by: Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Publisher: Entangled Red Tower Books
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
Welcome to Basgiath War College.
Conscription Day is upon us. And for thousands of twenty-year-olds, this day could mark the being of the rest of their service life, their last day on this plane, or the being of their demise. “Every Navarrian officer, whether they choose to be schooled as healers, scribes, infantry, or riders, is molded within these cruel walls over three years, honed into weapons to secure our mountainous borders from the violent invasion attempts of the kingdom of Poromiel and their gryphon riders. The weak don’t survive here, especially not in the Riders Quadrant. The dragons make sure of that.”
Like the thousands of cadets surrounding her, Violet Sorrengail has been training for this day her whole life. But unlike hundreds of them who dream of entering the riders quadrant and becoming a dragon rider, the similarities end there. Born with brittle bones and ligaments, Violet was supposed to be a scribe and spend all her time in the library archives, where she would study, decipher, and process information potentially coming from the frontlines. She would be safe. However, six months ago, her mother, General Lilith Sorrengail decided that Violet was to enter the rider quadrant and become a dragon rider like her and Violet’s older siblings. All while knowing that the odds of Violet surviving were minimal.
Violet knows the odds of her surviving are against her. She knows that others are going to be gunning for her simply because she is her mother’s daughter. She also knows that she isn’t as physically capable as her older brother, Brennan, who died defending Navarre, or her sister Mira who’s a lieutenant on the frontlines and a legend in her own right. Violet has known more pain than the average dragon rider could ever imagine. While she’s not happy that her mother has given her no choice, Violet chooses to be courageous and do her best. If her last days are upon her, she plans to give it her all.
One of the people Violet needs to be leery of is Xaden Riorson, the son of Fen Riorson (the Great Betrayer), the man who killed her brother and attempted to lead a rebellion against Navarre to benefit the people of Poromiel. As a result of the actions of Fen and those who acted with him, they were all executed under the watchful eyes of General Sorrengail. Xaden and the other children of the rebellion were marked with a relic and sentenced to test their luck at being dragon riders.
Luck is on Violet’s side when she survives the first test and comes face to face with her crush and childhood best friend, Dain Aetos. Knowing what and who she is up against, he vows to protect her and keep her safe. However, Fourth Wing Wingleader, Xaden has other plans.
Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing is a gripping, action-packed fantasy. Where trusting no one outside of your squad (the only people who are not allowed to kill you) is key to your survival. Where alliances and friendships are precarious at best. Where deception seems to be the name of the game and true friendship and trust is a rare commodity.
Fourth Wing has a little love triangle between Violet, Dain, and Xaden. Dain is like the boy next door. Xaden, her sworn enemy, has the bad boy vibe down to a tee. One wants to keep her safe at all costs and never allow her to see who or what she can become. The other will push her to her limits and beyond, in order to make her self-reliant. At times, you will be on the edge of your seat. You will cheer the cunningness, courage, and determination that Violet has. You will want Xaden to be your next book boyfriend. Your heart will break at times. And there is no doubt that you will be in awe of the events that transpire on the pages.
Oh, I can’t forget about the dragons! These guys are intelligent, fierce, and deadly. But they are also sarcastic and sometimes surprisingly gentle.
Iron Flame is the next book in the Empyrean series and I so can not wait to read it. There are so many questions that I need answers to.
~ Favorite Quotes ~
“Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs–on the probabilities.”
“The right way isn’t the only way.”
“Strength of courage is more important than physical strength.”
“You’ll never be alone again.”
“You’re worthy.”
“Your power is yours and yours alone.”
“You get to feel however you want.”
“Knowledge is power.”
“It only takes one desperate generation to change history–even erase it.”
“I don’t deserve you. But I’m going to keep you all the same.”
“I’ve never once forgotten how amazing you are.”
“Lies are comforting. Truth is painful.”
“I am who I am.”
“I know exactly what I’m capable of.”
“Funny how people rename everything that makes them feel uncomfortable.”
**Received a copy from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased a couple of hardcover editions.**
Rating: 5
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The Empyrean Series:
Iron Flame releases November 7, 2023
Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October, which she co-founded with her husband in 2019. To learn more about their mission to better the lives of kids in foster care, visit www.oneoctober.org.
Places to find Rebecca Yarros:
I've got this on my TBR. Great review. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've read this book one full time, and three more times where I read different parts of the story again. My paperback has over 200 page flags. Reading it all the other times showed me that I missed some things the first time.
DeleteFantastic review. I loved this one and cannot wait for book 2.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've re-read parts of this book 3 times. And when I say parts, I mean about 90% of the book. I have over 200 page flags. Reading it multiple times is just as good as the first.
Delete