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Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing

By Rebecca Yarros

  • Release Date: 2023-05-02
  • Genre: Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 24,194 Ratings
$14.99 On itunes Buy on Amazon

Description

A #1 New York Times bestseller • TV series in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society • Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award Winner • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine's Best Books of 2023

"Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros' Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy." —Booklist, starred review

"Fourth Wing will have your heart pounding from beginning to end... A fantasy like you've never read before." ―#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 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.

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
Book #3 Onyx Storm

Reviews

  • Worth the hype

    5
    By Mariale.14
    AMAZING! I wasn't sure it was going to live to the hype but it totally did. There were some plot twists I saw coming, but there were some I was surprised didn't. I really like multiple things about the book: pacing, good but not overwhelming world building, not an insufferable FMC (except for being fragile, but she wasn't emotionally immature as the rest), shameless flirt MMC and great dragons backstory and impact on the plot. Devoured this book in 10 days, highly recommend!

  • Great fantastic book!!

    5
    By okti sipokni
    Insane…just insanely good!!

  • Riveting

    1
    By kakemiel
    Just love how great the story is. The adventure, the dragons, how graphic it is, the love story and how everything connects at the end. Can’t wait to keep reading the rest of the series.

  • Loved

    4
    By kaight92
    Okay I loved the storyline and the characters are great! The romance is steamy and she’s so descriptive, I definitely was able to picture everything clearly. A gripe I have is that she reuses the phrase “I couldn’t help but wonder” or a version of that so often that it was driving me crazy. I kept hearing Carrie Bradshaw haha. Other than that I couldn’t put it down!

  • I’m hooked!

    5
    By Lschnitty
    I was so engaged with this book. Loved it!

  • Welcome to Basgiath—Good Luck Surviving

    5
    By Andiejay3
    I'll admit I was a bit unsure going into this one. The military setting and dragons didn't really feel like my cup of tea. But BookTok was constantly pushing this series on my FYP, and eventually I caved. And thank Dunne and Malek I did! This series is so well written. The characters are lively, the world building is stunning, and the magic system is brilliant. Rebecca Yarros has created something truly special here—a world that feels vast and dangerous and real, with characters you can't help but invest everything in. What makes Fourth Wing work so well is the balance. It's got the high-stakes tension of a military academy where survival is never guaranteed, the slow-burn romance that will have you absolutely feral, and a world so richly built that you lose yourself in it completely. The dragons aren't just a backdrop—they're characters in their own right, and the bond between rider and dragon is one of the most compelling parts of the whole story. Violet and Xaden's dynamic is everything. The tension, the banter, the trust that builds slowly and painfully—it's the kind of romance that makes you kick your feet and scream into your pillow. And Violet herself is such a fantastic protagonist. She's not the strongest or the fastest or the most powerful, but she's smart and resilient and refuses to give up, and you root for her with everything you have. It's safe to say I'm a dragon girl now. What a breath of fresh air this series is. I can't wait for what comes next.

  • Thoroughly entertaining

    5
    By elliebartee
    I really enjoyed this read. The characters seem so real. They have conversations and friendships that are realistic. I even laughed at multiple jokes. I was sucked into this world.

  • Pain. Triumph. Heartbreak and Hope.

    5
    By J. Fix
    The Fourth Wing is one of those rare books that pulls you in from the very first chapter and refuses to let go. Rebecca Yarros masterfully makes you feel every emotion—pain, triumph, heartbreak, redemption, and hope—as the story unfolds. Each chapter builds seamlessly upon the last, with subtle context clues and details scattered throughout that reward attentive readers and make the ending even more impactful. Beyond the dragons, action, and fantasy, this book offers powerful lessons about leadership, trust, resilience, and overcoming self-doubt. Watching Violet navigate impossible challenges while learning when to trust others—and when to trust herself—makes this more than just an entertaining read. There are valuable takeaways for young leaders about courage, adaptability, and leading through adversity. The characters are compelling, the world-building is immersive, and the pacing keeps you turning pages late into the night. The Fourth Wing is an absolute must-read and easily one of the most engaging books I’ve picked up in recent years. I’m already looking forward to diving into the next book in the series.

  • Addicted

    5
    By Casi Laine
    I’m on my second read and it definitely won’t be my last. This book just owns my soul!

  • A favorite

    4
    By mimiarie
    Rebecca Yarros writes in present tense like no one else. It’s like you’re actually there and I love it. Great plot and twists. A great look at growth and depth in her characters.

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