- So much unearned tension between Xaden and Violet. There's no yearning or connection, just instant attraction. Which is fine. However, I've seen people call this a slow burn? Bitch, WHERE?

51

- Despite training to be a scribe for her entire life and having significantly less physical training than everyone else, she very quickly becomes the best fighter and bests everyone at sparring. Given, she sort of games the system at first as a workaround for her physical limitations. But it doesn't matter! It turns out that she doesn't need to "cheat" because even when she isn't poisoning people she ends up being the best fighter anyway.

41

- The constant exposition is incredibly annoying and clumsy. Even more so because Violet has a "coping mechanism" where she just... recites political knowledge and history word-for-word out loud. I mean, I guess maybe someone out there in the world recites the Constitution aloud to calm their anxiety?

39

- All of the secondary characters feel like accessories to Violet. Like all of them. Every other character exists only to be a trope/archetype. Every other character exists only to be something to Violet, whether that be her love interest, her bully, her bff, her third wheel in the love triangle, soon-to-be-dead guy, etc. etc.

38

- The narrative is constantly validating Violet at every turn. Violet is always right– and if she isn't she somehow is anyway. Anyone who is mean to her, disagrees with her, or gets in her way is shortly thereafter neutralized, completely dominated/humiliated by her, or just straight up *dies*. Basically, anyone who isn't Team Violet gets punished by the narrative.

37

- Violet is the special exception to pretty much every worldbuilding rule that gets set up in the story. She's also just generally the Most Special Of Them All all the time.

32

i actually agree so hard with all of this criticism except i still LOVE the book, it’s genuinely my guilty pleasure 😭😭

32

- I'm supposed to believe that Xaden is this Big Scary Dark Lethal Dangerous Rebel Guy but I haven't seen anything that proves that. Just words and descriptions and exposition. This guy just seems mildly snarky at worst.

30

This thread was so fun to read

30

- This very much reads as a power fantasy, which isn't to say there's anything wrong with power fantasies. Power fantasies can be fun! It's just that this book is also DESPERATELY trying to convince me that there are high stakes, like asoiaf/got type stakes, at every turn– and I'm not buying it!!!!!

28

- I won't say Violet never struggles or faces challenges because she does, but her struggles are all pretty... inconsequential? Like, she gets injured pretty often, but it's mentioned, forgotten about for a page or two, and then quickly resolved anyway. Also, she experiences trauma, but never really metabolizes it. A rando character will die, and she will lament about the cruelty and callousness of their culture/school, but within the next paragraph starts talking about how hot Xaden is.

24

I enjoyed Fourth Wing, but this is how you critique a book. I actually find it really interesting to read ACTUAL criticism of books I liked when it's justified and not just calling the whole thing and its fanbase stupid

24

Thank you. You have very concisely worded all my problems with the book. It was entertaining enough I guess, but it just bothered me in a way I couldn’t put my finger on.

11

This is so good

10

I love the book and agree with the majority of your points. I can see where there are things here and there that could be debatable (mostly because some of the side character’s are able to get more of a title than violets bff in later books). I think it’s fun, but you can definitely tell she’s trying to learn how to write fantasy

8