The EP titled “Wrong Side of the War” by artist Beth Crowley recently hit the music scene, but these tunes are more than just a beautiful melody, in fact, the lyrics are directly inspired by a fantasy novel. If you’re a member of BookTok or Bookstagram, then you probably already know all about a book that has flooded the Internet for the past year, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
“Fourth Wing” is the first book of “The Empyrean Series” and is a Young Adult fantasy set in a country at war called Navarre. Its borders are protected by an army of dragon riders who are trained and tested for three years to become the most elite branch of the military. The main character Violet Sorrengail is forced to enter the Riders Quadrant by her mother and must fight for her place among the other riders. While she trains, she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, who has changed from the boy she once knew. Very much a rule-follower, Dain starkly contrasts with Xaden Riorson, the son of a rebellion leader. Xaden works in the shadows (literally) and makes it no secret that he wants Violet dead.
Over the course of her training, she bonds with not only two dragons (previously unheard of), but one of those dragons happens to be Xaden’s dragon’s mate. This ties their life forces together, upending Xaden’s plans. Because Violet is seemingly the weakest cadet in the Quadrant, Xaden now must protect her from peril, lest he die as well. They begin to fall in love while he takes her training into his own hands. By the end of her first year, she is much stronger and can hold her own against her enemies. However, she and her friends have a lot left to face in the war that is tearing apart their home.
The fast pacing, intense action, and romantic scenes of this book have drawn in so many readers. It’s inspired many other creations such as fanart, fanfictions, cosplaying, and even songwriting. Songs inspired by books, or bookish songs, have been made based off characters, series, and franchises to make readers feel closer to the stories they’ve read. This book has been the inspiration for many creative pursuits.
“Fourth Wing” inspired singer and songwriter, Beth Crowley, to create two songs based on Violet’s point of view. “What Do You Make Of Me” is directed at another character, Dain. In the song, Violet tells Dain that she’s not broken and will “fight to keep the upper hand.” She doesn’t want to hurt her friendship with him, but she refuses to let him hold her back.
According to Crowley, the second song, “Dangerous Hope” is a slinky, silky, song about a romantic scene with Xaden. This song focuses on the hesitance that Violet feels to opening her heart to her supposed enemy. She puts aside their differences and wonders, “what if we could start again?” before she and Xaden finally come together.
Crowely released this new double feature, “Wrong Side Of The War” on Oct. 11, 2023. It is available on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and YouTube. She posted the lyric videos on her YouTube channel, @bethjcrowley as well.
Sierra Rode can be reached at [email protected]