Goodreads: First of all, congratulations on the success of Fourth Wing! For the very few people who may not have heard of this book yet, can you summarize the premise for us and tell us a little bit about your inspiration for writing it?
 
Rebecca Yarros: Hi! Thank you for having me! Fourth Wing is about a war college for dragon riders where the first rule is graduate or die, and the chronically ill young woman who has been raised to be a scribe but finds herself competing to bond a dragon instead.

I majored in history in college and was really inspired to take a look at what happens when history is only written by the victor, and how that can change politics and truth as we know it.

GR: Readers are shelving Fourth Wing as both romance and fantasy and describing it as "romantasy." You’ve described this book as your first fantasy book. Tell us about writing fantasy for the first time. Why did you want to move in that direction? How was it similar or different from writing romance?

RY: Having been a fantasy reader my entire life, writing Fourth Wing felt like coming home. Though I found success in romance first, and dearly love the genre, fantasy has always been my first love, so when I found out my publisher [Red Tower] was starting a romantasy line, I jumped at the chance.

Writing fantasy is exceptionally different in the world-building aspect, as well as having more external conflict that drives the characters.

GR: Fourth Wing is a bona fide breakout hit this year. When did you first sense that the book was starting to gain momentum with readers? And how does it feel to have a book of this magnitude at this point in your career? What’s been the most surprising thing to come out of this for you?

RY: I knew the book was gaining some serious traction when my publisher called me three days after release to say all of the first print run had been sold from the warehouse and whatever was on the shelves was all that was left until they could get the second print run in.

It’s been absolutely wild to have this take off, and the best word I have for the experience is surreal. The most surprising aspect has been the messages from readers with Ehlers-Danlos, which is the genetic condition Violet, my main character, has, telling me their various experiences of feeling represented. Having Ehlers-Danlos myself, as do four of my sons, that’s been the most touching part of this entire experience.

GR: Do you try to avoid seeing TikToks and reader reviews of your book? If not, what have been some of your favorite fan reactions to the book so far?

RY: I honestly blocked the hashtags for my name and the book on TikTok once it became overwhelming. I love the app, but I truly believe in honoring reader spaces as well as my own mental health. I do see the ones I’m tagged in, though, and some of my favorites have been compilations of videos and ones about Violet’s method of coping with anxiety, which is to recite her study points from being trained as a scribe.

GR: We always love a good book recommendation (or five). Since physical copies of Fourth Wing have been sold out absolutely everywhere, can you give eager readers a few recommendations of other books to pick up in the interim to tide them over?
 
RY: They really are hard to find! Hopefully not for too long! I’ve loved The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod and The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah.

GR: What are some of your favorite books, and which authors inspire you?

RY: My favorite book of all time is East of Eden by Steinbeck, and I’ll always reread Mercedes Lackey, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Octavia Butler!

GR: The next book in the series comes out in November. Can you give Goodreads members a little sneak peek of what to expect? How many more books will be in this series?

RY: There will be five books in the series, and all I can say is that there’s more political intrigue, more adventure, and definitely more dragons!

GR: Anything else you’d like to add? (Is there something you’re dying to talk about? A question you’ve always wanted to answer?)

RY: Not at all! I’m just really thankful for all the love Fourth Wing has gotten. It was such a joy to write, and I’m truly humbled that it’s bringing others that same joy! Thank you!