Picture this: The rain is pouring, you’re shivering, terrified, staring down into a dark abyss. You’re halfway across a narrow castle parapet—the first of many deadly tests you’ll need to survive over the next year. You’re smaller than all the other wannabe cadets. Weaker. But none of that matters. Your mother, the general in charge of your nation’s army, has decreed that you must join the Riders Quadrant. And so, you must.
All your life, you’d been training to be a Scribe, studying ancient tomes in the safety of the archives. Then your life changes in an instant as you’re told you’ll have to cross the parapet, conquer the gauntlet, bond with a dragon, take to the skies, and fight on the front lines for your people. Every step brings danger—from your ruthless fellow cadets, from your grueling classes, from the sheer power of the dragons themselves, and from the unpredictable force awakening inside you.
This is Violet’s life as she begins her journey to become a rider and command the skies. Wild, right?
But I’ve left out one very important detail… Xaden.
The son of a rebel leader, forced to train under the command of the very woman who decapitated his father. He’s dark, brooding, dangerous… and, frankly, an absolute problem in the best possible way.
A friend—who never says no to a little smut—recommended Fourth Wing to me, and I haven’t looked back. This series is the perfect blend of intrigue, fantasy, politics, thrills, and very adult content (all told through a delightful femine lens).
Fourth Wing follows Violet through her brutal first year as a cadet, while Iron Flame and Onyx Storm pick up the journey from there. I tore through these books so fast they’ve practically blurred into one—a whirlwind of dragons, friendships, betrayals, secrets, battles, and, yes, plenty of steamy moments.
I know this barely qualifies as a review, but honestly, unpacking these books would spoil the experience. They’re full of twists, turns, and jaw-dropping reveals. There’s even an entire online community dedicated to dissecting hidden clues and Easter eggs.
These books swept me away from the sick, sad world, and I had an absolute blast.
⭐ 5 ticking jaws out of 5.