Kay's Raves - July in Review

My last Kay's Raves was in March...

To say I haven't read an entire book since then is...highly probable. BUT, I finally finished reading a book over one weekend in July, and the absolute chokehold it has on me. Read on.

Last month, on a whim and because I am very easily influenced, I bought the extremely popular book Fourth Wing. A book hasn't been able to entrance me so quickly and thoroughly in a long time. It felt like I was transported back to my late teens when I was devouring books at an alarming rate. It was exactly what I needed and when I needed it.

Fourth Wing follows Violet, the youngest daughter of a commanding general, who has trained her whole life to be a scribe. But when the time comes, her general mother forces her into the Riders Quadrant, a brutal training ground for cadets to become dragon riders. It is a cruel place for someone like Violet, whose brittle bones make her an easy target. Not only that, but the place is riddled with cadets who have a vendetta against Violet's mom. After all, she's the general who demanded the execution for so many of their parents who aided the rebellion years ago.

Enter Xaden Riorson. The tall, brooding, morally-grey love interest whom everyone warns Violet against getting near. His dad was the rebellion leader, and he above all else wants Violet dead. Until, against all odds, she bonds with his dragon's mate, and suddenly their fates are more entwined than either of them could have predicted.

Faced with death and attacks at every turn, Violet does whatever she can to survive. Even if it means bending some of the rules and getting close to the very person everyone told her not to get close to.

With a proper enemies-to-lovers (to...?) arc, this book gripped me from the very first harrowing chapter. I stayed up into the wee hours of morning to read chapter after chapter, which I haven't done in a looooong time. There are secrets and lies and stomach-dropping twists and heart-wrenching betrayals and at least one scene that made me cry. Violet is compassionate and intelligent, and Xaden is not entirely what he seems, and Dain...we don't talk about Dain. Steeped in dragon lore (with some Celtic inspired words too!), this book is easily a new favourite. And as we all know, I am a generous 5-star reviewer. Should I bump it up to 10 for this one?