is Fourth Wing actually worth the hype?
the way the internet can collectively explode over one book is absolutely wild.
fourth wing was everywhere. and i mean everywhere. dragons. sprayed edges. xaden riorson edits. people acting like they had personally enrolled at basgiath war college.
so, was it actually worth all of that hype?
one word: wow.
this review is very long overdue, and do you really care about my opinion here and now? i don’t know. honestly, i don’t care. i’m giving it to you anyway.
because i have now read fourth wing, iron flame, and onyx storm, and my relationship with this series has been a little complicated. the first book completely sold me. the second nearly lost me. and the third pulled me all the way back in.
so this is less of a polished review and more of my completely unfiltered thoughts on the fourth wing series, xaden, violet, the dragons, the cliffhangers, and whether you should finally read it.
the fourth wing series reading order
the series is not finished yet, so go into it knowing you will eventually be left waiting. and yes, cliffhangers are involved.
book previews
what is fourth wing about?
violet sorrengail expects to enter the scribe quadrant, where she can spend her life surrounded by books and history. instead, her mother forces her into the riders quadrant at basgiath war college, where cadets train to bond dragons and a lot of them do not survive long enough to graduate.
violet is smaller and physically more fragile than the other cadets, which means nearly everyone assumes she is going to die.
then there is xaden riorson.
he is powerful, dangerous, deeply connected to a rebellion violet has only ever heard one side of, and basically the last person she should trust. unfortunately for everyone involved, their dragons have other plans.
✦ un(filtered) thoughts
*lol if you’re from the newsletter see what i’m doing here? 😉
fourth wing: okay, i get the hype
fourth wing? good. sold me. i got it.
a hot, grumpy man who secretly protects you? yes.
dragons and deadly trials? yes.
being unwillingly tied to that hot, grumpy man because your dragons are mated? hot.
i ate this book up.
it had enough world-building to make the story feel big without making me feel like i needed to take notes. there was danger, tension, betrayal, romance, and a reason to keep turning the page. i understood why people were losing their minds over it.
and xaden? we’ll get to him, obviously.
i also don’t mind a series with cliffhangers when each book gives me at least a somewhat satisfying ending first. ruin my life a little, sure, but give me something.
fourth wing did that for me. i wanted the next book immediately, but i didn’t feel like i had just read hundreds of pages for absolutely nothing.
iron flame: this is where you nearly lost me
then came iron flame.
ngl, it lost me.
there was so much world-building, so much new information, and so much happening that i started to feel like i was being forced to read it instead of wanting to read it. (again just my opinion)
and that is never where i want to be with a romantasy. i can handle a complicated world. i can handle politics, history, magic systems, and a war getting bigger. but i still need to feel emotionally obsessed while all of that is happening.
with iron flame, i didn’t.
i finished it, but reluctantly. it felt harder to get through than fourth wing. even violet and xaden’s relationship, which should have been the thing keeping me completely hooked, became frustrating at times.
onyx storm: oh, we are so back
would i have picked up onyx storm if the internet had not been talking about it nonstop?
probably not.
but. i am so glad i did because damn, it got me.
this was easily my favorite book in the series.
the writing felt stronger. the tension was better. and violet and xaden finally gave me the kind of relationship i had been waiting for from them. (i’m a sucker for the forbidden love vibes… what can i say)
i love a relationship-separating obstacle when it creates real yearning, and onyx storm gave me that. there was this constant ache underneath everything happening between them, and apparently that is all it takes to get me emotionally involved again.
rebecca yarros absolutely pulled me back into this world. after dragging myself through parts of iron flame, i did not expect to finish onyx storm genuinely excited for whatever comes next.
but another cliffhanger?
girl. please. i am tired.
my completely rational thoughts on xaden riorson
let’s be honest, xaden is a huge part of why this series works.
he is grumpy, powerful, morally gray, protective, and always keeping approximately seventeen secrets.
frustrating? absolutely. but a man who would burn the world down for you works on me every. single. time.
fictional boyfriend material: yes.
meet the fictional man
is the empyrean series worth reading?
yes.
even with iron flame nearly losing me, fourth wing is addictive romantasy with dragons, danger, romance, and a man the internet was basically engineered to obsess over. the world-building can become overwhelming and the cliffhangers are getting disrespectful, but when this series hits, it really fucking hits.
→ view the full empyrean series
what to read after fourth wing
okay so here is where i’m sending you if you’ve already read the series or you need to read it, then come back and read these next.
the ever king by l.j. andrews
read this when you want something darker, spicier, and a little more deep. it has a possessive mmc, enemies-to-lovers tension, pirates, fae, and the kind of romance that feels more adult? (lol but i mean it)
the lies of lena by kylie snow
read this when you want a first love that will pull on your heart after the loss of it all. witches are outlawed, their relationship is forbidden, and five years of separation have changed everything. this one is for the readers who want the fantasy, but really stay for the hurt.
between tides & thunder by leena kazak
read this when you want a great romantasy without committing to another unfinished series. it gives you fantasy, romance, danger, and a complete story in one standalone.
book previews
the final verdict
the hype? deserved.
fourth wing sold me. iron flame nearly lost me. onyx storm got me all over again.
this is not a perfect series, but it is an addictive one. it gave us dragons with actual personalities, a heroine who survives by being smart, a morally gray shadow man with a severe communication problem, and enough tension to keep the entire internet emotionally unstable.
i came into onyx storm unsure whether i even cared anymore. i left excited for the next book.
so, yes. a little late, but here nonetheless: read fourth wing.
want more like this? say less.
the full romance library is waiting.
peek inside the society library
take me to the library →morally gray men, slow burns, hockey romances, villains who should absolutely not be attractive… it’s all there.
frequently asked questions
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