Fantasy is very much not my go to genre but enough of my friends with varied reading tastes were liking this one that I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. This was quite the adventure.

A war college class of twenty somethings with a high likelihood of dying before graduation. The dragons they might or might not bond with are the other major group in the cast of characters. I think I liked the dragons more than the people but it was all interesting, frightening, exciting, maddening, and occasionally funny. That last part is because a snarky dragon can be hilarious even in the midst of a dangerous situation.

The plot is reminiscent of many dystopian YA books I've read but these are not teenagers and many of them have had some serious hardships in their lives.

Interesting story with lots and lots of secrets and since this is the first in a series not all of the secrets are revealed by the end. I will definitely continue with the series but since the third book isn't due out until January I'll probably wait until closer to the release of that one to read book number two.

Not my usual fare but I thought it was very good. ( )

Violet, a young woman trained as an archivist, is forced into military training by her mother, the commanding general of the training academy known as the Gauntlet. Forcing a small, fragile, weak woman to join the Dragon Riders training academy seems to be a death sentence. The ruthless training program encourages cadets to kill each other and, most certainly, to target weaker candidates. Even cadets who have survived the first three years of training and will soon graduate are killed if the opportunity presents itself.

Fourth Wing is reminiscent of Anne McCaffey’s Dragon Rider series, in which a seemingly unpromising young woman is forced to join the cohort of women from which the soon-to-be-born queen dragon will select to form a life-long bond. These action-romance books tell the story of an epic struggle for human survival, and the romantic attachment of the heroine—the POV character—with the alpha male is an integral part of the story.

Two embellishments distinguish from McCaffrey’s dragon-rider series. In Fourth Wing, the dragons set the rules for dragon-human interactions and never clearly explain the rules and restrictions. The justification for the rampant killing of so many cadets is the dragons abhor any form of weakness in a cadet or rider. If humans do not kill the weaker candidates, the dragons will do so and may withdraw cooperation from humans. An emphasis on magic also differentiates this book from the dragon rider series. Each dragon rider receives a signet, a dragon-bestowed magic power that highlights some innate quality of the rider.

I avoid stories involving magic because writers often use magic to “cheat” the reader. However, when magic is incorporated into a story, the reader deserves an explanation of the powers and limitations of the magic act/spell. Once stated, the author must stay within the established bounds and use the magic consistently.

Like all romances, there is a frequent focus on the primary character’s physical reaction to the other. That emphasis extends beyond the bounds typically seen in romantic writing. For example, the description of one sexual interaction runs 10-12 pages. (Page counts are imprecise in digital formats because readers can select different fonts and font sizes.) The scene was not very interesting, but I imagine it will appeal to romance devotes. The writer certainly shows ingenuity in the descriptions she can craft of the sensations leading to and occurring during orgasm.

Another element that slows the pace is the extreme (extended) angst Violet experiences after she has killed an unsavory character. He thoroughly deserved his punishment (depending on your philosophical beliefs about the death penalty).

I did put the book down following a few slow scenes, but for the most part, these do not lessen my reading enjoyment. The writer saves two major reveals to the last 30 pages, so those who persist to the end will be amply rewarded. ( )

I’ll start by saying, I didn’t even know I liked dragons. But it certainly didn’t take long before I was completely bought into this fantastical world of dragons and their chosen riders, totally bought into the dragon-rider connection—not just bought in, but utterly invested. The dragons made me laugh (curmudgeonly Tairn); they made me cry (so many times). I just had no idea.

In this magical place where loyalties are formed and fortified among the Riders Quadrants’ burgeoning signet powers like warping metals, commanding storms, reading thoughts and memories, wielding ice and shadows and lightning, Violet, daughter of the country’s highest general, works to find confidence and peace with the life she thought she wanted as a quiet scribe for the life she ends up with as a first-year dragon rider. Her new life—something forced upon her by her cold, powerful mother—surprisingly gives her life more purpose and vivacity than the old, steady shelves of The Archives. Along the way of adapting to this new identity as a dragon rider, through enemies and alliances, tests and discoveries, she uncovers the stark realities of war and the sacrifices needed to be on the right side of history because: “‘It only takes one desperate generation to change history—even erase it’” (448).

From the beginning, I was sucked in. This is one of those books that divests you of all other roles and responsibilities until you finish the inevitable binge read. Even though the book is a bit lengthy—not quite the measure of a scribe’s tome—it is a quick read that feels evenly and satisfyingly developed along the way. For me, there were no lulls, no irrelevancies, no disengagements throughout the story. And then the last 100 pages (or so) ascends to another level, making the finale of the book an intense, mercurial ride, full of plummeting dives and swooping turns and unpredictable twists. A definite edge-of-your-seat, page-turner. And despite being someone who really hates a series, I cannot wait to dive into book two (Please, gods, let there just be two. I don’t think I could handle a trilogy.) ( )

Violet has been training to be a scholar for what seems like most of her life, under the tutelage of her own scholar father. After his death she continued on that path, until her mother – a dragon rider of considerable rank – made the executive decision that Violet would follow in her mother’s (and her brother’s, and her sister’s) footsteps and enter the dragon rider training program. It’s a dangerous career path, with the majority of the first year students ending up dead before the year is over (or, really, even started), and Violet is not a likely candidate for survival. She’s short, slight, and her bones are devastatingly brittle. Oh, and there’s a giant target on her back, since the children of those who led the rebellion several years ago all would love to kill her because her mother is the reason most of their parents are dead. Her number one threat is the leader of the rebellion kids – and also Violet’s assigned wing leader. He’s the best of the riders and very, very dangerous. Also? Very, very handsome. Because of course he is. But Violet has some tricks up her sleeve, including a ridiculous amount of courage and stubbornness, so underestimating her is probably not the best idea.

Oh my lordy lou, I adored this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the next one. It ticks so many of my boxes: fabulous world building, amazingly detailed characters, excellent writing, superb twists, steamy enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s so, so good. ( )

Violet has been training to be a scholar for what seems like most of her life, under the tutelage of her own scholar father. After his death she continued on that path, until her mother – a dragon rider of considerable rank – made the executive decision that Violet would follow in her mother’s (and her brother’s, and her sister’s) footsteps and enter the dragon rider training program. It’s a dangerous career path, with the majority of the first year students ending up dead before the year is over (or, really, even started), and Violet is not a likely candidate for survival. She’s short, slight, and her bones are devastatingly brittle. Oh, and there’s a giant target on her back, since the children of those who led the rebellion several years ago all would love to kill her because her mother is the reason most of their parents are dead. Her number one threat is the leader of the rebellion kids – and also Violet’s assigned wing leader. He’s the best of the riders and very, very dangerous. Also? Very, very handsome. Because of course he is. But Violet has some tricks up her sleeve, including a ridiculous amount of courage and stubbornness, so underestimating her is probably not the best idea.

Oh my lordy lou, I adored this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the next one. It ticks so many of my boxes: fabulous world building, amazingly detailed characters, excellent writing, superb twists, steamy enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s so, so good. ( )