Thoughts on Fourth Wing and Romantasy

Fantasy Romance Versus the Gatekeepers

If you want to cause turmoil among fantasy fans, mention Fourth Wing — or romantasy. Some fantasy fans hate romantasy with the flame of a thousand dragons.

“Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” in a Bookstore. (Source: Photo by the Author.)

I avoided Fourth Wing when it first came out. It was a hardback with an adult hardback price, but it sort of looked like a young adult fantasy. It was published through Entangled Publishing, which is popular for publishing “tropey” books, like “enemies-to-lovers.”

Sure, the book looked cool, with incredible sprayed edges. But I’d been let down by romantic SFF before. So I passed it up, despite the great review on All About Romance. Within weeks, all the hardcovers of that first printing were gone!

Whoops! Had I missed out on something? Months later, the furor about the upcoming release of the sequel, Iron Flame, caught up with me. So I plunged in.

Now, I’m flying through the pages of Fourth Wing. I understand why so many readers (even some who aren’t into romance) like it. For some, it’s the tropes. For others, it’s the dragons.

Yet I understand why some don’t like Fourth Wing. The book has flaws — as highlighted in this opposing review of Fourth Wing on All About Romance. I agreed with the review’s points even as I had fun anyway.