Violet Sorrengail has trained her entire life to become a Scribe – one of the four roles available to students at Basgiath War College. Her older siblings Brennan and Mira trained as Dragon Riders. But her body is built differently and not suitable for battle. But her mother happens to be the General. So Violet must follow in her siblings’ footsteps – whether she wants to or not. Now Violet has to join the hundreds of cadets competing for a chance to become part of the elite of Navarre. And with fewer dragons to bond, it’s every cadet for themselves. And some are willing to kill to increase their chances. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a page-turning adventure in which Violet must use her wits to survive her training and make it to graduation – or die trying.
Violet’s body is brittle and smaller than those of her peers, and she suffers from chronic pain. Hence, the reason she fully expected to live her life among books and history. Her Scribe training allowed her to develop intelligence over cadets in the Rider Quadrant. However, it does her no favors in hand-to-hand combat. In fact, she’s more prone to injury, making her “weak” and decreasing her chances of being chosen by a dragon. Consequently, readers learn just how cunning and resourceful Violet can be in Fourth Wing. She has to find another way to defeat challengers and survive each day.
But scheduled challenges aren’t the only dangers Violet has to worry about. Many of the cadets in the Riders Quadrant are children of those who led the rebellion against Navarre years ago. Their identities are displayed via visible relic for all to see. Her mother, General Lilith Sorrengail, gave the command to execute their parents. Hence, Violet has a target on her back by just being her mother’s daughter.
Perhaps the most eager of the cadets is Xaden Riorson, son of the rebellion’s leader. He also happens to be the most ruthless and powerful wingleader in the Quadrant. And unfortunately he knows how to get to Violet without breaking any rules. And with her brother killed in the war and her sister on an assignment, no one can protect her – not even her squad leader and childhood best friend Dain Aetos.
Outside of Basgiath, the land’s protective wards are falling, and civilian towns in their kingdom are under attack more frequently. As Violet continues her studies, she begins to question why the wards are failing. Even stranger that no one seems to have an explanation. Add this to her daily escapes from death, her confusing feelings for Dain, reluctant attraction to Xaden, and preparing to (hopefully) bond with a dragon, Violet has more than her fair share of struggles throughout Fourth Wing.
Yarros knocks it out of the park with this one. The world-building, dialogue, character development, and high stakes will hook readers until the very end. The dragons also have their unique personalities and stand on their own. Plus Violet is simply a remarkable protagonist whose strength and determination will make readers want to root for her from the very beginning.
While the story is a first-person account, the details about the world of Fourth Wing are delivered naturally through Violet’s monologue. And even though the enemies-to-lovers trope is in full swing, the slow burn happens organically and is believable. And after those spicy scenes – I simply could not get Violet and Xaden out of my head.
Anyone who loves dragons, fantasy, romance, and spectacular writing will absolutely love Fourth Wing. And after that cliffhanger at the very end of the book, readers will be eagerly waiting for the next one.
Rebecca Yarros joins us for a Cantina Conversation to talk about her experiences as a published author and how she came up with this epic fantasy. Keep an ear out for the interview on an upcoming episode of the Cantina Book Club podcast and preorder Fourth Wing, available May 2.
This review was originally posted on The Nerd Cantina in July 2023.
