Book Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros (The Empyrean Book 1)

Title: Fourth Wing

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Genre: Fantasy Romance / Romantasy

Tropes: Dragon Riders, Enemies to Lovers, Military Academy, Morally Gray MMC, Touch Her and Die (Slow Build), Disabled FMC, Deadly Trials, Found Family

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶 – Explicit scenes, slow-burn tension

Format: Audiobook 

Series: The Empyrean 

    Violet Sorrengail never wanted to be a dragon rider. With fragile health and bones that break too easily, she was always meant for the Scribe Quadrant—following in her father’s scholarly footsteps. But after his death, her mother—the commanding general—forces her to enter the Riders Quadrant instead. To survive, she must endure brutal trials, outlast ruthless candidates, and convince a dragon to bond with her. Simple. Especially with enlistment numbers at an all-time low and dragons known for incinerating the weak, Violet’s chances are slim. Add in her physical limitations and a training environment where fellow cadets would gladly kill for a better ranking, and the odds are stacked against her.

    This was a classic BookTok made me read it situation. I grabbed the audiobook and devoured it at work—yes, including the spicy scenes. Zero regrets. I was hooked from the moment Violet stepped onto the parapet.

    The tension is relentless: will she survive the other candidates? Will the dragons deem her worthy? Every trial feels life-or-death, especially with her disability constantly used against her. And then there’s the Wing Leader.

    The book initially sets up like it might lean toward a friends-to-lovers arc—but I’ve never been happier to be wrong. The “good boy” friend follows the rules, even when those rules hurt Violet. Meanwhile, the morally gray love interest? That’s the energy. Protective, intense, and not above bending the world when it comes to her. While he’s not fully in the “burn the world down” stage just yet, the groundwork is absolutely there.

    The romance is slow-burn with explicit moments that hit hard when they arrive. The chemistry builds through danger, rivalry, and undeniable attraction. The book ends on a cliffhanger, but thankfully the next installments are already out, so you can dive straight into the chaos. I will absolutely continue the series. As much as I loved the characters, the dragons stole the show. Every scene involving them elevated the story.

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $14.99 by clicking here. 

⭐ You’ll love this book if you enjoy:

• Dragon rider fantasy
• Military academy settings
• Enemies-to-lovers tension
• Strong but physically vulnerable heroines
• Morally gray romantic leads
• High-stakes fantasy with cliffhangers

Book Review: Fae's Captive by Lily Archer (Fae's Captive Book 1)

Genre: Fantasy Romance / Portal Fantasy

Tropes: Kidnapped to Another World, Fated Mates, Language Barrier, Captive Heroine, Enemies to Lovers (Potential), Survival Fantasy, Fish Out of Water

Spice Level: 🌶 – Slow-build romantic tension (based on early chapters)

Format: eBook

Series: Previously Serialized (Now Combined Edition)

Taylor can’t stand her college roommate, but when Cecile offers to pay her to be the designated driver—all she has to do is sit in the car and wait—Taylor reluctantly agrees. Bad decision. After being drugged, Taylor wakes up in a cage in a world she doesn’t recognize, beside a man desperately urging her to stay quiet before the guards return. She insists she doesn’t belong there—but no one believes her. Not that it matters, since she can barely understand the language being spoken around her.

    This is a portal fantasy romance with strong fated mate undertones and immediate survival stakes.

I originally read an earlier version of this book when it was broken into shorter installments (roughly 100 pages each). At the time, the story mainly covered Taylor meeting Gareth and establishing her backstory. It ended before the plot truly expanded, and I didn’t continue because I’m not a fan of serialized stories marketed as full books.

However, Amazon now indicates that the previously separated installments have been combined into one 600-page complete novel. That alone makes it much more appealing.

From what I read in the earlier version, I genuinely enjoyed the premise. The fated mate setup, the world-building hints, and the dynamic between Taylor and Gareth were compelling enough that I plan to revisit the full edition now that the story appears complete.

I’ll update this review once I’ve read the expanded version in its entirety.

    The 614 page option is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $6.49 by clicking here. 

⭐ You’ll love this book if you enjoy:

• Portal fantasy romance
• Kidnapped-to-another-world plots
• Fated mate slow burns
• Language barrier tension
• Survival-based fantasy romance
• Previously serialized stories now compiled into one volume