Beneath The Broken Sky: When Riders Fall and Dragons Get Lost
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: A review
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead”
Holidays — that lovely time of hectic travel itineraries, rushed last-minute shopping, digestion problems (because who knows when to stop?) and forced smiles at the Christmas table. All things aside, it’s the most wonderful time of the year — because one gets to read. And when I say read, I mean a lot.
I binge-read through my TBR (to be read) list and almost — almost! — managed to finish 2023 with satisfactory reading goals for the year. One of the last books I devoured before the calendar turned to January was The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Many reviews are floating online — BookTok either loves it or hates it. Well, in my humble opinion, it’s a fabulous read. A fine mixture of engaging fantasy, spicy romance, political intrigue and… Well, unexpectedly, it was quite thought-provoking. I found many layers to The Fourth Wing and it skyrocketed to one of the best books of the year.
The plot
The Fourth Wing follows Violet into a magic military academy, where she succumbs to the path forced upon her: becoming a dragon rider. Coming from a well-known family of riders, Violet detaches from her hopes of becoming a scribe and accepts this newly found faith — she suddenly finds herself taking the entrance exam. Whereas fleeting thoughts and emotions run through her being, it doesn’t linger — reality seeps in and our female lead is presented with the brutality of this choice: it’s either ride or die.
As Violet survives one challenge after another, she finds herself at the centre of political and power intrigues, struggling with physical limitations and seeking to outsmart not only her opponents but the system itself. Success might be desirable, but it turns out to be non-negotiable when it’s a matter of survival.
The plot is beautifully woven, R. Yarros built a fascinating and rich world, yet the descriptions don’t overwhelm and it’s easy to read, and easy to engage with the story and its characters. The book has enough details to build rich representations as the reader flips the pages, yet it flows naturally and leaves just enough space to ensure it’s an enjoyable read and allows the imagination to go wild.
The main power driving the plot, is, of course, survival, and we experience it from the first chapters:
“You’re supposed to focus on the things that can kill you so you can find ways not to die.”
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“Keep one foot firmly grounded at all times. You’re useless unless you’re connected to your power, and you’re dangerous if you can’t contain it. There is only the in-between that makes you a great rider.”
The plot unravels a popular enemies-to-lovers trope, but it’s not overused, yet beautifully balanced. There’s undeniable chemistry between the main characters and it’s described funnily and engagingly — the reader can anticipate some sort of romance will be coming, yet it’s a wild ride and a freefall into the world of second-hand embarrassment:
“Point taken.
Not that we’re a couple.
Not that I wouldn’t climb the man like a tree if presented with the right set of circumstances.”
Fourth Wing definitely has many drivers moving the plot forward — on one hand many things are happening in this fantasy world, and our characters are forced to overcome their self-doubt and shortcomings. But on the other hand, we feel that the plot is also character-driven. So, it’s a very wholesome experience, the reader flips the pages without realising how much of the book has been gobbled up.
Characters
It’s been a while since the last time I read a book with so well-developed characters. We are introduced to many sides of our main leads, the writer gets to explore their history, and foreshadowing allows us to anticipate the future. As usual, R. Yarros illustrates two main characters as opposing ends of the scale, yet it’s interesting how we explore what the scale might entail with every flip of the page.
“People die,” he says slowly, his jaw ticking before he drags in a deep breath. “It’s going to happen over and over again. It’s the nature of what happens here. What makes you a rider is what you do after people die. You want to know why you’re still alive? Because you’re the scale I currently judge myself against every night. Every day I let you live, I get to convince myself that there’s still a part of me that’s a decent person. So if you want to quit, then please, spare me the temptation and fucking quit. But if you want to do something, then do it.”
For readers earning to dive into morally grey characters or searching for a villain who might just be a hero, The Fourth Wing serves as one of the best recently published examples.
“Can’t know how to ruin someone without understanding them first.”
Side characters as well as dragons — no doubt, they’re important characters too! — are developed brilliantly. The reader is absorbed into their stories and wants to better understand their inner world and struggles through all the challenges and twists and turns — which come horribly unexpected as the plot unravels.
Character growth is gratifying — the reader explores Violet’s improvement as she graduates from a naive girl who got pushed into the academy and becomes a full-blown dragon rider. At the same time, Xaden is illustrated as someone already sufficient and successful, note-worthy, yet we unravel past traumas and masked missteps. It’s interesting to see how this strong-headed person overcomes his stubbornness and accepts his mistakes. Fourth Wing might deliver harsh justice, but there is redemption too.
“This place cuts away the bullshit and the niceties, revealing whoever you are at your core.” I repeat his words from this summer. “Isn’t that what you said to me? Is this who you really are at your core? Someone so enamored with rules that he doesn’t know when to bend or break them for someone he cares about? Someone so focused on the least I’m capable of doing, he can’t believe I can do so much more?”
It’s incredibly interesting to see a character who acknowledges their shortcomings and coldly evaluates how to proceed in any given situation. Both main leads fall into this category. Violet is not a typical female lead — she has soft and naive sides to her, but she’s well rounded: when it comes to survival, she’s brutal. Our main female lead evaluates her opponents and constantly bets on her chances of getting the least damage possible.
“Since Dain told me about the patch denoting his top secret signet, I’ve been playing close attention to the patches other cadets have sewn into their uniforms. Most wear them like badges of honor, but I recognise for what they really are — intelligence that I might one day need to defeat them.”
It’s interesting to follow the inner workings of our main characters. It’s fascinating how they are portrayed as opposing one another, yet eventually, we come to realise how similar they are:
“Thinking of him only jumbles me in a way that leaves me tangled in knots. I want him, but I can’t trust him, not in the ways I want to. And yet in other ways, he’s the person I trust most.”
R. Yarros weaves the story in a way that is engaging, intriguing, and filled with tension, yet well-paced. The character development is brilliant and the reader can tell how much thought and heart was poured into developing not only the main characters but also those of less importance — we forge a connection with them, giggle when a funny scene appears and cry when calamity inevitably knocks on their doors.
Themes and problems
The Fourth Wing goes beyond dragons and magic academies — we’re talking serious underlying problems, political agendas and power struggles. At the same time, we’re presented with basic problems, such as survival, human relationships, morals and justice.
“Justice is not always merciful.”
The main problems of the book are wrapped up in irony and dished out with a healthy dose of cynicism, self-reflection and philosophical thoughts.
“After the last twenty-four hours and one night in the first-floor barracks, I’m starting to realize that this quadrant is a strange mix of we-might-die-tomorrow hedonism and brutal efficiency in the name of the same reason.”
One of the main topics tackled in the book is justice — what’s the right way to live, what are the right decisions to make, and what’s the correct thing to do?
The underlying tones and hidden stories unravel as we go down the rabbit hole and it seems R. Yarros opens a door to a wholly new world — inverted, unrecognisable, entirely foreign. As the main character, the reader shrugs within and attempts to shake it off, eventually soaking in the facts and accepting this new — and very much truthful — reality.
There are quite a few Chekhov’s Guns embedded into the lines written by the author — as the finale approaches, shots are fired and things eventually come together:
“The right way isn’t the only way. Figure it out,” Then he turns and walks away.”
The book speaks to readers who are struggling within themselves — there’s a lot of soul-searching and self-doubt. It builds up and serves as inevitable character growth for our main lead, but at the same time connects with the audience — Fourth Wing expands beyond a fantasy world, it’s a book for all:
“But most importantly, if I go, if I hide… I’ll never know if I’m good enough to make it here. And while I might not survive if I stay, I’m not sure I can live with myself if I leave.”
As we finish reading the book, a deeper understanding of characters and their behaviours washes upon us. Some of the main traits — irony, cynism, bad manners and aggressive attitudes — seem to come together to form a barrier shielding the characters from the harsh world where they find themselves as a rider:
“I’ve heard everything I need to hear.” Xaden’s fingers curl around the hilt. “She should have killed you in the field, but she’s merciful. That’s not a flaw I possess.”
Revisiting some of the dialogues after finishing the book sheds light on deeper meanings and hidden undertones. Hence it becomes one of the books that could be read several times and more meaning, more depth could be found — I am now convinced I might have missed some subtle hints and details regarding the plot and character development.
Overall, it’s a wholesome read expanding beyond the limits of the fantasy genre — I bet many readers could dive into The Fouth Wing and find different values and thoughts to chew on.
Writing style and language
R. Yarros is truly a master of weaving the fabrics of her stories — the language is rich, yet flows beautifully.
“Xaden walks with Garrick, looking my way with what feels like longing. I gave him everything, and he never truly let me in. Pain rips through my chest with the kind of cut that only heartbreak can give, sharp and jagged. I imagine this is what it feels like to be cleaved apart with a dull, rust-covered blade. It’s not honed enough to slice quickly, and there’s a one hundred per cent chance the wound is going to fester. If I can’t trust him, there’s no future for us.”
Descriptions are dished out engagingly and the reader forgets how much information was recently fed to them — it’s easy and fun to read, Fourth Wing is a page-turner, yet by no means a light read in the sense of its underlying meanings, character depth and plot mysteries.
The book might seem brutal for those earning a beautiful fantasy read — Fourth Wing does not shy away from colloquialisms and swearing, and foul language asserts some of the main problems and themes depicted in this fantasy fiction:
“If they need a fucking pep talk, then we both know they’re not flying out of the quadrant on graduation day. Let’s get real. I can hold their hands and make them a bunch of bullshit empty promises about everyone making it through if that helps them sleep, but in my experience, the truth is far more valuable.”
The writer offers us a variety of points of view. We might live in Violet’s head for most of the time, yet we’re allowed to peek into Xaden’s mind too:
“I can’t help it. I smile. This brilliant fucking woman is mine. Or was mine. Will be mine again if I have anything to say about it. Which I probably don’t. I sigh, losing the smile immediately. Fuck.”
To sum up, the writing style is beautiful — rich language filled with metaphors is mixed with irony and colloquialisms, yet the author spares no effort when it comes to deep, valuable thoughts:
“Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs — on the probabilities.”
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“Killing someone isn’t the only way to destroy them. Keeping you from reaching your potential seems like a great path to the retribution he swore against our mother. Think long and hard. How well do you even really know him?”
Conclusion
The Fourth Wing might have been one of the last books I read in 2023, but it quickly climbed to the top of my list. Overall, it’s a beautifully built fantasy world with intricate details and underlying currents constantly driving the plot.
R. Yarros did a brilliant job — characters (including those of less importance!) are well-developed and the reader has no trouble easily connecting with them throughout the story.
The book expands beyond the genre — Fourth Wing might be a fantasy novel, yet it talks about self-growth, soul-searching, and self-doubt. It also dives into the problems of justice, society and the political system. It’s a wholesome read for anyone with an open mind.
The story is crafted beautifully — rich and evocative language, yet the worldbuilding aspect is easy to grasp, with not too many descriptions and just the right amount of detail, inspiring the reader to create their own version of the Fourth Wing.
Overall, it’s an engaging read, and the audience does not notice how the pages flip from one to another.
My scribbles dive into a variety of topics. The thread of thought can be unpredictable — inspired by places, people, experiences or the occasional earworm on the playlist…
I often weave my cloth of writing unsure where the threads will lead — or if the final tapestry will hold.
Yet whether I scribble fantasy or horror, highly opinionated or research-driven pieces, I hope it leaves you with something to ponder: makes you feel better (or worse?..), strikes an inner monologue (hopefully, voiced out in the comments!) or simply gives you something to chew on, inspiring to keep the creative ball rolling.
Thank you for reading!
