fourth wing, female rage, pirate fantasy & the bell jar 🕮 books i recently read

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Elliot Brooks video about Fourth Wing: • WHAT'S GOING ON WITH T...
review for:
• fourth wing (kind of) - rebecca yarros
• heroes and villains - angela carter
• juniper and thorn - ava reid
• the adventures of amina al-sirafi - shannon chakraborty
• the serpent and the wings of night - carissa broadbent
• bitterthorn - katt dunn
• divine rivals - rebecca ross
• the bell jar - sylvia plath
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Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 25 year old girl from the Netherlands who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave).
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[@urusaiinu]

I’m convinced that the reason so many main characters are sassy/over-confident in the face of imminent death is that they’ve become aware of their plot armour.

[@Cambryn18]

It could be, but being sassy and over confident in the face of death is also a defence mechanism for many people, not just book characters. You know fake ‘till you make or die trying in these cases 😅

[@lunablack11]

@@Cambryn18 yeah and the fact that she was called weak and fragile her whole life by everyone and she hated it so I guess her defence mechanism was connected to that too

[@lunablack11]

for violet at least

[@tobsixi6702]

Hey guys I am here because I am looking for help for an exam which is coming up in a week which is based on a novel that we (the students do not know). However, my university professor spilled some information on the novel, mainly that the novel or a certain chapter of the novel is set to play in a house/appartment on 89/Lamberton (street), which seems to be a very specific type of information if you ask me. If anyone out there happens to have read a novel which included this address I would be thankful if you could leave a short reply under this comment, stating the title and author of the novel. Thanks a lot in advance and have a nice weekend 😊 and to those who are also in the midst of writing exams: Good luck 👍

[@Arawn505]

@@tobsixi6702 What was the novel? And how did the exam go?

[@JessBookishGal]

I love this woman. She's so honest & doesn't get caught up in the hype ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@karybooks]

Yes, while never being condescending when she doesn’t enjoy a book! Unlike other booktubers who I stopped following for this reason ❤

[@chocolateoreo6489]

Yes, I agree! I appreciate how honest yet respectful she is! Slay queen (:

[@tobsixi6702]

Hey guys I am here because I am looking for help for an exam which is coming up in a week which is based on a novel that we (the students do not know). However, my university professor spilled some information on the novel, mainly that the novel or a certain chapter of the novel is set to play in a house/appartment on 89/Lamberton (street), which seems to be a very specific type of information if you ask me. If anyone out there happens to have read a novel which included this address I would be thankful if you could leave a short reply under this comment, stating the title and author of the novel. Thanks a lot in advance and have a nice weekend 😊 and to those who are also in the midst of writing exams: Good luck 👍

[@thantnwe7691]

The fact that Rebecca Yarros is a military wife might give some context on why she’s glorifying military school 💀

[@wolfecreeks673]

I'm a 'military wife' just like rebecca and ummm...please don't categorize all of us as glorifying the military. cause I sure as crap don't when I write. it's an ugly f'kd up system. especially where i come from, most times we write these things to cope with the job our husbands have. ik i do.

[@83croissant]

@@wolfecreeks673I don’t think it’s merely that she’s a military wife, it’s that she’s Mormon , and a military wife. A devastating combo

[@yuuji8898]

@@83croissant we have all seen how she is. also her book 'In The Likely Event' writing on invasion of Afghanistan with shitty character with white savior complex is disgusting

[@notvkn]

@@wolfecreeks673 mormon dependa vs regular military spouse - yeah that explains a lot

[@shepherdlavellen3301]

So why is the military system so screwed up to the point it wouldn't even function?

[@saltcaramel9083]

The Juniper and Thorn backlash also bothers me because so many of these people who consume unfathomable amounts of smut suddenly have a problem when it’s used thematically to unpack the author’s trauma.

[@klane2004]

This this thisssss!

[@cerebrumexcrement]

im in a few book groups who read smutty books and nobody's mentioned it. this is the first time ive heard of this book. i have to assume its targeted to non-smut readers?

[@saltcaramel9083]

@@cerebrumexcrement Definitely. There are some popular books marketed for their smut, (like Sarah J. Maas books), or books that simply contain major or minor smut scenes (Seven Days in June, The Love Hypothesis, etc.). Juniper and Thorn was never a smut book, and was explicitly marketed as anything but, but a major criticism about the book was its portrayal of sex which was meant to be a source of trauma for the main protagonist and not a source of pleasure.

[@KittyCat-jn1xp]

‘I’ve had my month of summer and that’s enough for me’ MOOD

[@pulsarhappy7514]

Foreal foreal

[@Arawn505]

And then we got a heat wave at the beginning of September 💀 Oh well

[@CloudNine0211860]

i think reading fourth wing instead of listening to it is probably why i actually liked it A LOT, surprisingly. i’ve found that sometimes listening to an audio book gives an entirely different tone to the story than the voice in my head does

[@shepherdlavellen3301]

This! I listened to audiobooks all the time, and the Fourth Wing audiobook has nothing but an angry woman vibe in it

[@measteee]

Exactly ! You are so right, that’s why I kinda stopped listening to audio books.

[@melodykim5865]

Genuinely curious why Fourth Wing is so popular tho. It just hit the ground running. It felt like one day suddenly everyone was talking about it like it’s the best thing ever?? Also, I so wish I’m the type of person to DNF books.. even when I knew I wasn’t going to like it, if I’d started I feel like I have to finish it or else it would bother me 😩

[@Dani_77709]

I'm questioning it as well.

[@AGULL]

What if they got payed?

[@faithi717]

People were going crazy for the first edition that had sprayed edges. Also, it may be popular with people who don’t typically read fantasy. I’m listening to it on audio and it’s pretty easy to follow. It also gives me Divergent vibes so far.

[@stellymads]

ive also wondered this, i didn’t hate the book but it definitely was not amazing and there are plenty of wayyy better fantasy novels out there. i feel like it’s because it got hype from non fantasy readers because of the romance aspect, so a lot of people who read it are those who easily give out high ratings just for the romance lol. that’s just my theory

[@emilymoran9152]

From what I've heard, it sounds like it works as a good "starter fantasy" for those who are more into romance or other genres. If you're a seasoned fantasy reader like Leonie, you're probably going to know of books that do some of the things this one tries to do better. But if you're not, it apparently is very palatable. That's kind of how I felt about the Harry Potter books, TBH. When book 1 came out, I'd already read a lot of classic fantasy and watched the 1980s 'Worst Witch' on repeat multiple times, so my reaction was: "This is fun, I guess. But I don't understand why everyone is losing their minds over it." As an adult, I can see WHY it served so well as an introduction to fantasy for my peers...but I also see even more flaws in the writing! (Not to even get into the author, just talking about things like plot holes or, say, the MC ending up owning a slave and apparently that's fine?).

[@miravutova734]

i felt the EXACT same about fourth wing

[@SauronsAccntnt]

From what I've seen, the adults who enjoy fantasy (YA or not) usually don't enjoy this book and think it's *lacking* because we've all been spoiled by years of reading our way through the good, the bad, and the great in fantasy. I think younger readers can absolutely have *great* taste but there's also so many times I've gone back to revisit a book I remember salivating over when I was 16 and I'm now just blown away by the drivel I once accepted as a compelling fantasy novel. I just didn't know it could be better. (Edited for clarity lol. My first sentence was worded oddly)

[@rando12349]

I have found my people!

[@Aigra]

@@SauronsAccntnt The part I did read (I DNFed it) felt like the author was just working her way through a list of common Fantasy tropes without doing something new or interesting with them ... and that's definitely an "older" reader problem. With less reading experience you don't notice these things as quickly.

[@Deni-mt9bj]

​@@SauronsAccntntI read fantasy, both YA and adult, since I was a kid. I ate this book up. It helped me out of my reading slump (but then I got book hangover from it so.. that didn't help 😅). But objectively speaking, this book does not deserve this high rating. It lacks world building quite a lot, to the point that many of the things are straight up stupid, the story is based on stereotypical fantasy romance tropes and there is not enough scenes with dragons. But I'm a simple person, give me a romance in a book and there is a high chance that I'm gonna love it - it doesn't even need to have a good story as long as there are a lot of interactions between the characters (especially banter). But I knew what to expect from the story and that was what I got, it feels to me that the hype around this book is focused around the dragons and high stakes, when it's not about that at all and I think that's the main problem and that's why this book is so over-hyped.

[@SauronsAccntnt]

@@Deni-mt9bj I 100% support reading books that are just brain candy! Every book we enjoy doesn't have to be the book of the year, especially if it gets you out of a dreaded reading slump :)

[@antol5453]

For me Juniper and Thorne have one of the most accurate representations of trauma from SA and domestic abuse. People are way too used to authors romanticising and glorifying SA. If you felt uncomfortable reading this book is okay because trauma from SA isn't supposed to be wholesome.

[@keeliaswafford391]

Thank you!!

[@ionela0202]

For me Fourth Wing felt like a combination of Divergent and ACOTAR... in the worst way possible. It's so badly written. Why are the characters using modern, gen z slangs in a fantasy world? Nothing about this book makes sense... the world building is sloppy, the characters are bland, their only personality is their trauma. Some scenes were taken straight out of Divergent lmao. The "districts", the bridge they needed to cross was the alternative for the jump from divergent, Xaden or whatever his name is, he's literally a copy of Four with some sprinkles of Rhysand from acotar. The scene where Violet throws knives and She only bruises the guy's ear, didnt something like that happen in Divergent too? Lol. And those are just a few similarities i noticed while reading and i didnt even finish the book. I just cant understand why people praise it so much, it's sooo bad.

[@allenwilson3329]

The ear thing was from Assassins Blade, the Throne of Glass prequel

[@katherineeaster5799]

The ear thing did happen in Divergent, when Four was throwing knives at Tris.

[@kingjones20]

Please don't forget the Dragon sex scene that's forced on the MC... basically "Grape".... pretty cringe

[@redlippington6637]

@@kingjones20excuse me the WHAT??? so glad i didn’t buy that book🥶🥶🥶

[@jaswantee7132]

I saw The Bell Jar in title and clicked so fast like my life depends on it 😁 Sylvia Plath >>>

[@irreplaysable]

literally same :)

[@Rosabella.Thorne7]

She's literally the reason I watched this video. Mother is always mothering even after the oven incident 😌 (please, don't cancel me-)

[@jaswantee7132]

@@Rosabella.Thorne7 The oven incident yeah ..... Mother went out in STYLE

[@DJMadsMom1975]

I have become obsessed with Sylvia Plath since reading her biography Red Comet. So good!

[@chokoti7736]

YASS ONGG ive only read the bell jar and her poem mirror, but i rlly love her works

[@firelessinna]

patiently waiting for the day Leonie hears about "This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone and perhaps give it a go because this novella i feel like is totally right up her alley with the enemies/rivals to lovers in it + no-structured-plot-just-vibes this novella had for the most part like this story rearranged my brain chemistry and i hope it does the same for her too

[@christina3612]

100%!!!!

[@stephaniecrossman2864]

Omg reading it right now

[@DimitrisChrrr]

YES

[@megmarie2686]

i’m reading this rn but honestly i lowkey don’t know what’s going on…the writing style is gorgeous but i wish there was just a *little* bit of worldbuilding or explanation instead of throwing u right into all of the sci fi shit😭it’s not comprehending

[@firelessinna]

@@megmarie2686 i cant tell u anything bc it's a spoiler but please if you vibe with the gorgeous writing and the characters' dynamic then please stick with it and just trust the process bc it'll all be worth it. trust me i was there too i had no idea what was going on most of the time but what helped me i think was knowing that sci-fi was not a heavy part of the story but merely a setting for red and blue's story to happen. i rarely care for worldbuilding and can live off of banter and mutual pining so it was a bit easier for me lol i really hope you finish it and have everything you read so far make sense bc it will. eventually. but if you like having a solid worldbuilding and like a plot to follow then this novella will probably just frustrate you. it's really a hit or miss book. i hope it hits for you tho 🤞🏻

[@snelebi]

Pirate stories are basically heists with adventure, and heists are modern pirates🤝

[@jumisjam]

I wanted so much to enjoy Fourth Wing due to the hype but it felt sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much like a wattpad story...

[@ZaidKhan-xo2tw]

I am so glad to find the community of the people who actually donot like Fourth Wings and think it reads like a wattpad story, thank you.

[@ew98]

it was mostly tolerable for me because I don't usually read books like this, so i had some patience but the fact that Xaden kept calling Violet VIOLENCE!!!! even in the battlefield as people are DYING!!! was the thing that fucking killed me everytime. Cringiest shit evet

[@zemuogele83]

I got Kindle paperwhite as a Christmas present 9 years ago. Never looked back. Game changer truly

[@wellenhelen]

I got mine for my birthday from my boyfriend and it just sat there for like 2 years and it made my heart break that I didn't use his present. Then I realized how much cheaper e-books are and how convenient it is to read on a kindle in my bed haha. Yep, Game changer

[@laradadic908]

Do you still buy phyiscal copies of books even though you have an e reader? I'm looking into buying one but don't see much point in continuing buying books and I don't want to stop collecting them 😂

[@zemuogele83]

@@laradadic908 not really. But I do receive them as gifts. They look nice but tbh I cannot be bothered to read actual books as they are heavier, you need light & everyone can see what you are reading 😂 I take my kindle everywhere I go. So even if I am queueing up for something, I can read. And I never run out of reading material 😂 physical books look & smell nice, I still like to LOOK at them, but that's about it

[@wellenhelen]

@@laradadic908 I just unhauled so many books simply because I don't like owning too much stuff haha I only keep the really sentimental, signed or pretty ones :D

[@seamusleebutler1184]

I usually read on libby (an app to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the library) and if I like a book enough I do add it to my list of books to buy when I have spare money

[@mulberrymoonsart]

I'm surprised Fourth Wing is as popular as it is. I loved it, BUT that's because it felt very reminiscent of my experience in the military. The things a lot of people are criticizing--the immaturity of the characters, the gung ho attitude of the cadets, the crass humor--are spot on. That's just what people in their teens and early twenties are like when they enlist. Some people said it glorifies the military, but I think it calls out problems pretty clearly. Anyway I really enjoyed the main character's growth because it reminded me of mine. I'm a very small, somewhat nerdy woman. People expected me to fail countless times, and I got to prove them wrong a few times. I wouldn't expect a lot of people to vibe with it unless they could relate to the culture. Apparently a lot of people like it anyway. But some of the criticisms really make me laugh because it feels like I'm in on a little joke. Guess you just had to be there.

[@shepherdlavellen3301]

Bad logistics, poor safety standards (even Soviet penal units are better than that), braindead BR rules, discriminating scribes. I've never served in the military but the book gives me nothing but an angry Chihuahua vibe

[@RTDice11]

I completely respect your perspective and experience, but I hated FW for the same reason you loved it. The only reason I made it out of my enlistment was because I had friends and platoon-mates I could rely on, even when I was underestimated for being a petite minority. The idea that an elite military force would encourage cadets to murder each other before pushing them into the same unit is an insultingly bad premise, and dragons randomly murdering each other's riders left a sour taste in my mouth.

[@anjab5544]

I enjoy pirate fantasy books too. I really like "The daughter of the Pirate King" duology.

[@izzy4827]

I’m reading the first one right now!

[@choucrouttemansaucissux]

@@izzy4827is it good ?

[@Achlys_achlys]

Ooo is that a duology? I thought their was a third book coming out this year? I have the first one ready to start so I’m very curious!

[@izzy4827]

@@choucrouttemansaucissux I’m about halfway through and it’s pretty sold. So far, would recommend

[@MyPieceOnThat]

​@@Achlys_achlysNEED to know this too

[@camfan54lisa]

I loved Fourth Wing! It was so fun and easy to read! I do agree their talk is younger and immature (but so am I 😂). And the War College is named Basgiath. I did struggle with if it is young adult or adult until you get to the spice and you know! But to each their own with reading!

[@dawnverdegan2952]

I love fantasy and I enjoyed Fourth Wing as a story too. I also went into it looking at it as a fun, easy read....I wasn't expecting it to be an epic work of literature....it's definitely not for everyone :)

[@lisas.2902]

I liked it for the same reasons 😊.

[@ninninin656]

"easy to read" lmao was it though? I couldn't picture a single thing in that book because the descriptions were so vague. I double dare you to describe what the world they live in looks like!

[@camfan54lisa]

@ninninin656 or you could respect that everyone has different opinions in reading and that's ok! I didn't think I deserved to be ridiculed for enjoying something as I also stated to each their own and it's ok for us not to agree. We can like different things.

[@LeeMinSooya]

I also absolutelu loved this book!!! weairdly enough, I didn't hear about it until I picked it up... But it just blew my mind!! REally easy and entertaining read to get you out of the reading slump.. And the DRAGONS are the best thing in this book!! I screamed with excitement when they first showed up in from of Violet...A book that to me definetely deserves its hype... And i really dont feel bad for liking, I just know that everyone has different taste in books. And its completely ok to those who didn't like it too... Most important is that we ourselves enjoy it and like it. It's all that matters.

[@orendi3661]

Thank you for mentioning the racism in The Bell Jar! I read it last year and it hit me out of the blue, especially as I'd seen so many booktubers talk about the book and it was just never addressed. Began to feel like those bits were a hallucination tbh. Same experience with One Hundred Years of Solitude - doesn't mean that they are automatically bad books because of it, but reading these books in a modern context I feel like the problematic elements should not be neglected in discussions.

[@beckylang91]

Exactly. I love Sylvia Plath’s writing, but if you dive deep enough you’ll find a lot of antisemitism, too. 😢

[@gabrielemenezes712]

Yes, so happy to see people mentioning it too when is something so strongly present in the book, it's so rare to see anyone talk about it that i also had the feeling i was hallucinating when i read the book, like you said, it doesn't mean the book is bad or that people shouldn't read it, but because of the big amount of racist comments, it's very important (and i think even more to content creators) to at least mention it.

[@Jason17300]

@@gabrielemenezes712it’s literally all anyone mentions

[@pendragon2012]

I always go for the dragon books so I appreciate anyone willing to weed out the wastes of time. Thanks, Leonie! So sorry to hear about your phone--that really sucks. Hope your week gets better! 🙂P.S. 100% with you on being ready for Autumn.

[@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme]

I wouldn't rule it out, imo it was a fun time and kept me entertained

[@jannekewade-dejong2773]

I always appreciate that you give recommendations based on the specific details and themes people would like about the book ("you would like this book if you like this"). It's helpful for me when deciding whether I want to check the book out or not

[@asraplsmarryme5246]

I'm just glad you talked about Divine Rivals and how it is mismarketed. It is truly a beautiful story about two people and their own struggles and how they find strength through each other. The way the feelings and emotions poured into this book is just so wonderfully written. This is definitely one of my favorite books this year (or like, ever).

[@TheYellowcrush]

I had the same experience with Fourth Wing. I tried about 3 chapters of it, and it was just not for me. It was trying too hard in its "epicness"/sassiness/smoldering stares at times that made absolutely no sense, so dnf'd it. Elliott Brooks' video put it so well and made me laugh so hard at the reenactments!

[@wonderwoman133]

08:41 it's actually called Basgiath War College. But I get it. I got an arc so I had to read it, but it does get somewhat better. It's a lot like Divergent and Hunger Games with dragons.

[@elizabethcarson5624]

I actually liked Fourth Wing because it reminded me of my time in military training school. I didn't like the romance and I felt like they needed more interactions with the dragons but I loved the war academy part of it. The immature sassiness in dangerous situations is exactly how the military is. And many countries call their annual training "war games" so I didn't think the name of the school was bad at all. I might not like the sequel as much though because the reason I liked this book was specifically the war academy parts.

[@caelin695]

I agree. The names of the dragons and Basgiath even is all Gaelic, so for example, the name of the school means Death Wing, or Xaden’s dragons name being Sgaeyl, meaning shadow, making sense as to why he’s a shadow wielder. I did like that it was pretty accurate behavior between the cadets in an war academy, especially a competitive one.

[@bookswithkatherine]

this may not be a popular take but im pretty over the female rage books. dont get me wrong, i love a good female rage book when done right but it seems to me that authors keep pumping these books out left and right and its become over used. i think i would appreciate it more if the readers could go through the journey from the exact moment that characters life took a turn instead of already being this angry, hurt person that lashes out at everyone they meet

[@katierasburn9571]

thats very fair, i think thats why midsummar works so well for me (you may disagree) because you sorta see how she keeps getting pushed and pushed and in the end she just loses it. I think more of that sort of story is cool, like what are the limits people can go to you know?

[@LydLiz]

Finally someone that doesn’t rave about fourth wing 😅 I felt so misled by the internet, it felt like such Wattpad-y writing and the character was such a pick me It was painful to get through… I wish I DNFd it too

[@ethereatingher_words]

I dnf it at ch 31 😅 def wish I stopped sooner

[@Mathew2413]

FINALLY! I’ve been waiting for someone that agrees it has such a wattpad writing lmao

[@faeryeclair]

yes!! i only ever heard about the dragons and that there was romance. i didnt know that the romance would be the main focus and dragons would get very little page-time. i wish i was able to DNF it too

[@ash4818]

i listened to it on audible and for some reason it highlighted the awful writing more than it would if i read it myself, the teenage level descriptions/lust was appalling

[@nicoleyearsley3452]

I’m not the only one who dnf’d Fourth Wing! Although I got 50% off the way through before I stopped. I was bugged by the romance aspect and the childish humor as well, in addition to other things.

[@sophiaisabelle01]

We appreciate your insights. They’re detailed and spot on.

[@itstiahra]

If you liked or didn’t like Fourth Wing I highly HIGHLY recommend Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee. It involves flying birds instead of dragons.. I think it’s relatable 😂😂😂

[@gryranfelt5473]

Also, it’s Fonda Lee, how bad can it go?

[@dianaandherbooks]

Aren't most birds.... flying??? Lol just sounds funny

[@mrnord4096]

There was a Bavarian military School Named Bayrische Kriegsakademie (Bavarian War Academy) so its realistic after all

[@adreamerontherun]

Well i’m like 30% in Fourth Wing (picked it up bc of the hype duh) and you’re so spot on about it being immature! And no it’s not portrayed as coping mechanism, the way it’s written is so unserious and immature that it makes me roll my eyes constantly! I do wanna finish it though, waiting for that magical thing to happen lol but yeah your gut didnt lie to you😄

[@spcyfic68]

I had the exact same feeling getting into Fourth Wing !

[@denyse8796]

My sister and I (ages 59 &48) are buddy reading 4thWing. We are only a few chapters in, but both agree that those are EXACTLY the kind of jokes we would be making 😂

[@juneyokakul]

Get a Kobo e-reader, Leonie! Highly recommend because you’re not tied to Amazon Kindle ecosystem and can borrow library books from the device. I love it so much, I used to read from my iPad and thought I didn’t need an actual e-reader but it truly is a lifesaver because you’re not distracted by all the notifications and also much better for the eyes.

[@renatereist]

I totally agree, Kobo is the way to go!

[@TheKickasskatie]

The thing about goodreads that is so infuriating is that when a new book comes out that people are super psyched about, they rate it 5 stars before it even comes out just because they're excited!!!! I'm like " that's not how the rating system works"! Also if a book is hyped enough people will generally rate it higher regardless of how they really felt because of the feeling of wanting to be on the same train as everyone else. I have no idea how it got as much hype as it has though

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

I understand that people may love Fourth Wing if they've never read fantasy before, but it really doesn't do anything new. I don't get why so many people who do read fantasy love it so much because it's pretty generic. I had a good time reading it, but it was nothing special for me. I made a plot summary though in case anyone wants to find out what happens.

[@chriscze6153]

Juniper and Thorn is a fantastic novel, glad when I see any booktuber give it the praise it rightfully deserves (so far just been you and Hannah/a clockwork reader). Hope more people pick it up from this video!

[@stunningfreefall]

You could cut the lid off the Sailor Moon can and turn it into a storage jar for coins or pencils? Or maybe a candle holder?

[@rach3254]

if you want a MUCH better book but with very similar tropes like fourth wings, then i highly recommend The Aurelian Cycle by Rosaria Munda (a completed trilogy with the first book called Fireborn). This is one of my absolute favorite YA fantasy all of time and for someone who doesn't really read YA, im truly impressed with this series. Im sure you'll love this one. It is more focused on the political aspect but there's also a romance subplot that you'll also love (spoiler: it's childhood friends to * and to *). I think elliot has recommends this series multiple times but there's still not enough ppl talking about it :( i truly think it deserves much more hype than it has gotten so PLEASE i beg pls read this series! annie and lee will break your damn heart

[@rach3254]

oh one more thing! although, the characters on the audrelian cycle are younger than the ones on fourth wing, i feel like they (the ones on aurelian) are soooo much more mature lmao and they're also riding dragons, just right after the revolution

[@sabrinachang6287]

ACOMAF got 4.63 stars on goodreads? maybe I should stop looking up rating on that website🤨

[@Aniron99]

How can you have book of the month when you live in the Netherlands? I also want it!

[@realmcarthy]

Please read “The Obsession”! Its a great story about a girl getting revenge on her stalker and her abusive stepfather

[@maykaaa2185]

i was honestly surprised i loved Fourth Wing as much as i did. but the thing is, i purposely didn’t watch any tiktok’s or other posts about it, because i KNEW that i need to go into it with no expectations. i adore it for what it is, a slightly badly written, typical, non-original fantasy romance with dragons. objectively speaking i am fully aware of the flaws, but i can’t ignore how much sheer fun i had reading it. it’s not a literary masterpiece and it’s not meant to be, but a lot of people make it seem like it is, and i think that’s why some people are disappointed by it.

[@tannerv259]

I agree too, but also I’ve seen so many tiktoks after reading it, and I get so annoyed because sooo many people talk trash about dain but then praise xaden so much 😭 but in reality they were BOTH so toxic to violet. Idk it just makes me upset when people go FERAL over one guy in a love triangle and hate on the other, when they’re both flawed

[@maykaaa2185]

@@tannerv259 he just really fits into the dark haired, morally gray, brutal but caring, love interest type. i think mostly people like that he really encouraged Violet to using her strengths and believing in herself and also making her use her “weaknesses” to her advantage, not using them as a reason for her to leave the quadrant like Dain did. i mean obviously Xaden has his toxic moments, but if i’m beating honest, not a lot of the dark haired love interest in fantasy romance don’t😭 although i’m eagerly waiting for a fantasy romance book which doesn’t use a guy being obsessed with the FMC as his entire personality

[@tannerv259]

@@maykaaa2185 yeah but if you can make excuses for xaden’s toxicity then you can make excuses for dain’s too….. because it is a love triangle after all. It just sucks that his character is getting SO much hate, but xaden’s character is loved because of the spicy scenes they had together. Like they both were in the wrong and did bad things to Violet.

[@maykaaa2185]

@@tannerv259 yeah i agree when it comes to most of the book, but considering the thing Dain did towards the end (don’t won’t to spoil for anyone) i think it was like WAY worse than the toxicity of some of Xaden’s behaviors, but then again, i only feel like that because i know the reasons behind Xaden’s actions and the truth of their world overall, and Dain could be completely clueless and thinking he’s doing a good thing, so i totally agree that the hate towards Dain is kinda unreasonable

[@tannerv259]

@@maykaaa2185 (spoilers for fourth wing) yeah I think so too, dain definitely was more in the wrong compared to xaden. I’m just simply saying that they BOTH messed up, which a lot of the fans of the book don’t like to hear…… but yeah, I think dain was probably given false information about the situation and didn’t exactly know what he was doing, but it’s still not an excuse. He should have never taken her memories without permission, and he fs needs to work on not putting violet down just because he’s worried about her safety. And xaden definitely needs to work on being more trustworthy 😅😅

[@sammykay8737]

I am a little confused about you being sponsored by BOTM. Arent you living in the netherlands? I thought they only Shop to the US and Canada? I would love to get it, but I live in Germany

[@bookswithlau]

I feel the same way about Fourth Wing. So many of my friends have loved it and recommended it to me but just reading the quotes and the reviews i just know is not going to work for me. Some of my friends actually didn't like it and they struggled with things you mentioned. Moreover, the hero is supposedly the same typical charming hero everyone is in love with but that you have read hundreds of times before. I respect that so many readers love that type of MC but I'm over them tbh. And I also think there is no point of finishing a book if you feel you are not going to enjoy it, even if it's popular 😌

[@tannerv259]

Fourth wing definitely was written pretty immaturely, and the two main guys in it were so toxic towards the main character…… which everybody talks about the one being toxic, but then they praise the other. In reality though, both dain AND xaden were toxic to violet. The book was fun though, it was a fun little fantasy and I enjoyed it for what it was

[@StephMorgan_]

I am so, so happy you liked Juniper and Thorn! 🥰 Its one of my favourites, and I agree completely. its absolutely got strong horror/gothic vibes and i feel handles difficult topics and themes associated with those genres extremely well!

[@thebooklion]

Thank you for saving me from reading Fourth Wing 😁

[@uroojafridi13]

Nooo…read it please!! It’s a good book!😭

[@malikakraglund-nielsen5271]

giv it a chance it might not be for you but who nows what if you like it. I didn't think it was for me but I was so wrong

[@annibunny5968]

I was literally putting Bitterthorn on my September tbr 👁👄👁 oop you got me

[@ame_vagabonde]

Thanks ! This video confirmed that I'm really interested in Divine Rivals and that I shoudn't have high expectations about Fourth Wing even though I still want to see what it's like for myself !

[@hollym7878]

The Left Hand of Darkness is one of my favourite books of all time, and Ursula LeGuin is one of my top favourite authors. So excited that you're going to read it!

[@r4.v3n]

Hey, may I ask you if this book works as an introduction to Ursula? Also, is it a standalone? Bc someone told me it is like the 3rd or 4th book in a series but i've never seen anyone say that so im kinda confuses

[@hollym7878]

​@@r4.v3n Yes! Left Hand of Darkness is a standalone. Some call it part of the "Hainish Cycle", but since all of those books act as standalones and are loosely connected at best, I wouldn't worry about reading them in any kind of order. LeGuin herself doesn't, so I take my cues from her. It's a fine introduction to her work! I also really love The Telling, and A Wizard of Earthsea by her. Hope this helps! :)

[@gilmorewitch197]

I haven't read Bitterthorn but based on its description it reminds me of The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska, which is also wlw witch/girl romance (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!)

[@isabelasabbatini4431]

I just finished Juno Dawson's "Her Majesty's Royal Coven", which may just be my favourite book this year - it's got magic, friendships, queerness; just awesome 🏳‍⚧🏳‍🌈💜

[@noah6159]

i LOVE her majesty's royal coven!! 😭🫶

[@ReadingNymph]

I recently got a kindle, I love it ♡ 100% agree about Juniper and Thorn. The fairytale itself is dark and contains horror elements that Ava Reid wove into their story.

[@CharlitIsANerd]

If you liked Angela Carter but want a more personal narrative voice I would really recommend Wise Children! It was her last ever novel and it’s my favourite from her. Unreliable but captivating narrator. Thanks for the other recommendations Leo!

[@ella_dee04]

I LOVE Arrival!! It's so beautiful, and the exploration of language is fascinating. I would definitely read anything remotely similar to that movie ❤

[@caitdupree]

Hi! Which book did she say was similar to Arrival or that we might like if we liked Arrival? That’s my favorite film! I must have missed it when she brought it up.

[@ella_dee04]

It was Ted Chiang's Stories of your life at the end of the video. She said she hasn't read it yet but that Arrival is based on it 😊

[@sophhht3491]

If you like female mc driven primarily by rage, PLEASE read The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. It's adult fantasy and has such good complex characters and politics. Literally left me in shambles

[@jenniferclark677]

I think you'd like The Poppy War trilogy- magic from the gods that is kinda random powers depending on the god and Iron Widow- dark female rage

[@mahiru5755]

As someone who read and really enjoyed fourth wing & iron flame, I think the beginning of the book is not that good. However, the main character, - Violet - goes through amazing character development. Her personality really improves throughout the book. The main thing and the only thing I dislike about the book is that it is unnecessarily long. I get why fourth wing was like that, but Iron flame was really long and the main event was all the way at the end

[@zachreads]

I just finished Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao it is pure female rage!!! I gave it ☆☆☆☆☆!

[@JLL1121]

Saying I’m ready for autumn is an understatement! I love rainy fall reading days.

[@xavyce1628]

same❤

[@danielapiovesan3791]

Idk if I'm too late but in case you haven't gotten an E-reader yet I'll say this: Don't get a kindle. I like reading on it don't get me wrong, but if you wanna get an ebook from anywhere that isn't amazon (let's say a library, Scribd, an independent bookshop etc) it's a pain in the ass and often impossible. (PS: to our American friends, sending the book libby straight to kindle only works for you, sadly not the rest of the world)

[@avakerrigan214]

Female rage = RIN from the poppy way, my BABYYY

[@yourmom9474]

I really enjoyed Juniper and Thorn. I really don’t see what everyone was talking about when they said there was too much sex, there really wasn’t much at all. maybe 2 tops? I loved seeing Marlinchen grow and realize how poorly she was treated by everyone and finally take her power back.

[@jmund175]

Getting an e-reader changed my life and my reading habits for the better. Cannot recommend getting one enough to people. You won't regret it!!!

[@tobsixi6702]

Hey guys I am here because I am looking for help for an exam which is coming up in a week which is based on a novel that we (the students do not know). However, my university professor spilled some information on the novel, mainly that the novel or a certain chapter of the novel is set to play in a house/appartment on 89/Lamberton (street), which seems to be a very specific type of information if you ask me. If anyone out there happens to have read a novel which included this address I would be thankful if you could leave a short reply under this comment, stating the title and author of the novel. Thanks a lot in advance and have a nice weekend 😊 and to those who are also in the midst of writing exams: Good luck 👍

[@raeniriana8947]

I just, idk. I feel like you should give author a chance, even if you dont like the beginning, at least try to read until finish rather than assuming. I dont think assumptions can be categorized as you reading the book since you didn't finish it. You just read a view chapter of the book. Not the whole book itself. But then again, its just my opinion.

[@Morphwastaken]

I read both the fourth wing books and I honestly hated it (it was so hyped I was refusing to give up on it) and honestly the plot armor and amount of chosen one “that’s never happened before” shit just made me angry. I don’t get why people love it so much because it’s so poorly written. I think you admitting you hated it was what I finally needed to accept that the internet is just kinda dumb sometimes. If you can suspend your disbelief enough to like it, good for you, but I can only go so far

[@swamp_rose]

I love your videos and reviews Leonie! If you haven't read it yet, another more mature, character-driven fantasy (which I think is classified as YA though?) is Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman. It has: dragons who can transform into humans, a road to a young woman's healing from trauma, and a world that has hints of medieval Netherlands/Belgium. It's the same world the Seraphina series is based on but you can read it as a standalone. I will stand on my soapbox for this book everywhere I can, it is simply gorgeous and complex and made me cry actual tears.

[@trizsah]

Thank god I watched your video before buying Fourth Wing, it's a very expensive book here in my country and since my tastes are very similar to yours I would've probably not even enjoyed it. Also I really wanna know your thoughts on Love Theoretically, please make a video when you read it ♥️ Btw have you ever read The Mirror Visitor series? I think you'd really like it

[@heyitzdove]

8:22 I haven't watched the whole video yet so she might mention this, but just to clarify: the name of the war academy is actually Basgiath War College lol

[@claudiahimsa]

How do you get BOTM living in Europe? I’d love to get it but I’m in Germany and they don’t ship here 😭

[@jordanwill7233]

Ok, so I only recently found your channel (super fun to hear you just talk books) but I cannot stop thinking you look like irl Rachel Amber!

[@브루나-l1v]

I have a chronical illness and that's basically why I enjoyed fourth wing, other than that it felt like a weak book, but for the first time ever I could relate to a fantasy book's main character, so that was great

[@DavidJohnson-wo4hk]

Did you actually listen. The name of the “War Academy” is name three times in the first 10 minutes.

[@wiskienico9470]

Finished divine rivals today and loved it so much❤

[@beckylang91]

I used to love Sylvia Plath, so it broke my heart to find her antisemitic writings :(

[@klane2004]

This is at least the second (maybe even the third) of my go-to BookTubers saying 4th Wing got overly hyped. I love when people will say what they truly feel and not just go with the crowd (which is why I'm a Booktube girlie and NOT a BookTok girlie). Ursula K. Le Guin can basically do no wrong in my eyes, so I'm super stoked to hear about that one! ❤❤

[@pamplemousse3009]

just so you know, the war academy in fourth wing is called basgiath war college

[@chithravedantam4132]

So nice to have another video ffrom you as always. And Omg your earrings are amazing! Where did you get them?

[@danielamartinez9175]

Love this, i find incredible how everytime I have a reading slump, the moment I watch one of your videos it just disappear 😂❤️

[@satyrnarainmathur359]

Uhmm this is a weird mention out of nowhere but you look like queen Victoria when she was young

[@bisma1352]

ok my theory on fourth wing is maybe it hit a golden timing because it is coming after house of the dragon's success? like dragons in media are eternally cool and everpresent but i swear some fanarts i see i keep thinking it looks like rhaenyra's dragon syrax or the blonde guy with red dragon reminds me of daemon + caraxes. I haven't read it or plan to after this review because i have no faith in internet book hype after they made colleen hoover successful and other juvenile writing only good for the cover books. edit: ok after watching elliot's vid it seems more like the author wanted to start the divergent renaissance after twilight got one 😂

[@maryambouihed9868]

In France, there is actually a military school called "L'école de Guerre", the school of War 😂

[@unavezms8167]

I remember being shocked by character death in jade city because I thought the author wouldn't dare to kill an important character so early on. I was wrong. Dear authors if you wanna readers believe people can die SHOW us.

[@Mathew2413]

The only thing that I couldn’t complain about in this book were the dragons. They were the only ones that didn’t feel one dimensional like the rest of the other characters

[@x_RoseBuds_x]

The war academy is Fourth Wing is called Basgiath, it does have a name

[@neerajcherukuri4052]

I still can’t comprehend how Fourth Wing has a higher rating than The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I genuinely couldn’t get past 3 chapters on audiobook. It’s too cringe for my taste!

[@scarqveen]

i love arrival so much as well! i recently read a book called 'in ascension' by martin macinnes which kind of gave me the same feeling that interstellar and arrival gave me. i'd describe it as a literary sci-fi book with lots of focus on the main character and her struggle between the love she has for her family versus her love for science and discovery. but it also has this really interesting sci-fi/first contact mystery at the heart of it which i absolutely loved. a 2023 fav for sure!!

[@user-qu8zs7vs1x]

I never ever read fantasy (sadly I'm a literary fiction gal) but I'll watch any video Leonie puts out 😅

[@notthemostread]

Hey, I think you'd enjoy The Realm of The Elderlings series by Robbin Hobb. I am also a lit fix girlie and I love how this series is slow & character driven. The writing style is also comparable to modern literary fiction writing.

[@sylviashanabrough6515]

I loved the Fourth Wing. Let's face it none of the fantasy books being written lately will win any literary prizes. That's ok. Sometimes you just have to let your imagination take you along for the ride. Sorry you didn't enjoy the book. It was a fun read for me, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

[@VixxKong2]

It's a pirate fantasy A Piracy then 💅

[@elmeelee4109]

Juniper & Thorn was one of my favourite reads this year. Great video 👍🏻

[@michaelsommers2356]

I don't think that "War Academy" is an unusual name. The US has an Army War College (in Carlisle, Pennsylvania) and a Naval War College (in Newport, Rhode Island) (they both have KZbin channels). These are post-graduate institutions, meant to train Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels and their naval equivalents for higher command, but still.

[@jojobookish9529]

I had so much fun with Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. I did go into it fully trusting the author, and knowing the story was in the same world as her Daevabad trilogy, I was so excited at the couple of connections that showed up. At the first mention of a marid, I was like ooooooh it's gonna get magical!!!

[@radix2830]

So you had the full Madrid experience 😂

[@Jacquelynrose94]

I respectfully disagree with you on Fourth Wing, but it was nice to hear your POV and I respect it. I’m usually the type of person who doesn’t like hyped up books, but to be fair, I don’t read fantasy often and it reminded me of Divergent. It felt nostalgic to me! 🤍

[@Alayna1412]

If you are looking for more "pirate" fantasy books, I can recommend the Isles of Glory series by Glenda Larke! Well, it has been years since I read them, don't know how well they hold up, but I enjoyed them thoroughly back then! Weirdly enough, the second book was my favorite haha It has pirates, magical tattoos, some romance elements, it's not full on pirate stuff, but you can easily get those vibes!

[@UltrAMArIn3prOph3cY]

I've been so torn about Fourth Wing, so many people loved it and recommended it but I had a feeling it wouldn't work for me. Fantasy romance is also the genre I have the least patience for. Alot of booktok popular books tend to be misses for me particularly in fantasy and romance. I think I'm just completely done with the "rude/bad boy" love interest and the girl who is attracted to mean men. I need sweet devotion from my men or the stakes need to match the angst. I think the miscommunication trope is lazy. If the reason your couple isn't together is because they can't put together a sentence without losing their minds.... Throw the whole book away. There is YA fantasy romance I like though Dance of Thieves, Legendborn, Strange The Dreamer.