2.5 stars. Fourth Wing was another book that just didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. I actually received an ARC but never found the time to read it until now, and honestly, I don’t feel like I missed much by waiting.

At the beginning, I was intrigued. The world seemed interesting, and I was curious to learn more. But as the story went on, I realized there wasn’t a lot of world-building. This is definitely more of a character-driven book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially for readers who don’t typically read a lot of fantasy. It’s a good, light fantasy novel that’s easy to get into.

The romance was fine if you enjoy an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but it didn’t completely hook me. And the pacing. especially toward the end, just felt like it dragged on longer than necessary. By the final stretch, I was ready for it to be over.

I alternated between the audiobook and the physical copy, and while the narration was okay, it wasn’t my favorite. One thing that kept throwing me off was how the characters read as teenagers rather than adults. I had to keep reminding myself that they were supposed to be in their twenties.

I wanted to love this book so badly, and while it didn’t quite work for me, I can absolutely see why others love it. It’s an easy, entertaining read, and I’d still recommend it to readers looking for an approachable fantasy with strong character focus.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book an exchange for my honest review