A review by vaguely_pink
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
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
3.5
When the entire internet is collectively freaking out about a book and selling it out at every retailer under the sun, I’m going to have high expectations. And Fourth Wing just didn’t live up to the hype for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at basically-child-soldier camp. I love a fun trope-y read. I honestly even kind of liked how I was able to predict the entire plot as it happened. (I promise I’m not being shady, I really did enjoy that aspect.) Also, disability rep where the characters are accommodated for instead of having to overcome being disabled? We LOVE to see it. I’m stoked to read the sequel because I found the story, the world, and the characters really interesting. I just also found them to be rather one dimensional and at times lazily written ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lots of the world building and characterization is told instead of shown. Violet and Xaden’s relationship is way more insta-love than enemies to lovers like it was billed. As some other reviews point out, some of the most interesting character dynamics, like Violet’s relationships with her mom and sister, are glossed over or only really spoken about based on what happened before the story begins. There’s a lot of potential here, and I hope more of that is explored in the next book.
If you’re into this kind of new adult romantasy (although this one felt way more YA than adult), I’d still recommend Fourth Wing. It’s a fun time, but if you spend any time on the internet, temper your expectations.
Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at basically-child-soldier camp. I love a fun trope-y read. I honestly even kind of liked how I was able to predict the entire plot as it happened. (I promise I’m not being shady, I really did enjoy that aspect.) Also, disability rep where the characters are accommodated for instead of having to overcome being disabled? We LOVE to see it. I’m stoked to read the sequel because I found the story, the world, and the characters really interesting. I just also found them to be rather one dimensional and at times lazily written ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lots of the world building and characterization is told instead of shown. Violet and Xaden’s relationship is way more insta-love than enemies to lovers like it was billed. As some other reviews point out, some of the most interesting character dynamics, like Violet’s relationships with her mom and sister, are glossed over or only really spoken about based on what happened before the story begins. There’s a lot of potential here, and I hope more of that is explored in the next book.
If you’re into this kind of new adult romantasy (although this one felt way more YA than adult), I’d still recommend Fourth Wing. It’s a fun time, but if you spend any time on the internet, temper your expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Ableism, Chronic illness, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Medical content, and Toxic friendship