Book 1
ABOUT THE BOOK
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times 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.
NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES
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Don’t miss the new sequel to Rebecca Yarros’s bestselling hit, Fourth Wing.
This title will be released on November 7, 2023.
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ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Series: The Empyrean
Book 1: Fourth Wing
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Book 2: Iron Flame
Preorder Now : November 7, 2023
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Length: 528 pages
Tropes:
- Overcoming Odds
- Enemies to Lovers
- Good vs Evil
- Kingdoms at War
Content Warning from Entangled Publishing:
“FOURTH WING IS A NONSTOP-THRILLING ADVENTURE FANTASY ROMANCE WITH A SATISFYING CONCLUSION. HOWEVER, THE STORY INCLUDES ELEMENTS THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY READER. WAR, BATTLE, HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, PERILOUS SITUATIONS, BLOOD, INTENSE VIOLENCE, BRUTAL INJURIES, DEATH, POISONING, GRAPHIC LANGUAGE, AND SEXUAL ACTIVITIES ARE SHOWN ON THE PAGE. READERS WHO MAY BE SENSITIVE TO THESE ELEMENTS, PLEASE TAKE NOTE.”
I didn’t think I’d be interested in reading Fourth Wing since I never consider myself a fan of this type of book: fantasy. But curiosity got the best of me when I started seeing the book cover posted all over Instagram. So I borrowed the audiobook from my local library and was quickly sucked in by the captivating plot. And, once again, I came to the realization that I actually do like certain fantasy novels.
Due to the length of this story (500+ pages) and so many action scenes, I was happy to have chosen an audiobook. The narrators, Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton were incredible in bringing the well-crafted story to life.
Family dynamics enter into the plot quickly making it hard not to be drawn in. Violet is preparing to enter the Scribe Quadrant, which would entail books and the history of Navarre. But her mother, the Commanding General, has other plans for her youngest daughter, who is somewhat frail. She insists that her daughter enter the Riders Quadrant, where riders and dragons unite to defend their territory. Riders Quadrant is elite, but it is also dangerous and deadly. And remember, this young girl who is always trying to please her mother, is not strong and athletic. What’s her mother thinking?
My Concerns
I’m a fan of closed-door, leave-it-to-my-imagination, romance. Though this only happens in a couple of places, I would prefer the spiciness to be toned down. A lot
Final Thoughts
The storyline felt realistic. Okay, that seems odd to say, considering this is a fantasy. The romance developed slowly and believably. And for this literal, down-to-earth reviewer who shudders when non-English words appear in fantasies, I made it through with flying colors.
All of the posts on Instagram caused me to wonder what this book was all about. If you enjoyed Divergent or The Hunger Games then you’ll probably want to pick up a copy of this book and see if all the hype is legit.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Yarros is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifteen novels, with multiple starred Publishers Weekly reviews and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. A second-generation army brat, Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for more than twenty years. She’s the mother of six children, and she and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a cat named Artemis, who rules them all.Having fostered, then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October, which she cofounded with her husband in 2019. To learn more about their mission, visit oneoctober.org.To catch up on Rebecca’s latest releases and upcoming novels, visit RebeccaYarros.com.
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