I read both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame based on recommendations from a couple friends. I don't have much experience with romance as a genre but all the romantic scenes felt pretty strong. Violet does feel like she's swept into an intense relationship. Our heroine does legitimately present as a fragile young adult growing into a responsible adult over the series.
Where the book really fails is when building a consistent fantasy world. The whole world is one continent and the continent only has two countries. Technology like wristwatches and indoor plumbing are casually dropped with no explanations. The government is self-destructively Stupid Evil and it's bizarre that the citizenry accepts it. I felt the whole way through that the writer hadn't thought the world through while mapping out the romantic beats.
So read it for the romance, not the fantasy. Also the action scenes are pretty epic.
Decent romance, terrible world building
I read both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame based on recommendations from a couple friends. I don't have much experience with romance as a genre but all the romantic scenes felt pretty strong. Violet does feel like she's swept into an intense relationship. Our heroine does legitimately present as a fragile young adult growing into a responsible adult over the series.
Where the book really fails is when building a consistent fantasy world. The whole world is one continent and the continent only has two countries. Technology like wristwatches and indoor plumbing are casually dropped with no explanations. The government is self-destructively Stupid Evil and it's bizarre that the citizenry accepts it. I felt the whole way through that the writer hadn't thought the world through while mapping out the romantic beats.
So read it for the romance, not the fantasy. Also the action scenes are pretty epic.