Fourth Wing
Fourth Wing is the first novel in Rebecca Yarros's 'The Empyrean' series, primarily categorized as a 'romantasy'—a blend of romance and fantasy. The story follows Violet Sorrengail as she is unwillingly thrust into the dangerous world of dragon riders at Basgiath War College. Survival is a daily challenge, with deadly training, treacherous political maneuverings, and the constant threat of lethal dragons. Violet must navigate this brutal environment, uncover hidden truths about her kingdom, and confront powerful adversaries, including Xaden Riorson, whose family has a history with her own. While featuring a strong female lead and a compelling fantasy setting with dragons and magic, the book is explicitly aimed at a New Adult audience, containing mature themes, graphic content, and complex relationships not typically found in Young Adult literature.
Concerns
Violence
HighFourth Wing contains frequent, graphic, and intense violence. The narrative includes brutal training exercises, battles, and numerous instances of death, with explicit descriptions of injuries and fatalities. The war college setting inherently involves life-threatening situations and combat.
Recruits, generally aged 18-22, die in various gruesome ways, such as being incinerated by dragon fire, falling to their deaths, or having their necks snapped during training. Violet Sorrengail proactively poisons opponents she is mandated to fight. Descriptions include dead children and a character's leg being eaten by a monster.
Romance and Sexual Content
HighThe book features explicit and graphic sexual content, including detailed sex scenes between the main characters, Violet and Xaden. There are also references to sexual arousal, masturbation, and an unusual scene involving empathic dragon sexual activity.
Violet and Xaden engage in multiple graphic sex scenes, described over several pages, particularly in chapters 30 and 32. An uncomfortable scene depicts Violet experiencing intense arousal due to her bonded dragon engaging in sex with its mate, as their emotional connection allows her to feel his urges.
Profanity
HighFourth Wing contains pervasive and frequent strong profanity. Numerous curse words are used throughout the dialogue, including high counts of the f-word and s-word, along with other common expletives. Religious exclamations using the book's fictional 'gods' are also very common.
The f-word is used approximately 250 times, and the s-word over 150 times. Other frequently used terms include 'a--', 'b--ch,' 'd--n,' 'h--l,' and 'p-ss.' The phrase 'g-dsd--n' (referring to the fictional deities) is used over 70 times.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe book contains highly intense and frightening content due to its war college setting, constant threat of death, and violent conflicts. The stakes are consistently high, leading to numerous suspenseful and potentially traumatic scenes.
Violet faces a grueling and dangerous training regimen where less than half of first-year cadets survive. Characters endure life-threatening situations from both dragons and fellow cadets, including fights to the death and brutal physical challenges. The narrative emphasizes the constant danger, with Violet frequently contemplating being 'chargrilled by dragons and skewered by her enemies.'
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe book features casual and explicit LGBTQ+ representation among several side characters, which is generally integrated without specific focus on 'coming out' narratives. The main romantic relationship, however, is heterosexual. This representation is noted as a normalized aspect of the fictional world.
Examples include Rhiannon, who is identified as bisexual and has had both male and female partners. Ridoc is also presented as queer, having had partners of various genders. Additionally, a side character named Heaton is referred to using 'they/them' pronouns, indicating a non-binary identity.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe narrative is set in a high fantasy world where magic is integral to the plot, primarily through the bond between dragon riders and their dragons, which grants them special abilities ('signets'). This magic system is a core element of the world-building, focusing on innate powers rather than occult rituals or traditional witchcraft.
Dragon riders wield magical 'signets' that are a direct result of their bond with their dragons. Dragons themselves possess powerful abilities, such as incinerating humans, and are central to the military structure and the balance of power in Navarre.
Substance Use
MediumCharacters are shown to occasionally consume alcohol and smoke a fictional illicit drug. While present, these instances of substance use are not central to the main plot or depicted in a glamorized manner.
Xaden Riorson is seen smoking an 'illicit fictional drug' as a means to calm himself down. Characters are also mentioned to engage in casual alcohol consumption within the story.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThemes of disrespect and rebellion are present as characters, particularly Violet, challenge and defy authority figures and established oppressive systems. This often stems from a justified response to perceived injustices and hidden truths within their society.
Violet Sorrengail actively defies the expectations and commands of her mother, General Sorrengail, by pursuing a path she was not expected to survive. The children of the Tyrrish Rebellion leaders, such as Xaden Riorson, harbor deep-seated resentment and a desire for vengeance against the ruling government, embodying a strong undercurrent of rebellion.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe book's world-building does not incorporate Christian beliefs or anti-Christian themes. Instead, it features its own fictional pantheon of 'gods' and a distinct magical system. References to 'God's name in vain' function as common expletives rather than direct commentary on Christian faith.
The text explicitly states 'Christian Beliefs. None.' in a content review. While English curse words using 'God' are present, the narrative more frequently uses exclamations related to the book's own 'lore-accurate gods' (e.g., 'g-dsd--n'), indicating a fantasy religious context rather than anti-Christian sentiment.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
18+ due to the presence of graphic violence, explicit sexual content, pervasive strong language, and mature themes. Multiple sources classify this book as 'New Adult' rather than 'Young Adult,' highlighting its suitability for adult readers.
Additional Notes
The book is the first in 'The Empyrean' series, with sequels like 'Iron Flame' and 'Onyx Storm' continuing the narrative and maintaining similar mature content levels, suggesting ongoing concerns for parents across the series. The categorization as 'New Adult' rather than 'Young Adult' by many reviewers is a critical distinction for parents to note due to the explicit content.
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