The magic system, at least on a surface level, is functional (So long as you ignore the utter stupidity of the "lesser magics" anyway), but when you realize that Violet is supposed to be this smart character who uses her wits to overcome her disability and compete on an even playing field with able-bodied cadets you realize that the magic system needs to be much more than just functional. Brandon Sanderson's first law of magic doesn't just apply to the audience, but to the characters as well. And, by showing that Violet understands the magic system better than the other characters, you can show her competing on an even playing field despite her disability through her intelligence. The problem with this, however, is that there aren't limitations as per Sanderson's second law of magic for her to exploit to this end. The only power that actually seems to be well-thought out in this story is Dain's since it has a very clear limitation in not only requiring physical contact, but him having to actually spend time searching for the memory he wants to find once he makes that contact. Even then, the nature of some of these powers leads to a lot of questions about how Navarre's military is constructed since a good number of them (like Dain's) are designed for intelligence rather than combat. As such you can't just have a traditionally organized army of dragon riders without accidentally sending intelligence agents like Dain to the front lines where they aren't optimal. TL;DR: Even something as seemingly functional as Fourth Wing's magic system only exposes the compounded worldbuilding mistakes in this story.

Thank you!😂

I’ve never read it! I keep getting recommended (esp by friends) and I feel like I won’t like it!

@Blame_books

2 ай бұрын

I really really wanted to like Fourth Wing and huffed so much copium in the beginning, but the issues with the book are too glaring. Iron Flame (the second book) is even worse, unfortunately. My search for a new, fantastic fantasy series continues!