For fans of dragons, magic, and romance Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a perfect fit. Violet Sorrengail has always had a lot to live up to, with her mother being the famous General Sorrengail who executed the leader of a rebellion and all those who took part, and her sister being a powerful dragon rider. But her destiny was a quiet life as a scribe, unlike her mother and sister, both of which are dragon riders. So when her mother puts her into the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College, Violet is wholly unprepared, having trained to become a scribe her whole life. With a mere 6 months of practice, she is forced to join the bloodthirsty Rider Quadrant, where mercy is rare and cold blooded murders are common. And if she survives the heart stopping tests, she’ll have to go through the Threshing. Even then a dragon she’ll have to hope to bond to a dragon instead of getting killed by one. Her being the daughter of General Sorrengail doesn’t help when she meets Xaden Riorson, the son of the man her mother executed. From forming alliances to defending herself against cadets out for her blood, Violet will have to fight and hone her skills if she wants to graduate and get out alive.

Violet’s skill development is well written as she has to train and it takes time for her fighting skills and powers to grow stronger. Though it may at times feel a bit unrealistic how Violet is able to survive amongst cadets that have trained their whole lives for this. Though this can be ignored as she uses her brains as well to fight opponents. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep readers entertained, particularly toward the end. While they may be somewhat predictable as multiple clues are dropped throughout the story. The romance aspect is strong as Violet and Xaden’s relationship is a big part of the story. The tension between them is well written as Violet is repeatedly told by people close to her to watch out for him and that he’s dangerous. However circumstances keep drawing them together, and at times it may feel like plot convenience. Personally I enjoyed the school setting and her interactions with her friends more than the romance, though readers opinions may vary.

Overall the book is a nice start to a series which promises thrilling adventures full of dragons and powerful magic, and a formidable enemy. The story continues in the second book in the Empyrean series, Iron Flame.

4/5 Stars