Fourth Wing (Wing and Claw Collection) (The Empyrean, 1)

8 reviews for Fourth Wing (Wing and Claw Collection) (The Empyrean, 1)

1. 

   Terri – August 7, 2025

   So Much Cringe, But High Entertainment Value
   “You turned oranges into a weapon, Violence?” – Xaden RiorsonHigh fantasy, dragons, and an enemies-to-lovers romance in a world wrought with war? YES PLEASE! Okay, let’s start at the beginning, the part before I even start reading the book. Fourth Wing is everywhere: Bookstagram, BookTok, everyone and their mother AND brother have read Fourth Wing. I was interested. I had been putting it off for fear that it would disappoint. Well…when I started reading, I was thinking “Yeah, a nice new young adult fantasy with dragons. I hope it’s as good as Eragon!” Yes, I know I know…I found out very quickly that this is an adult fantasy and definitely NOT young adult. I could tell by the type font and layout, as if the sexuaI innuendos weren’t enough right from the get-go! And man…were some of then so cringy. What force on this planet made me even think it was young adult?! Some of the innuendos and just the bickering, bantering type of dialogue was so cringy and awful that I had to read parts aloud to my husband for a serious laugh. It was like twelve-year-olds who have heard about $ex but haven’t experienced it trying to talk about it. It was awful. Cringy. So terrible that I was affronted that I was still enjoying the book! One of the lines I remember most was something like “I want to climb him like a tree.” Okay. I get what she means…but if you picture that particular simile…what DOES that even mean? There were better choices out there than…a tree…🤦‍♀️Cringe aspect incoming: While I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, in fact one of my favorites, the way this was set up made the characters feel flatter than paper. We have our main character, Violet, whose small size is constantly emphasized for a good portion of the novel. Yes, thank you for telling us for the FORTIETH TIME that she is small and petite. Point taken. Cool. She is also warned early on about the traitor son, Xaden Riorson, who from the moment he sees her, emphasizes his need to kill her. Except…every time he has the chance, there’s some dumb excuse as to why he didn’t. And then all of a sudden, he’s saving her from death MUTIPLE times, and then they are kissing. ⚔️ This is all well and good, or would be, IF there was more to the enemy aspect. There should have been more time taken to explore Xaden’s own hatred of Violet, and vice-versa.At least it gets better. After about halfway through the book (roughly page 250), the cringe isn’t there anymore. It’s like the author became a better writer AS she was writing. The (human) characters finally started getting some dimension to them, and the cringe-worthy dialogue (with one exception about measuring size, though it’s placement wasn’t too bad) was no longer present. We finally get a little bit of Xaden’s hatred-turned-passion toward Violet, but still not enough to see why he would want to kill Violet, as opposed to attempting to kill her mother, the main responsible party for his misery, instead. I know there will be more books to explore this later, but to make the true enemies-to-lovers feel, and for it to feel genuine, there should have been a bit more from the start. What truly makes this book shine is the dragons. Absolutely everything about the dragons. The series is named after their mysterious governing council (or what it is perceived as, though may be something else entirely), the Empyrean. The dragons are intriguing characters who all deserve more page time, especially Andarna and Sgaeyl, as well as the secondary characters dragons, which we don’t get to see a whole lot of. With the dragons having their own governing system and being respected as the highest of beings, they certainly deserved more. The dragons also channel magic into their riders, and each rider manifests their own unique power based on their inner self. The magic system is enjoyable and works well for this world.There are two parts about the book that absolutely make it phenomenal: Threshing, and the last 50 pages of the novel.Threshing is the day when riders get to go out into the field and try to bond with a dragon. The dragon must pick the rider, of course, and not the other way around. No spoilers, but this scene comes somewhere between pages 120-180ish and is the part of the novel that truly had me hooked. I couldn’t put it down! The last 50 pages of the novel are the exciting battle one waits for in this kind of book. Once again, no spoilers, but with references throughout and the multiple reveals during this stretch of reading make for an action-packed cliffhanger ending making the reader itch for more. I don’t even know where this story will go from here. I know whatever happens, I’ll be along for the ride and I know I’ll have my wildest imaginings blown out of the water.Final consensus:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💎Why? Overall, the entertainment value of this novel has great sway in my final rating. Despite complaining about cringey aspects, they offered great laugh-out-loud moments. Despite the flat characters at first, they definitely fill out a bit more later, and the thing is, one can’t hate on that. It’s only the beginning of the story (my understanding at the time of this blog post is that it is planned as a five book series). That dragons truly make this book phenomenal, and everything about the last 50 pages really brought this novel to become something more, to put forward the promise to an exciting war story with its fair share of romance…and loss. Yes…I even teared up a bit at one part. No matter what anyone tells you about the book, its entertainment value makes for a FIVE STAR DIAMOND of a novel… i.e. a MUST READ for all fantasy lovers and seekers of a top-tier book with dragons.

2. 

   Madison – August 7, 2025

   AMAZING, BEST BOOK OF 2023
   5/5⭐️4/5🌶️i have nothing but good things to say about this book, buckle up.i’m honestly not even sure that i will be able to gather my thoughts and form a coherent review to adequate explain how much i adored this book but i’m going to try. let’s start by saying that i am obsessed with this book.this was outstanding and amazing in every single way. i cried, i laughed, i giggled, i gasped, i did ALL THE THINGS. i have not felt so many things while reading a book since my last SJM read. fourth wing absolutely deserves all the hype and more. if the hunger games, divergent, harry potter, and game of thrones had a baby, this would be it.this book was the perfect mixture of romance and high stakes and the vibes were so spot on. fourth wing is fast paced from beginning to end and will absolutely hook you from the very first chapter. the world building was perfection and so seamless that it never felt awkward and i was never confused about the fantasy world. this is a world i would absolutely love to live in!i have heard that a lot of people found this book predictable, but i’m personally HORRIBLE at predicting endings so i may have forseen one or two things but i definitely could not have predicted the entire ending for this book and that made it that much more enjoyable.i LOVED violet’s character so much. her bond with her sister and her friends was so genuine. she is tough and strong willed and is unstoppable, despite her disadvantage (which yarrow displayed SO SO well). i loved her journey and how much she grew throughout this whole book.XADEN!!!! rhysand has been my #1 book boyfriend since i devoured ACOTAR last year and no one has lived up to the hype since. xaden freaking riorson has officially take my #1 book boyfriend spot with rhysand as a very close second. how can you not love this man?? he is an ABSOLUTE SIMP from violet even from the start despite his grumpy exterior. men who show their love through actions >>>this man had me literally gasping and giggling like a little kid because of some of the things he did. he was exactly what violet needed. i loved their tension but also how he always believe in her. and the nicknames?? 🤭the romance was perfection. usually i get really impatient with slow burns, but the fantasy aspect of this book was done SO WELL that i was such as obsessed with the story as i was with the romance. and enemies to lovers??? sign me tf up. 😮‍💨 violet and xaden had the perfect build up between them. and the SPICE?? puh-lease. absolutely amazing!!tairn and andarna were hands down, the best part of this book. yarros did SO GOOD with described all of the details of the dragons and giving them so much personality. the interactions between the dragons and their riders were so much fun. i loved tairn’s grumpy exterior, his sassy comments, and how protective he was of violet. andarna is so freaking cute and i love her to death.i could honestly rave about every single aspect of this book but i feel like this really sums up some of my biggest feelings. this is definitely a book that deserved ALL the hype and definitely a book that you need to read, even if you aren’t a fantasy lover.this book was not perfect by any means. like anything else, this book had flaws but it was perfect to me. i am obsessed. it had everything i wanted from a fantasy book AND DRAGONS!!🐉 i cannot wait to get my hands on iron flame!! this is definitely a book that i will be rereading before book 2 comes out! i know for a fact that this will be the best book that i read for this year.(peep my 73 kindle highlights from this book because it had the BEST QUOTES and xaden says the BEST THINGS -> may have some spoilers so read at your own risk)“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”“So then why are you here, Xaden?” “Because I can’t seem to stay away.”“There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence.”

3. 

   Chelsey – August 7, 2025

   Fourth Wing
   Amazing book. I am completely obsessed. It starts off a bit slow, but only because the author is providing context, world-building, and is giving a backstory on the main characters, which I appreciated. I love the idea of a magical war college and dragon riders. I love that gryphons and wyverns are also part of the list of magical creatures. While some of the magical concepts in this book may sound familiar if you read a lot of fantasy novels like I do, this plot and these characters are completely different from anything I’ve ever read before. I really like that the author wrote a female main character who is intelligent, isn’t a damsel in distress, and has a good sense of sarcasm! And the romance in this book… whew. Don’t even get me started. All I can say is… wow! Very well-written. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so you’ll just have to read it for yourself. 🥵 I also really enjoyed the plot twists toward the end of the book. I definitely did not see some of it coming, and now I’m really looking forward to reading Iron Flame and Onyx Storm even more!If you like Harry Potter and Hunger Games, and also like a spicy read, you will thoroughly enjoy Fourth Wing. Rebecca Yarros’ writing is really great. She will be one of my “automatic-buy” authors from now on. 🤩Overall rating : 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Spice rating: 5/5 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

4. 

   Andrea Quintero – August 7, 2025

   Llegó antes de la fecha y en perfectas condiciones.Este libro merece todo el hype que recibe. Estéticamente, los bordes pintados le dan un plus muy lindo a la edición.En cuanto a la trama, es simplemente espectacular, tenemos una protagonista que persevera a pesar de todas las adversidades. Un enemies to lovers nada tóxico, con mucha tensión y su recomendada dosis spicy. Un interés amoroso con vibes de Rhysand (ACOTAR). Un mundo fantástico donde existen lazos entre jinetes y dragones. Misterios, guerra y traiciones dentro del imperio. Llega a ser una perfecta montaña rusa de emociones.

5. 

   D. A. – August 7, 2025

   It came damaged, the gold paint is a little off, but it looks sturdy and nice, not torn like the others. I do recommend buying from another seller mine came in UK version instead of US like I wanted. and I know they had it since others got it from same seller. I haven’t read it but I know I’ll love it since it’s a fantasy books and I love dragons my favourite creatures.

6. 

   Júlia Emerick – August 7, 2025

   Para quem ama esse universo de romantasy, Fourth Wing é uma ótima escolha. Superficialmente, é como se a autora pegasse Jogos Vorazes, As Crônicas de Gelo e Fogo, Harry Potter, ACOTAR e batesse em um liquidificador para criar essa obra. Porém, ao nos aprofundarmos na história, esquecemos essa primeira impressão, pois é notável que a Rebecca Yaros sabe escrever uma trama envolvente, que transporta o leitor para aquele universo e consegue fazê-lo sentir o que a personagem sente.Inicialmente, sobre a trama: Violet Sorrengail é a clássica heroína que se difere dos outros porque nunca quis se encaixar naquele contexto em primeiro lugar. Em uma escola dividida em quatro esquadrões – escribas, infantaria, curandeiros e montadores de dragões -, ela queria se dedicar ao primeiro, mas é forçada a ir para o último. Daí pra frente, apenas existir lá dentro se torna uma luta pela sobrevivência, pois os montadores de dragões não aceitam alguém que enfraqueça essa unidade. Lá, ela conhece Xanden Riorson, o qual é um, também clássico, anti-herói que será o interesse amoroso – e muito, muito carnal – da personagem. Ele tem tudo que amamos em um mocinho de romantasy: é lindo, é forte, chama a Violet por um apelido especial, apoia a liberdade e a liderança dela com um jeito de malvado, de perigoso, de irônico… mas tem todos os motivos do mundo pra fazer o que faz, é justo, é leal, é irresistível…e, no final das contas, completamente devoto a ela. É a receita infalível para um enemies to lovers de devorar em uma madrugada. Jogue no meio o perigo constante, ameaças mortais, dragões amedrontadores, inimigos POR TODA PARTE, uma revolução no mundo em que a protagonista vive e no jeito que ela vê as coisas e temos Fourth Wing nos prendendo à leitura como maníacas obcecadas.Claro, o livro tem defeitos: existem muitos clichês – desde bad boys vs mocinho, a garota diferente das outras garotas, protagonista superidealizada (vulgo Mary Sue/a escolhida/se errou, foi com razão) em alguns momentos, mommy e daddy issues pra todo lado -, pelo menos 1 palavrão por página (o que, em minha opinião, deixa o livro adolescente demais), e se você é apaixonada pelo Rhysand de ACOTAR, você provavelmente vai notar umas certas… semelhanças entre ele e o Xaden.Em suma, o livro cumpre o seu papel: é uma leitura divertida, te mantém interessada o tempo inteiro, te faz torcer por alguns personagens e odiar outros, te faz passar mal com as cenas hot (muito bem escritas, por sinal!), e ir correndo pro próximo livro da série só pra não nem 1 minuto de distância daquele mundo e daquele casal. Eu não diria que é super revolucionário, pois acho que esse nicho literário (fantasia com romances épicos para jovens adultos) já não tem tanto pra onde correr mais. Dito isso, cá estou eu, já terminando o segundo livro e em agonia por ter que esperar o terceiro. Enfim, recomendo!

7. 

   Lekeiciah September – August 7, 2025

   I was a bit skeptical based on the other reviews BUT arrived with no damage at all. Super excited!

8. 

   Greta Bianco – August 7, 2025

   I am finally rediscovering the joy of reading. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older.My favorite genres are definitely romance and fantasy so imagine my delight when I discovered the existence of this “new” Romantasy mix. I guess we have to thank Booktok for that (I don’t really use the app though). I’m 29 years old, but I love reading about fairies and dragons and magic and 20-year-olds going crazy for each otherNow that’s out of the way, I can leave my opinion of Fourth Wing.WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.I devoured this book.The worldbuilding is well done and I understood most things, which is huge for me considering I read this in English but my mother tongue is Italian.I found the premise of the story extremely interesting and the characters are the heart of it, clearly. Xaden is obviously my favorite, I cannot wait to know more about him in the next books. His chemistry with Violet is off the charts, my heart literally pounded everytime they bantered with each other. At the beginning I liked Dain, then about 47% into the book I officially started to hate him and that might never change.I really enjoyed the sex scenes, well explained but not too spicy which is my preferred style.Another thing I love about this book is the representation of the LGTBQ+ community. Honestly, it was refreshing!Do not get attached to the characters, some of them will die. The last death in particular made me shed a tear.About the story: 2 things in particular were pretty obvious to me since the beginning: the rebellion kids were actually the good ones and the military were the bad ones. Plus, her brother being alive. I mean, duh. Violet kept repeating Brennan was dead because that’s what the battle reports said, but nobody really saw his body.I let out a little scream when I saw that the last chapter was in Xaden’s POV. I need more!Conclusion: 6/5 ⭐️ for me