1st
Fourth Wing
written by Rebecca Yarros
translation by Fumiyo Harashima
Hayakawa Publishing Corporation
Burning love and death... ROMANTASY has finally arrived in Japan!
Navarre is a kingdom where dragon riders protect the nation with their magical powers. Twenty-year-old Violet, who had dreamed of becoming a scribe, is instead ordered by her mother—the commanding general—to enroll in Basgiath War College to train as a rider. However, the college is a brutal place where most cadets do not survive.
Many cadets try to eliminate Violet to reduce the competition for bonding with a dragon. Xaden, the ruthless wingleader of the Fourth Wing to which she is assigned, also wants her dead—because she is the daughter of the commander he despises. Yet Xaden is powerful and impossible to resist, and Violet finds herself strongly drawn to him...
What fate awaits Violet in this world of intense love, friendship, and life-or-death battles?
This novel has everything that makes a story compelling: family conflict, worldbuilding mystery, romance, independence, friendship, and adventure.
Though it's spread over two volumes, the length never feels burdensome!
Violet struggles through harsh training to become a dragon rider, constantly overshadowed by comparisons to her commanding general mother. Her superior officer dislikes her—but she’s drawn to him anyway.
You can’t help but root for Violet as she pushes the story forward.
The story is filled with beloved fantasy elements, like communicating with giant dragons and characters with unique, uncontrollable powers.
This is an exhilarating fantasy adventure!
Violet, the heroine, is refreshingly fearless.
It’s exciting to watch this seemingly fragile girl struggle and grow through repeated failures, building a powerful bond with her dragons along the way.
And of course, her heart-melting romance adds to the thrill.
Even though I’m not usually good with fantasy or foreign novels, this book is incredibly easy to read—it’s addictive and endlessly entertaining. I can’t stop turning the pages, always wondering what happens next.
This is the essence of ROMANTASY!
The "Translated Novels" category was a vote for the best novel that was translated into Japan this year (including new translations). First place went to "Fourth Wing: The Warrior Princess of the Fourth Dragon Corps" by Rebecca Yaros (author) and Harashima Fumiyo (translator), published by Hayakawa Publishing.
Two works tied for second place.