At least that was how it made me feel.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is a fantasy-romance novel set in a brutal military academy. It follows Violet Sorrengail, an aspiring scribe, forced into a world of violence and politics, where bonding with a dragon might mean survival or worst-case scenario, death.

I picked up the novel without knowing what to expect, apart from knowing the genre. From the first chapter, I was intrigued. The setup was brutal and tense, with high stakes and a protagonist who did not quite belong. Violet Sorrengail is not your typical fantasy warrior, and I was drawn to her strength and inner defiance.

But somewhere along the way (okay, around the time Xaden Riorson showed up with his brooding energy and electrifying glances), I stopped reading this book for the plot and started reading it for them.

The romance between Violet and Xaden was fast-burn perfection. It had tension, power imbalance, history, and just enough softness beneath all the sharp edges. By the second half of the book, I realised I was so goddamn emotionally invested in their dynamic that I stopped paying attention to the world-building (the dragons, the rebellion, the magic system).

That is not to say the world Yarros built was not compelling. It is. But once the romance took center stage for me, everything else felt slightly faded, like background noise to the emotional arc I really cared about.

Would I recommend Fourth Wing? For sure. But maybe not to those looking for intricate political intrigue or high-level lore. I would hand this book to anyone craving tension-fueled romance wrapped in a fantasy shell. Or anyone who just wants to scream about Xaden Riorson with me.