This book sorely needed an editor. And maybe a cowriter. Someone to shape the overall ideas of the story into something coherent. But at the very, very least, a strong editing pass.

The writing was clunky and repetitive, the author used words whose meanings she clearly didn't understand, and the logistics of what was supposed to be physically happening (especially during battle scenes) were often difficult to follow. The smut wasn't bad, but was outweighed by the endless stream of horny thoughts every single time the two main characters interacted with each other, even when they're supposed to be in dire circumstances or experiencing emotional devastation. The worldbuilding was weak as fuck and seemed to be made up on the spot throughout the book. The way the "war college" works doesn't stand up to even the slightest amount of scrutiny - why would they want to relentlessly kill off all their able-bodied young soldiers when they're at war? Luckily, given the death toll, other than maybe 3 of the main characters, no one has a personality at all; best friends, squad mates, teachers, and family members are basically cardboard cutouts with little to no identity. And while Violet herself is the best-developed of the bunch, it has to be said that her motivations simply aren't there. Other than ~proving people wrong~ once she's there, there is no explanation for why she would commit herself to fighting herself into a violent and early death, when she's given multiple opportunities to go back to the life she always wanted and planned for. She never thinks about the future at all.

All that being said, it was a quick read, and I do wonder where the story is going next. Future books could be good pulp romantasy fun if given the kind of editing they need. My one bit of praise is that I appreciate the hEDS representation, and that she receives accommodations for it. I have literally never seen this aspect of myself reflected in a book before (although I know of another one coming out soon!) and that element was genuinely well done.

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

This quote is currently probably the most popular one on booktok. 
Everybody and their mom read fourth wing! 
But is it really that good? Yes!

If you want to read fourth wing, you have to be sure what to expect, so you aren’t disappointed. 

What is fourth wing?
Fourth wing is a high fantasy with amazing wordlbuilding, a likable main character, great action/battle scenes and a good love story, which is taking over a good chunk of the story!

What isn’t fourth wing!
Fourth wing isn’t a complex political fantasy. It has political elements, but they are predictable and „shallow“. The political elements aren’t bad, they are just not the main attraction. Fourth wing is also almost exclusively about Violet and Xander. The side characters are more an addition to their characters than a character on their own. They are 2 dimensional, but not in a way where they are badly written, but rather in a way, that they are just not as significant to the story.

My conclusion:
Definitely read fourth wing if you what a spectacular high fantasy with a good romance. Or just read it for the Dragons!

Really enjoyed the world building and the pace of the book. Mostly plot, with spice. Can’t wait for the next one

Do agree with this TikTok and some of their critique on the writing style of the author. Well, it wasn’t enough to completely take me out of the story and DNF the book. It was a little bit jarring.