Fourth Wing didn’t just take the bookish world by storm – it flew in on dragonback, burned my expectations alive, and whispered “violence is normal here” before making me fall in love with everyone. This book is basically if The Hunger Games and How to Train Your Dragon got tossed into a blender with a shot of espresso, adultier themes, and a little bit of emotional trauma.

The Plot (AKA: Survive the Parapet or Die Trying)

The story kicks off at Basgiath War College, which is a magical military academy designed by someone who said, “What if school, but with a high mortality rate and zero adult supervision?” You don’t graduate from Basgiath, your survive it. Students are allowed (and lowkey encouraged) to straight-up kill each other if it means moving up the ranks. You know, normal college stuff.

Our main girl Violet Sorrengail is the daughter of a famous general, and she’s supposed to go to the Scribe (Library) Quadrant because she’s bookish, tiny, and definitely not built for surviving the Death Olympics energy. But her famous mom says “nah, babe, dragon rider life for you,” and tosses her into dragon boot camp. The result? Chaos, violence, and dragons judging you for your cardio stamina.

Violet Sorrengail: Patron Saint of “I’m Doing My Best”

I love Violet because she’s not your typical badass heroine who comes out swinging. She’s soft, sarcastic, and deeply aware of her limitations – which makes her a thousand times more relatable than the perfect warrior queen archetype. Homegirl is chronically ill, shorter than everyone else (I can relate!), and probably weighs less than her dragon’s breakfast – but she compensates with intelligence, strategy, and sheer stubborn willpower.

She’s also a reader. A fellow book girlie. She knows things because she reads the damn books, and honestly? I respect that level of nerd power. I would’ve fallen off the parapet (a deadly ledge hundreds of feet in the air that serves as the freshman orientation event) within the first five minutes, but Violet? She said, “Nope, I’ve been preparing my whole life for this moment through literature.”

Her growth is beautiful – she starts off doubting herself and ends up proving that cleverness and compassion are just as powerful as brute strength. Violet gives off strong “she looks like she can’t fight but actually she’s terrifying if you give her five minutes and a library card” vibes.

The Vibes of Basgiath War College

If Hogwarts had more safety violations, emotional trauma, and a 50% casualty rate, you’d get Basgiath. It’s the kind of school where your classmates might stab you before breakfast, and the professor would call it “team-building.”

You don’t walk across campus – you watch your back across campus. You don’t ask for help. You pray your dragon doesn’t eat you for looking weak. Every hallway has danger, secrets, and someone plotting to take your spot. And yet somehow, the atmosphere is addictive. The training scenes? Brutal. The academic sections? Surprisingly compelling. The entire setting hums with adrenaline, strategy, and the constant awareness that everyone here is one bad day away from dying dramatically.

The Dragons: Literal Fire-Breathing Icons

The dragons in this book are your friendly Disney creatures – they are majestic, deadly, and judgmental as hell. They don’t do “taming.” They choose rider based on vibes, spine, and maybe a sprinkle of “will this human survive my bad mood today?”

Every dragon is a full-fledged character with their own attitude. Some are massive and ancient; others are fast and snarky. When dragons bond with riders, it’s not some cute telepathic moment – it’s a literal “ride-or-die” partnership where if the dragon dies, the human also dies. No pressure.

The dragon politics, hierarchy, and lore are so rich it feels like you’re learning the social structure of lions or something.

Found Family Energy (Rhiannon, Sawyer, Ridoc, and Liam)

If you’ve ever read a fantasy and thought, “These people have been through too much not to trauma bond,” this crew is for you.

• Rhiannon: The bestie every warrior needs – smart, loyal, finny, and constantly saving Violet from, well, everything
• Sawyer: The kind of solid, dependable friend who’d hold your hair back after a drinking binge or hand you an ice pack after a rough training day
• Liam: Stoic, quietly powerful, loyal to the end, protective, and just…ugh. You’ll love him. Trust me.
• Ridoc: My personal favorite of the group. He’s a comedic chaos goblin who adds levity when you need it most. He’s the guy in every friend group who defuses tension with sarcasm.

This group feels like family in the truest sense – fighting side by side, calling each other out, and surviving the unthinkable together. Their dynamic is why found-family tropes never fail me.

Xaden Riorson – Our Love Interest

Xaden is the blueprint for “brooding, dangerous, and secretly soft underneath all the trauma.” He’s technically an enemy, terrifyingly powerful, and yet…his chemistry with Violet could light up an entire power grid.

Their dynamic is perfect. It’s enemies to lovers with layers – suspicion, banter, begrudging respect, and the kind of tension that could shatter glass. He’s all shadows and smirks; she’s all sunshine and spine. Together? They’re the “we shouldn’t be doing this” duo you want to root for even when you know it’s going to emotionally wreck you.

Representation Done Right

Rebecca Yarros didn’t just throw in “diversity tokens.” The representation feels natural and important. There are characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters, and Violet’s chronic illness is handled with care rather than turned into a pity point. She’s not “inspired despite it” – she’s strong with it. That distinction matters. It’s refreshing to see a fantasy world that feels inclusive without making it feel like a checklist.

Final Thoughts

This book is emotion, hilarity, danger, and chaos distilled in 400+ pages. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll question your moral compass, and you’ll immediately go searching for the sequel like an addict.

5/5 stars.

Would I survive Basgiath? Absolutely not.

Would I try anyway for a chance to meet a dragon?

Yes. Yes, I would.