Fourth Wing

Before a trip I’ve been eagerly looking forward to, I found the chance to write about a book I read a long time ago. The Fourth Wing is a book I’ve seen everywhere, both in bookstores and on social media, and it’s become quite popular. Of course, that didn’t stop me from reading it; after finishing a series I loved, I was excited to dive into a new adventure. At the time, I didn’t know that this adventure would remind me of the amazing series I loved, like Game of Thrones, Divergent, The Hunger Games, and Immortal Toys...

I know this is a bold introduction, but to generally describe the book, just like in the "Divergent" series, when young people reach a certain age, they attend the Basgiath War School, where they are sorted into different categories based on their talents and interests. These categories include riders, scribes, infantry, and healers. There’s no lottery involved; it’s all voluntary—though this isn’t the case for our main character, Violet. Violet’s mother, General Sorrengail, is determined that all her children must be powerful riders, and as her title suggests, she is an authoritarian. Losing her son and then her husband, who passed away from grief, doesn’t stop her from pushing this desire.

However, becoming a rider is far from easy. Every candidate has to pass a brutal test where they fight for survival, facing obstacles for weeks. Violet, being physically small and having grown up dreaming of becoming a scribe, has no knowledge of riding and thinks she’s going to die during this exam. As she takes the first step of the most important test of her life, she encounters Xaden. He is the son of the man who hates her mother to the point of death and was responsible for her brother's death, and Violet is certain her end has come.

My thoughts on this series are quite complicated. On one hand, I was excited to read it because it felt like something I’d really enjoy, similar to the series I love. On the other hand, I found about a third of the book filled with cliché dialogue and scenes that I thought were “cringe.” In fact, I have to admit I sometimes skipped a few pages in frustration. However, this didn’t stop me from getting the second book because, as I mentioned, the rest of the book was thrilling and fast-paced. Violet’s challenges, the secrets kept from her, betrayals, and discoveries that will shake the empire are enough to keep the reader hooked. Since it’s quite a thick and expensive book, I’m hesitant to praise it too much, as I don’t think it’s worth the price. However, if you have the time and budget (you could also read it as an e-book), I’d recommend joining us in Basgiath… Lastly, I found out that this series is being adapted into a show, and I hope they manage to reduce the drama and “spicy” elements to better reflect the action and fantasy of the book.