Review | The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros
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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean | Book 1
2023 Publication Date: May 2
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️
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Table of Contents
T.I.M.E. BEST BOOK REVIEW
A Must-Read Dragon Fantasy...
Have you ever dreamed of riding a dragon? If so, then Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is the book for you. The first book of The Empyrean Series takes us into the world of a war college where dragon riders are trained. This dragon fantasy romance novel is packed with all the romantasy book elements of a page-turner from the very beginning with gripping action, political intrigue, suspense and more than a dash of romance.
Buckle up and get ready for a thrilling romantasy books best read that will have you on the edge of your seat...
Plot Points
The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Violet Sorrengail... A 20-year-old young woman who was supposed to live her life as a scribe, studying the history of Navarre in the Scribe Quadrant. But, her mother, who happens to be the commanding general of Navarre, has ordered her to join the war college to become a dragon rider. This means entering into a life-threatening competition with hundreds of other candidates to secure one of the dragons willing to bond. With fewer dragons than candidates available, it quickly becomes a dangerous game with the competition brutally tough, and the stakes could not be higher.
Violet's struggles don't end there. Many people want to kill her, either to eliminate the competition or to get back at her mother... And at the top of that potential list is Xaden Riorson, the most lethal and ruthless wing leader in the Rider's Quadrant, who can wield shadows (and shadowy secrets to match too!).
Violet has to use all her wits to survive and outsmart her enemies.
The book takes us through Violet's journey as she tries to become a dragon rider while dealing with the war outside... and the war inside her body too. She has to fight not only her enemies but also her own physical challenges. But she is determined to not let those challenges or her doubts and fears hold her back from holding her own in the competition.
As if that was not enough to deal with... The leadership at Basgiath War College is hiding a terrible secret, and Violet begins to suspect something is amiss. She has to uncover the truth and find a way to save her kingdom and the people she loves.
Standout Features of Fourth Wing
• Remarkable Fantasy World Building
The author's world-building skills are absolutely remarkable... An even more remarkable considering this is Rebecca Yarros' first novel in the adult fantasy genre. Rebecca... You are soaring high on your own dragon, sister!
You will immediately feel that you are part of the world she has created with the setting vividly described and filled with complex history and political nuances.
The action is intense and breathtaking... And the scenes involving dragons show the author's expertise in writing epic fight sequences. In addition, the characters are well-developed and their interactions are entertaining and multi-dimensional.
This fantasy romance book has a hefty dose of slow burn romance with enough steamy romance scenes to reach my T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating of 3 Jalapenos (Hot Spicy)... Making the sexual tension equally matched to the intensity of the action sequences.
• Using Dragons As Primary Characters
One of the greatest things about this book is the attention to detail with the fantasy characters. The author has taken the time to give us a comprehensive understanding of the fantasy world, including the different magical creatures such as gryphons and — most importantly — dragons.
The dragons are intelligent and have their own personalities, making the dragons primary characters individually as well. Their relationships with their riders are a major aspect of the narrative.
• Brewing Political Conspiracy
The story is not just about dragons and their riders. There is also a political conspiracy that is brewing, leading to suspicion and mistrust.
As Violet delves deeper into the mysteries of war college life, she realizes that the leadership may be hiding a terrible secret. The political conspiracy continually thickens as the story progresses, leading to a cliffhanger ending that leaves readers anticipating (and impatiently awaiting!) reading the second book in the series, Iron Flame.
EPILOGUE
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy romance and dragons. The world-building is breathtaking, the characters are well-developed, the story is super action-packed, and the political intrigue adds depth to the narrative.
Full of suspense, romance, and adventure, Fourth Wing is a book you will not want to put down. As an on-trend reader, you'll love immersing yourself in this epic dragon fantasy series that is the latest "talk of the town" in the world of adult fantasy books.
Overall, Fourth Wing is an engaging and entertaining read that will keep you hooked until the very end. But, more importantly, the book provides a refreshing take on the dragon rider genre by elevating the dragons to actual characters rather than simply mythical creatures... Be prepared for the dragons to steal the show!
I highly recommend this book to anyone longing for a "dragon ride" adventure and a truly exhilarating fantasy romance escapist read... ✨😎✨
♡ T.I.M.E. TIP
The Empyrean Series is best read in order... Buckle up & start with Book 1!... ✨😎✨
BOOK DETAILS
Pages: 528
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance Novels
Sub-Genres: Best Romantasy Books | High Fantasy Books | Dragon Fantasy | Action Adventure | Steamy Romance | Enemies To Lovers Romance Fiction
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶🌶 (Hot Spicy)
Time Period: Fantasy World
Location: Fantasy World (Navarre)
Publisher: Entangled Publishing | Red Tower Books
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♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
BOOK SYNOPSIS
In Rebecca Yarros' captivating novel, a young woman named Violet Sorrengail is thrust into a perilous world far removed from her destined quiet life among the tranquil aisles of books and historic wonders...
Instead of a serene existence in the Scribe Quadrant, Violet is compelled by her formidable mother, the commanding general, to step into the intense competition to become a dragon rider... one of the revered elite of Navarre.
Violet is an unlikely candidate for dragon riding given her diminutive stature and health challenges. She faces an environment where fatal consequences are a mere slip away — the dragons are unforgiving, known to incinerate those deemed weak.
Violet's challenge is not solely the dragons' acceptance... It’s survival… As her fellow cadets, hungry for supremacy, see her as nothing but an obstacle in their path to bonding with the dragons.
Among them is Xaden Riorson, a fearsomely talented and ruthless wing leader who bears a deep-seated animosity toward her by virtue of her lineage.
In this treacherous setting, Violet must rely on her sharp intellect to simply make it through each day. But the dangers within Basgiath War College's walls are dwarfed by the dangers brewing outside.
The kingdom’s protective wards are faltering as the war escalates, bringing an imbalance that leads to rampant death. And with every sunset, the disquieting possibility that the leadership is concealing earth-shattering truths grows stronger, adding another layer of tension to Violet's already strained existence.
The stakes are high and unequivocal — graduation or death — with Violet trapped in the heart of brewing plots. Interweaving alliances and betrayals, friendship and rivalry, plus tentative romances, Yarros crafts a world where everyone at the Basgiath War College has a hidden agenda.
For fantasy romance books enthusiasts and romantasy genre readers eager to plunge into a realm of high stakes and dragons, you have found your next epic adventure!
BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION
The attention to detail in the world-building and character development
One of the most impressive aspects of this romantasy genre book is the rich and vivid fantasy world created by the author.
Dragons as primary characters
It was refreshing to see dragons elevated to actual characters in romantasy books, with their own personalities and relationships with their main character riders. This adds a new dimension to the traditional dragon rider adult fantasy genre.
Political conspiracy
The brewing political conspiracy in the book adds an element of suspense and mystery that keeps readers on edge throughout the story. It also serves as a commentary on power dynamics and the consequences of war.
BOOK QUOTE
"Nature likes all things in balance..." — Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
MORE BOOKS from The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros
BOOK 2 | Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean | Book 2
2023 Publication Date: November 7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️
Pages: 640
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance Novels
Sub-Genres: Best Romantasy Books | High Fantasy Books | Dragon Fantasy | Action Adventure | Steamy Romance 🌶🌶🌶 | Enemies To Lovers Romance Fiction
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶🌶🌶 (Hot Spicy)
Time Period: Fantasy World
Location: Fantasy World (Navarre)
Publisher: Entangled Publishing | Red Tower Books
PUBLISHER BOOK SYNOPSIS
“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” ―Xaden Riorson
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College―Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits―and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College―and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
Rebecca Yarros | Photo by Katie Marie Seniors
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
REBECCA YARROS is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifteen novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event, with multiple starred Publishers Weekly reviews and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. She’s the mother of six children, and is currently surviving the teenage years with two of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time while guzzling coffee. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a Maine Coon cat named Artemis, who rules them all.
Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October, which she co-founded with her husband in 2019. To learn more about their mission to better the lives of kids in foster care, visit www.oneoctober.org.
Learn more online at Rebecca Yarros
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