Fourth Wing is everywhere. Or at least that’s how it feels for me. It’s being hyped across socials, creating the need to find out why. Why is this book everywhere? Why is everyone talking about? What is with this hype!?

I’ve done this dance before, and past partners have left me disappointed. So I wasn’t sure what I’d get out of this date with Fourth Wing. Still…I was far too intrigued to deny the chance in finding out.
And intrigued paid off. Hyped paid off. This book pays off.

This exceeded all expectations. I was left breathless and speechless...I was utterly consumed.

This is the one.

》The Protagonist《

Violet was a fantastic protagonist.

Fantasy romance is at times oversaturated with heroines who are badass/girlboss archetypes. Emboldened with physical prowess, weapon mastery, and the quickest of wit. It's overdone. And in some regards, Violet possesses this familiar archetype, but fashioned in a way that subverts certain expectations while making other traditional facets feel new and refreshing.

Violet does possess a quick tongue and quicker throw of a dagger, but her physicality in terms of brawn is lacking. And the narrative doesn’t let her forget that. But rather than aiming to “fix” what she lacks, Violet makes use of one of her greatest strengths: her cleverness. She finds ways around hurdles rather than simply smashing through. She adapts, she thinks things through, she strives to keep going.

Violet is also such a wonderfully vulnerable character. She experiences fear, regret, doubts, and grief...love.

She is loyal, kind, and authentic.

And she is so wildly courageous. When the odds are stacked against her, she faces them head on. She knows her limitations but she doesn’t give up, she doesn’t hold back. She keeps going.

She’s wonderfully relatable but also the type of character I think many of us would like to aspire to be more like.

I love Violet with all my heart.

》The Supporting Cast《

For me this was a very character driven story. The world-building was a bit tough to grasp, but the characters weren’t. There is an ensemble of vivid characters. Some to hate, some to love, some to cheer, some to mourn. They all come to life off the page.

None more so than Xaden. While he does not receive a main POV, he feels established like a co-lead to Violet. Her foil and her challenger. And her greatest connection, in more ways than one.

Xaden’s presence alone commands attention. He’s captivating in every way, and I can’t wait to learn more about him!

》The Romance《

It’s clear who will end up Violet’s main love interest the second he appears on page. Their chemistry is instantaneous.

Every time their eyes connected, every time words were exchanged, every time Violet thought he was out to kill her, he’d surprise her by doing the very opposite. They breathed life within one another. Every time they just built one of the most epic slow burns.

I have no idea what their future romance holds, especially given how deep their connection runs, how intricately their futures outside of romance are intertwined, I fear so much for them. That’s how committed I am to them, how much I root for this couple to make it to the end. I'm scared for them because there's so much good to love there. I want to see them cross the finish line.

》The Dragons《

Oh the dragons! I don’t want to say too much, because seeing their appearance on page was exhilarating. They bring so much added depth to the story. I loved the personalities, the sheer scope of them. They take up the whole page when present, and I mean that in the best way possible.

》The Shapeless World《

If there’s nay sort of misstep it’s the world-building. I could imagine these characters down to their pores, but the environment, the structure of this world, was a little less clear. It never became vivid in my mind. But I can’t mark that in my rating, this is something that usually does affect rating for me, but the rest of the components of the story were just so powerful, so engaging, that I can forgive the blurriness in world-building.

》The Anticipation Builds《

My heart was racing during the ending of this book, and I kept flipping pages, as if magically more would appear. So yeah…I’m definitely buckled in and ready for the next ride when the sequel comes flying about.

Here for the long haul.