3.5 stars
CBR16 Bingo: Smash (romantasy – I want it on record that I hate this term, by the way)
Since this has been a huge success and had lots of attention on the TikToks and the like, I’m not even sure if I need to give much of a plot summary, but here goes:
All her life, Violet Sorrengail has wanted to become a Scribe, like her father. However, her mother, a commanding general of the army of Navarre (the fictional country this is set in) will not accept that any child of hers become anything but a dragon rider. Violet’s older sister is a dragon rider, Violet’s older brother was a dragon rider (until he tragically died), and so Violet also has to join the most insanely dangerous quadrant of the Basgiath war college, even though she’s only had about six months since her mother ordered her to change her mind, and she’s disabled to boot, so weaker and much more breakable than most of the ruthless candidates surrounding her.
Violet survives the perilous first task (apparently more than sixty people died before even getting into the college – is that really a good way to run a school?) and now has to stay alive in a literally lethally competitive environment. The lucky first years who survive, may be lucky enough to bond with a dragon and be granted exciting magical powers as a result. Violet has to use all her cunning and guile to survive among her more vicious peers, and there are a lot of people who want her dead, including the imposing Xaden Riorson, son of the man her mother personally executed after a failed rebellion. He and a number of other young family members of rebels are at the school because enrolling (and most likely being killed) was the only option given to them to ensure their survival.
Violet does make friends, and surprising everyone, survives long enough to get a chance at bonding a dragon. Once that ordeal is over (and she’s once again nearly killed), it becomes impossible for her to avoid Xaden any longer, since their dragons are mated, and that means that if something happens to either of them, the other one dies because of the bond bestowed by their dragons. So that’s fun. Of course, Xaden might hate her mum, but he is undeniably very hot. Despite having every reason for wanting her dead and having lots of opportunities to get her killed, Xaden instead seems amused by Violet, even sparring with her and challenging her – it’s all very confusing.
There is danger facing the borders of Navarre, and fewer dragon riders every year to deal with it. It becomes clear during Violet’s first year at Basgiath that the country’s leadership are hiding things and downplaying the seriousness of the attacks on border villages. Will Violet survive her first year at war college only to find herself thrust into an actual war?
For quite a while, I was usure about reading Fourth Wing because of all the hype on TikTok. Colleen Hoover is beloved on BookTok, and what little I tried of one of her books quickly made it clear that those books are not for me. So I was a bit sceptical. Then my friend Ashley read it last year and made this fun video about the experience. Generally, if Ashley likes a book, I will too (there are exceptions, but they are usually hard sci-fi or horror books).
Full review here.
With this review, I have blacked out my card (and even managed the bonus square)
Bingo #12: Celestial – Obsidio, Games – What is Love?, Dreams – The Ex-Talk, Smash – this, Pride – Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
Bingo #13: Dun Dun – A Sorceress Comes to Call, Horses – Ronja Rövardotter, Smash – this, Earth Day – The Mimicking of Known Successes, Tech – To Say Nothing of the Dog