Audiobook Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

 

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros

Publication Date: May 2nd 2023 by Recorded Books

Pages: 498

Audio Book Length: 20hrs 43min

Narrators: Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton

Source: Purchased, library lend

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I’m not going to give a summary since this has been reviewed a million times, but the hype is real! Finished the audio of Fourth Wing last night and boy was it good! Even my husband loved it. I will say that I think the spicy parts wouldn’t been better if they were shorter, not so long and drawn out, but there weren’t very many, maybe two (?) so it's just a little niggle.

Other than that, the story and pace were top notch! Exciting and action packed with plenty of surprises! Some stories sacrifice emotional depth or character development when there’s a lot of action but that wasn’t the case here! Violet and her friends are well-fleshed out, their fear, joy, anger and longing palpable!

The audio narration was perfection! Rebecca Soler acted her heart out! She made you feel the intensity and urgency of the story as well as a whole range of emotions! Teddy Hamilton performs Xander in the end and he was excellent as well.

I borrowed a library copy and mine was the updated version. I guess there was an issue with the first recording. I also bought a copy since my lend was about to expire and I had to finish the story!

That ending! I wouldn’t say it’s a cliffhanger, more to be continued… but still! I’m eager for the next one!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.