Fourth Wing (International Edition) by Rebecca Yarros
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Fourth Wing (International Edition)

by

Rebecca Yarros

(Author)

4.8

-

206,495 ratings


A #1 New York Times bestseller • Optioned for TV by Amazon Studios • Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award, semi-finalist • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine's Best Books of 2023

"Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros' Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy." ―Booklist, starred review

"Fourth Wing will have your heart pounding from beginning to end... A fantasy like you've never read before." ―#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times 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.

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ISBN-10

0349437009

ISBN-13

978-0349437002

Print length

498 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Piatkus

Publication date

April 27, 2023

Dimensions

6.18 x 1.5 x 9.33 inches

Item weight

1.36 pounds


Popular highlights in this book

  • They’re a mated pair, Tairn and Sgaeyl. The strongest bonded pair in centuries.

    Highlighted by 23,398 Kindle readers

  • Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you’re really a violent little thing, aren’t you?

    Highlighted by 20,250 Kindle readers


Product details

ASIN :

B0BGDM197Q

File size :

6056 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

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Word wise :

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Editorial reviews

“A fantasy like you've never read before.” ―Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Smart-ass. Bad-ass. Kick-ass. One helluva ride!” ―Tracy Wolff, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Utterly addictive and completely unputdownable. I devoured every page and fell hopelessly, desperately in love with these characters and the incredible world Rebecca Yarros has so carefully, lovingly crafted. Hands down the best book hangover I’ve ever experienced. I can’t wait for more!” ―Helena Hunting, New York Times bestselling author

“An exhilarating dragon ride of a fantasy! Brutal, fast-paced, compelling, and simmering with romantic tension that left me on the edge of my seat. Fourth Wing is everything I want in a book and more. Phenomenal! Move this one to the top of your TBR.” ―Samantha Young, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

“Buckle up because with nonstop action, sizzling romance, and the BEST DRAGONS EVER, you will not be able to put down Fourth Wing until the last page is turned. It's a wild, sexy, roller coaster of a ride.” ―Mary E. Pearson, New York Times bestselling author

“Dragons and war, passion and power…Fourth Wing is dazzling. Rebecca Yarros has created a world as compelling as it is deadly, and I can't wait to see where she takes it next.” ―Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author

“This book should come with a warning label, because once you start it, you won’t stop until you reach the final page. Forbidden romance that simmers off the page; relentless, heart-stopping action; and a delicious, morally gray hero―this is the book I’ve been waiting for!” ―Geneva Lee, New York Times bestselling author

“Fourth Wing is an unforgettable adventure from cover to cover. I cheered, laughed, grinned, and refused to put it down. This expertly crafted romantic fantasy is sure to launch the beginning of a brand-new insatiable fandom!” ―Lexi Ryan, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Kapow, what a story! In Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros gives you gutsy young heroines and sexy bad boys living in a world where no one―not even the mightiest dragon―is safe. This is some sharp, bold, and delicious storytelling!” ―Rachel Howzell Hall, New York Times bestselling author

“House of the Dragon meets Divergent in this utterly thrilling, unputdownable new fantasy! Fourth Wing is full of scintillating adventure, soaring dragon flight, and slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance. Climb on and enjoy the ride!” ―Amalie Howard, USA Today bestselling author

“As smoldering as it is spellbinding, Fourth Wing is a thrilling, dragon-filled delight!” ―Cindi Madsen, USA Today bestselling author

“Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing kept me up at night whispering "one more chapter" until suddenly the sun was rising―and even then I still couldn't bring myself to stop. Utterly immersive, fiercely romantic, and unforgivably addictive, this book is a spectacular masterpiece and my new fantasy obsession.” ―Lynette Noni, Australia's #1 young adult fiction author

“An expertly woven tale in a riveting world of dragons, life-or-death competition, and betrayal, Rebecca Yarros hits all the high notes and delivers a thrilling new romantic fantasy that readers will devour.” ―K.A. Tucker, international bestselling author

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Sample

CHAPTER ONE

Conscription Day is always the deadliest. Maybe that’s why the sunrise is especially beautiful this morning—because I know it might be my last.

I tighten the straps of my heavy canvas rucksack and trudge up the wide staircase of the stone fortress I call home. My chest heaves with exertion, my lungs burning by the time I reach the stone corridor leading to General Sorrengail’s office. This is what six months of intense physical training has given me—the ability to barely climb six flights of stairs with a thirty-pound pack.

I’m so fucked.

The thousands of twenty-year-olds waiting outside the gate to enter their chosen quadrant for service are the smartest and strongest in Navarre. Hundreds of them have been preparing for the Riders Quadrant, the chance to become one of the elite, since birth. I’ve had exactly six months.

The expressionless guards lining the wide hallway at the top of the landing avoid my eyes as I pass, but that’s nothing new. Besides, being ignored is the best possible scenario for me.

Basgiath War College isn’t known for being kind to…well, anyone, even those of us whose mothers are in command.

Every Navarrian officer, whether they choose to be schooled as healers, scribes, infantry, or riders, is molded within these cruel walls over three years, honed into weapons to secure our mountainous borders from the violent invasion attempts of the kingdom of Poromiel and their gryphon riders. The weak don’t survive here, especially not in the Riders Quadrant. The dragons make sure of that.

“You’re sending her to die!” a familiar voice thunders through the general’s thick wooden door, and I gasp. There’s only one woman on the Continent foolish enough to raise her voice to the general, but she’s supposed to be on the border with the Eastern Wing. Mira.

There’s a muffled response from the office, and I reach for the door handle.

“She doesn’t stand a chance,” Mira shouts as I force the heavy door open and the weight of my pack shifts forward, nearly taking me down. Shit. The general curses from behind her desk, and I grab onto the back of the crimson-upholstered couch to catch my balance.

“Damn it, Mom, she can’t even handle her rucksack,” Mira snaps, rushing to my side.

“I’m fine!” My cheeks heat with mortification, and I force myself upright. She’s been back for five minutes and is already trying to save me. Because you need saving, you fool.

I don’t want this. I don’t want any part of this Riders Quadrant shit. It’s not like I have a death wish. I would have been better off failing the admission test to Basgiath and going straight to the army with the majority of conscripts. But I can handle my rucksack, and I will handle myself.

“Oh, Violet.” Worried brown eyes look down at me as strong hands brace my shoulders.

“Hi, Mira.” A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. She might be here to say her goodbyes, but I’m just glad to see my sister for the first time in years.

Her eyes soften, and her fingers flex on my shoulders like she might pull me into a hug, but she steps back and turns to stand at my side, facing our mother. “You can’t do this.”

“It’s already done.” Mom shrugs, the lines of her fitted black uniform rising and falling with the motion.

I scoff. So much for the hope of a reprieve. Not that I ever should have expected, or even hoped for, an ounce of mercy from a woman who’s been made famous for her lack of it.

“Then undo it,” Mira seethes. “She’s spent her whole life training to become a scribe. She wasn’t raised to be a rider.”

“Well, she certainly isn’t you, is she, Lieutenant Sorrengail?” Mom braces her hands on the immaculate surface of her desk and leans in slightly as she stands, looking us over with narrowed, appraising eyes that mirror the dragons’ carved into the furniture’s massive legs. I don’t need the prohibited power of mind reading to know exactly what she sees.

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About the authors

Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifteen novels, including FOURTH WING, and is always ready to bring on the emotions. She's also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence in New Adult for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.

She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for twenty-one years. She’s the mother of six children and lives in Colorado with her family, their stubborn English bulldog, feisty chinchillas, and Maine Coon cat who rules them all. Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

206,495 global ratings

Elizabeth Rodriguez

Elizabeth Rodriguez

5

Amazing and riveting!

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024

Verified Purchase

10/5 stars

The world building, pace of the story, and characters were all amazing. Moments of hilarity in between moments of plot. I loved the characters and how they developed. I wanted to root for Dain and hope I was wrong, but he just pissed me off as the book carried on. I had serious rage levels every time he would try to step in to protect Violet or opened his mouth.

I have been so invested in a story in such a long time, but this book gripped me by the shoulders and yanked me inside. Violet and Xaden‘s story developed in a way that I could see happening, but not anticipate how it would go. Finish the story in a day and a half, because I couldn’t put it down!

If you’d like to read a story that has amazing world building, dragons, magic, a heroine who stands up for herself, and an amazing plot - READ THIS BOOK. And the end! I am relieved that “Iron Flame” is out and I don’t have to wait for it. I will definitely be reading that next!

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14 people found this helpful

Greg Barlin

Greg Barlin

5

Lords of Discipline + Dragonriders of Pern + ...steamy romance? But it works!

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2023

Verified Purchase

I first came across Fourth Wing when I noticed it in the #1 position on Amazon's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2023 So Far. But beyond that selection, I looked at how the reviews were trending. At the time, there were more than 21,000 reviews (it's now about to crest 40,000), and the average was a whopping 4.8 stars. It has to be good for that many people to love it, right? In need of a palate cleanser after the difficult read that was The Whispers, I decided I'd limit the likelihood of another clunker and see what all the hype is about. And I'm happy to say that I get why so many people love this book: it's pretty great.

Fourth Wing is set at Basgiath War College in the mythical land of Navarre. It opens on Conscription Day, where thousands of twenty-year-olds assemble to take their place among the healers, scribes, or infantry. The most elite of them try to join the most selective branch and become dragon riders.

Our heroine is Violet Sorrengail. Bookish and smart, yet frail, she always imagined a future as a scribe, just as her father had been. But her mother is a rider and a general in the army, and she has other ideas. Against Violet's wishes, her mother insists she attempt to be a rider as well. But this isn't an idle push in a different direction. The stakes are the highest possible for those trying to become riders: from the opening conscription challenge through bonding with a dragon, there are dozens of opportunities to fail, and any failure when attempting to become a rider equals death.

In addition to the general peril of the tasks at hand, there is also a ruthlessness among the members of the War College. Fewer classmates means better opportunities to bond a dragon, and so the murder of fellow classmates, while perhaps not encouraged, is certainly allowed, making every waking moment one filled with potential death. Yarros creates an interesting caste within the college of students who carry "rebellion relics". They are the children of adults involved in a rebellious uprising six years prior. All of the adults were executed, and the children were only spared execution as well by being forced into conscription as riders. As a result, they all tend to possess a brooding darkness -- you could think of them as the "Slytherin" of Basgiath. To further complicate things for Violet, those children of the rebels all intensely hate her because Violet's mother was responsible for ordering their parents' execution.

The novel is packed with a ton of genre-bending elements. There is the basic plot -- Violet's unlikely journey through her first year at Basgiath War College -- which stirred up memories of one of my all-time favorite books, Pat Conroy's The Lords of Discipline, based on Conroy's first year at The Citadel military college. There are dragons and dragon riders, which of course evokes memories of plenty of fantasy novels, with Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series top of mind. And then there's some romance, and a potential love triangle, which starts out feeling like something from a YA novel, but ends up a lot more R-rated and steamy, and more akin to what you might find in a novel with Fabio on the cover. Add to this a nuanced backstory and some misdirection on who the reader should trust and believe, and Fourth Wing truly has something for everyone.

There is depth to the story and characters, which elevates the story and I'm sure plays a big role in the stellar reviews. Yarros handles relationships well, whether it's the strained relationship between Violet and her mother, the love between Violet and her sister, or the friendships Violet forges with her classmates. The romance is the romance; honestly I could have done without it, and while it was almost humorous at times, it works for what it is meant to be. Yarros also does a standout job of presenting how her characters handle loss. Whether it's grieving the loss of family members or their classmates, there is an undercurrent of sadness and longing that affects many of the characters and hardens them to the task at hand. Despite the intensity of their training, Yarros does a pretty good job reminding us that they're only in their early twenties and still figuring out a lot of life.

I suspect a lot of the hype and enjoyment of the book is related to how Yarros turns a straightforward "year 1 as a student story" into something more. I can't help but compare that to the Harry Potter books (except, of course, Harry never had hot magical sex with Ginny Weasley -- at least not within the pages of any of the books!). Those novels changed significantly for me with the third book in the series, The Prisoner of Azkaban. Where books 1 and 2 were decent and straightforward YA novels, The Prisoner of Azkaban took the story to a more nuanced and mature level. Yarros does the same thing here, but all within the pages of a single book. I get why people are so drawn to the story.

Overall, it's a winner. It's fun, and while it feels derivative of several other novels, it also combines those stories and plots in its own unique way. Book 2, Iron Flame, is already set for release this November (I've already ordered my copy!), and so if you fall in love with the characters, you'll have the opportunity to spend more time with them before long (well, at least with those who survive Fourth Wing). It's a compelling read and like the other 40,000+ readers who have this trending at almost 5 stars, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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244 people found this helpful

Madison

Madison

5

AMAZING, BEST BOOK OF 2023

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️

i have nothing but good things to say about this book, buckle up. i’m honestly not even sure that i will be able to gather my thoughts and form a coherent review to adequate explain how much i adored this book but i’m going to try. let’s start by saying that i am obsessed with this book. this was outstanding and amazing in every single way. i cried, i laughed, i giggled, i gasped, i did ALL THE THINGS. i have not felt so many things while reading a book since my last SJM read. fourth wing absolutely deserves all the hype and more. if the hunger games, divergent, harry potter, and game of thrones had a baby, this would be it. this book was the perfect mixture of romance and high stakes and the vibes were so spot on. fourth wing is fast paced from beginning to end and will absolutely hook you from the very first chapter. the world building was perfection and so seamless that it never felt awkward and i was never confused about the fantasy world. this is a world i would absolutely love to live in! i have heard that a lot of people found this book predictable, but i’m personally HORRIBLE at predicting endings so i may have forseen one or two things but i definitely could not have predicted the entire ending for this book and that made it that much more enjoyable. i LOVED violet’s character so much. her bond with her sister and her friends was so genuine. she is tough and strong willed and is unstoppable, despite her disadvantage (which yarrow displayed SO SO well). i loved her journey and how much she grew throughout this whole book. XADEN!!!! rhysand has been my #1 book boyfriend since i devoured ACOTAR last year and no one has lived up to the hype since. xaden freaking riorson has officially take my #1 book boyfriend spot with rhysand as a very close second. how can you not love this man?? he is an ABSOLUTE SIMP from violet even from the start despite his grumpy exterior. men who show their love through actions >>> this man had me literally gasping and giggling like a little kid because of some of the things he did. he was exactly what violet needed. i loved their tension but also how he always believe in her. and the nicknames?? 🤭 the romance was perfection. usually i get really impatient with slow burns, but the fantasy aspect of this book was done SO WELL that i was such as obsessed with the story as i was with the romance. and enemies to lovers??? sign me tf up. 😮‍💨 violet and xaden had the perfect build up between them. and the SPICE?? puh-lease. absolutely amazing!! tairn and andarna were hands down, the best part of this book. yarros did SO GOOD with described all of the details of the dragons and giving them so much personality. the interactions between the dragons and their riders were so much fun. i loved tairn’s grumpy exterior, his sassy comments, and how protective he was of violet. andarna is so freaking cute and i love her to death. i could honestly rave about every single aspect of this book but i feel like this really sums up some of my biggest feelings. this is definitely a book that deserved ALL the hype and definitely a book that you need to read, even if you aren’t a fantasy lover. this book was not perfect by any means. like anything else, this book had flaws but it was perfect to me. i am obsessed. it had everything i wanted from a fantasy book AND DRAGONS!!🐉 i cannot wait to get my hands on iron flame!! this is definitely a book that i will be rereading before book 2 comes out! i know for a fact that this will be the best book that i read for this year. (peep my 73 kindle highlights from this book because it had the BEST QUOTES and xaden says the BEST THINGS -> may have some spoilers so read at your own risk)

“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”

“So then why are you here, Xaden?” “Because I can’t seem to stay away.”

“There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence.”

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