Stephanie's Journal

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros

Genre:
Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Dragons, Enemies to Lovers, Magic, Fantasy, Romance, High Fantasy

Publication Date:
May 2, 2023

Page Numbers:
517

Read/Finished Date:
October 24th, 2025 - October 25th, 2025

Rating:
4.5/5

Premise:

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die

Review:

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail had been preparing to join the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among the books and history. But her mother, the commanding general, has other ideas for her future: she will go to Basgiath War College, where she will be one of hundreds of candidates competing to become one of the elite members of Navarre, the dragon riders.

But Violet's body is smaller and more fragile than others, and she must survive everything that is thrown at her, including those who still have a vendetta against her mother. Even more concerning are the dragons, as they do not bond with fragile humans but incinerate them.

With there being fewer dragons to bond with humans, Violet has a large target on her back, and those who wish to prove themselves worthy of being a rider will do everything to make sure she is out of their way.

Okay, okay, I am not going to lie, but the overhype of this book had me worried. The last time I let booktok and others convince me that I would like a book, I ended up hating it and vowing never to read another. Since I had this book already, I thought I would try to get this out of the way, and honestly, I am glad I spent the time to read. It was the world that had me hooked. I mean, who wouldn't love to have a storyline with a school filled with dragons, and this is not the type of story where the dragons are friendly. No, they are dangerous. They will incinerate you if you show an ounce of weakness. This is the type of dragon story I like.

Violet has a disability, which is a nice change from the many female characters in the fantasy realm. Normally, they are healthy. Beautiful. Kick ass. Violet has a disability. Her bones are fragile and her body is small, but none of this deters her from becoming (or being forced, if you look at it from a different angle) a dragon rider. She is also quite aware that because of her mother, she has a large target on her back, and her biggest threat is Xaden, the son of the Rebellion’s late leader. He was forced to attend the Basigath War Academy just like any of the children belonging to the families that were once part of the rebellion. All of this to prove their loyalty. Xaden rose in ranks to become Wingleader, but when Violet shows up, he is less than thrilled to have her among the cadets, and much like the rest of the children from the rebellion, he isn't going to allow her to live long enough to graduate.

The only downside to this story was the fact that it felt slow at the beginning. There were even times I thought I was going to have to put the book down, but I was determined to plow through. I'm glad I did because I ended up loving the book, the characters, and the world-building. The dragons were just an added bonus.

Arcana Academy (Arcana Academy #1) by Elise Kova

Genre:
Fantasy, Tarot Cards, Magical Realism, Romantasy, Dark Academia, Mystery, Academia, Fantasy Romance, Enemies to Lovers

Publication Date:
July 22, 2025

Page Numbers:
553

Read/Finished Date:
October 20th, 2025 - October 21st, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?

Review:

I LOVED this book! I loved the magical system. I loved the characters.

Clara Graysword has survived everything that has been thrown at her. Unfortunately, that luck ends when she is captured and thrown into one of the biggest prisons. Enter Prince Kaelis, who offers her a chance to escape, but for a price. He believes that Clara is his best tool to help retrieve a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create a card thought to be a myth. But for that to happen, Kaelis will have to create a new identity as not only his bride-to-be but also a student at his academy.

This world is based on the usage of the tarot cards, having the ability to ink them, and their usage. This was a unique world. The school is divided much like Hogwarts, except that you have to be chosen simply by a coin given to the person. It really is a unique world, and the storyline draws you into this world with Clara as if you were in her shoes.

I was sucked in from the moment of the first page until the last, and I didn't realize how late it was until I finished the novel. I spent an entire night with the book in my hands, engrossed with the characters, the mystery, and the magical system.

If you are looking for something unique in its storytelling and world-building, this is definitely something I would recommend.