Fourth Wing: Is it worth the hype?

I was browsing through TikTok, trying to find my next read when I stumbled across “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros. Everyone was talking about it and on book sites like Goodreads, people had stellar comments. Currently, ninety-three percent of those people found the book to be four – five star ratings. So many people were raving about how this book is “just perfect” and how they were “officially OBSESSED.” So I started the book hoping it would live up to the hype or at least be good to get me out of a reading slump. When I started it, I immediately was hooked. 

After a life of training to be a scribe surrounded by books, Violet Sorengail is forced by her mother to become part of the elite dragon riders. That will be especially hard with not only her smaller body, but also dragons that incinerate, and fellow riders willing to kill her for better chances of success, or for being her mother’s daughter. Those people include Xaden Riorson, her wing leader, whose father was killed by her mother, and the murderer of her brother. She will need every ounce of her intelligence to survive. As time passes the war is building, and Violet suspects leadership holding secrets from everyone. ” Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die ”. 

While lots are in love with this newly popular book, others are thinking differently. Some believe it was too similar to other books. On Goodreads, Antje, a reviewer, stated, “ I wouldn’t call this a carbon copy of ACOTAR, but you can’t tell me it wasn’t loosely inspired by it.” 

In some ways, it was similar to other popular books. When it came to the quadrant system of everyone choosing their quadrant and sticking to it, it was similar to the faction system in the “Divergent” book series.  It was also similar to the book “ A Court of Thorns and Roses” when it came to the protagonist’s love interest similarities. But “Fourth Wing” lived up to all of the expectations and hype it was receiving on social media. I loved the relationships, especially between the protagonist and her dragon. The relationship between Violet and Xaden, to me, was great. They had funny moments, and bonded together because they had to, and I loved how it was not just rushed to “oh I love him” or “I love her.” Even though they were mutually attracted, the author did not unrealistically have them just be together quickly. Yarros had it so they went from hating to being attracted but not saying it, to them saying it, and then them being together, which was good due to their pasts and also their own problems happening. 

 I also loved the other characters in this book such as Rhiannon and Liam because they were such good characters for humor and also genuine friends. When Liam was shadowing Violet for Xaden because she was getting targeted, you could see him genuinely doing it, and building a friendship through it.  Xaden, even with how much I love him, could be more developed. Because it was mainly in Violet’s point of view, we did not see much of him changing, or his feelings, until the very end with his one-two chapters. The cliffhanger at the end had me completely shocked, but a good shock because I never expected it at any point in the book. I will be running to the nearest bookshop on November seventh for the sequel. 

“Fourth Wing” is such a beautifully written and exciting book that people wanting a binge-worthy book to read should definitely buy it. I can say this is one of my favorite books, and I am 100% biased to its superiority to other fantasy books with similar elements.  If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, dragons that can speak to you, secrets from the leadership, and a crazy cliffhanger then this book is for you.