How to Host the Hottest Fourth Wing Book Club

I’ve had my book club for over ten years now and as a result we’ve done some great reads with amazing food & cocktails, but discussing FOURTH WING was fire and because of that, I need to share all our amazing Fourth Wing Book Club fun.

Firstly, you can’t have a lively book discussion without interesting and thoughtful questions. Since I was the host, it was up to me to provide the questions, the location, and a signature cocktail that reflects the book. Secondly, we also try to bring foods that are inspired by or mentioned in the novel. As a result, my group of gals got really creative on this one! Don’t worry recipes will follow.

Fourth Wing Book Club Menu

• Tam’s Happy Dragon Cocktail
• Tairn Chacuterie Board
• Baby Dragon Wings
• Violet’s Poisoned Apples
• Dragon Beef with rice
• Dragon’s Eye Meatballs
• Baby Dragon Hatchling Deviled Egg
• Beet Bloody (on the sparring mats) Salad

First of all, I scoured the internet for questions, however I did not find the perfect match so, I made up a few of my own. In addition to my list, you can find my inspo HERE and HERE. Below are the Fourth Wing Book Club questions that worked well for us. Most importantly, I burnt the edge because, you know, dragons (I used brown cardstock)

Fourth Wing Book Club Questions

1. There’s a trigger warning at the beginning calling out war, poisoning, death, brutal injuries & sexual circumstances. Therefore, how do you feel about content warnings? Above all Is it a spoiler or helpful?
2. World-building is everything in a good fantasy book. Was the map helpful? Is the world complete? Even if Fantasy isn’t your genre were they any aspects that drew you in?
3. Is Dain gaslighting Violet or trying to protect her? What’s his motivation? And have you ever experienced a friend or family member who did the same?
4. “Because it hurts to think we’re the kind of kingdom that would do this. It hurts to rearrange everything you think you know. Lies are comforting. Truth is painful.” Violet’s realization that her academy leadership has been lying about the rebellion, venin & wyvern is a slow reveal throughout the book. However, did you see it coming? Can you give an example of how our own government does this? Does it ever serve the citizens to be deceptive in this way?
5. Do you think Xaden was justified in keeping his secret? If not, when was the appropriate time to tell Violet? If yes, was it fair of Xaden to ask Tairn to keep the secret too? Can you truly trust a person or by extension love someone who you don’t know everything about?
6. “While riders may be the weapons of our kingdom, it’s the scribes who have all the real power in the world.” Do you think Violet could have made a larger impact on correcting history as a scribe or as a rider? Violets father warned,“It only takes one desperate generation to change history. Even erase it.” and Tairn says “One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.” Examples in our own history?
7. If you lived in the book’s world, which quadrant would you want to be part of and why?
8. Jack Barlow is a villain, but he doesn’t see himself as a villain. Have you ever been the villain in someone else’s story. Also, are people born bad/evil? Do you believe in nature or nurture?
9. “To know how to strike, you have to understand where your enemies—your friends—are most vulnerable. No one stays friends forever, Mira. Eventually, those closest to us become our enemies in some way, even if it’s through well-intentioned love or apathy.” Agree or disagree, if not enemy and adversary?
10. Raise of hands…who wants to cuddle Adarna and take her home?

Tam’s Happy Dragon Cocktail

• Bottle of Ginger-infused Vodka (preferably potato Vodka, but there are some lovely grain Vodkas coming out of Texas like Titos 1.75L)
• Juice of 8-10 Fresh Squeezed Tangerine (I used Mandarin oranges)
• 2 cups Home Made Lychee Syrup (made from canned lychee)
• 4 Sprigs fresh rosemarry (3-4 inches long, muddled)
• Dash of Liquid Smoke
• 4 Sprigs burnt rosemary (3-4 inches long)
• 2 cups Ginger Ale
• Top off with Champagne or Proseco (top off in glasses)
• Candied Ginger Garnish (aka Dragaon Scale)

Tairn Chacuterie Board

• Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
• Truffles
• San-J Tamari Black Sesame Rice Crackers
• Black Grapes
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Uncured Boars’ Head Peppered Salami
• Bella Vitano Cheese Wedge
• Goat Cheese Rolled in Black Sesame Seeds
• Home Made Kalamata Tapenade (Olives, Anchovies, Garlic, Capers, Thyme, Lemon-zest, Black-pepper, Olive Oil. (Go HERE for recipe, but only use Kalamata to make it Tairn black)

Baby Dragon Wings

• Basic Hot Wings. Ours had 3 flavors
• Use WHOLE Chicken Wings
• Garlic Parmesean
• Buffalo
• Garlic Ginger Soy
• Fry, Bake, or (my fave) Air-fry

Violet’s Poisoned Apples

• GHIRARDELLI Dark Chocolate (60% or darker)
• Green Apple Wedges (cut or buy pre-sliced)
• Gold Sugar Crystals (buy here)
• Pat dry apples
• Melt chocolate in a double-boiler
• Dip apples in hot chololate, lay on wax or parchment paper
• Sprinkle with sugar crystals BEFORE they cool

Dragon Beef

• Kevins Korean Beef Kit (follow directions on bag)
• Cashews
• Sesame Seeds
• Sliced Green Onions
• Rice on the side

Dragon’s Eye Meatballs

• Lowfat Breakfast Sausage
• 1 Cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheddar
• Fresh Rosemary (chopped finely)
• Dash of Dried Sage
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Form into balls
• Bake on foil lined pant for 20-30 minutes at 350
• Dip (Honey Mustard mixed with Sriracha, chopped chives on top)

Baby Dragon Hatchling Deviled Eggs

• ½ cup water
• 8 large eggs
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets with liquid
• ½ cup white sugar
• Bring above ingredients to a boil (stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved)
• Boil eggs for 10-12 minutes, rinse, drain, peel
• Pour beet liquid over eggs, refridgerate for at least 4 hours
• Cut in half and make your fave deviled egg recipe
• Add strips of baby arugula for baby dragon hatchlings

Beet Bloody (on the sparring mat) Salad

• 3 Tbl Orange Juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
• 1 Tbl White Wine Vinegar (can sub red)
• 1 Tbl Honey
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 2-4 Beets (canned), Sliced or Shredded
• 4 Cups Arugula Lettuce
• 2-4 peeled and slice plums
• 2 Crushed Pistachios
• Lotsa Feta Cheese

Most importantly, you now have everything for an electrifying fierce Fourth Wing book club gathering to discuss and share this fabulous book. And always if you’ve read a book for FREE, please review for the author on Goodreads and Amazon and share your love and suggest others to read it! What recipe looks the BEST to you?

Epic Fail (aka bloopers)

Those were all the things that went right, but I tried to candy lychee fruit and Mandarin oranges. I thought the lychee fruit totally looked like little dragon eggs and how cute would those have been for a garnish on the cocktail. Unfortunately, I never got the sugar temp right or if I did the sugar just kept sliding off the lychee fruit.

In addition, I also tried to do another drink called Flaming Angry Dragon and I almost lit the kitchen on fire. I altered the recipe because the Bailey’s kept curdling. It was weird. Therefore, I substituted Blood Orange Liquor and it was tasty. Lastly, I topped off the shots with Everclear, but apparantly I dribbled some on the plate and it caught fire. Consequently, I tried to blow it out and blew Everclear across the kitchen to the stovetop. Thank God it was the stove. Let me tell you, I had some PTSD dreams about that. So, word to the wise, leave flaming shots to the experts. After we got the flames under control, we did the shots, but I so wanted to hand them out flaming, but in conclusion, better that they stayed on fire in the kitchen!

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Have you made recipes inspired from the novel? Which questions will you use in your book club? What’s your fave quote from Fourth Wing? Did you read Iron Flame, too? I know I did!

Tam Francis is a writer, blogger, swing dance teacher, avid vintage collector, and seamstress. She shares her love of this genre through her novels, blog, and short stories. She enjoys hearing from you, sharing ideas, forging friendships, and exchanging guest blogs. For all the Girl in the Jitterbug Dress news, give-aways, events, and excitement, make sure to join her list and like her FB page! Join my list ~