“You don’t get to dictate how I feel. You might give the orders out there, but not in here. That’s not fair. You can only respect what I choose to do. You’re not responsible for my choices.” – The Fourth Wing

Move over, SJM, there’s a new queen of dragon fantasy in town!! Y’all know what a massive fangirl of TOG that I am. From the custom covers to art prints and pillows and blankets and more ALLLL strewn around my house, it’s obvious I love that series. But this book came out of nowhere and totally blew me away!! It’s coming of age with battles and romance And DRAGONS…so many dragons.

I love that in this tale we have a little spoony, bookish heroine named Violet that comes into her own as a bad ass dragon rider. I enjoyed the detailed back story on all the characters, the depth of magic, and the unique personalities and bonds of the dragons. And holy smokes, this is my favorite enemies to lovers trope at it’s finest!

“I always want you. You walk into a room, and I can’t look away. I get anywhere near you and this happens. I can barely THINK when you’re around.”

Rebecca Yarros does such an incredible job of world building in this. The story mostly take place at an army barracks where new recruits battle it out for the rare chance to become dragon riders. Violet is a bookish scribe, raised to take over her father’s job and document the history of her people and the battles they face.

Instead, she is sent away by her ruthless general of a mom to become a rider, despite the fact that it seems like a death sentence. But instead of crumbling, she rises to each challenge. She grows and learns, makes friends and builds alliances, and best of all, uses her brain to come up with ways to continue to not only live, but thrive.

“You are strong fierce and have a ruthless streak. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever met. That mind of yours is sexy as hell.”

She’s also madly attracted to the untouchable, every bristly, Xaden Riorson. He is not only her wing leader and arch nemesis, but Violet’s own mother is responsible for the death of Xaden’s father, and their families are on opposite sides of a long standing war. The rest of the book is Victoria’s training and preparing for challenges, all while trying her best to avoid Xaden and not die.

Xaden and Victoria have fabulous banter as well as good boundaries and well spoken consent. I love that even though there is INTENSE chemistry, what really draws them together is their personalities, strengths, and beliefs.

This book was immersive and filled with non stop action, steamy romance, and powerful friendships and alliances. I loved every second of it and can’t wait for about 8 more books. Is that too much to ask?

Books are sold out all over online, so head to your local indie to find a copy!

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