Despite what I’d heard, I thought Fourth Wing was a predictable, unspectacular novel that had the potential to be great. 
The underlying plot was admittedly interesting and I wish it and the characters had been developed with more focus rather than injecting over-the-top, cringy narration that was only distracting. Compared to similar sub-plots (like Jamie & Claire in Outlander), the Xaden/Violet sub-plot was so predictable, artificial, and sloppily integrated that it reminded me of wattpad.

Ultimately, I thought the book missed the mark of being great and had hoped for a more mature writing style. However, it was interesting enough and I think it has its place as a safe read if you’re looking for something straight-forward.