Fourth Wing

Synopsis: Fourth Wing is set in a fantasy world where the country of Navarre protects its borders with an elite army of dragon riders. When young people reach the age of 20, they enter the Basgiath War College in one of four roles. Our heroine, Violet Sorrengail, is a book worm, and destined to enter the Scribe Quadrant, recording the nation’s history in the archives. Instead, Violets’s mother, a general and commander of the college, forces her to enter the deadly Rider quadrant. Violet’s small size and physical limitations immediately make her a target of the other students. She faces a series of life threatening challenges, with the goal of ultimately bonding a dragon.

Review: This was an interesting pick for me. I don’t typically choose fantasy, but this got a lot of buzz on social media so I decided to give it a whirl. Think Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones! Cadet training involves the balance beam suspended over an abyss, Ninja Warrior courses and your classmates trying to kill you. It wasn’t original, it wasn’t surprising, and it was painfully cliche at times. BUT, it was also entertaining in a guilty pleasure sort of way. I went right out and bought the next installment of the series, so I guess that’s an endorsement. I really wanted to know more about Violet’s mom and their relationship, but maybe that’s coming in the next book. Friends, here’s a spoiler: General Sorrenegail is……. not great. (I’m not sure what is yet to be revealed about her, but I don’t think it’s going to be warm and fuzzy). A love triangle, telepathic dragons and a cliffhanger ending, it’s got it all.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: I was puzzling over what to pair with this book when I spied a new entry in the produce section of my local grocery—dragonfruit! OK, that makes sense. It’s a fruit from a cactus plant, indigenous to Mexico and Central America. It has a leathery skin and scaly spikes on the exterior, hence its name. As a tropical fruit, I’m sure it would be great in smoothies, fruit salads, or cocktails, but I opted for something savory. It tastes like a cross between a pear and a kiwi, and this recipe uses it as a salsa for scallops, though any mild fish would likely do as well.

1 dragon fruit, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon lemon juice

8 large scallops

1 tablespoon olive eoil

1) Put the dragon fruit in the refigerator for a few hours to get cold, which will allow you to dice set fineleey. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and pan sear the scallps until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

2) In a separate bowl, combine the dragon fruit, lemon juicee and chives. Top the scallops with thee dragon fruit salsa and serve.