Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Empyrean Series Book 1)
"Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros is a novel that blends elements of fantasy fiction with explicit sexual content. This review provides a detailed analysis of Fourth Wing.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Book Review
Fourth Wing made significant waves in 2023. It was not only heavily featured on social media but was also selected as the best fantasy fiction novel of 2023 by Goodreads readers. As a lover of fantasy books, I was drawn to this much-discussed book. However, I found it to be largely disappointing. The reason being, the book is not a traditional fantasy novel; it falls under the category of “new adult fantasy.”
What is “New Adult Fiction” Literature?
This book combines “new adult fiction” with fantasy fiction. New adult fiction is defined as the genre following young adult (YA) literature. It’s a burgeoning genre that seems to be garnering a lot of interest these days.
Typically, new adult fiction addresses issues such as leaving home, sexual development, education, and career choices. However, in this book, Rebecca Yarros has pushed the boundaries of this genre. She embellishes the characters’ exploration of sexuality with numerous explicit elements. For readers expecting a fantasy novel, it’s important to note that there are extensive and explicit descriptions of sexuality.
When it comes to the book’s world-building, the author’s introduction of the fictional world to the reader is insufficient. While focusing on character development aspects such as sexuality and adolescence, the world-building was neglected.
As a review of Fourth Wing, I can conclude that if the author had expanded the world a bit more for the reader and presented the sexual elements within a certain framework without overdoing it, it could have been a beautiful series with fantastic elements.
Plot, Story, and Protagonist of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros is a fantasy romance novel set in a war college with magical dragons. The story follows Violet Sorrengail, a 20-year-old who is about to enter Basgiath War College in the Scribe Quadrant to study books and history like her father. However, her mother, the General, has other plans for her and orders her to seek entry into the elite Riders Quadrant, which is known to be extremely dangerous and deadly. The Riders Quadrant is where one trains to become a dragon rider, a prestigious but perilous position.
The book is set in a fictional land called Navarre, which is part of a continent that has been at war for centuries. Navarre is a mountainous kingdom rich in resources like ore, timber, deer, and elk. The war college is divided into four quadrants: Riders, Healers, Scribes, and Infantry, each with its own squads and sections. The highest ranks in the quadrant are wingleader and section leader, positions held by elite students.
Violet’s journey at the college is fraught with challenges, including surviving the brutal training and bonding with not just one, but two dragons, which is unprecedented. She also discovers her unique signet power of wielding lightning and becomes embroiled in the political and military conflicts of her world.
The novel is the first book in the Empyrean Series.
The Dragons of Navarre and the Powers They Give Riders
Navarre is a country in constant war. The most important military unit here are the riders. After training, these riders bond with dragons and become dragon riders. As a result of this bond between dragon and rider, they gain abilities called signet, which is a special power such as mind reading or manipulating metal. They can also create protective shields around Navarre.
“If they didn’t need us puny humans to develop signet abilities from bonding and weave theprotective wards they power around Navarre, I’m pretty sure they’d eat us all and be done. But they like protecting the Vale—the valley behind Basgiath the dragons call home—from merciless gryphons and we like living, so here we are in the most unlikely of partnerships.”
Riders who bond with dragons gain magical powers, which can manifest in various forms. This is described in the novel as:
“What’s your signet power?” Every rider can do lesser magic once their dragon begins channeling power to them, but the signet is the unique ability that stands out, the strongest skill that results from each unique bond between dragon and rider.Some riders have the same signets. Fire wielding, ice wielding, and water wielding are just a few of the most common signet powers, all useful in battle.Then there are the signets that make a rider extraordinary. My mother can wield the power of storms. Melgren can see the outcome of battles.”
Pornographic elements of the novel
A short note at the beginning of the novel states that it has “intense violence, brutal injuries, death, poisoning, graphic language, and sexual activities”. Despite this warning, as a reader, I did not expect to encounter “intense sexuality and explicit descriptions” while reading the novel.
I believe the author, Yarros, has taken the details of the sexual scenes beyond sexual elements and eroticism. Yarros' detailed descriptions often veer into pornographic territory, detracting from other elements of the story. As a result, a novel with very long explicit content has emerged. If she had kept these sexual scenes shorter and focused on the other elements of the novel and the fantasy world fiction, a better work could have emerged. Here are some example for you to understand better:
“He glides the fabric of my underwear across my clit, and my back arches at the burst of pleasure..."
“He grips my hips, lifting me for a better angle, and the head of his cock rubs against my clit.”
“He pushes inside that first, tight inch of me, and I gasp at the fit, the stretch.“More.” I’m too busy kissing him to speak. “I need all of you.”“You’re going to be the death of me, Violet.” Whatever’s left of his control slips, and he takes me completely with one hard thrust.I moan into the kiss. Deep. He’s so fucking deep that I feel him everywhere.”
“You feel so fucking good.” He slams back into me, again and again, as he sets a brutal, steady pace, his mouth sliding down my neck as his hand rises to cup my breast.”
“My thighs tremble when he takes up a rhythm against my clit and drives two fingers inside me. They lock when he strokes his fingers in time with his tongue.”
“I gasp when he sucks the peak of my breast into his mouth, his tongue lashing and stroking my nipple as he works the other в between thumb and forefinger, setting a whole new fire within me built on the embers of the first.”
Reveals a Great Mystery and Secret
After long explicit descriptions, the author suddenly decides to introduce the reader to the mysterious and secretive world of Navarre. It seems that neither dragons, nor riders, nor griffons are what they really are. This mystery is illuminated by an old fairy tale:
“What was the fable again? One brother bonded to gryphon, one to dragon, and when the third grew jealous, he drew directly from the source, losing his soul and waging war on the other two.”
Here, it would have been a more enjoyable read if the author had not emphasized the sexual narratives so much and had given more space to the fantasy world.
Rebecca Yarros
Fourth Wing
Empyrean Series Book 1
512 pages.
