Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – Book Review

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Format: Paperback

Book Type: Series (Book #1 – The Empyrean Series)

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Review:

What a way to start a series!!!

I can absolutely see why this book took off the way it did. I’ll admit, I was hesitant at first (hence why I recently read it, and it’s been out for a couple of years) – I assumed it would be another standard enemies-to-lovers romantasy with all the usual tropes. But Fourth Wing? It delivered so much more than that.

This book is intense in all the best ways – high stakes, brutal challenges, a world that feels both immersive and relentless. And while the romance is there (and oh, is it good), it’s the depth of the story that really hooked me. The friendships, the betrayals, the heart-wrenching choices – there’s a weight to everything, and that’s what sets it apart. And then there’s Violet – her resilience, her wit, the way she fights against every expectation thrown at her. It was so easy to cheer her on the entire way, to understand her choices, her doubts, her determination. She felt real in a way that made every victory, every loss, hit that much harder.

I also loved how I didn’t just get attached to the main characters (don’t worry, Xaden… you still have my heart). The side characters? Just as captivating. It’s rare for me to fall in love with an entire cast, but Rebecca Yarros made it easy. Each character, even the ones you want to get scorched, brings something unique to the story. And I’m not talking about just their signets… but their relationships – whether built on trust, rivalry, revenge, or sheer survival, add so many layers! I’m excited to see the character development that is (I hope) to come in the rest of the series.

Fourth Wing is the kind of book that doesn’t just entertain – it consumes you. And after that cliffhanger ending? I am going to read the next one, immediately.

Iron Flame… I’m lacing up my flight leathers and coming for ya.

Favorite Fourth Wing Quotes:

“But I will not run. I wouldn’t be standing here if I’d quit every time something seemed impossible to overcome.” Pg 71

“‘Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you’re really a violent little thing, aren’t you?’” Pg 123

“Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs – on the probabilities.” Pg 169

“’You are the smartest of your year. The most cunning.’ I gulp at the compliment, brushing it off. I was trained as a scribe, not a rider. ‘You defend the smallest with ferocity. And strength of courage is more important than physical strength. Since you apparently need to know before we land.’” Pg 179

“And strength of courage is more important than physical strength.” Pg 230

“‘It’s hard to love a second home as much as the first.’ I swallow. ‘It’s easy when the second home is the right one.’ And that is what the riders quadrant has become to me – the right home.” Pg 237

PS – I want to shout out my boyfriend’s lovely aunt, Ursula, for getting me HOOKED on this incredible series! But, oh my gods… what have you done to me.