Really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was amazing. Will continue with this series. The netgalley audiobook archived before I could listen but I listened to it later from my library so am able to give feedback.

This book was INCREDIBLE. I cant even explain how many times I've already re read and re listened to this read. It holds such a special spot in my heart of favorite books for sure. I don't think there is anything to compare. If you haven't yet do yourself a favor and do it, you will not regret it. If I could do ten stars I 100% would do so.

Fourth Wing being marketed towards an adult audience when most of it is a YA fever dream similar to the likes of Twilight and such is comical. I'm not sure who this book is for. There's spice in it, but the characters are all so young and act young that it feels a bit icky.

overall okay, the audio was mostly well done.

the story itself was okay but the writing was too contemporary for me for a completely fantasy setting and the comparisons between our worlds things in a dragon fantasy world setting ripped me right out of the story.

also the “romance” felt very forced and too fast for how it went from forced hate to forced love.


overall it was entertaining and kept me wanting to know where the story would go but it’s definitely a purely popcorn entertainment instead of a well written and planned out fantasy story with depth and throughout world.

so depending on what you want from it -it’s either for you or you will hate it.

I had not realized that this was still on my shelf for needed feedback! I sincerely apologize to the publishers as I was not able to download this before it was archived. I LOOOVE the book though!

I, like many others, loved this book. This is a perfect starter fantasy. The world building is there, but it isn't too confusing or convolved. The characters are so well written and witty that they keep you entertained. It was too good!

Like everyone else that got an early copy of the audio the narrator sounded sick but I know they fixed it.

For the story, it always amazes me that authors just pull these stories out of their head. It took me until chapter five to really start liking it and then I was hooked. Stayed up way too late to finish it.

I loved all the characters! Everyone flowed so well together.

I’m still not over a certain death but this author always does that.

There’s a cliffhanger so be ready for that. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Thank you for RB Media and NetGalley for this advance listening copy. This book is absolutely addictive and the narrators they chose for this book really brought it to life, helping with a lot of the more world/info-dumping aspects. Overall, this book and world feel laced with something indescribable.

I honestly did not expect to like this book as much as I did and thought it was overhyped. But it was fantastic. It was like a mix between Priory of an Orange Tree and and The Poppy Wars. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Rebecca Soler is amazing as always.

Thank you to RB Media for the audio arc.

I only read about 24% of the audiobook so my review is based on my physical finished copy.

5/5 Stars

This is gonna be a long review because this book is really special to me.

I have wanted to read this book since it was released and even before I knew it had EDS (Ehlers-Danlos syndromes) in it. I even got a freaking audiobook arc of it and I had started it but the narrator just didn’t work for me so I gave up about 25% in and hadn’t gotten around to finishing the book until now. This book was complex but not so complex my brain hurt which sometimes fantasy novels can really be hard for me to get through, especially when romance isn’t a main plot point. People emphasize the romance in this book which I truly think does a disservice to it because this book is fantasy and complex world building and magic systems first and romance like third. I love the romance, do not get me wrong but there is so much more to this book than the romance between Violet and Xaden.

Violet has spent her whole life training to become a scribe but when her mother, the Commanding General, orders Violet to join the rider quadrant she doesn’t have a way to say no. She has spent her whole life knowing that she was different, she is weaker, more fragile, and smaller than most, becoming a dragon rider seems like a death sentence especially when everyone seems to want revenge against her mother. Violet just wants to survive but it seems like people she thought were her enemies might just become her best chance at surviving.

I am someone with EDS and I have never read it in a book so I didn’t expect the first time I saw it in a book to be a high fantasy book with fucking DRAGONS. Disability representation is still not super common and what is even less common is for it to be done well and accurately. EDS is a hard diagnosis to tackle in a book because even ignoring the fact there are 13 subtypes of EDS, it often within the same subtype can vary dramatically person to person. But Yarros handled it really well, based on the book I would guess it is either classic, classic-like, or hypermobile EDS based on what I know and as those are often the ones with the most joint dislocations and subluxations like violet but it could be a different type. As I said it can vary symptom wise based on the person but Violet was actually very similar to me except I don’t have any bone issues, I instead have muscle weakness and joint issues so It was crazy seeing someone like me ride a dragon. Ignoring the spicy bits this book would have been life changing when I got my diagnosis and it was impactful even now and it likely will impact a lot who have chronic illnesses.

I loved the friendships and other relationships in this book. Violet cares and cares hard so she has to learn quickly to try and care less to prevent heartbreak as a lot around will not make it through the year or possibly even the month. Her friendship with Rhi was amazing and I loved her relationship with Liam. Her friendships were more important almost than her romantic relationships and I really love that. Now to the part a lot care about and so do I, Xaden. I think it is safe to say if you give readers a man who is morally grey, has trauma, and has shadows we will fall in love with him no matter what. I really loved the slow progress of Violet and Xaden and I know that slow progress will continue into book 2 if not further. I am confident that they will be endgame due to a lot of factors and they bring out the best in each other and truly fit into each other's lives in unexpected ways. I really am hoping book 2 is at minimum dual pov with Xaden because I really want into his mind.

The Dragons, Tairn and Andarna were amazing. Tairn is a grumpy old man that just wants to do what he can for his mate and also help Andarna. Andarna is a precious bean that must be protected and I can’t wait to see what happens as the series progresses with her. I loved a lot of the dragons and I am super curious about their “government” and how that all works.

I can’t wait to read book 2 and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Unputdownable!

I picked this up and couldn’t stop listening until I was done.

I loved seeing a main character with a chronic illness and loved seeing accommodations for it in a fantasy world. I am anxiously awaiting Iron Flame!

I wanted to love this book. I was ready to be wowed. For some reason Fourth Wing didn't do it for me though. The writing style was fine, and the story was interesting, but I never got completely hooked. So in the end this was a case of "it's not the book, it's me".

“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”

4.5 ⭐

Well, this was a lot of fun! I love dragons and I love school setting. I’m also a fan fantasies with a bit of romance, but where the emphasis stays on the plot. So this worked quite well for me on several levels.

I have to say, though, I see why many people didn’t like this book. I had issues with all those things, too. The backstory and world building were done pretty badly. There were inconsistencies and many questions left unanswered. And not in a cool I’ll-explain-it-in-the-sequel kind of way, but just in the sense a lot of things didn’t add up.

But I still enjoyed it. Hope we’ll get some more of that world and lore explained in the second book.

I was really looking forward to this book, but I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.

I'll start with what I did like about the book. It was really great to see the chronic illness rep with Violet. So many people have felt seen with her character and that is why representation matters to much! The premise of the book was really interesting to me. I absolutely love dragons, so that was probably my favorite part of this book overall. I hope we get to learn more about them in the next book.

There was a character that I was suspicious of pretty much from the start, and that person ended up doing what I suspected of them. There were a couple other twists that I didn't see coming, especially with the ending, and my mouth was hanging open in shock.

Now, the reason for my rating not being higher. The audio version of this book just wasn't that great. That is so hard for me to say because Rebecca Soler is one of my favorite narrators and I've loved all the books I've listened to that she's narrated. But she was clearly sick for the first 30% or so of this book. There were so many instances of mouth noises, swallowing, wheezy breaths and other things. It was incredibly distracting and took me out of the story constantly. Because of that, when the audio switched to when she was well, by that point I just wasn't as interested in the book anymore. I also wish Xaden's POV would have been in the book more so Teddy Hamilton would have had a bigger part. I loved that the book ended with his POV though and loved Teddy's narration. He's one of my favorites as well.
Overall, I think I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I had just read the physical copy.

I have no words besides this book has drugs in it! This is so addictive and amazing and intense I loved every minute of it

The hype over this book is WELL deserved! OH MY GOD AMAZING! The audiobook is SPECTACULAR! If you might have issues with the lore dumping while reading it...give the audiobook a try! It's so fluid, so well done, the voice acting is GREAT! Seriously this book just checked all my boxes and I! AM! OBSESSED! Can I give this book more than five stars? Please?

I cannot wait for the next book! I've been recommending this book to literally everyone I know! It's just that GOOD!

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the ALC Audiobook! ♥

I was so scared that this book wouldn't live up to the hype, but for me it did. I had a great time. Now is this the best written book in the world? No it's not. Is it predictable? For me its was yes, because I guessed quite a few things throughout the book. Including the ending, but that was more of a imagine if...and then it turned out to be right. There needed to be more clarification that Xaden was a person of colour. When he was introduced it was quite ambiguous that I didn't twig that he was meant to be a person of colour until later on in the book. The ambiguity around Xaden confused me because the description of other POC characters was very clear, it was only Xaden that wasn't.

Now the audiobook is a whole different story. The narration was not good, it sounded like the narrator had a cold and it was very off putting. So I'm glad to see that the audio is going to be rerecorded.

That being said I loved this book. I had a great time. I enjoyed the pacing, the adventure, the challenges and trials. I had a riot if a time with this. I finished it in two days. I really really enjoyed the characters, apart from Daine. He can get in the bin, along with Jack. I thought Violet was a great main character, Mira was such a badass sister, and of course the best part of the book...the DRAGONS.I need one, or two, or all of them. They are so sassy and sarcastic, I love it. I thought the disability rep in this was brilliant to, It was so well done. I loved how Violets disability was not her only character trait.

Fun, adventurous, fast paced and heart-breaking. I sobbed my heart out...it was great!

This book was absolutely everything that I wanted it to be and more. I wanted to reread it before I was even done! I love books about dragons and these dragons were so cool. I immediately loved Violet. I love her spunk and humor. She is brave and fun too. There were some dark academia vibes for sure which I love. I love the spice in the book too. The ending got me. I cannot wait to read the next one! Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail, the daughter of the commanding general, was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant and live a quiet and safe life. Her mother orders her to join the Riders Quadrant, which has a high death rate, especially for someone like Violet who hasn’t had any training for it. Not only does Violet’s small, brittle body make her unlikely to bond with a dragon, with her famous last name, she’s the target of other students in her quadrant. Xaden Riorson is the wingleader of her quadrant, and he has a reason to not like Violet. However, Violet defies all the odds when it comes to training and bonding with a dragon. She must do anything she can to survive.

This book definitely lived up to the hype! There was a great slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance which I loved! I listened to the audiobook and read a physical copy. I found it a little difficult to follow the audiobook, mostly because it was such a complex world to enter. I enjoyed the physical book much more. There were shocking twists at the end, including a huge cliffhanger ending. I’m so glad that I only have to wait a few months for the next book in the series!

Fourth Wing is an amazing new dragon-filled fantasy!

Thank you RB Media for providing an audio arc of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent, broken bones, murder

Audiobook Review: The first 30-40% of this narration was terrible quality and I'm shocked that this was the final product.

Book Review:
Like most people, I was hyped about this new fantasy romance featuring dragons. So, it’s never a good sign when I can easily put the book down at 45% with no desire to pick it up again. If it weren’t for my obligations as a cohost for a live review, it would have been a DNF.

There are some major issues that can be summed up as: Marketing, Dragons, Character Development, World Building. Let’s get to it!

Marketing
The strategy that Entangled and Rebecca Yarros seemed to use was straddling the line. First up, contemporary vs. fantasy romance. This can come down to personal preference, but this was way too modern in world-building and dialogue for me. In theory, it’s a great strategy if you want to appeal to a broader audience. Non-fantasy readers wouldn’t have much trouble because the world-building is practically nonexistent. That’s not what I’m looking for in a fantasy featuring dragon riders and a country/world (I’m still not even sure after reading the books) at war.

The other line Fourth Wing straddles is YA vs Adult fantasy romance. Even though this is sold as a “new adult” fantasy, it’s really YA with some sexy scenes thrown in to satisfy spicy booktok. The problem isn’t necessarily the smut (we’ll get to dragon lust later…) but the fact that the tone of this book is so confusing.

Everything about this world and the characters is written to feel young. It could have easily been set in a magical boarding school instead of college without changing a thing. BUT “spicy” is a huge selling point at the moment and in order to toe that line, the characters are in their early 20s so that we can have on-page sex.

Granted 20 year-olds are generally not the most mature, but I am a reader who prefers emotional maturity in my characters regardless of age. I AM NOT THE AUDIENCE FOR YA ROMANCE. If I would have known that this is mislabeled YA romance, I would have skipped it.

I stand by my label of YA romance because this is just Divergent with dragons.

Dragons
The dragons suffer due to the modern feel of this world. The book can’t decide if dragons are ancient and powerful beings or their rider’s BFF.

On the one hand, dragons are shown to fry cowardly would-be-riders to a crisp as they turn tail and run in fear, and smite those they see as unworthy while humans are paraded in front of them. They give their riders inordinate powers once bonded, and can crush a human with their giant claws and teeth. The candidates are told to not even make eye contact with the dragons because they could just decide to unalive them. In other words, these are creatures that you do not fuck with…

But they are also creatures that potential dragon riders have no problem bad-mouthing in front of their faces during the dragon presentation. I kid you not, one dude-bro loudly complains that he can’t see the tails (an indicator of breed), and basically says “ewww” about one dragon who “looks like a freak” and is weak. These same dude-bros decided that they are going to kill the weak dragon later on.

How am I supposed to take dragons seriously when the author can’t decide if dragons are supposed to be feared or easily disrespected? Not to mention the way our main characters converse with their dragons.

Violet bonds with Tairn, supposedly an incredibly powerful and rare dragon, and then she immediately feels comfortable scolding him and cracking jokes like this is a lifelong pal!

So which is it? Are dragons THE power in this world? The ones who bless their human riders with abilities that are far superior to that of any other faction? Or are they just an accessory/sidekick?

I haven’t even gotten to the dragon lust scene. Oi.

After bonding with her dragon and struggling to not jump her mortal enemy’s bones since they first locked eyes, Violet gets a sudden case of the hornies when Tairn is mating with Sgaeyl. That’s right, dragon sex brings our two protagonists together! What in the hell am I reading?


Character Development
Violet Sorrengail is our classic underdog heroine. She’s physically weaker than anyone else going into the Rider Quadrant due to an illness that her mother had during pregnancy. This resulted in both fragile bones and joints, not to mention she is pint-sized and dragon riders are usually tall.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a heroine who can prove everyone who underestimates her wrong, but Violet is not the empowered FMC that this story requires to convince me that she can actually survive this world.

Trained to be a Scribe by her father, Violet is out of her element as she is forced to join the Rider Quadrant by her mother. This is a faction that prizes brute strength over everything else. It’s kill or be killed. There is one half-hearted attempt to develop Violet’s arsenal. We are told she is skilled at making poisons, but it's barely referenced and only at the most convenient time.

Instead of Violet leaning more on her strength - book smarts - she just gets extra combat training (apparently six months of training with a professional hired by her mother was not as effective as training from fellow novices), poisons a few people, and skates by on a very underwhelming version of Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. That was exactly how I pictured this obstacle course in my head…

Why not empower her more by letting Violet herself come up with the dragon scale armor that her sister gifts her? It's apparently a new invention, but it would have been so much cooler if our book smart heroine figured out how to engineer one for herself. Why not have Violet make other things besides poisons? Elixirs for more energy and better stamina etc. Just give her something that makes her character worth rooting for instead of twiddling our thumbs for so long until her secret dragon power is revealed. It was so underwhelming when she gets her signet because that’s truly the only way she survives by these people’s rules.


Xaden Riorson is the classic dark-haired, brooding MMC in all fantasies. These are Violet’s first thoughts about Xaden “He is the most exquisite man I’ve ever see. Flaming hot. Scorching hot. Gets-you-into-trouble-and-you-like-it level of hot.” And I’m not above falling for a 6ft honed warrior with a chiseled jaw and piercing eyes. But oh-nos he’s the son of the leader of the rebellion and will totally kill her at his first chance.

Except I never, NEVER believed he would actually try to kill her. He had so many opportunities to at least try and make her life a living hell, but refrains. So the tension the author tries to create every time they accidentally find themselves alone - and Violet is convinced to the marrow of her bones that THIS is the time he will try to kill her - just never works. Violet is so dense that even after he gives her pointers while sparring, she still thinks he is out to get her. I’m tired.

Not only is this threat made of hot air, but we don’t even know what the rebellion was all about anyway. One province wanted to secede, but we don't know why and our heroine doesn't seem to want to find out. Xaden’s father was the ringleader and all the kids pay the price and are conscripted into the Rider Quadrant. This is the whole reason why he is supposed to hate her, but it’s so weak and clumsily handled. Xaden is surprisingly the least memorable character for me since I felt so neutral about him. The romance between these two was very forced. I just couldn’t seem to care enough about the juvenile attraction that turns into full-blown love in the blink of an eye.

I have to mention Dain briefly. This man’s sole purpose is to show us how much Xaden understands her. Every single conversation that Dain and Violet had went the same.

He insists there is still time for her to defect to the Scribes.
She reminds him that her mother has sworn to drag her by the braid back to the Riders if she even attempts it.
He bemoans how he can’t stand to watch her be hurt.
She fumes that he thinks her weak.

Over and over again. It was a waste of page space. We get it! Her childhood crush isn’t right for her and Xaden is, geez!

The plethora of side characters (except Liam) were so forgettable that it hardly feels like any unique character work went into them at all. Rhiannon is the instafriend that Violet snags on day one. That's all I know about her. Every other character is there as dragon fodder, so the author can kill off unimportant people that we don’t care about.

Liam’s is the only death that felt impactful and moving.

I'm not even going to get into the lazy caricature villains who hate Violet. Just...so bad.

World Building
As I mentioned earlier, the world feels very modern with a dash of dragons and run of the mill powers thrown in for good measure. I do prefer fantasy worlds that have a more historical atmosphere. This won’t be a problem for those who mainly read contemporary and are just getting into fantasy romance. I read both romance genres and this was just a badly disguised Divergent blueprint with minor changes.

One of my biggest complaints with many new fantasy romances in the last year is that they tend to throw the reader straight into action with very little framework to understand the world. I’m not a fan of info-dumping, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil. Skilled authors can integrate the information quickly and meaningfully before the action begins.

We are barely introduced to Violet before she is thrust onto the Parapet for the first death-defying stunt. But why should we care about her? I don’t even know what this world is all about let alone why we should be interested in the Rider Quadrant other than *magic hands* dragons.

A half-hearted attempt at world-building is made with Violet reciting random facts about the world as she completes these do-or-die tasks. It’s stated in such a forgettable manner that it’s hard to retain the information. It’s hard to reconcile having so little context of the world aside from the fact that the Riders Quadrant is the most revered because *magic hands* dragons and a rebellion happened in the past, with the fact that the FMC is basically a historian!

She’s incredibly incurious about the reports coming in from the frontlines and the discrepancies in the Battle Debfriefing class. Which brings me to my next point.

Why is it that this kingdom is so willing to kill off their able-bodied dragon riders in a murder school instead of properly training them? You would think protecting those that bond with dragons would be a priority when the frontlines are desperately in need of reinforcements. Nope! Kill the weak (or the unlucky) *cackles in villain*

The concept of this college makes no sense. The deaths are supposed to up the stakes, but it just feels like a silly waste of resources. I would have taken this book more seriously if it took the recruitment and training of dragon riders seriously.