue is it was like the writer couldn't decide whether to make Xaden good or bad and I am kind of over the "i'm bad but actually i sacrifice everything" thing that is present in lots of romantasy. I do recommend the book though, I don't think it's extraordinary, but I enjoyed it and I liked the plot, couldn't really predict many things. Oh also I'm all for the
rebellion
plot, even though it's very common in this genre.

Edit: After seeing other reviews & opinions I have to say, if I went into this thinking it is fully enemies-lovers I would rate it lower, because I don't think it is. Xaden is not a villian and I didn't get him as such, but I didn't know anything about the book. If I saw its marketing, this would definitely lower the rating.
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