Part 2: The Fourth Wing: A Deep Dive into the Plot, Characters, and Themes

Greetings, readers! I am thrilled to dive into a captivating review of the highly anticipated novel, "The Fourth Wing."

This is Part 2 of the book review.

In this book podcast episode, we explore the intricate world crafted by the talented author, delving into the plot, characters, and themes that make this book a must-read "The Fourth Wing." by Rebecca Yarros. We'll discuss the book's unique storytelling, thought-provoking ideas, and its impact on readers.

Joining us as a special guest for this episode, @bookish_megeen, will provide insights and share their perspective on the novel. We can't wait to engage in an enlightening discussion about "The Fourth Wing" and its significance within the fantasy world.

Whether you've already devoured the book or are intrigued to learn more about it, make sure to tune in to our podcast episode. Discover why "The Fourth Wing" has garnered critical acclaim and how it resonates with readers across the globe.

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This review will be done in 2 parts! Make sure to keep your eyes on the announcements @booktrovertreader!

WARNING: This podcast does have spoilers

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Transcript

Part 2: The Fourth Wing: A Deep Dive into the Plot, Characters, and Themes

 U1 

 0:00 

 I am with bookish McGeen, a bookstagrammer we are going over the phenomena of force wing by Rebecca Yaros. I love fantasy romance, don't get me wrong, but it does seem like her tone, I don't know if this is author purposely doing this, but once she started, like officially being with xandin 

 U2 

 0:21 

 yeah, I don't know, 

 U1 

 0:22 

 her whole personality felt like it shifted to this. I'm strong to this now. I'm lovesick sappy and I don't know if that's purposeful. I'm kind of hoping it's purposeful because you're 18. She's young. 

 U2 

 0:36 

 That's exactly how I went for it in my head is that she's 

 U1 

 0:40 

 really young. So she's caught up in the romance of this new love. It's this new feelings. So I'm kind of hoping that's the tone that the author created because I just felt like there was a shift in mindset. I 

 U2 

 0:52 

 feel like it's definitely a driving force. And all of a sudden that was a stronger bond because she was definitely still very wanting to protect everyone. And at the end it wasn't just about him. But I do understand that when she started the book, she was very like, I don't want to say career focused, but I guess in this world, 1s career in this world, that's kind of like what she was. She was very focused on her goals and what she wants. And then along the way, this has kind of brought in some 1s obviously how it ends. It's only going to make it more of a possible, like, I'm going to forsake all my stuff and go this way. But I put it up to her being very young and this being like the first time she feels like she's been in love and you can get kind of wrapped up in that, especially in the beginning. So that's what I've kind of like I've just accepted that that's going to happen with kind of like really young FMCs. It seems like it always happens that happen in a guitar. It happens all the time. And I have to remind myself that these are like teenagers. They are young. I don't remember how old Violet is, but I remember it was young. And I just have to keep reminding myself, like, they're young. This is probably the first time and like, okay, let's just go with this fantasy world. But I do agree. It's just that's kind of how I just accept it, I guess, now how it is. 

 U1 

 2:26 

 Well, at my ears, 

 U2 

 2:29 

 it's 

 U1 

 2:30 

 I can imagine, like if I was like at that age that it would be just like, you know, I'm involved, oh, I wish I could be in love with that. And and then now that I'm older and I'm in my own relationship and stuff like that, I'm just like. Oh, it's a fetuation. 

 U2 

 2:49 

 It's like, all right, settle down a little bit. 1s So I'm trying to remind myself now that I'm older now, and I'm definitely different perspective. So I'm trying to remind myself that if I was in her shoes, what would I be thinking? 

 U1 

 3:05 

 How would I be feeling? Yeah, was hard at first, but at first I was like, really, though? 

 U2 

 3:10 

 Yeah. I always have to remind myself that's one of the reasons why I think I didn't get past the 69% is because I was like, oh, this is going to be a young FMC. I got to wrap my head around that. Right. And it's not that there's anything wrong with young FMCs. It's just traditionally they are written in such a way, and so there's even usually cattiness along with younger FNCS. That wasn't the case here, which I really liked, but generally there's automatic tropes that come to your mind. I've kind of got to prepare myself for that mindset and be in that mindset whenever I read it. So, yeah, it would have been cool to have an older FNC, but I liked the story, and I like Violet. 

 U1 

 3:53 

 I think it was well done in that area, even though it's like, technically in that world, cattiness. But there was more substance behind why they didn't like her. It's not just because, oh, you're with that 

 U2 

 4:05 

 guy I don't like. Exactly. 

 U1 

 4:07 

 It's because, literally, her mom killed their parents situation, and they're like, well, we're treated as punishment of our parents. I'm going to do the same thing to you. 

 U2 

 4:19 

 Exactly. Yes. 1s She's not singled out or hated because of being wanted by a man. She's singled out and hated because they've othered her because of the history of the parents. So, yeah, that to me, was done really well. Nothing like that. They were mean to her. 

 U1 

 4:40 

 Jack character is a big character in this one, and it does seem like he was just hating her just because he hated her, which was funny, but he believed that because she was fragile, they need to take her out. And I think that's why he went after her. 

 U2 

 4:56 

 Yeah. There was, like, the same mindset with the dragon as well. It's like in their culture. 1s The ones need to be weeded out. 

 U1 

 5:04 

 It's not physical weakness. It's more of the personality and character weakness that they go for, which I 

 U2 

 5:10 

 like. Well, I just want to say I don't remember because like I said, it's been a couple of weeks since I've read this, but her hair isn't. It like silver. And no matter what she does, it's always silver. Yeah, 

 U1 

 5:23 

 I think it'silver at the tips. Some 

 U2 

 5:25 

 reason, I feel like it never can. I feel like I remember that being in there and I feel like there's going to be something there. 

 U1 

 5:31 

 Yeah, because that part wasn't really explained. She said she was born with that because of the 

 U2 

 5:37 

 disability that she has. 

 U1 

 5:40 

 And then we just moved on. Part of me is like, what was that magic that happened? So it makes me wonder if something happened with her mom. Because in the end, which I definitely don't want to reveal too much, there's a lot going on with her mom that she's not revealing and they're 

 U2 

 5:57 

 hiding. Yeah. Okay, just off to the side, just between you and me, do you think the mom's going to be a baddie? I think it's going to be a baddie I think she 

 U1 

 6:07 

 baddie well, because they found that particular knife in her office, and that knife is the only thing that kills that particular magical being. 

 U2 

 6:17 

 S. And I think because Dane knew what was going to happen when they got sent to that land, I think they sent them to kill, I would say kids, but was it the exiles or whatever, the traitors? 

 U1 

 6:34 

 So I personally think that there is something they're using them to attack the Griffins. Yeah, it's like you kind of got a lot more info dump at the end. There like, oh, there's this, there's that, oh, there's this, there's that. 

 U2 

 6:46 

 And honestly, sometimes with info dumps, though, like, I just will space out. Like, I'll be like, whoa, I'm never going to remember all of this. 1s Right? But I didn't have really those moments in this book, to be honest with you. Even at the end, I think maybe it was just like I was so worried about what was about to happen that maybe I just didn't focus on it. I don't know. I just feel like it was well done because I will zone out if it's too much info, and then I have to make myself focus. And I didn't have that moment of having to go back and reread. Right. But there was, I think, at the end. 

 U1 

 7:26 

 Yeah, the author. What I liked is that, yeah, there was a lot that was revealed at the end. It's like a reader experience. Like you're discovering it for the first time, because sometimes people can put a lot of information in the beginning and you're like, oh, I knew that was going to happen, blah, blah, blah. Here. It's like as if since Violet's discovering it, knowing more about it, and being revealed to her, you're as a reader as well. So I think that is done very well because I think that what makes the really good book is that you can connect very well to the book. 

 U2 

 7:58 

 Exactly. I completely agree. 

 U1 

 8:03 

 Obviously the plot kept you engaged. Other than the dragons, what else kept you really invested with the story? 

 U2 

 8:10 

 I would probably say I actually really enjoyed the plot. Like, I enjoyed seeing her journey. I enjoyed experiencing how that happens, what happens, and then the after point of what's going to lead into book two. I I don't know how to say it without giving everything. I wasn't prepared for non spoilers. So I feel like I've been super spoiled this whole time. 

 U1 

 8:35 

 I think we might as well accept it and just say in the show notes there are spoilers in this episode. I'm very known for it. But then lately I've been noticing on Instagram, a lot of people's like, I hate spoilers. You know, I'm like, I'm not a spoiler person. Like, that's one of the reasons why whenever you and I did our first one, you'd only had two books that you were doing. One of them I had read before, the other one I didn't. So I'm a very no spoiler person, and I can get kind of like rage fitted if I step into a space that I don't know is spoilery. But yours was very clearly like, we're going through this stuff and you say there's going to be spoilers fans, so if you do not want them, don't continue. So I was like, okay, I need to continue. 2s But I came into the first one ready, like the first podcast we did, ready to not get spoilers. But in this one, I was like, I was ready to 

 U2 

 9:30 

 talk about all the things. I 

 U1 

 9:31 

 feel like a lot of it, if you want to get past the first 25% of the book and talk about it, you have to give spoilers away. It's just how it is and how well developed this book is. So it is what agency? 

 U2 

 9:44 

 I would definitely say that I really enjoyed learning about this world and seeing how to become a writer and what that process looks like, but mainly enjoyed Violet, I guess, the way she went through struggle and the way she handled it. She very quickly kind of won me over with the way that she didn't give up and she wasn't going to give up, and she was used to adversity and she was just like, this is where I'm at and I'm going to try it and we're going to figure it out. And if I don't, I don't. But I gave it my all, and she was kind at the same time with her friend and thoughtful. So to me. I enjoyed the FNC. It's really hard for me to love a book if I don't like the main character in some way, shape or form. And she was very easy to like and I enjoyed seeing the world through her lens. I really liked, and it was something that I didn't even notice as I was reading it, but there wasn't a lot of caddiness. There was reasons between people not liking them, and I liked that there wasn't, like we talked about earlier, some tragic backstory that had to do with a man of some way. It was different, it was refreshing. I guess that's the thing. And 

 U1 

 11:01 

 I think there was a little bit of it, but I think that was just a bit of miscommunication that happened. What did you think about how this whole school has developed? I remember one saying that if it's so hard to get writers, if it's so hard to get people in the army and things like that, why do you send these young adults into the school where at any moment they can die? One person's, like, if they fail, could you just send them on to the army or something like that? Or to the infantry that they had at the front lines? Why put them through all that rigorous training for them to possibly die because the dragon didn't like them? What are your thoughts about how the whole school structure is set 

 U2 

 11:43 

 up? When I go into a fantasy world, 5s this is the way the culture is and learn as we go. I don't take it as like, this is like the real world, but I will say that it did surprise me how nonchalant it was that they could just murder the students for no big deal. I was like, this is very like, to me, it's more realistic. If you're going to get someone to be a writer on Dragon, come on now, you got to know you're probably going to die. 1s There is so much that can go wrong in the situation. And we've seen these dragons, they don't have to like you, they don't have to not murder you. Obviously, we've seen stuff, right? So it's one of those things where it's like these are definitely, quote unquote, wild. 1s Self actualizing. Like, they can do whatever they want, and they have the means in which to end you. So I get that they have to be tough and strong and prepared to basically die. Do I agree with it and think that that's the best way to do it? No, but that's what it is in this world, and I just kind of accepted it. And then also, if you think about it, most, like, how do they I forget. I don't remember. 

 U1 

 13:05 

 They're 18. That's what I thought I was like I mean, that's what the army accepts, is, like, 18. They even take a little bit younger if there's parental consent. And this is just like a fantasy version. So to me, it was a little bit jarring, and I very quickly realized it's not Ya because of that, but it's kind of like Harry Potter. It's one of those things where it's like how, like, this is such a dangerous atmosphere that it only makes sense that people would actually get hurt in real life. But in Harry Potter, it's magic. So the magic just keeps them okay or whatever. So in this, it's a little bit different, right? Because you don't get your magic until you really bond with a dragon. I don't know. I just kind of accepted it. Is it the best thing for kids? No, but I just kind of go on the trip with the author and with the FMC, so I don't really judge it like that unless it's really bad. If it's really like this seems 

 U2 

 14:06 

 like dark to me, then I may have to sit it down, and it just may not be the book for me. How about you? 

 U1 

 14:13 

 It's like you said. It's like this is their culture, this is their world, so this is pretty normal for them. Yeah. To live or to die. And I think it's just for me, I would probably have a very tough time just mentally being prepared for all of that just because of the fact that just. Just be biting somebody on a practice ring, and somebody like Jack can come in and just kill you just because they didn't like you. I think it's just a tough world because they're doing it not just because it's fun. It's because it's literally for survival and to protect their world and their country. And I think Violet's coming in very strong with a very strong scribe background, but she coming in with the strength, so a lot of it has played a very strong link for her succeeding in this quadrant. It's fun. I like it because you read a lot of school books, things are set in school, but this one is not school. It's like a boot camp, not even guaranteed to get past the first year because someone can come kill you and take your dragon. Exactly. And I thought that was super kind of impossible whenever we found that out, where now she's like, double the target. And it was like, oh, yay, she's got this dragon, and maybe it'll give her some leverage or some kind of, like, clout, and then, oh, no, just so you know, now she's even more of a target because now they know this dragon is willing to bond with people. I was just like, she can't catch a break. Yeah. I like how when she got her powers and started learning to channel it, it wasn't like, I'm super great at it. I'm so amazing. 1s I think she was privately trained and she's getting better, but she still didn't do very well at it. So I like that a lot. Just someone that's just not very good at it from the get go. 

 U2 

 16:07 

 Yeah. And I guess I liked the way that Violet struggled and liked the way she got over the struggles. I guess that's probably the best way 

 U1 

 16:18 

 to kind of wrap it up, in a way. I did an Instagram story because some people are claiming that this book is so much better than Sarah J. Mass's Books. I'm like, 

 U2 

 16:31 

 It's the first book. How can you say that? It's just the first book? 

 U1 

 16:35 

 Even Sarah j Mass's Books, AKATAR, it didn't get the better until the second book. About 41% of people who voted said yes. They did agree that fourth wink is better than AKATAR. A lot of people are still on this bandwagon. Like, no one's ever going to touch our Mass lady. 

 U2 

 16:54 

 It's hard for me to say yes when it's only one book. The story is not complete. So, yes, this book is really good, but what happens if book two or three, it's all downhill? So it's hard for me to say yes in any way, shape or form based on one book. Especially since math has this. Body of work in the fantasy world. It's really hard. But they are written completely different. Like their writing styles are different. 2s I feel like it's really hard to compare 

 U1 

 17:28 

 them. You know what's actually interesting? I'm looking at the profiles that voted. The people who voted yes, that's better than Sarah J. Maass are the ones that are the rom.com romance readers. If you look into the people that voted no, they'll never mean more than that. They're actually the fantasy readers. I think that's interesting to look at. Interesting because 

 U2 

 17:49 

 to me this book is really good and it is a reread for sure. It's really impressive for a first go in the fantasy realm and I hope to only see better. It get better. It was well edited, there was no throwaways. But that being said, masses has some really eloquent, credible hit me in the heart moments that I didn't get from this. I didn't get a lot of hit me in the heart. Like I'm learning something as a person or something hits me from an emotional standpoint. Now, I did cry in this book. I definitely cried with Fourth Wing and it was really good. But they're just completely different styles of telling story one I think is. I guess. Yeah, I could see how you would say it's more traditional fantasy and the other one is more maybe that could be something. Because Romcoms usually have beats boom. And the pacing is either on or it's off. Right. This could be like a fantasy version of kind of like a rom.com pacing for a fantasy version. I could kind of see there being something there but I really enjoy. I'm going to have to wait until the series is done before I can say yes or no to it being better. Honestly, I see this trend a lot where people are like books that are better than a guitar. I think it's kind of a trend and there's just a trendy book during that trend. So to me, until it is done, I can't base a body of work off of one 

 U1 

 19:29 

 book. Right. 2s I think AKATAR is one of those books that is just like the OG of fantasy romance, I think. Pretty sure there's tons of works, but she really nailed it down. So it's hard to beat this, but like you said, we'll see until it starts developing. Because just like throwing a glass, just like a guitar, it didn't really develop until second or third book that you find. And Thrown a Glass was the fourth or fifth book. 

 U2 

 19:57 

 Yeah, thrown a Glass took a minute. Took a 

 U1 

 20:00 

 minute for me to be ya turning into an adult, kind of. I'm very interested in seeing how this book and story develops. I'm looking forward to it because the end is a big cliffhanger. I wonder how that's going to develop. 

 U2 

 20:15 

 I really enjoyed it. I gave it five stars. It's a really good book. I feel like it's really well done. I did hear people have kind of, like, issues with the audio. I had even some people that I know reach out to me and tell me, hey, just to prepare you the audio. 2s I had no issue issues at all with the audio, but I also listen to mine at a faster speed. So that could be why I don't because the faster the speed is, usually the less you hear breaths and the less you hear those kinds of things that might annoy you. So for me, it was great and I thought the narrator did a wonderful job. I don't remember what I listened to this at, but it's not unusual for me to go like, two to 2.5 to even higher if the narrator's voice allows me to. It just depends. I really enjoyed it. I think that this is definitely going to be a series to watch. It's one of those things. I bet she has so much pressure on her right now because this book did so well and it did really well for sure as well. Like, the publisher, I think, is Entangled, and I think it's like Red Tower or something. I could be wrong about that. Like an offshoot of Entangled. This is like a huge win for that publisher. So I'm really excited to see what that means for book two. And I also from her because there's going to be people that are never going to like, oh, book two can never live up. And I feel like two is where authors and even movies and get the most critic, you know, coming in. Oh, yeah. I'm interested to see how book two does. I'm really excited for it and I think it's going to be great. I'm interested to see what everyone's going to start saying about it. 

 U1 

 22:01 

 Yeah, the second book will make or break the series. 

 U2 

 22:03 

 Honestly for me, I'll go. Even if I go to book two and I don't like it, I will definitely read book three. Because like you've said, sometimes. 1s It takes a little while, and sometimes it's purposeful, you know what I mean? Like they're telling a specific story, and sometimes the tone of books have to change because of it. And so I'll be interested to see where the story is going. Overall, I like it, I'm into it, and I'm looking forward to it. How about 

 U1 

 22:28 

 you? I'm excited. I got that second book ready. 2s We'll see what happens. Yeah. 

 U2 

 22:35 

 And I'm really prepared to cry again. I feel like I will fully cry again at some point. I'm not leaving that part. At the same time, I am because she wrote battle scenes so well. 1s And that's another reason why I like to listen to my audiobooks at a higher speed is it makes the action even more, like, nonstop. And you were in it. It gives you a sense of urgency that these things happening in real life because they're speaking a lot faster about what's going on. I really was impressed by how she did the battle scene and how long it was and how in it and completely, I couldn't do anything else. I had to stop and just listen. 

 U1 

 23:26 

 But going to blink and miss it. So 

 U2 

 23:29 

 how about you? In terms of Akatar, 1s would you say yes or no? 

 U1 

 23:35 

 I say no. If you're comparing the first book. AKATAR is the fantasy romance of romances. That's what really made me fell in love with the genre. It solidified me there. It's one of those books that I was like, I got to read it again because it's so amazing to me. When I think about Fourth Wing, I'm probably one of those 5% of people feel like this was good, but this was a little anticlimactic for me, just a little bit. And the concerns of romance because it is kind of pushed as the fantasy romance in a way. I love the fight scenes in it. I love how all that action built up in this book. I didn't care for the romance too much in this one. That romance. It was very predictable. As soon as you know, you're like, that's the guy AKATAR. She was in the first book, totally different to guy. And it totally switches because you didn't see it coming. But it was built very well. So that's why I'm like AKATAR all the way, man. I hope I don't get canceled. 

 U2 

 24:41 

 No, it's a great book. I think the crux of what you just said was. This really isn't romance fantasy. To me, this is a completely different kind of book than a guitar. This is a completely different kind of book. Like you said, when I think romance fantasy, I think of things like AKATAR, I think of Christmas city, but I also think of the blood grade series, I think of high fantasy romance. The romance was there. It did take a second. And I don't feel like the romance was the main plot of 

 U1 

 25:14 

 this book. Yeah, I think that it was more and it was more than a splash. But this is Violet story about how she becomes a writer, and it's also a story of the dragons as well. I don't see this as a romantic. Yes. Is it fantasy and does the romance in it? Yes, but I think romantic, I think it's more of what the actual story is about. Like, the story is these two people's stories. It's not just violence. It's not just you know what I mean? It's these two. How do these two people come to be together? But it's only book one. So in book two, that may completely change for me. And I may be like, oh, shoot, this is romantic, and I see where the story is going or I see how that's leading, but the first book on its own, it's hard for me to like, that is definitely romantic, or that is definitely like it's fantasy romance, for sure. It's not the main point of the story. And to me, romantic is usually that is the story. This is what we're talking 

 U2 

 26:24 

 about. Yeah. The romance in a fantasy setting. Whereas this is more fantasy that has romance. So like something like, was it Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker or something, right. That has a dash of romance, but it's not romantic. It's fantasy with a dash of romance in it. There is more romance in this book than warbringer, but it's not the story. For me, two 

 U1 

 26:52 

 different true love doesn't save at all. 

 U2 

 26:54 

 Yeah. For me, it's like two different genres, but I'm only at book one. So maybe that changes in book two and book three before, I don't know how many she's going to do, but 

 U1 

 27:04 

 she's going to do five. 

 U2 

 27:06 

 Wow, that's exciting. So for me, that may definitely change, but right now, based on book one, that's where I sit. I think that they're both great. I've both given them both five stars. They are just different categories to 

 U1 

 27:19 

 me. Yeah. I think it's almost just the way you described it. It's like it's almost not fair to compare it to AKATAR at the moment just because it's a good point. It's not really so focused on. 1s Love conquering all in this fantasy world. And it's not the main focus. It's totally separate high fantasy. In a way, I think that's how she describes a high fantasy with that romance. Would you 

 U2 

 27:45 

 consider this high fantasy? What do you think? Because you're a high fantasy lover, that's your genre, 

 U1 

 27:51 

 like, when you pull it up. So yeah, I would say so just because of the fact that it's being like lumped into, like, aragon. Six of Crows, shadow and Bone, lord of the Rings. 

 U2 

 28:05 

 I think this could be high fantasy. 2s And maybe it's just the way it was written. Maybe it was so well edited that it doesn't seem like there was as much world building 

 U1 

 28:17 

 as in other high fantasies that I kind of come to my mind. But it could just be that it was so well edited and maybe I need to do another read through. I do think that it's book one, so we'll see. I think it has the potential to be like an epic fantasy because it is an alternate world. 

 U2 

 28:35 

 There's magical elements, there's fantasy creatures. There's probably going to be even more that we don't know about yet. So I can definitely see this being high fantasy. And maybe that's probably how I was like high fantasy with romance elements. Romantic is more AKATAR. Maybe that's kind of like my category right now for these two. In my mind, I think she did such a good job, this book. 2s I was hooked. I 

 U1 

 29:06 

 think it's really good. I'm excited about how this goes forward. I 

 U2 

 29:10 

 definitely believe it lives up to the hype. 

 U1 

 29:12 

 Well, thank you for listening to my podcast. Follow me on Instagram for more updates and to participate in future polls. And if you have a moment, please consider leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your opinion is valuable to me, so thank you again for supporting me and happy reading. 233s You 2s well, thank you for listening to my podcast. Follow me on Instagram for more updates and to participate in future polls. And if you have a moment, please consider leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your opinion is valuable to me, so thank you again for supporting me and happy reading.