Fourth Wing Read-along: Chapters 4-9

I feel like I’m in a hyperbolic oxygen chamber here…

So now that I’ve gotten at least a hundred pages into this, here’s how I know already that I’m not really going to like it – I am not shirking every adult and personal responsibility I have just to eke out more time to read this book.

I don’t have an unreasonable and violent hate for it or anything, but it’s an eye-roller for me thus far for sure.

Some quick thoughts:

• Reading the name “Xaden” over and over again is annoying AF. The name doesn’t exactly roll off one’s tongue.
• The use of hyperbole in this book is insane. Violet is the smallest/weakest/most fragile, etc. Xaden is the biggest/baddest/most powerful. His dragon is also the biggest/baddest/most powerful. His abilities are also the rarest. If you ever start to forget any of this, do not fret, for you will be reminded of it ad nauseum.
• I get that Violet is supposed to be stronger with the mental game here, but the way she needs to drug everyone in order to make it out of the sparring challenges is….probably not good. I understand that it’s supposed to show how she’s crafty, but if the point is to be a good rider capable of taking care of the rest of your squad at at least a base level, explain how she’s going to be an asset? The point is to be able to handle physical threats, which we know Violet is too weak and fragile to do, because it’s said at least once a page. How is cheating your way through physical challenges okay? Furthermore, the constant reminders of her physical weakness make me wonder how she’s ever going to function in battle and to be able to support her team. It’s not said but it’s implied that Violet has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I’m all for empowerment but the constant emphasis on the insane level of physical demands this job has makes me wonder how someone with brittle bone disease could ever function as a rider.
• Similarly, this Jack Barlowe guy is a straight up psycho. He’s murdering fellow cadets left and right for no reason, and everyone in the school is okay with it? How would anyone want to be on a team with this nut job? How are they going to form a cohesive unit? I don’t know about you guys but I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting my life in the hands of someone that murders for fun.
• So far, Xaden is such a Rhysand rip-off that frankly Rebecca Yarros should be embarrassed about it. I’m no Rhysand stan, but the shadow powers? The ambiguously tawny skin and uniquely color eyes? The tattoos? Being the biggest, bestest, strongest, most powerful of EVERYTHING? Smells like Rhysand to me.
• Building off the previous point, I’m going to assume that this is going to be yet another example of a woman being the best by osmosis, or based primarily on her association with the main male character. I mean, it’s not like she should be able to stand on her own merits or anything, right? Even if she does have to poison people to get ahead in life.