Anyone who’s spoken to me about the book will know I’m not the hugest fan of Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing. I probably won’t be making any friends when I admit that I read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, and gave them both less than three stars. Looking at some of the statistics, however, it seems increasingly likely that I’m alone in my opinion. The third in the series, Onyx Storm, was released this January, and sold 2.7 million copies in one week alone, and was, according to the New York Times, “the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years”. I know there’s plenty of buzz around these books already, and another unprofessional voice shouting into the void about it is probably the last thing the world needs right now, but talking about the book to a classmate made me want to consider the books and the genre from a perspective outside of the hype.
Let’s start with romantasy. If you engage with literature on social media at all – BookTok, being the biggest form – it’ll be a genre you can’t escape. A blend of romance and fantasy, this genre has stormed popular culture, some of the biggest names being Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, and Holly Black. While most fantasy books will have a romantic subplot, romantasy stories are firmly romance novels set against a fantasy backdrop. This isn’t to say they don’t contain other themes – Fourth Wing also deals with family, war and loss, for example – but the relationship is predominantly what drives the story. While there are exceptions, they usually feature really common tropes such as love triangles, enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers, and the protagonists are often female.
Previously, fantasy was dominated by a very masculine cast, with a strong force of male heroes in hugely popular series such as Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. The rise in strong, female protagonists gives women a space in fantasy which they may have felt was lacking previously. Furthermore, these books tend to feature a lot of sexual content, which, quoted in one article in The Guardian, Kerri Maniscalo believes gives readers a “safe space” where they’re not “shy or ashamed”. Despite not being a particular fan of the genre, I do think these are both really good changes to be happening in literature. A safe space for readers is an incredibly important development in the fantasy genre, and particularly women who historically have been demonised and shamed in the media for exploring sexuality.
So, Fourth Wing. What about these books did I not get on with? To start with, I think Violet is an incredibly weak protagonist. She’s very one-dimensional, I can’t recall a single striking personality trait, and honestly, her narration reads more like a giddy diary entry than any sort of engaging prose. While Yarros was trying to create a witty, badass female protagonist, for me she fitted firmly in the stereotypical whiny, ‘not-like-other-girls’ category, which I personally think is a harmful depiction of women protagonists and one of my biggest pet peeves in fiction. While I understand the point of romantasy is primarily the romance element, Violet is so unbearably engrossed in Xaden that it completely undermines her sense of independence. Not only that, but the novel presents itself as a ‘will-they-won’t-they’, ‘enemies-to-lovers’ slow-burn love story, but when actually reading it, there’s absolutely no stakes to their relationship whatsoever. The minute you’re introduced to Xaden – the unoriginal, tropey, dark, rugged and brooding ‘enemy’, who’s more grumpy than mysterious – you know exactly how it’s going to play out. One thing I will give credit to is Yarros’ worldbuilding – somewhat similar to the factions system in Divergent, I can understand why readers found this world engaging.
In summary, while romantasy isn’t, and probably never will be, my go-to genre, I don’t think it’s entirely without its place. I think the rise in female fantasy protagonists is definitely positive and an important development in fantasy media, but this is exactly where Fourth Wing misses the mark. Where we could have had an interesting, nuanced and powerful dragon-riding heroine, instead we were given another clumsy, small, ‘not-like-other-girls’ stereotype, who can’t do a thing for herself and is completely obsessed with the grumpy, miserable, and arrogant walking trope of a man.
I’d like to end here by saying that, at the end of the day, my opinion on these books isn’t the be all and end all. I have no authority over what makes a book a masterpiece, and ultimately my cynical ramblings are no less important than the passionate reviews of the many people who do love this series. It’s important to discuss the books you don’t like as well as the ones you do, and I don’t want my negativity to be taken as a way of shooting down or belittling anyone who is a fan of the world Yarros has created. Everyone’s taste is different, and the most important thing is to enjoy the books you enjoy, talk about the literature that matters to you, and never apologise for reading what you love!
Rose Williams
(This blog post is in collaboration with the 2025 Beyond the Walls Anthology)