Summary
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a new adult fantasy novel set at an elite war college where young cadets train to become scribes, healers, soldiers, or dragon riders. Published in 2023, the novel received high praise for not only its world-building, its high-stakes adventure, and what Publishers Weekly called its “sexy dark academia aesthetic,” but also its representation of living with chronic illness. The protagonist Violet Sorrengail, a physically fragile young woman thrust into the brutal and dangerous dragon riding training program against her wishes, displays symptoms similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition Yarros herself lives with. A #1 New York Times bestseller and a viral sensation on BookTok, Fourth Wing launched a series of novels set in the Empyrean world. Amazon MGM Studios has acquired the rights for a TV adaptation.
Plot
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail reluctantly joins the elite dragon rider program at Basgiath War College on her mother's orders, despite her physical frailty and plans to become a scribe. As the daughter of the commanding general, Violet faces hostility from other cadets who view her as weak or want revenge against her mother. She befriends fellow cadet Rhiannon and reconnects with her childhood crush Dain, while clashing with the ruthless wingleader Xaden Riorson.
Against all odds, Violet bonds with not one but two dragons—the massive black dragon Tairn and the tiny golden dragon Andarna. This unprecedented dual bond gives her immense power but also puts an even bigger target on her back. As she struggles with combat training and flying lessons, Violet fends off multiple assassination attempts from rival cadets. She reluctantly accepts protection from Xaden and his foster brother Liam as she works to master her new abilities.
Violet's squad performs well in training exercises and earns a chance to visit a military outpost, where they face an attack by enemy gryphon riders. During a capture-the-flag game, Violet manifests her lightning-wielding signet power and uses it to kill a cadet who was trying to murder her friend. Her relationship with Xaden grows more intimate, though she remains wary of trusting him fully given the contentious history between their families. On Reunification Day, celebrating the defeat of rebels including Xaden's father, Violet and Xaden finally give in to their attraction.
The War Games' final stage takes an unexpected turn when Xaden leads part of their squad outside the empire's protective wards. They encounter gryphon riders and Violet learns Xaden has been smuggling weapons to them. He reveals that venins— evil magic-corrupting creatures thought to be mythical—are real and attacking neighboring kingdoms, but Navarre's leaders are hiding this truth. As they battle venins to evacuate a town, Liam is killed and Violet is gravely wounded. Taking shelter in an abandoned rebel stronghold, Violet awakes to find her supposedly dead brother Brennan alive and part of a revolution, leaving her future uncertain.
