1/5 ⭐️

I was totally ~influenced~ by bookstagram/social media to read this, especially after seeing so many positive reviews and because I LOVE high fantasy. For me, this fell completely flat.

I did enjoy the dragons, their relationship with riders, and the way their magic was fully fleshed out. Besides that, I didn’t enjoy much else. The geopolitical and historical contexts the characters are placed in are foggy, at best. The first person narration is extremely limiting in a fantasy novel, especially when other characters are from other places within the world and have opposite experiences of the protagonist. I found Violet’s internal monologue to be grating, at times. I understand that she’s young and led a somewhat sheltered life training to be a Scribe, but oh BOY did she get on my nerves.

I wasn’t sure if the author was trying to write high fantasy, but some of the language that was used made it feel much more modern/contemporary than fantasy and I was completely pulled out of the world that was being created. Apparently, there are more books in this series that will be coming out? I really hope that the important political and historical events and societal norms are explained further because they can really enrich the characters, plot, and the reader’s experience. 

I totally understand why Fourth Wing is so popular and why folks would like it, but it’s just not for me. I can see it as a gateway book into fantasy, but I’d definitely recommend other titles over this for folks who want to get into the genre.

ALSO - for everyone who’s saying this is YA, it’s not. Explicit, “spicy” scenes in books are not YA!!!

*Edit: dropped the .5 star upon further reflection and internal discussions. (There are other dragon books that are 10000x more rich and interesting)