Fourth Wing

Empyrean, Book 1

By: Rebecca Yarros

Narrated by: Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton

Length: 21 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Now with two bonus chapters read by Teddy Hamilton. Re-download the title now to listen to the extended version!

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."—Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today 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.

©2023 Rebecca Yarros (P)2023 Recorded Books

I felt like a teenager reading twilight for the first time.

This book gave me a feeling I’ve chased ever since reading the last page of the first fantasy romance book I ever picked up. This was AMAZING.The narration, while it is kind of obvious Rebecca has a cold in the first half, it’s easy to look past it because of the compelling emotion in her narration. The story was incredible. It’s not earth bending literature of course, but if escaping this world and experiencing a new dystopian world, filled with dragons, slow burn romance, incredible magic and well detailed action is for you? Then I HIGHLY recommend this book. I’m ready for book 2.

Engaging Story

I personally really liked the female narrator. I have no idea what people found lacking - I thought her voice matched the character well.

The story was engaging if a little derivative. It’s a Pern meets Hogwarts meets Hunger Games, etc. kind of vibe. Still, it left me wanting to hear more and I’ll likely continue on to the next book.

Just a bit of fair warning - while a lot about this book reminded me of other YA novels, there are some steamy and reasonably graphic descriptions of sex between the main characters.

Fun story, terrible audio-production

Clicks, sniffs, rustling, crackling from the mic, weird unnaturally long pauzes, double breaths, differences in reading speed, differences in volume; the production value is LOW. I've been using Audible since 2008 and I can't remember ever listening to an audiobook with background noises that were this sloppily edited out. The problem got worse halfway through the book, as though the editor gave up or doesn't know how to cut audio, even though it's pretty simple to cut before a noise. This isn't a professionally edited product by a professional audio studio. It can't be.

And I can't believe a bestseller like this is still selling a DIY audiobookversion on Audible.

Audible doesn't accept AI voice-overs yet, because Audible values quality (oh, the irony) but I would definitely prefer AI if the narration is consistent and the background SILENT. I feel Audible should pull this book.

The narration itself is pretty good, even if the charactervoices are somewhat inconsistent. Nevertheless, I recommend you buy another version of this book.

That was AWESOME

Best if listened to in months! Narration was more than spot in. The story was on top of it.
Loved every minute. Headed to get book 2 now.

Could not put it down

I LOVED this book. I got irrationally irritated when I saw the second book is not released until November.
the performance took a minute to get into, but it was such a good story that you overlook some of the readers voices for characters. I've already preordered the second book. 10/10

amazing storytelling a characters

I began listening with no idea of what the story was about. I am so impressed with the narrator. the way she voiced and helped create badass female characters. the only thing that 'erked' me, was there were at times she would have the same deep voice for 2 characters talking with eachother. it would have been great if the narrator was able to keep the voices more distinguished.
other than that, I'm in love with this story! excited and sad I have to wait till November to read or listen to the next book.

I absolutely love it!!

Even with my misophonia I could listen to the narrator and enjoyed this awesome story and audiobook! I keep listening to it because I like it so much! One of my absolute favorites

Great book, really don’t like the narrator

Fun YA fantasy and interesting story. I buy audible versions to complement my kindle reading but dang listening to the narrator here is tough.

Amazing story and world building

First off, I listened to this amazing story on Audible. I almost had to stop due to the narrator’s mouth noises, apparently she had a cold during recording the first 9 or so chapters and it was hard to listen to. It did get much better though and I’m glad I stuck with it. The world building and incredible story drew me in from the first chapter and kept me enthralled until the last! I can’t wait until book 2! I haven’t read/listened to an epic fantasy I’ve enjoyed this much in quite a while!

Worth it.

overall I had a great time listening, some flaws but I couldn't find it in me to stop listening to it.