Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, 1)

The characters are addictive to follow along even if I have a problem of guessing the plot twists. I don’t enjoy the “tell and not show” aspect of some of the writing style but that is easily brushed over by the number of refreshing characters and deviance from overdone tropes and some tropes that are just done well with new life breathed into them. Gonna pick up the next book as soon I finish this review because of that cursed cliffhanger.

I really love this book

It was really good, and the quality was amazing!

I'll admit it—I was skeptical. The hype around Fourth Wing felt overwhelming, and I've been burned by overhyped fantasy before. A friend sent me a copy to my Kindle, and I thought I was safe. Turns out, I just hadn't met Xaden Riorson yet. Yarros doesn't waste time easing you into this world. You're dropped onto the parapet with Violet Sorrengail, discovering everything as she fights to survive her first minutes at Basgiath War College. No lengthy exposition, no gentle world-building—just immediate stakes and the visceral understanding that people die here. The writing has this modern edge to it, cursing and all, that makes the brutality feel uncomfortably real rather than romantically distant. What hooked me was Violet herself. Her mother—a ruthless general—forces her to abandon her dreams of becoming a scribe and throws her into the Riders Quadrant, where most cadets don't survive their first year. Violet has a condition that makes her bones brittle, so even crossing the entrance parapet is nearly impossible. But she doesn't survive on luck. She survives through strategy, adaptability, and sheer stubborn will. Watching her navigate a system designed to kill her—outsmarting opponents who could easily overpower her physically—that's where the real tension lives. These aren't kids playing at being warriors. They're adults facing mortality, and Violet's realization that the academy's rules are rigged against her adds layers of institutional cruelty that make her victories feel earned. Then there's Xaden Riorson. His father led a rebellion and was executed by Violet's mother, leaving Xaden marked as a traitor's son. Their dynamic starts with genuine hatred—she literally hides knives to potentially kill him, and he calls her "Violence" with real venom. What I appreciated is how their relationship doesn't follow the typical enemies-to-lovers shortcut. The trust between them builds through training sessions and knife-sharpening lessons that are worth the price of admission alone. He believes in her capabilities when everyone else writes her off. When things turn physical, it matters because of everything they've been through together. Meanwhile, Dain—her childhood friend who seems safe and supportive—uses his signet to violate her memories without consent. That betrayal hit harder than any battle scene because it's manipulation disguised as protection. The dragons are everything. During the Threshing, cadets either bond with a dragon or get incinerated for being unworthy. Violet bonds with two—Tairn, this massive black dragon with zero patience for nonsense, and Andarna, a young golden dragon who shouldn't even be there. Their connection is unprecedented and makes Violet a target. The dragons aren't just mounts; they have distinct personalities, and their mental conversations with Violet add both humor and wisdom. The magic system gives each rider a unique signet, and when Violet discovers she can wield lightning while Andarna can manipulate time, it raises the stakes in ways that complicate her survival rather than making it easier. The story shifts from academy survival to something bigger when Violet goes beyond the kingdom's wards and sees what they've been hiding. Venin—humans corrupted by draining magic—and their wyvern creations are the real threat, not the neighboring kingdom they've been told to fear. The battle at Athebyne wrecked me. The battle scenes had me breathless, the betrayals gutted me, and Liam's death left me completely destroyed. He dies protecting Violet, and his loss feels like losing someone real. Then she discovers her supposedly dead brother is alive and part of a revolution, and suddenly everything she thought she knew unravels. Is it flawless? No. Some of the academy rules feel arbitrary, the world outside Basgiath remains underdeveloped, and certain tropes are familiar enough that you can see them coming. But the execution matters more than originality here. The pacing doesn't let you breathe, the emotional beats land because the relationships feel genuine, and Violet's physical limitations add weight to every choice she makes. Fourth Wing isn't trying to reinvent fantasy. It's taking familiar elements—dragons, magic schools, forbidden romance, political conspiracy—and executing them with enough character depth and emotional intensity that they feel fresh. Violet and Xaden's story got under my skin in a way I wasn't expecting. I finished it feeling emotionally wrung out, immediately started the sequel, and I'll be chasing that feeling until the next one. This book didn't just live up to the hype—it lit something in me I didn't realize I'd been missing. If you're still on the fence, clear your schedule and just read it.

The creative setting of the story and plot is good, but overly-intimate scenes put me off a little. The book is like an action movie - always intense and fast paced, and the language is simple and somewhat dirty - characters are swearing all the time and one night stands are common culture (very American?). But the author builds up characters relatively well, and keeps you hooked to the story-line. Violet is overall relatable and her developments as she becomes a rider is gripping.

It's good

Loved

I doubted the craze online but the story was actually really good. Good world concept, good writing!

Absolutely loved this book, read it a few days.

Llegó antes de la fecha y en perfectas condiciones. Este libro merece todo el hype que recibe. Estéticamente, los bordes pintados le dan un plus muy lindo a la edición. En cuanto a la trama, es simplemente espectacular, tenemos una protagonista que persevera a pesar de todas las adversidades. Un enemies to lovers nada tóxico, con mucha tensión y su recomendada dosis spicy. Un interés amoroso con vibes de Rhysand (ACOTAR). Un mundo fantástico donde existen lazos entre jinetes y dragones. Misterios, guerra y traiciones dentro del imperio. Llega a ser una perfecta montaña rusa de emociones.

Para quem ama esse universo de romantasy, Fourth Wing é uma ótima escolha. Superficialmente, é como se a autora pegasse Jogos Vorazes, As Crônicas de Gelo e Fogo, Harry Potter, ACOTAR e batesse em um liquidificador para criar essa obra. Porém, ao nos aprofundarmos na história, esquecemos essa primeira impressão, pois é notável que a Rebecca Yaros sabe escrever uma trama envolvente, que transporta o leitor para aquele universo e consegue fazê-lo sentir o que a personagem sente. Inicialmente, sobre a trama: Violet Sorrengail é a clássica heroína que se difere dos outros porque nunca quis se encaixar naquele contexto em primeiro lugar. Em uma escola dividida em quatro esquadrões - escribas, infantaria, curandeiros e montadores de dragões -, ela queria se dedicar ao primeiro, mas é forçada a ir para o último. Daí pra frente, apenas existir lá dentro se torna uma luta pela sobrevivência, pois os montadores de dragões não aceitam alguém que enfraqueça essa unidade. Lá, ela conhece Xanden Riorson, o qual é um, também clássico, anti-herói que será o interesse amoroso - e muito, muito carnal - da personagem. Ele tem tudo que amamos em um mocinho de romantasy: é lindo, é forte, chama a Violet por um apelido especial, apoia a liberdade e a liderança dela com um jeito de malvado, de perigoso, de irônico... mas tem todos os motivos do mundo pra fazer o que faz, é justo, é leal, é irresistível...e, no final das contas, completamente devoto a ela. É a receita infalível para um enemies to lovers de devorar em uma madrugada. Jogue no meio o perigo constante, ameaças mortais, dragões amedrontadores, inimigos POR TODA PARTE, uma revolução no mundo em que a protagonista vive e no jeito que ela vê as coisas e temos Fourth Wing nos prendendo à leitura como maníacas obcecadas. Claro, o livro tem defeitos: existem muitos clichês - desde bad boys vs mocinho, a garota diferente das outras garotas, protagonista superidealizada (vulgo Mary Sue/a escolhida/se errou, foi com razão) em alguns momentos, mommy e daddy issues pra todo lado -, pelo menos 1 palavrão por página (o que, em minha opinião, deixa o livro adolescente demais), e se você é apaixonada pelo Rhysand de ACOTAR, você provavelmente vai notar umas certas... semelhanças entre ele e o Xaden. Em suma, o livro cumpre o seu papel: é uma leitura divertida, te mantém interessada o tempo inteiro, te faz torcer por alguns personagens e odiar outros, te faz passar mal com as cenas hot (muito bem escritas, por sinal!), e ir correndo pro próximo livro da série só pra não nem 1 minuto de distância daquele mundo e daquele casal. Eu não diria que é super revolucionário, pois acho que esse nicho literário (fantasia com romances épicos para jovens adultos) já não tem tanto pra onde correr mais. Dito isso, cá estou eu, já terminando o segundo livro e em agonia por ter que esperar o terceiro. Enfim, recomendo!

I don’t think i’ve ever loved a book more. And no, i’m not biased. From the moment i started reading it, it had me by chokehold. It managed to bring me inside a whole new world every time, without fail. Don’t be scared by the length of it, as it is very “readable” and genuinely nice.

The book came in amazing condition 🤍