i read 2 of the most popular romantasy books on booktok so you don't have to 🐉

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hi friends!!
this video has been in the works for a minute. sorry it took so long to get to you, but here it is! all my thoughts on fourth wing and the serpent and the wings of night, 2 of the most popular books at the moment.....hope you enjoy 🫶🏼
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📚 timestamps:
intro: 0:00
fourth wing: 4:18
serpent and the wings of night: 27:08
outro: 40:57
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[@denizkomur5010]

Hearing the word “omegaverse” in a booktube video about dragons was not on my 2023 bucket list

[@bookoffholicbookwart5945]

People might (definitely) come at me for saying this, but I'm seriously worried about the impact of booktok on the publishing industry and readers in general. It is hyping not so good or not well done books and eventually overshadowing the deserving ones. It's making publishers pump out books and multiple editions of them but at the cost of diluted literature.

[@saltcaramel9083]

And when you criticize the popularity of these books, you’re being a hater. You can’t enjoy things and you think you’re better than other readers. But it isn’t about demeaning readers, it’s about the state of the book industry. This is affecting everyone’s reading experience, not just Booktok readers. It’s affecting who gets published, who gets recognized, and who gets to write more books (usually with similar plots to their previous ones). It’s getting harder to buy books without this concern that I’m wasting money on another published Omegaverse fanfic or book that’s pure smut. For people like me who don’t bulk buy books, every purchase counts, so for so many of these books to romanticize abuse, lack representation, and retread cliches, it’s annoying.

[@roguishwretches]

It's concerning for people like me who want to publish their own books in the future too! I want to make something that isn't you know, these marketable easy to read booktok books and something with a lot of depth and complexity. But honestly that's only one of my smaller concerns because even if it's not "marketable," there's a good chance publishing would still be difficult as a queer person of color wanting to write about queer people of color (and having an almost exclusively POC cast). Also sidenote, I want there to be like a "new readers" or "easy to read" section/subgenre of books where it's just these mid popular books that appeal mostly to new readers, mostly so I don't feel the extreme pain of purchasing a book that's popular but ends up being mid or amateur gdgfgfgd

[@lorenzomeulli750]

@@saltcaramel9083 They can have all the abuse they want as far as I am concerned, as long as they are good books and the smut/erotica is recognized as such. Don't call it *SPICY* tell me how many of the book pages are spent into description of sexual activities I have 0% interest about.

[@KayAstray]

⁠@@saltcaramel9083 You worded this so perfectly

[@platedlizard]

@@lorenzomeulli750lmao agreed. I like some sex in my books but if there’s more than two or three sex scenes I get annoyed or bored. I don’t care how “spicy” those scenes are, I want more plot. If the sex scenes don’t move the plot forward I’m not interested

[@glorianamultistan]

Have I read these books? No. Will I sit down with my coffee and brunch to watch the whole video? Yes. Honestly, I love these long videos so much! They are like a comfort video call with a friend who is telling you about the books they read and making you feel less lonely.

[@alexandrina2485]

I never related more to a comment lmao

[@leslyminaya623]

OMG YES EXACTLY!!!

[@wendynolen1576]

she never misses ur honor

[@SlowBurnReader]

Romantized is a better word for these types of books. Frankly, it should be changed to more frequently being called Spicy, or Smutty books, because half the time there is nothing romantic about them, and we should separate those categories.

[@lorenzomeulli750]

Big fucking agree lmao. I am a strong supporter of the "Don't call it Fantasy, call it Supernatural Romance like Twilight because that's what it is", but yeah, it ain't about romance anyway, it's barely disguised erotica. And ehy, nothing against erotica, just call stuff what they actually are.

[@wisdomcatharsis]

Also "Shameless smut" because I laugh every time I hear some books (the most clear example was a published Wattpad book I saw) being labeled as erotica as if they don't have the dirtiest, most unhinged shit ever.

[@lorenzomeulli750]

@@wisdomcatharsis Honestly, I am not entirely sure how you are supposed to define between the two, I only know that I don't give a fuck about sex scenes, barely engaging with them if they are actually plot relevant. I can count on maybe two hands the sex scenes that I didn't find useless in 15+ years of reading a lot

[@wisdomcatharsis]

@@lorenzomeulli750 not sure, but when I studied classical erotica (in Spanish) it was more "sensual" than sexual. Like, the erotica I read was more focused on sensorial stimulus or more subtle depictions of sex, focusing on passion and feelings over what's happening (it is kind of said though). Not sure how modern erotica works or if I am getting erotica right, but that's the one I studied. I think modern "erotica" (the novels that are labeled like that but they are plain smut) is more like p0rn. It is really unhinged, vulgar and has a much bigger focus on what's going on. Edit: I want to clarify that I only read a poem. I'm not a literature major, and if I got it wrong please I beg actual literature majors to correct me.

[@lorenzomeulli750]

@@wisdomcatharsis Seems like a reasonable analysis of the topic from what I know. But the again, I only know what I know because of hanging around on the internet, I didn't want to know anything about the topic myself lmao. If anything, this makes me wonder why I don't feel anything gross when looking at actual porn or visual stuff as opposed to the narrative (apart from actual gross stuff which I will never understand how it gets to be considered vanilla and not some type of paraphilia). I just feel that a lot of smut is just... Overly "morbid" in the way it describes sex? Dunno if I am even able to explain it. To me it feels like watching porn where the camera is at maximum zoom. Like, I'll likely find stimulating to see some stuff on screen, but if you give me a 15 minutes long cut of a finger caressing a nipple, at some point i'll just be weirded out, like it's some kind of sex ed video rather than porn. To be shorter: "All smut feels like I am watching someone barely disguised fetish brought to a level of focus where I stop seeing the sexy and will only see it as a biology lesson"

[@fkhaoniiii]

one of the main reasons fourth wing blew up on tiktok wasn't even the story itself, it was people on the hunt for the first press edition with the sprayed edges. it was a trend to find them in stores. then people started gushing over the how good the story itself was and it got even more popular. it's sad the physical book is so pretty when the content of the book itself is so underwhelming.

[@Angelica_Rodriguez39]

Honestly! I almost bought it before I read a few pages and realized it was really... Mediocre lol. It is a gorgeous book. Shame.

[@platypuspalace4987]

When you said that Booktok and Bookstagram are, or at least originally were, full of people who aren't huge readers, it's like a lightbulb turned on over my head. Of course. The books you love are often very different when you first start reading in a genre vs after you've read 200 books in that same genre. That explains so much.

[@xxmadamoisellexx]

this was also a huge light bulb moment for me. i couldn’t understand why these types of books were being pushed by booktok and now im like OHHHHH ok i get it now.

[@geegee6752]

Yup! Like Hannah, I hate most of the books that Booktok recommended, then I realize these books are for new readers. I've been reading for almost 20 years!

[@taylorgayhart9497]

Honestly, the chronic illness rep was some of the most frustrating parts of this book for me!! As someone with a chronic illness that makes it so I can’t work out like everybody else, it is infuriating to hear that someone with a chronic illness thinks that someone could just work out more, and that would cure them. I thought that her being a scholar with a chronic illness was going to lead to her using her brains not her brawn to overcome the challenges she faced, and then I get to the love interest who’s just like “you’re not strong solely because you don’t try hard enough.” STFU with that! I was done at that point.

[@raindropsandtulips3526]

This bothered me so much. You cannot work out your disability away!

[@sakurablossoms94]

Same! Also, she breaks her shoulder while fighting but can have wild sexy times? I'm not buying it. It also gives the idea that asking for help or getting it is bad (when Tiern tries to help her).

[@crystalc7894]

Wait. She had a chronic illness?

[@wooogie672]

@@crystalc7894she’s supposed to have EDS. so does Yarros, but it’s obvious she has some internalized ableism to work through

[@kati192]

​@@crystalc7894yep, it's called ehlers dalos syndrome or something like that 👀

[@aamnahere6250]

To be honest, I am seriously tired of how Booktok and Bookstsgram have impacted the modern reading experience in a negative manner. They primarily cater to fantasy and romance lovers. There's hardly any diverse content and genres which is why so many incredible books get buried under the hype of a single book merely because of sprayed edges and smutty romance. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with sprayed edges or smut, it's just that I've noticed that Booktok and even bookstagram almost always hype up the same two genres (Booktube does that as well unfortunately) and even the books are mostly either average or below average in terms of style of writing, plot and characterization.

[@annegiii3446]

I sorta disagree. I mean it's only logical. Instagram and Tiktok users are on average pretty young, so of course booktok reflects the taste of their demographic. Realistically speaking, most female teenagers don't start reading Shakespeare first. I first fell in love with books by reading Twilight for gods sake 💀 Now I much prefer reading psychological-versed fiction books, especially classics. I think it's perfectly fine for booktok to push a genre that's easily available and understandable

[@aamnahere6250]

@@annegiii3446 While you absolutely have the right to your opinion, it's a bit much to authoritatively tell people what most teenagers do or do not read. Not to mention, a lot of the people that are only promoting romance and fantasy on these platforms are not teenagers. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with these genres or reading them but they're overhyped to the point that almost everything else is ignored. Based on my teenage experience not that long ago, I remember reading different types of books. It's the lack of representation that I was talking about, not that people read Twilight or Fourth Wing.

[@annegiii3446]

@@aamnahere6250 I mean yeah it's most likely teenagers and young women that hype these books up, I don't make the rules nor am I authoritative: it's the audience those are marketed towards at that decide of these things. It's not like old men are the ones making this book popular

[@aamnahere6250]

@@annegiii3446 Sure, and I am saying that not all young women read only these two genres and we deserve more representation as well.

[@SN-bk5xj]

I mean, you’re not forced to read anything. The books you like still exists.

[@cupofkeyshae]

ACOTAR really is the modern day Twilight in the sense that so many books seem to be trying to copy it's style! Reminds me of when Twilight spawned a ton of vampire books. I'm ready for the book community to move on from SJ Maas though...

[@ggukdipity]

I’m so glad you talked about Xaden’s nickname for Violet and that line 😭 they made me cringe

[@hopeonmars9047]

Made me cringe like why- just why- out of every cute nicknames or pet names 🥲

[@shannonigans_]

Fourth wing author said she wanted it to be for people who’ve never read fantasy to get them into it which seems to have worked!

[@NapaCat]

So TOG again, basically...

[@lini0024]

I mean that makes sense but I’ve seen other reviews say they had to piece a lot of things together and only were able to do so because of their familiarity with the fantasy genre

[@platedlizard]

If they actually make the jump to fantasy after Fourth Wing, ok, but honestly I have my doubts that will happen for most. Call me cynical 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@thefriesofLockeLamora]

Considering how different fantasy and romantasy are, it's unlikely the jump will be made. It's a book for people who want to get into romantasy

[@tasneemahmed5821]

it worked, too well.

[@zeldapwr13]

You nailed it with the YA association. These books become so popular because they have more accessible world building which is more common in YA but are a bit more graphic in the romance elements thus the "adult" or NA label. It's how I feel about SJM, her books read very YA aside from the romance elements and they're all just ok.

[@sneums6610]

That's it, all of my favorite and trusted BookTubers have disliked Fourth Wing, I don't feel crazy anymore for not buying into the hype 🥴 With that being said, I have a friend who LOVED Fourth Wing, but she said it's introduced her to fantasy and she's now reading Leigh Bardugo. So if these books help introduce people to the vast world of far better written fantasy, I'm all for it!

[@puppies983]

I think if people don’t really read Fantasy that Fourth Wing is a great read, however if you read high fantasy (like me) you will find it on the simpler side if that makes sense? So it’s a fun and easy read but nothing new

[@Aigra]

Yeah, in hindsight quite a few of my early Fantasy reads were Lord of the Rings knock off, but I eventually discovered the good stuff and read Tolkien of course and I'm still a Fantasy reader.

[@jules.mp3]

It’s so, so bad lol 😭😂 every part of Hannah’s description was on point

[@s.y.k.a1912]

Bought the book because ya know, "dragons" but I'm like 40+ pages into the book... and I could pinpoint so many errors and random unnecessary infos included in it. Plus, the dialogues are so unrealistic, the characters are a BAD kind of cringe, and oh my God, the author's writing is soo boring😭 I'm soft DNFing Fourth Wing for a while now, waiting for the right mood to read it later🙃

[@nazhoni]

it’s terrible would not recommend spending your money on it. incredibly mediocre in every sense yet unbelievably hyped up.

[@malloreygarrett892]

Hannah: “If we had just had more dragons and political intrigue I would have enjoyed it more” My Brain: THE AURELIAN CYCLE

[@ahmedbanaga8185]

Wings of Fire is what this reminded me of😅

[@andrewannotates]

I haven’t even read this series but I’ve heard this comparison a lot! And the narrator being Steve West makes means I will definitely be reading it soon!! The first book is Fireborne right?

[@ahmedbanaga8185]

No lol it's this series I use to read when I was 13 but I haven't read it in 5 years so I don't remember if it was a YA but I enjoyed it back but I think it's a children's book but the selection and the shatter me series is considered YA with horrible writing so I wouldn't put it past me

[@ahmedbanaga8185]

@@andrewannotates Fireborne is good to I've heard it being compared to fourth wing as a better substitute if you didn't enjoy the book but loved the dragons

[@emilykate0835]

@@andrewannotates you said audiobook narrator steve west and I was sold

[@hiphillbert]

i tried reading fourth wing, i just couldnt fucking get past violet's stress info dump in the beginning. it was so bad

[@beatricelucas385]

Same 😭😭

[@blueubie]

i liked fourth wing but that part SENT ME😭😭 it was so on the nose

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

Lazy writing, which is surprising considering how many books Rebecca Yarros has written

[@thabiac4155]

i read a few pages but the language just didn’t fit fantasy so i couldn’t read it

[@hiphillbert]

@@thabiac4155 omg the horniness of the fmc too was so annoying. every dude would get her in heat.

[@tomdelongjohns]

as a disabled person, i just wanted to offer another perspective on the disability rep in fourth wing! i absolutely hate everything about it because her attitude is 100% "i need to push through this" instead of listening to her body's needs. it feels very internalized ableism-y and i was so disappointed because in fantasy, accommodations can be literally anything and they could be so sick. i know if i tried to "push through" the way violet does, i wouldn't get through whatever i needed to - i would pass out and injure myself from passing out, and i'd scare everyone around me, and i'd put myself in a situation where i could be harmed by anyone around me because i was unconscious. no matter how much people tell me to just try harder to not be disabled, that's never gonna be the case, so it makes more sense for me to learn my limits and work within them. i'm glad she was writing from a place of personal understanding, but man, the entire time it just radiated to me "oh, man, you need to work this shit out with yourself, you're only gonna get more hurt." love your content as always, and i love when you read popular books so i can judge from afar if they're worth it from a voice i trust.

[@whatareyousayinggirl]

ABSOLUTELY 100% AGREE. It's even sadder because yarros has explicitly stated many times that this book was meant to be both representative of EDS and also be "inspiring", which just tells me she does indeed have a bit of internalised ableism to work through if she thinks a story in which someone has to push through their pain & symptoms is inspiring and not unhealthy, gross, and ultimately harmful.

[@lindseyhintz7359]

I am so glad I am not the only person. As someone with chronic pain, like I can't just work out and push through things, I have to stop before I make things worse for myself.

[@ritz423]

I get what you're saying, but this book is set in a brutal FANTASY world. We can't apply our own standards there. The main character literally doesn't have a choice. It's not ableism, it's just what she was doing to survive. And it's just adding to the atmosphere of the setting, which is very much dark and violent. And if the author is writing about her own experience, why are we judging? It shouldn't be considered bad representation just because you don't agree/can't relate to it.

[@whatareyousayinggirl]

@ritz423 yeah but if she doesn't have a choice in doing able-bodied things which cause her injuries every day, she ALSO wouldn't have a choice in the pain and the consequences of that. The two are not mutually exclusive. That's not how her disability works, realistically speaking. I also dont think anyone here is critiquing the world, in fact it's quite obvious it was set up to be brutal and especially dangerous for Violet. That's fine. What's not fine is writing a disability narrative in which the disability is either ignored or pushed through time and time again without realistic consequences, echoing the very real ableist sentiment that disabled people need to just try harder to do things. I can call this "bad" rep because 1) it echoes ableist sentiments and 2) Yarros has said explicitly that this was meant to be representative of all EDS subtypes and 3) Yarros has also said this was meant to be inspiring. What exactly is inspiring about watching a disabled character suffer and suffer and suffer, not actually see any realistic consequences of that, and then succeed through sheer force of will? Why would I feel empowered by this? What is the fantasy in seeing someone grit their teeth and damage their body and succeed? That's not how it works. That's gross, and that belief impacts how disabled people in the real world get medical care. Pushing through pain like Violet results in illness, body deterioration, and going to hospital. Its damaging and gross to push as an inspirational, aspirational disabled narrative. Nothing is created in a vacuum. We can apply "real world standards" to this because we live in the real world, and it informs our understanding of what we consume, in the same way what people write is informed by their real world experiences and circumstances. Yarros does not give us any other lens through which to understand Violet's condition. The author is also using her "real world" disability in the narrative.

[@ritz423]

​@@whatareyousayinggirl I think I'm a bit confused with what you're saying. Yes, it's unrealistic that Violet can do those physically challenging things with EDS, but how is that ableist? It may constitute being called "Bad rep" but not ableism. The solution to that issue would to be to do what, exactly? To give Violet actual medical care for her EDS? Considering the setting they're in, that would make no sense. Or the solution could just be to not have the representation? And, you know, I think we're understanding the point of Violet's character differently. In my opinion, the book isn't meant to be about her disability. Violet is a character with a disability, but the story is demonstrating her intelligence, adaptability and strategy when coming up with other ways to do things. That's not pushing an ableist narrative. It's called being resourceful. It's more about her character than her physical body. But in the end, everyone will have a different opinion. I appreciate you fully explaining your viewpoint, regardless of our disagreement. edit: grammar

[@anyolivna163]

i think the tagline for fourth wing was actually changed bc i could've sworn it was "ride...or die." before which makes it even funnier imo😭😭

[@wynnefuller]

I think it was fly or die

[@anyolivna163]

@@wynnefuller or that, either way i'm pretty sure they changed it

[@kayab5714]

My copy says "fly or die" too

[@GatekeeperGuardian-wv3cd]

Wait so they changed the tagline twice? Jesus, Red Tower really just doesn't care do they?

[@Marscandy1]

Yeah, they changed it to fly or…die. Ride or die is actually witty. They can’t be seen being witty…

[@readiculousreads4164]

The repetitive language in The Serpent and the Wings of Night, oh my gosh! Can we talk about how many times she says something along the lines of "he knows, that I know, that we know..." 🤣

[@abbykadabby418]

I’ve been enjoying Serpent, but I have been making notes on how many times on each page they say f**k😂 let’s just say it’s a lot!

[@amber_h]

@@abbykadabby418238 times! glad i’m not the only one who noticed how much she used that word

[@Pixel-Lucas]

​@abbykadabby418 @amber_h there were a few times when I loved quotes.... if the word fuck would be removed!!!!

[@emeraldsea28]

I've been enjoying Fourth Wing. It's easy and fun to slip into. Do I roll my eyes sometimes? Yeah. But it's an easy read and I needed that. I also love the snarky banter between the characters.

[@Nikki20971]

Same. I actually loved it. Why? I love crappy romance and shitty fantasy. Sure, I simultaneously cringed and cackled at the name Xaden. It was definitely predictable but it kept me engaged. I think I really liked because of the nostalgia it gave me. It felt like reading my favorite fanfics or stories on wattpad from when I was younger. The ones that I loved but would’ve died had anyone known I read them, because they were just so bad. I expected Fourth Wing to be exactly what it was, and it did a great job of being exactly that.

[@CerroneSamuel]

Yes I agree. I’m an English teacher and study heavy books with heavy themes and this was just a fun time. It was definitely a guilty pleasure.

[@cosmic.elixir]

I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE I TRUST TO READ FOURTH WING !! THANK YOU

[@DustfeatherOfFire]

31:13 - My mind is now singing "Just a human girl/Living a vampire world/She took the midnight train going anywhere" 🙃

[@sotiria_lazaridou]

while I totally disagree with your opinions because I LOVED both of these books (especially Fourth Wing omg), I still truly appreciate how honest and transparent you are when reviewing books! it's just so refreshing and inspiring to see!!🥰

[@auroraa.writes]

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

[@ritz423]

@@auroraa.writeswtf is wrong with you

[@jonathanguadalupe2753]

🚩🚩🚩🚩

[@Abigail-bh7ow]

I enjoyed Fourth Wing as well

[@oliviaturner3920]

Dude same😂 reading these comments and like yeahhh fourth wing was totally a binge read for me. And iron flame was frickin bomb, especially the first half. A lot of the things she said were so correct, but I just don’t even care. Honestly it did make me feel very nostalgic for a lot of other good YA fantasy books that I read in middle school or something, but that’s not a negative for me😂 I really enjoyed the second one a lot more because it seemed to explain a lot from the first.

[@Non3rs]

I think fourth wing is getting the hype it is, is because it feels like I’m in high school again reading my favorite books again for the first time. It takes me back to good times where I didn’t worry about bills and life. It’s nostalgic.

[@amyrosenberg5950]

Yes!! Me too!!

[@ggukdipity]

“first of all, good for you” girl, I can’t-

[@pinkbunny62]

I work on the production team that handles all the US printings of Fourth Wing and that publisher's other titles. It is so funny to me how we're constantly stressing over this book, printers are literally running out of paper before we can print enough copies, and yet every Booktuber I follow finds it exceptionally average or really bad LOL

[@pari7942]

The book is amazing tbvh... it's just that everyone's going bonkers over one book so how do these youtubers try to be different to gain attention and views? Yes, they make a negative review... LOL

[@peachyjoon6673]

@@pari7942 they’re allowed to not like a book yk? i’ve seen plenty of people with a larger audience say they love both these books.

[@geegee6752]

​@@pari7942i read Fourth wing and it was BAD. I am a heavy fantasy reader and I agree with Hannah that this book will only work for new readers of fantasy or have specific taste in tropes.

[@nazimelmardi]

So what? 50 Shade of Whatever was a good book/movie? No. Did it make a lot of money? Yes. Because people are sheep.

[@kailaanderson2]

@@pari7942 by any chance, are you a new reader or read a lot of booktok books?

[@whatareyousayinggirl]

I really felt grossed out by the disability rep. I myself have EDS, and I know Yarros also has EDS., but the fact of our disabilities does not make us immune to perpetuating ableism, and i felt like Fourth Wing was really pushing the "just work harder" ableist rhetoric that I've suffered from in real life. Everyone’s experiences with EDS are varied, but I and all of my EDS friends have dislocated joints just by doing low-impact daily activities, and the book is actually pretty clear on Violet's symptoms, yet we're somehow meant to believe that Violet does sparring, gets thrown around, suffers dislocation after dislocation, and somehow doesn't see any long-term damage and deterioration from that? Violet's obsession with proving her strength, worth, and capabilities, made sense, however, the way Violet proves herself is by gritting her teeth, mentally shelving her pain, and performing either as well as or better than her able-bodied brethren, and this is never really problematised. In fact, it’s supported by the characters and the actual narrative itself in a variety of ways. Keep in mind her symptoms (frequent dislocations when she was a SCRIBE, frequent sprains, brittle bones, muscle weakness, chronic pain, to name a few), and keep in mind the activities she’s doing: sparring, obstacle courses, running, free-falling and being caught by a dragon, and more... i have to ask if it’s really, truly realistic that she could do all of those things day-in and day-out without being, at some point, in crippling pain. Whether it was Yarros’s intention or not, I believe she wrote a narrative in which a disabled character overcame all her pain and other symptoms through sheer force of will, and that’s a narrative rooted in ableism. I can't even call this a power fantasy because... why would i want to fantasise about being constantly injured and hurt and surrounded by ableist people and have my empowerment come from just gritting my teeth and suffering through it?

[@ninabochko7472]

Yes! It would make so much sense if the story was about Violet becoming a scribe and still being important, changing the world etc, to prove that not only soldiers matter and not everybody needs to be Celaena Sardothien. That would really be a chance to show off her fierce personality in a not so fierce body.

[@tiramisunsun]

exactly!

[@faiths7777]

A story about her becoming a scribe would be less interesting, bffr

[@ninabochko7472]

@@faiths7777 I don't really consider her becoming a rider an interesting story🤷🏼‍♀️ It could be the same betrayals and deaths but in the "safety" of libraries where nobody is supposed to be dying but for mysterious reasons does. She could've become the mastermind with her own physical limitations and ways to deal with them, but no, she became the most special fighter with the most special power and the most special dragons. Which is, yeah, boring.

[@yeetuh]

what's eds?

[@charitychapman3181]

Literally I have friends who absolutely ADORED Fourth Wing, but I knew better than to trust BookTok, so I came to BookTube, cause I trust the BookTube girlies. 3 major things I don't understand: why are the children of the rebels in the army, why did no one realize Andarna was a baby dragon, and last but certainly not least, WHY WERE THEY ALLOWED TO KILL EACH OTHERRRR???!?! Sorry for yelling, but those three things just can't be forgiven for me. Me personally, if I were the head of a tyrannical government, the LAST thing I would ever do is give the children of rebels, or rebels in general, tools they can use to destroy my regime. On the flip side, if I were the child of a rebel, I would rise through the ranks of the army. Then, when the time comes, I'm gonna use a tried and true military tactic: scorched earth. They'd call me the Queen of Ashes the way I'd burn everyone and everything to the ground. And as for the baby dragon thing, if dragons are reptiles, and they come from eggs, why wouldn't I assume that the very small and cute dragon with a soft tail is perhaps, per chance, possibly, potentially, a BABY DRAGON?. Sorry for ranting y'all, lol

[@jaelmoray]

I agree with you so much on all of this. The rebels being in the military was the stupidest thing I have ever read. The military leaders thought, "oh, well, they will just die there," without thinking that SOME get through and this is essentially their special forces. Oh, and you get a dragon, which is basically a special weapon if you make it through. Great idea from these "strategists." 🤣 But yea, letting them kill each other does not teach them how to work together successfully in battle after graduating, it only instills more of a lone wolf attitude that would never bode well in wartime cooperation. For an author who supposedly has written other military based books, it is clear she knows nothing of her own subject matter.

[@Vlada-dm2oy]

When I finished the fourth wing I just felt that people commonly have bad taste in literature and now all of them have tiktok. 😑😑😑

[@nathi5725]

That moment when your favourite youtuber uploads a 40 minutes video, right after you had a huge family dispute and need a break from everything - thank you for existing ❤️

[@sixofpages]

i absolutely loved the serpent and the wings of night and HATED fourth wing so it’s gonna be very interesting seeing you talk about these books 🤣

[@janetgriffin7779]

Anytime books are overly hyped up on Booktok I know they’re not good. The hype for Fourth Wing is outrageous so I’m glad I saw this video. If I read it, it’ll be because I’m curious and want a fast read. But I can wait on that. Thanks so much for doing the work for us and always giving us an honest review.

[@Vampy_Bat_]

honestly I would still read it just for shits and giggles if it wasn’t 25€ like no dude I can get way better books for that amount of money

[@janetgriffin7779]

@@Vampy_Bat_ I have it in hold at the library and the hold count is like 500!! It’ll be awhile before I read it. 🤣🤣

[@thabiac4155]

i read once upon a broken heart which is pretty hyped and actually really enjoyed the books even tho i don’t like most hyped tiktok books

[@ggukdipity]

fourth wing is the same story we’ve read before but worse and so predictable. as you said, you can see what’s coming. it’s enjoyable if you can overlook all those things but that’s it

[@kka1135]

Hannah, I always love hearing your opinions on books even if I disagree. You have such great takes on books and it really brings a new perspective. Such as the case of Fourth Wing which I loved so much but because it was a comforting read for me. It reminded me of the dystopian era of books that got me into reading so this book, while not amazing, was such a good read for me. The points you made, however, were honestly really insightful and I appreciate it! Thank you for sharing and I can’t wait for your next video!

[@WowAubrie]

I completely agree with everything w fourth wing! Like Yarrows is an ex-Mormon and as a fellow exmo I saw how she was using pieces of the teachings to frame the world and to critique the church. Like Violet coming to terms that organization she was born into is actually the bad guys and covering up all the bad things they’re doing and vilifying the rebels, etc. i hope that she delves into that more in the series bc that was the most interesting part for me.

[@itsannalewis]

I got the impression the author had Xaden use the nickname “Violence” as an example of how he was always encouraging Violet and thought she’d succeed, which is a direct juxtaposition with Dain who was constantly doubting and attempting to make Violet leave because he didn’t believe in her. It read to me as a tool to help underscore Dain is Xaden’s foil

[@shay8339]

Same, I saw it as a positive thing. Where Dain was trying to protect her and stifle her, Xaden brought out her other strengths

[@NaN-wx9ss]

Yeah but that's kind of why I didn't like it. Apart from the oh so obvious wordplay, looking at it logically it makes sense for Dain to be worried about her. She's really physically weak and injures herself all the time and her dream was to be a scribe anyway- while reading it he's written to look bad but if you turn the perspective then he knows her a lot better than Xaden does. As for her "strengths", she's not actually very smart, everyone else is just written to be less smart if that makes sense. Whatever speed she has shouldn't be an advantage either because again, she's supposedly very feeble and everyone else has been training for years as compared to her measly six months. I personally don't like books that downplay everyone else to make the main character look good because it seriously stiffles any possibility of character development on her part.

[@itsannalewis]

@@NaN-wx9ss I interpreted Dain’s hesitations as a reflection of a fixed mindset: he doesn’t think Violet can keep growing despite all that she overcomes. That’s why we see that Violet appreciates his concerns at first and trusts him, until she’s passed various tests and he still doesn’t trust that she can rise to the occasion. I also think that Violet’s being “smart” is portrayed the same way that everyone else is portrayed as being physically fit. It makes sense the other characters are going to struggle with the book studies compared to her, since Violet had been working with the professors in preparation to be a Scribe for years (not to mention what she observed her dad do as a Scribe as well, which we saw was a unique upbringing with the exclusive non-propaganda folklore books she got to read). I think the amount of time the author spent into talking about Violet’s extra training and strength building, also helps make her growth a bit more believable. She’s still not a strong fighter, which is why she relied on poisons at the start of the book and her powers at the end of the book.

[@NaN-wx9ss]

@@itsannalewis Hmm...well I understand why Violet has more knowledge about various topics than people around because she was training to become a scribe but I still don't think having knowledge necessarily makes someone a strategic master. For example with the poison thing, I felt like it relied on everyone else being really dense or oblivious. If she had only done it twice then maybe I could call it clever but she did it for every fight and nobody was suspicious. Even if it hadn't occured to anyone at the start, by the third person you'd think someone would think to themselves- all of her opponents keep mysteriously falling ill and she's on breakfast duty... suspicious- but they don't think that way at all. I also feel like the trials she did overcome initially were because of luck? Her willpower definitely had something to do with it but it would be a lie to say it was all her. She starts to overestimate herself just because she cleared a few trials whereas Dain already knows how brutal it gets and must know what it's like to think in that way. It's an ironic example but at the start when Xaden tells everyone not to celebrate crossing the parapet by having the dragons incinerate people, he does this to show them that it only gets harder each time and even their survival is all left to chance. Violet seems to think in that overconfident manner after the fights. Honestly I don't think Dain and her were really ever a good ship and I see how people could interpret some of those interactions differently but Dain in my opinion is more logical in his reactions. I feel like Xaden is also logical but because he has less data, he considers it a matter of courage and grit which is why he encourages her to be more aggressive.

[@tannerv259]

Not to mention xaden being so toxic towards her. He kept a huge secret from her their entire relationship and showed no signs of regret or remorse. He should have never engaged in a relationship with her if he knew that he was going to have to keep this life changing secret from her, it’s so messed up 😂

[@justjoe1669]

But do we go into a romatasy for a happy healthy relationship? I don’t haha

[@tannerv259]

@@justjoe1669 oh okay, then you should think dain is perfect for her…..

[@still.on.page.8]

the comparison of fourth wing and fanfiction made so much sense! I really liked it but this was eye opening to me why i liked it so easily and why it was so easy for me to follow along :D

[@KimbaZed]

The dragon and sex thing is straight out of the Dragonriders of Pern series. I rated Fiurth Wing as 3 stars, and while it had its faults (so many), it was what I was in the mood for when I read it, and I thought it was a lot of fun.

[@elliedee123]

Thank you for pointing this out. Anne McCaffrey came up with it back in 1968 and she did it so much better.

[@Emma.Lou1]

Girl I'm not lying when I tell you the only reason I'm not dnf-ing the tog series is because of Manon and the Wyverns. Literally those chapters are what is saving these books for me.

[@SnorriSnibble]

Agree! Book 3 is by far my favorite because of the dragons, but I read from so many people that they didn't like the 3rd book as much and I can't wrap my head around it

[@abbykadabby418]

A good thing to remember is “bad” books have been hyped for decades. There’s so much more good conversation around these types of books because of booktok/book tube and it has allowed us to gain alot of insight into why they’re appealing and unappealing to different people. Both perspectives are valid while acknowledging the obvious flaws, and I appreciated your critique! I also liked your note about Serpent being self published.

[@taschabalafas6804]

I hope you’ve been hanging in there with all life has thrown at you lately. Thank you for making my day better with this video drop 💛 all the love always

[@AWalleye]

I gave both these books a shameless 5 stars lol I thoroughly unabashedly love these books 😅

[@589593]

I'm only 6 minutes in but you talking about the tag line "graduate or die" being more suited to dark academia !!! It's basically the tag line of A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik & that book is so good & if you want that concept but school based - that is the book, it's so good. I was literally mad when I realized that was Fourth Wing's tag line because I was like "I've already read that"

[@mahad0251]

Hannah is the only thing that makes me happy. Love you stay happy 🫶

[@cathyenfield]

You truly read these books to save me from them and I love you for that, cause some of the things you were saying are the type that, if I force myself to read them, I end up in a reading slump and scared of picking up a new book ever again, so thank you for your work and honesty😭

[@rubymoon1487]

I always love hearing your opinions Hannah! I did enjoy reading Serpent & The Wings of Night, even though I did catch myself confused from the world building at times, I felt like it was easy to peace together in the end. I thought the action in it was pretty fun! However, I don't plan on reading Fourth Wing because I've heard many times the writing and the characters can be quite childish.. For me atleast, that would really bother me while reading. I appreciate your thoughts on these and hope we get another video from you soon! 😊

[@chocolateoreo6489]

You are such a comforting person ❤ please remember that you matter and to take care of yourself!

[@kayleepanna9718]

Hiiiii I just wanted to comment and say I just bought your reading journal and I absolutely love it!! It’s so perfect for me and my needs in a journal, I couldn’t ask for more in a journal so thank you for creating this masterpiece ❤😊🫶🏻

[@AClockworkReader]

ahhh thank you so so much 🫶🏼

[@ljalderson8370]

I really like Fourth Wing but I love that you're honest about your opinions and not a troll about it! Keep up the fantastic work, Hannah! 💖

[@stacymartin8128]

Have you done a video with all your favourite romantisy books? I’d love to see it!!! I really wanna get into the genre and I’ve had very similar taste to yours in almost every other genre so I trust your recs a lot😂❤ Loved the video as always you’re my favourite booktuber😎

[@Alea_uncharted]

Omegaverse is one of those things where if you don’t know, you are blessed, but if you do, you can unfortunately clock it IMMEDIATELY 💀

[@vickysbookland]

i loved both of these books so much (they’re both part of my top 5 for the year lmao) but i love you so i’m still going to watch a 40min video of you ranting about them

[@cnkprang7735]

For me, I gave Serpent and the wings of night 5 stars. I loved this book sooooooooo much especially romance and the pacing >

[@yetiknatok7105]

im reading it rn and i think i might love it. 😂

[@Marscandy1]

I do too. It was a really well written book. Carissa Broadbent is an underrated writer. This one and Daughter of No World are fantastic books. The world building was excellent and subtle. You needed to dig under the surface to really get it. Not everything is explained. Plus, it’s a long series. In the first book you get the impression there’s many things that is hidden and you get to experience those revelations with the character which was a fun point. They also tell you the lore of the world itself in small takes but you start to realize later on that the lore itself is a lie. That was brilliantly done. There are moments where you’re sure you’ve understood everything and then… 😮 nope, that’s not it. I really loved it.

[@oldjeans4651]

Omgg I was waiting for this‼️ also congrats on getting era tour tickets

[@moonlightstay7]

it always makes my day when you upload 🥰

[@tasneemahmed5821]

A lot of people say that it's a good thing that tiktok has gotten people into reading and whatnot but I vehemently disagree. Tiktok hyped books are for people that don't normally read, we've already established that idea. The problem is those people NEVER outgrow their YA midiocre fantasy book phase. It's because of THEM that we see a lot of supbar books like Fourth Wing getting SO much undeserved recognition. It is because of THEM that extremely problematic writers like Colleen and Penelope get such a huge fan base. It is because of THEM that SO MANY amazing well written books are pushed to the side by publishing companies just so they can keep pumbing the same, generic, badly written YA books with awful characters, soporific plots and chidish themes.

[@maryamasomewhathuman.7870]

Well that's awful, but I honestly believe booktok is gonna dissappear after a year or two. They're constantly reading bad books and, from what I've observed, they don't like reading that much. There's no way their gonna continue when booktok becomes "uncool".

[@Editorialzero]

Noah fence but this sounds super pretentious. I don’t like YA at all, and love to be a hater about it (which is why I’m on this video), but honestly why do you care? There are thousands and thousands of literary fiction books published every year, that are pretty easy to find recommended online or you can speak with your friends who know your taste better than booktok does. The shitty YA fantasies are bringing in a ton of money, way more than what the publishing houses are spending on making them/advertising them, which makes them more money to produce diverse works. I get hating the genre, and I get seriously disliking a lot of the stories and characters, but who cares if the fanfiction girlies want to read a long book about fairy smut? It’s not hurting you and they are readers even if you think you’re better than them.

[@nedaebrahimi3272]

You are my favorite BookTuber. Because, you are one of the only book REVIEWERS. We do not have similar reading tastes. (I am currently reading Juniper and Thorn, which I do not care for as much as you seem to) But! I trust your opinions on popular books more than anyone else I follow.

[@slim_shady411]

OMG THANK YOU!! You vocalized every thought I've had about the Fourth Wing. Especially about the "action" or the fight scene, world building and random info dumping. The writing gets really bad in some parts all over the book and I literally had to put it down so many times, trying to work out what exactly the author was trying to covey. That was time and effort wasted on a mediocre book that I cannot get back.

[@ggukdipity]

I’ve been waiting for this video

[@meredith6864]

You know its going be the best day when Hannah posts!

[@dani_833]

Your reading experiments are definitely my favorite series of yours 🩵

[@madilastname3691]

I don't know who lied to you, but Carissa Broadbent's other series Daughter of No Worlds is way more up your alley! Big Howl's Moving Castle vibes and actually developed fantasy world and characters, although it does have very similar vibes to throne of glass it has actually well-developed politics. Another good romantasy book that I think you would like is Blood Mercy by Vela Roth it's regency fantasy vampires with lots of political intrigue and I think you would enjoy that one too! Just in case you wanted some romantasy recommendations that I really do think you would like, I also found fourth wing and serpent and the wings of the night to be very overhyped, but both of the other books I really enjoyed.

[@cereal577]

i looove your longer videos!! we have been fed😌😌

[@SnorriSnibble]

Now that's the quality content I'm looking for on this app 👌🏻

[@aidahamimah1358]

I was waiting for you to start reading fourth wing and wow I've gotta admit, i think i gaslighted myself through the entire book; loving it for what it could've been rather than what it actually was.

[@yashikacarstairs]

YES IVE WAITED FOR THIS

[@meganradcliffe8834]

I enjoyed this video so much you made my day even though I loved fourth wing 🤭🙈I recognise its not perfect but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[@Patricia-xw3ns]

Your videos are just the best!

[@abbeyk7880]

Always look forward to watching your videos! 🥰💛

[@rochoa7408]

I need the romantasy girlies to read Kushiel’s Dart, the whole Phèdre trilogy in fact. Or they can read The Black Jewels trilogy. If you don’t know, then you should go and figure it out. Those books had me blushing.

[@nicolesteltz4375]

I’VE BEEN WAIIIITING FOR THIS ONE !!

[@bex262]

i am obsessed with your earrings!!! ❤

[@Patricia-xw3ns]

remembering you saying that you wouldn't write a book when you announced the reading journal and now hearing you talk about writing makes me absolutely happy :) I would surely read it

[@srose1088]

I suspect a reason why romanticy became popular is because it's similar to smuty romance but without the judgment, since it's fantasy and doesn't have a naked man on the cover.

[@c_e_mcgill]

Great video as always, and I definitely agree on wanting a certain bare minimum level of worldbuilding in fantasy romance... 😂 In that vein I'd actually recommend A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland!! They focus a lot on economic worldbuilding and how the world actually works, which I find really interesting and satisfying. (Plus, the actual romance is cute as hell too, lol)

[@glacecoco]

Idk if it's because I'm not a native English speaker and hence don't have a very good level in it but I didn't realise that Fourth Wing writing was bad... Sure Violet was cringe for the most parts of the book, but I liked her. She has the same disability as my bestfriend so I kind of have a soft spot for her. I understood where her struggles came from. Like, my bestfriend with ehlers danlos can't do anything after 3pm because all her muscles ache so much. So I know how hard it must have been for Violet too. But let's be honest, the dragons did it for me!! I just had a very fun time reading about them

[@stellymads]

i enjoyed fourth wing, but there were a lot of things that bugged me that i couldn’t put my finger on and you expressed everything so perfectly omg

[@pregmobrainrot2857]

youre my comfort booktuber

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I really need all the Fourth Wing girlies to re-read that book and tell me they still think it’s good. Because I do think that people got caught up in the hype. Maybe it’s because I was already too old for YA when The Hunger Games and Divergent came out, so it’s not like it makes me nostalgic for the books of my youth, so maybe that’s the problem? Idk it actively pisses me off to read it so badly that I not only DNFed the book, I returned it.

[@whiteraven562]

If it makes you feel better, the dragon heat thing might not have been Omegaverse. Anne Mccaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern does the same thing and it predates Omegaverse by decades. It's quite possible Yarros was ripping DoP off along with all the YA fantasy/dystopia

[@chanelletime]

IM READY

[@devincarson73]

I got your journal recently and I love it!!!

[@VivCrepsley]

so interesting to hear your thoughts on Fourth Wing. I truly enjoyed it although I’ve read a lot ya fantasy books in the past and still primarily read fantasy books but I enjoyed this especially because it reminded me of all the books back in 2008,2009,2010. It’s entertaining, the writing style is mediocre but overall it’s a fun experience if you’re in a reading slump or if you need a bit nostalgia in my opinion which I desperately needed.

[@SaidaMiladi-ju7is]

Hoped so much you would talk about these two books ❤

[@sydneylai5592]

girl could we get…a manga reading vlog 🥺 i wanna watch you read something you love LMAO

[@ellias]

*This is me trying!!!!!* FR tho, the night’s serpent night of ruin and wings was DEF the wish version of ACOTAR. Still haven’t read fourth wings tho 👀

[@tomie1308]

your stance in romantasy is exactly like mine. I dnf'ed serpent of the night 45% in. And that 45% i covered cause Leonie liked it so much and I trust her opinion. (And also the thousands of people online.) Feeling strangely validated because I thought I was being too harsh on this genre.

[@JoJo-zl7qh]

I read 4-5 books every week and overall I enjoyed fourth wing. I almost dnf it in the beginning. When the dragons came in is where I started to enjoy it and liked it more and more as the book went on. By the end I couldn’t wait to read book two. Is it predictable? Yes. I do think it is way over hyped though. It makes people expect more than it gives. I loved the pacing in this book. That was perfect imo. Not too slow to get boring and not so fast that I didn’t have time to connect with the characters. I do think it’s a great book for readers just getting into fantasy. It’s got a simple storyline, not too complicated to follow like some fantasy. And, as you said, it has some very common tropes. I don’t usually like popular books so I went into it expecting to not finish it. I almost didn’t. I remember reading chapter 7 and thinking this book sucks 😂 but I kept going and I’m glad I did because it got better after that. I agree the dragons are the best part. They were written well. I disagree that the world building is bad. I will agree that It’s not complete but not everyone does the world building all in the first book. You learn more and more every book as it’s needed. This is only book one there are many more to go who why do you expect the entire world to be laid out before you already? Imo that would be a boring book. Learning things I just don’t need to know yet doesn’t sound very entertaining to me. I didn’t notice any info dumping, maybe a bit in the first few chapters which slowed it down a lot, but overall it was fast paced for me. I did find the two sex scenes kind of ridiculous though. I dnf the serpent book pretty early on. So can’t comment on that one.

[@HowTKayt]

I absolutely agree with the necessity of world building in any fantasy book, romance or no romance. I have been struggling because I love fantasy and am looking for something more spicy, but can’t get into many of the books I’ve been recommended because I want to be immersed in the world my romance is taking place in. Thank you for this review!

[@elsaslibrary]

Thank you for voicing what I have been scared to voice

[@raradinevali]

i love how raw and honest you are god i think this is the first time ive seen someone agree with me when i say fourth wing isnt that special

[@ellajazz4861]

I love how so many YA fantasy characters have names that belong on a my little pony box

[@yashikacarstairs]

If u want amazing dragon book then read Fireborne by rosaria munda istg you'll LOVE IT. Dragon chooses the rider, interesting politics, morally grey characters and the best childhood friends to lovers I've ever read.

[@Vampy_Bat_]

thank you so much omg, I was debating reading fourth wing and was really close to buying it because I thought if there were dragons in it it had to be cool but now I think I definitely wouldn’t like you so thank you for your recommendation

[@sunshine20yearsago51]

That sounds absolutely interesting

[@tehelea]

fireborne has been on my tbr for sooo long and you may have just made me move it to the top

[@flowerpuff944]

I loved the serpent and the wings of night. When vincent died it crushed me for days. You go through so many emotions with this one. Love, betrayel, regret, revenge....

[@calicowarlock]

I will say I really wish that Carissa Broadbent’s other series had gotten popular on TikTok…daughter of no worlds is SO much better! Also I work at b&n and me and a bunch of my coworkers read fourth wing…most of us hated it. And we are prepping for the sequel to drop and b&n is treating it like when deathly hollows was released 💀

[@shobnumalam8316]

Great discussion once again. I haven’t read much fantasy beside Harry Potter series. I get so confused which ones to pick now. I have loved the night circus, and the house in the cerulean sea. It will be very helpful if you can do a fantasy recommendation video.

[@candycane11103]

these 2 books just came in my mail yesterday and then this video comes out??? Life couldn’t be better

[@pebna-jay]

The whole "feeling your dragons lust" thing is straight from the Dragonriders of Pern and is THE reason I will never pick that series up.

[@dancindancindancing]

I completely agree with you on Fourth Wing. I haven't read the other book yet. You compared it to SJM books and I think the dialogue in Fourth Wing was WAY worse. I couldn't stand the dialogue