Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Book Review, Tropes, Summary, and Quotes

The Dark Doyenne
Dec 18, 2025
4 min read

Let me say this upfront so we don’t waste time pretending to be cool and detached:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros ruined my peace.

And I mean that as the highest compliment.

This book didn’t gently pull me into its world. It grabbed me by the collar and shoved me off a parapet. And somehow, I loved every brutal, dragon-filled second of it.

If you’re here looking for a polite, emotionally distant review, this isn’t it. This is a 5-star rant, written by someone who went in curious and came out obsessed. Especially with the dragons. Always the dragons.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Book Overview

Title: Fourth Wing

Series: Book 1 in the Emperean Series

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Genre: Fantasy Romance, Fantasy, New Adult, Romantasy, Romance

Fourth Wing Tropes

· Dark academia

· Enemies to lovers

· Slow burn romance

· Romantasy

· Dragons and magic

· Deadly trials

· Morally grey love interest

Fourth Wing Summary

Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail, a physically fragile but intellectually sharp young woman who is forced into joining the Basgiath War College’s dragon-riding quadrant by her mother. She had always trained to be a scribe and live her life among books. But now, she must fight with all her might to survive in a place where weak ones are the first to get eliminated.

With less dragons willing to bond and more cadets, along with the fact that she’s the General’s daughter, Violet quickly gets a target put on her back.

Now one of the cadets, she must endure deadly trials, ruthless competition and the ever-present risk of dragons who will incinerate humans they deem unworthy.

Fourth Wing - Book Review

Violet Sorrengail – I could kiss her

Violet is not the typical fantasy heroine who discovers hidden strength and suddenly becomes unstoppable.

No, no, no.

She is physically weak has chronic pain but she is constantly aware of her body’s limitations. It is her resilience and her bravery that make me love her. She refuses to back down and has a strong sense of justice. And she survives using intelligence.

She could have just let Jack and team kill Andarna and walk away, but she didn’t. She knew it wasn’t right.

What makes Violet compelling is that she is allowed to be afraid, angry and uncertain without being framed as fragile. She learns how to live inside the system she hasn’t prepped for in any way, without losing herself. That quiet resilience makes her one of the most refreshing protagonists in recent fantasy.

And then there are her dragons. Yes, DRAGONS. Plural.

Violet’s bond with her dragons deserves its own moment because it fundamentally reshapes the story.

Without giving spoilers, Violet’s dragons reflect the duality of her character - strength paired with vulnerability, ferocity balanced by restraint. Her connection to them is not just magical but deeply psychological. They challenge her, protect her, and occasionally terrify her, forcing Violet to confront who she is rather than who the world expects her to be.

What I loved most about Violet’s dragons is that they don’t coddle her. They choose her not out of pity, but because they see something others overlook. Their bond becomes a source of power that is earned, not gifted.

Also, Tairn is crazy hot. Yes, I know. He’s a dragon. Blah blah blah. You just read, then you’ll know.

Xaden Riorson - how I wish you were real

As someone who has read enough dark romance and morally grey love interests, I fell for Xaden Riorson immediately and without shame.

Xaden doesn’t soften himself to be palatable. He is dark, controlled and dangerous in a way that made me bit my closed fist multiple times during the course of this book.

The way he and Violence went from enemies to lovers was HOT. And the way I was gagged at the scene where Violet had to go out for fresh air because their dragons were doing it.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Love them.

The romance in Fourth Wing works because it never demands centre stage at the cost of the plot.

The enemies-to-lovers tension (my favourite trope ever) is layered with mistrust, power imbalance and emotional restraint. The chemistry builds slowly, by shared danger and unspoken understanding. When the romance does deepen, it feels natural rather than ‘they have to get together’.

World-Building and plot

The world of Fourth Wing is unforgiving by design.

The academy operates on the belief that weakness is a liability. Characters die suddenly and without ceremony. I was reminded of this every time I read the line - 'We commend their souls to Malek'. Chills.

The pacing is tight, the stakes are high and the tension rarely lets up.

Writing Style

The writing is accessible and immersive.

Yarros avoids overcomplicated exposition, allowing the world to unfold naturally through action and dialogue. This makes Fourth Wing easy to sink into while still emotionally engaging.

It is the kind of book that quietly encourages you to read just one more chapter, and then another. And then just one more. Until you’re flying right alongside the dragons at 4 in the morning. Just like me.

My 5 favourite quotes from Fourth Wing

“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.” – Just peak, peak, power
“There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence.” – Haden Riorson, the man you are
“One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.” – made me question our entire history
“I will not die today.” – That’s my girl
“Should I get the Wingleader?” – Love sassy Tairn

Final verdict: A well-earned five stars

Fourth Wing succeeds, for me, at least, because it knows exactly what it wants to be and commits fully to it.

It delivers:

Dragons with agency and personality
A heroine who survives through intellect despite being physically weaker
Romance that complements the narrative
A brutal, high-stakes world

Rebecca Yarros has created a fantasy that is emotionally thrilling and unapologetically intense.

If you have ever wanted a story where dragons are powerful, women are complex, and survival feels genuinely earned, Fourth Wing is worth every page.