Sweven

Hello, people! Hope you all are doing well. I’ve been busy lately working on some projects, but I don’t want to bore you with the details. Today, I’m here with a reflection and a book review! It’s been a while since I’ve chit-chatted on the blog, so let’s dive right in.

Although I’ve been busy, I must tell you that I had too much time to brain rot. And let me tell you—lazing around when you have a pile of work to do is equally stressful! To break my unproductivity spell and beat the blues, I decided to go back to my voracious reading habits, which were dominant in my childhood. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never completely abandoned reading, but I’d become a slow and lazy reader in the past few years. Cue Fourth Wing, because it helped me get out of this rut! More on Fourth Wing later, but first, let’s talk about my escapism: reading!

Reading has always been my escape. It helps me shut down my overthinking brain and actually enjoy what I’m reading at the moment. (10/10 would recommend as a substitute for mindfulness practices. No, I’m just kidding XD). Even as a child, I used to bury myself in books because they provided the comfort I desperately craved, regardless of how I was feeling. However, we’ve talked enough about what calms me down. It’s time to talk about drumrolls—Fourth Wing.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is the first book in The Empyrean series. It’s a gripping novel in the fantasy-romance genre, with vivid worldbuilding, compelling characters, and page-turning twists. The story revolves around Violet Sorrengail, a young adult navigating her journey in the war college called Basgiath, where one minor mistake can be fatal. You must keep your guard up to survive because, truly, you can trust no one. Violet has to overcome physical, emotional, and mental challenges to stay alive, bond with a dragon, and survive until the very end to become a dragon rider. The modern fantasy narrative and fast-paced action make the book feel refreshingly different from other fantasy books.

Fourth Wing was my first audiobook, and the story kept me so hooked that my hands itched morning, evening, and night to know what happens next. One of the things I both love and hate about the book is that it’s fast-paced. Love it, because I was in a reading slump, and I probably would have DNF’d the book if it was slow. Hate it, because fast-paced novels sometimes make the story feel rushed. However, I enjoyed it, and I think Fourth Wing and its sequel are my personality until the next book comes out. Also, Xaden Riorson is chef’s kiss.

Let’s talk about the fact that this was my first novel in the romantasy genre, and I devoured it! I didn’t know that the romantic fantasy genre was this beautiful. The world-building, the action, and most importantly, the romance, provide the perfect escape from routine. Also, the protagonist of the story, Violet Sorrengail, is such a well-written character. Throughout the story, there are so many struggles and challenges she has to face—physical, mental, and emotional. In a lot of stories, you might feel that the main character is powerful because of their strength or brute force, but that’s not the case here. It’s so refreshing to read about a main character whose biggest asset is her mind—and, of course, her willpower.

Another thing that kept me from putting the book down was the plot twists. Oh my god, Rebecca Yarros needs to chill because I was pushing back deadlines on a lot of work—I actually couldn’t put the book down! There is betrayal, heartbreak, death, and so much more that makes you wish you were in Basgiath. Well, the plot twists remind me of the most important one: the romance! You can never go wrong with the enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, forced proximity tropes, and this book proves it. And the tension, OMG! The romantic tension is a MAJOR reason why you should read this book! You should have seen the way I was rooting for our Shadow Xaddy (I’m going to call him that—no comments, please).

Having said that, I feel there were multiple things I didn’t quite like in the book. Especially with the side characters. I feel like they didn’t have enough space to be more than just characters fueling the main ones’ arcs—they needed to be their own people. The ending, also, felt a bit rushed, and I wish I could have had the opportunity to dwell a little longer on the most emotional or shocking plot twists.

Overall, I totally loved the book, and I will be looking forward to watching the show whenever it releases on OTT! It will always have a soft spot in my heart because it introduced me to the fascinating world of fantasy. If you’re looking for a fantasy-romance read with a more contemporary narrative, and you’re new to this genre, this book will not disappoint.

What was your first book in the fantasy genre? I would love to know, so mention it in the comments below. Also, I’d love to hear your views on Fourth Wing if you’ve already read the book!