Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1)

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a fantasy novel set in a brutal war college where aspiring dragon riders must survive dangerous trials to bond with a dragon and fight for their kingdom. The story follows Violet Sorrengail, a physically fragile yet determined young woman, as she battles fierce rivals, uncovers deadly secrets, and discovers her own resilience and strength.

I love high fantasy and the story here is well thought out and told, with interesting world building, and a plot that develops at a decent pace. The characters are interesting, although they are (especially early on) incredibly flat. I don’t mind it too much, as it makes this an easy read.

What I did mind more was the overly present romance plot (making it somewhat YA’ish) and the very explicit sex chapters. Not my cup of tea, and especially in the second half of the book I felt like yelling “Yes, yes, I get it: they can’t live without each other!” at times.

But then, there’s that story again… which is intriguing with a killer cliffhanger. So, I got book 2 ready to go… after some other reading I need to catch up on.

I read the audiobook edition, with all but one chapter narrated by Rebecca Soler. I was thoroughly impressed with how she made it through the sex chapters, but even more with the pace at which she read the (final) chapters of fighting. 👏