Fourth Wing is the first book in The Empyrean series by author Rebecca Yarros. The book was released in May 2023 and quickly rose to viral popularity on social media. The plot follows protagonist Violet, who fights for her life at Basgiath, a war college that trains dragon riders to protect their kingdom from the growing threat of war. If your child is interested in reading Fourth Wing, here’s what parents should know about the age rating, content, and more.
Fourth Wing is rated 16+ due to mature themes, including violence, language, and mature content. The novel is often described as romantacy (a mix of romance and fantasy genres), and the romance between the main characters plays a key role throughout the series.
Although the series is sometimes shelved in the Young Adult section, Fourth Wing is definitely not YA. There are explicit sex scenes, and violence is a major component of weeding out potential riders at Basgiath. For example, characters not only fall to their deaths, but are also assigned to fight each other each week — sometimes to deadly ends.
There’s plenty of strong language in Fourth Wing, ranging from rampant profanity (the f-word, specifically) to descriptions of sexual acts from makeouts to intercourse. Violence is described with graphic language, including descriptions of characters having their throats ripped out, getting stabbed, and being burned to ash.
There is sex and nudity in Fourth Wing, although the first book differs from the second. In Fourth Wing, there are two extended sex scenes that occur late in the book. Some readers skip chapters 30 and 32 for this reason. However, there are more sexual encounters in the second book, Iron Flame. It stands to reason that the upcoming third installment, Onyx Storm, will also have sex and nudity.
Readers and reviews on social media will define books by their “spice” level, a term that refers to how much sexual content the book contains. Fourth Wing is often generally considered spicy, although less so than the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
There’s plenty of violence in Fourth Wing, including violent fight scenes, poisoning, deaths when riders attempt to bond with their dragons, and more. In Iron Flame, torture is a significant plot point. Violence is one of the ways through which potential cadets are weeded out of Basgiath, so only the strongest remain.
It’s worth noting that Violet has a chronic illness, and Yarros takes care to showcase how she navigates the physical world with her condition, which affects her joints and mobility. Violence both serves the plot and impacts Violet’s character arc.
Characters occasionally drink alcohol and smoke a substance that produces a similar effect to cannabis, but these scenes aren’t major parts of the plot.
The young adult genre is generally defined for readers between the ages of 12–18. However, Fourth Wing is not a young adult book — it’s considered New Adult, which is intended for readers between the ages of 18 and 25. Your 14-year-old may not be ready for the violence, language, and sexual themes in the Fourth Wing series.
The next installment of Fourth Wing drops January 2025, so if your child has expressed any interest in romantacy books like ACOTAR, this series might be on their radar. As with any new piece of media, it’s worth talking to your child about the content they might encounter in Fourth Wing. It’s also a good idea to read the book with your child and decide if it’s appropriate for them.
