Title: Fourth Wing(The Empyrean #1)
Author: Rebecca Yarros
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
Type: Series – Book 1
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult fantasy, Magical World, Dragons, Dragon riders
Primary Characters: Violet, Xanden, Liam, Rhiannon, Imogen
Narration: Limited third party multiple POV
The Fourth Wing is a very promising debut in Empyrean series. This is one book where the entire Instagram book community is doing ga-ga over from the start of the year. I was tempted to apply for this ARC after reading blurb and several reviews. However, couldn’t find time with my schedule. When I picked this, I was still skeptical about being disappointed, but the hype is real.
Plot
Plot starts with Violet getting enrolled into Basgiath War College, riders Quadrant. Trained to be in Scribe quadrant for her entire life, Violet finds herself in riders’ quadrant where survival is of strongest and fittest. Her initial aim is to not get herself killed and ride a dragon. However, it’s not so easy. we will encounter the compelling scenes with powerful dragons, brutal scenes of learning fighting, and students inflicting their own brand of vengeance, will keep you gripped!
Plot of the book is consistent. I was waiting for the dragon’s bonding scene and totally loved that scene. I’m more in love with Andarna than Tarrin.
Characters & World building
World building is very fascinating and easy to understand. Even though we don’t get to see much beyond Basgaith in this book, I hope we will see more of the world in the upcoming books. Dragons were the show stoppers of the book.
I loved how Violet slowly explores her powerful potential. As the saying in the book says “Not all strength is Physical”. She is smart and cunning and will do what ever required to survive. She is also practical, reasonable and empathetic. Her journey from training to be scribe to survival and to become dragon rider is admirable.
Xanden embodies every typical fantasy hero. He is a powerful wing leader. Strong personality, loyal and mysterious. I loved how he pushes Violet to her maximum capacity. I loved how he showed his love and affection through actions. Relationship building between Violet and Xanden was gradual and lovely. From not liking each other to respect for each other, loyalty and trust between them to slow gradual friendship and love was captivating.
Some of the additional characters were amazing. I totally admired Liam and loved Rhiannon. It took sometime to warm up with Imogen. I m still skeptical about Mira, lets see how turns out.
Dragons in this book can actually can choose their riders and decide what magic to pass on. I loved the deeper understanding between dragons and their riders. I liked the concepts of dragons having their own personalities. Young baby Andarna was cute little sunshine. Grumpy, strong Tarrin bonded to tiny human and their banter always bought smile on my face.
Magic System
Magic system explained in book is not so extraordinary. Many powers comes though Dragon. Based on individual character their Signet power varies. I sort of had a guess on Violet signet as author had dropped several clues on that. I look forward to see more of Wyvern and their individual characteristics.
This book gave a great background to the upcoming war. This was a fast-paced, highly enjoyable first book. Please note it ends with cliffhanger. If you have cliffhangers like me and love to binge read then I would suggest you to check if all books in the series are out before starting it.
Source: My purchased copy
Buy link – https://www.amazon.in/Fourth-Wing-Discover-obsession-Empyrean-ebook/dp/B0BPP58HR2/
Blurb as per good reads
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die
Meander - Read & Roam 