Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1)

Review

Fourth Wing surprised me. As someone who doesn’t usually gravitate toward romance-heavy stories, I went in expecting solid worldbuilding and dragons, with the romantic elements as background noise. What I got instead was a fast, addictive read that balances brutal fantasy stakes with an emotional core strong enough to pull even a reluctant romance reader along for the ride. Basgiath War College is immediately compelling. Yarros creates a setting where survival is never guaranteed, and that constant edge of danger gives real weight to every choice Violet makes. The dragon bonding, the deadly trials, and the ruthless social hierarchy all work together to create a world that feels both fantastical and unforgiving. The dragons themselves are a standout, not just as weapons or mounts, but as personalities with agency and sharp opinions. The romance, while not my usual territory, is handled well enough that it didn’t pull me out of the story. It’s woven into the larger narrative rather than replacing it, and it serves to raise the emotional stakes rather than soften them. Even when certain tropes are familiar, the intensity of the setting keeps them from feeling stale. Fourth Wing isn’t flawless. Some elements lean heavily into genre expectations, and the pacing occasionally prioritizes momentum over depth. Still, the book knows exactly what it wants to be, and it executes that vision with confidence. For me, it earns a strong 4 out of 5. It may be slightly outside my usual wheelhouse, but it’s an undeniably fun, gripping fantasy that made it easy to see why so many readers fell hard for it.