Get all your questions answered with this Fourth Wing summary! I briefed each and every chapter of the first fantasy book in the Fourth Wing series after reading this book twice (both in Kindle and audiobook format) to help all of us fans answer lingering questions, fill in the gaps in our reading, recap, and/or theorize what’s next.
I aim to keep it simple and helpful since this is a “hard” series. There are spoilers throughout. That said, you can use the jump links below to skip to any particular section if you don’t want to recap the whole book or see spoilers. Let’s get “fired” up!
Full Fourth Wing Summary: Chapters 1-8
READING TIPS
- There is a lot of new terminology to master in this fantasy romance book series, so I recommend reading the print of ebook editions and doing so slowly. You can use the audiobook edition to help you read, but I don’t recommend reading by audio alone because that would be harder.
- Since I read the book both when it was first published and after the most recent book was published, I knew what facts were the most important to recap when I wrote this post and what to skip over. Let this free book summary be your guide.
- Remember to refer to the Fourth Wing map in the beginning of the book as you read to master “The Continent.”
- You can also refer to my Fourth Wing character list for help.
Chapter 1
The book begins by noting that “Conscription Day is always the deadliest.”
Violet Sorrengail, a petite, frail twenty-year-old with silver-tipped hair, heads to the office of her mother, General Lillith Sorrengail (who has a magical signet power of storm wielding and a dragon named Aimsir), at Basgiath War College.
There, her older sister, twenty-six-year-old Lieutenant Mira Sorrengail (a rider bonded to Teine), argues with their mother, who wants Violet to seek entry into the school’s dragon Riders Quadrant. However, their father, who died from heart failure, trained her to enter the Scribe Quadrant.
Their brother, Brennan Sorrengail, also died five years earlier, fighting the Tyrrish rebellion in the south.
To enter the Riders Quadrant on Conscription Day, Violet must cross the parapet, which is two hundred feet above ground and only eighteen inches wide. It claims 15% of candidates.
Mira prepares Violet, who is carrying a folklore book about dark-wielding venin with red eyes and their wyvern (two-legged dragons).
Mira warns Violet that riders can kill her at any time (except when sleeping), and cadets like Violet will try to kill her so that there are fewer dragons for riders to bond with at “Threshing.”
Mira tells Violet to look for Dain Aetos, their friend, who is a second year, but to only date men within her own year.
Navarre, where Basgiath War College is located, has six provinces.
Besides the Riders Quadrant and the Scribe Quadrant, Basgiath War College also has an Infantry Quadrant and a Healers Quadrant.
Mira refers to the “separatist’s kids” there. They have a shimmering mark that starts at the top of the wrist, which acts as a relic from the rebellion. General Melgren executed their parents for treason andhen marked and “conscripted” them, most of whom are from the province of Tyrrendor.
Mira tells Violet to stay away from Xaden Riorson, a third-year wingleader whose father was Fen Riorson, the “Great Betrayer” who led the rebellion. Xaden will kill her. Their mother captured his father and oversaw his execution.
Violet meets rider candidates Rhiannon Matthias and Dylan. Rhiannon has a married twin, who is expecting a baby, and her parents support her becoming a rider.
Violet is attracted to a tall, dark, and handsome rider at the entrance, only to learn it’s Xaden Riorson. Violet blames Xaden’s father for killing her brother.
Dylan falls from the parapet and dies.
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Chapter 2
Rhiannon begins the parapet walk, and Violet meets Jack Barlowe, the arrogant candidate behind her.
Violet crosses the parapet, reciting history as she does so. The Continent has two kingdoms that have been at war for four hundred years. Navarre is the larger kingdom with six provinces: Tyrrendor (the largest and the last to join the alliance with King Reginald; the only province to attempt secession, which would have left the kingdom defenseless because it’s nearly impenetrable), Krovla, Braevick, and Cygnisen (Morraine and X are later mentioned). Navarre is mountainous and has ore, timber, deer, and elk.
The kingdom of Poromiel consists of arable plains and marshlands and is known for textiles, grain, and gems that can amplify magic.
Beyond the enemy to the east is the Barrens, a desert.
The Trade Agreement of Resson ensures exchanges between the kingdoms four times a year at the Athebyne outpost.
Jack throws a candidate off the parapet and approaches Violet. They both successfully cross the parapet and become cadets.
Chapter 3
Rhiannon has also become a cadet.
Violet sees her lifelong friend Dain, who is surprised. His father is one of Violet’s mother’s most trusted advisors. Dain announces himself as the leader of Second Squad, Flame Section, Second Wing.
Wingleader and section leader are the highest cadet ranks, held by third-years. Exceptional second years can be squad leaders. Everyone else is a cadet until Threshing, when dragons choose with whom they will bond, officially making them riders.
Dain puts Violet and Rhiannon into his squad. Violet talks about how weak her muscles and ligaments are as she wraps her knee. Dain tries to sneak Violet into the Scribe Quadrant to save her, but Violet knows she can’t become a scribe.
Violet and Rhiannon meet Tara, and Violet wonders about Xaden’s signet, a unique power given by his dragon. The three women discuss that Commandant Panchek wants General Melgren’s job but will never get it because Melgren’s signet is seeing the outcome of battles.
Within the quadrants, there are four wings with three sections. Each section has three squads. Squads and wings have numerical names (first, second, etc.). Sections are Claw, Flame, and Tail.
Rhiannon and Violet are placed into Second Wing, Second Squad, Flame Section with Dain as their squad leader. She notices a pink-haired rider with a rebellion relic there (Imogen Cardulo). Dain’s section is switched with Aura Beinhaven’s into Fourth Wing, Xaden’s wing.
Dragons arrive. Violet says that they would kill humans if not for their developing signet abilities through bonding and weaving the protective wards they power around Navarre. Once bonded, a rider cannot live without his or her dragon, but not visa versa. The dragons live in the Vale, the valley behind Basgiath.
The dragons kill three cadets, and Xaden notes that even King Taui’s second son died during Threshing.
Chapter 4
The cadets spar.
Violet mentions the Gauntlet, the verticle obstacle course they must master to proceed to Presentation, where dragons view the remaining cadets.
Violet meets Sawyer, a tall, wry cadet with freckles. He’s a “repeat” who didn’t bond last year. She also meets Ridoc, a brown-haired cadet.
Dain, whose dragon is a red swordtail named Cath, confirms their squad was switched because Xaden wants Violet dead. He says Xaden’s dragon is the vicious navy-blue daggertail named Sgaeyl.
Violet asks Dain about his signet power. Fire-wielding, ice-wielding, and water-wielding are common signets. Every rider can do lesser magic once their dragon begins channeling power to them as well. Dain says he can read a person’s recent memories when he puts his hands on them, which is a valuable interrogation tool.
Chapter 5
Professors Devera and Markham hold the first Battle Brief class. The first topic is an attack in Chakir by a drift of Braevi gryphons and riders. The wards along the top of the Esben Mountains faltered, allowing them to enter, channel, and wield.
Gryphons are half-eagle, half-lion creatures that don’t tolerate altitude. The ones from Poromiel also channel powers to their riders, but only dragons can power the wards that make all other magic impossible. Their power radiates from the Vale.
Violet realizes the gryphons wouldn’t have attached there unless they knew the wards would falter and that the dragons and riders were already on their way because they sensed it. They don’t know what the gryphons were looking for.
The cadets spar under Professor Emmeterio, who intimidates Violet.
Violet and Rhiannon agree to help Sawyer and Aurelia with hand-to-hand combat in exchange for help with history.
Jack breaks a first-year’s neck and kills him.
Violet and Imogen spar, and Imogen is mad that Violet’s mother murdered her family. Violet hears her bone crack.
Chapter 6
Dain carries Violet to the Healer’s Quadrant. Violet hopes Nolon, a mender, is there. Mending returns things to their natural state and is exceptionally rare. Violet’s brother, Brennan, was a mender.
Violet’s arm is broken. Dain tries to convince Nolon not to mend her so she can be a scribe instead. Violet chooses to be healed.
Mira leaves a note for Violet with the book of Brennan, which includes everything he learned.
Chapter 7
“Marked ones” with the rebellion relic cannot assemble in groups of three or more.
Violet collects poisonous nature and watches Xaden and Imogen meet. More riders with rebellion relics arrive and talk about sticking together. This includes Garrick (Violet’s Flame Section leader above Dain), Liam Mairi (a Fourth Wing, Tail Section, Second Squad member, who is the top cadet in the first year, and Bodhi (Xaden’s cousin, a second year with tawny skin and black, curly hair).
They talk about killing Violet, and Xaden says he’ll handle her.
Xaden confronts Violet. He knew she was there because he’s a shadow wielder, which is incredibly rare and coveted in battle because it can disorient entire drifts.
Chapter 8
Dain and Violet catch Rhiannon and Tara together.
Violet tries to convince Dain he can’t protect her from everything. She poisons Oren Seifert’s eggs.
Fewer dragons are willing to bond this year, but they don’t know why because dragons only talk to their bonded riders.
Professor Kaori warns that Sgaeyl, Xaden’s blue daggertail dragon, is ruthless and the rarest of blues.
The only other black dragon besides Melgren’s (Codagh, a swordtail) is huge with a morningstartail that has the killing powers of a clubtail and a daggertail. Black dragons are the smartest, the most discerning, the most cunning, and the rarest.
The previous rider of the unbonded black dragon, Naolin (a siphon), was killed in the uprising. Naolin attempted to use his power to retrieve Brennan, and it didn’t work because there’s no signet capable of resurrection, so he depleted himself.
Dain warns Violet that Oren will try to kill her on the mat. He becomes ill, and Violet wins.
Chapters 9-16
Chapter 9
Xaden and Violet spar. He reveals that he knows she is poisoning her opponents then walks away.
Dain isn’t concerned that Xaden is plotting against Navarre because a dragon would never have bonded him.
Dain reveals he went behind Violet’s back to get her a spot in the scribe quadrant and asks her to consider it.
Chapter 10
Rhiannon and Violet look at the Gauntlet, a verticle obstacle course in which they will be scored individually and as a squad.
They practice, and Violet recites facts. Feathertail dragons are the breed they know least about because they abhor violence and are not suitable for bonding.
Aurelie falls and dies. Violet doesn’t make it to the top.
Violet sees Xaden, Garrick, and Bodhi meeting. Xaden and Violet argue.
Chapter 11
Violet decides to stay in the Riders Quadrant and finds a way to use a challenge blade to get to the top of the Gauntlet with all of her squadmates.
Chapter 12
It’s Presentation Day, and there is a small golden feathertail dragon willing to bond.
Violet says that wyvern are folklore. They’re like dragons, but bigger, and with two feet and a mane of razor-sharp feathers streaking down their necks.
A dragon kills Pryor.
Chapter 13
It’s October 1st: Threshing Day. Jack, Tynan, and Oren debate killing the golden feathertail dragon, and Violet attempts to warn her. Xaden and Sgaeyl arrive.
Chapter 14
Jack, Tynan, and Oren attack Violet, but she fends them off with Xaden’s help.
Violet sees the enormous black morningstartail dragon (Tairneanach or “Tairn” for short) that Professor Kaori showed in class. Tairn calls Violet “silver one” and incinerates Tynan.
Tairn tells Violet to kill Oren and get on his back. Violet struggles but makes it to the seat. They fly away, and Violet falls.
Chapter 15
Tairn catches Violet and instructs her to get back in the seat. Tairn says he chose Violet because she saved the golden feathertail dragon. He calls Violet the smartest of her year.
Violet realizes Tairn can read her thoughts.
They fly into the flight field and Violet dismounts. The golden feathertail speaks to her and identifies herself as Violet’s second bonded dragon (Andarnaurram or “Andarna” for short), which shocks everyone.
Chapter 16
Violet gets her sliced arm tended to.
Jack bonded with an orange scorpiontail dragon, Baide, but his shoulder needs surgery after the fight with Violet.
Professor Kaori says no one has ever bonded two dragons before.
Rhiannon bonded a green daggertail named Feirge. Ridoc bonded a brown swordtail named Aotrom. Sawyer bonded a red swordtail named Sliseag. Trina fell off the back of an orange clubtail. Oren did not bond.
The dragons hold a meeting of their leadership called “The Empyrean.”
Dain tries to persuade Violet to choose one dragon and make it Andarna because Sgaeyl and Tairn are a mated pair. They are the strongest bonded pair in centuries and can’t be separated long or their health declines.
Dain accuses Xaden of manipulating Threshing so he could kill Violet, but Xaden says that Tairn chose Violet. Sgaeyl is fond of Andarna and sees what Violet did for her.
Violet is tied to Xaden through their dragons. The unbonded have a reason to see her dead—to get their chance at bonding Tairn. So, Violet and Xaden must stick together.
It’s revealed that the Empyrean decided both Tairn and Andarna will remain bonded with Violet. Violet’s back has a black relic of a dragon mid-flight with a shimmering gold one in the middle.
Dain kisses Violet, but she realizes she doesn’t want him anymore.
Chapters 17-24
Chapter 17
Violet is treated as the most powerful rider in the quadrant because she bonded with Tairn. Imogen and Quinn, another second-year, sit with Violet, as do Heaton and Emery (an air manipulator), the only third-years in their squad.
Imogen wants to help Violet with weight training for strength.
Professor Kaori teaches a class about riding dragons. Gleann’s rider falls off and dies. Violet falls repeatedly but survives.
Dain approaches Violet, and she feels awkward. They agree to be “just friends.”
Chapter 18
Violet goes to the Archives in the Scribe Quadrant and sees Jesinia Neilwart, her friend who is deaf. She seeks to check out The Fables of the Barren, the folklore book her dad shared with her, but Jesinia can’t find it, which stumps Violet because only ultrarare or forbidden tomes should be excluded.
Sawyer reveals he can manipulate metals.
Violet learns that Professor Carr, the wielding professor, is terrifying.
Caroline Ashton has bonded with Gleann despite the fact his first bonded rider died.
Violet asks Tairn if Andarna can join them in class, but Tairn says Andarna can’t keep up.
Dain is angry that Violet didn’t tell him she’s struggling to stay in her dragon seat, and Violet argues with him for being too overprotective.
Jeremiah struggles with being an inntinsic and reading people’s thoughts. It is a “death sentence.” Professor Carr breaks his neck and kills him.
Violet dreams, then awakens to a group of unbonded cadets trying to kill her. Oren chokes her, and then everything in the room freezes in place except Violet.
Chapter 19
It was Andarna’s magic that saved Violet. Xaden enters and scolds the cadets for attacking Violet in her sleep. He stabs and kills Oren. The others also die by Xaden’s signet powers. Garrick and Bodhi (Xaden’s cousin), enter and clean up the bodies.
Violet is in pain, and Xaden helps her with her nightdress. He takes her to Tairn to figure out how the cadets reached Violet. Xaden wants Tairn to reveal the powers she’s giving Violet so he can protect her.
Andarna says that nature likes things in balance. Feathertails shouldn’t bond because they can accidentally give power to humans, which is different than a signet (a combination of the dragon’s and rider’s powers that reflects who the rider is). Andarna reveals she’s a juvenile, age two, whose parents died before she hatched. Tairn says the feathertails’ powers are too unpredictable for bonding. A rider can burn them out. This is precious for Violet to protect, but it will also probably disappear as Andarna ages.
Violet reveals to Xaden that Andarna can pause time briefly. They must keep this a secret. Xaden still wonders who unlocked Violet’s door.
Chapter 20
Violet admits to herself that she wants Xaden.
Dain gains leadership of Liam Mairi (the strongest first year) to protect Violet.
Xaden reveals his execution of those who breached the Codex and attacked Violet in her sleep, except one who fled — wingleader Amber Mavis. She denies involvement. The dragons arrive. Tairn reveals Violet’s memory, and Amber is found guilty. Tairn incinerates her.
Chapter 21
Liam accompanies Violet to the Archives. He reveals that he and Xaden were fostered at the estate of Duke Lindell after the rebellion. His sister, who is one year younger, went elsewhere but will seek to enter the Riders Quadrant next year. They are allowed to live if they make it through. There are 107 children with rebellion relics, and Xaden is the oldest.
Aretia, Tyrrendor’s capital, was burned to the ground.
The high-altitude village of Sumerton, on the southern border, was ransacked. It doesn’t make sense because of the trade agreement.
Violet learns that Xaden warded her door.
Professor Devera announces that the winners of Squad Battle will travel to the front lines to shadow an active wing.
Professor Markham dissects the Battle of Gianfar six centuries ago. It was pivotal to the unification of Navarre. The stronghold was equipped with the first cross-bolt, which was lethal against dragons. It was one of the last battles in which dragons and gryphon worked together to kill the Barrens’ army.
Violet is shocked that he isn’t discussing Sumerton.
Chapter 22
Violet attends squad hand-to-hand practice, where she swoons over Xaden’s body.
Jack mocks Violet and challenges her, and she argues with Xaden.
Violet feels energy and wonders if she’s channeling from Tairn. She finds Xaden smoking outside, and he offers to help her shield the overwhelming energy from Tairn’s and Sgaeyl’s bond by grounding. They kiss, and then he stops her because her lust isn’t truly hers.
Chapter 23
Rhiannon and Violet discuss what happened. Violet mentions that Tairn and Sgaeyl haven’t been separated in years. Sgaeyl’s last rider died fifty years ago, and Tairn’s last rider, Naolin, died in Tyrrendor. They wonder what will happen when Xaden graduates.
Rhiannon reveals she can summon (a rare signet).
Dain apologizes for not believing Violet about Amber. He warns her to be wary of Xaden.
Violet attends Professor Carr’s class for the first time now that she can channel. He refers to Mira’s ability to manifest a ward and Brennan’s rare mending powers.
Ridoc has a common ice-wielding signet, Sawyer has metallurgy powers, and Liam can see miles away. Violet struggles to wield.
Violet and Jack spar on the mat, where wielding is not allowed. Violet asks Liam not to interfere. Jack stabs her in the arm, and the dagger remains. He attacks her, and she feels his energy and sees a red rim around his eyes. Ridoc yells that he’s wielding. Violet shoves a vial at his mouth, and he drops, unable to breathe. It was oranges, to which he is allergic.
Chapter 24
Xaden is mad at Violet, and he says that kissing her was a mistake. He says he is taking over for Liam. He trains her on the mat, and she disarms him.
Violet still struggles to wield as the first years prepare for Squad Battle. Xaden worries more about keeping her alive since, next year, she’ll spend time on the front lines with him due to their dragons’ bond.
Violet sees her mother for the first time in months with Colonel Aetos (Dain’s father). She scoffs at Violet’s failure to wield yet, and Violet tells her she has strong shields, but she does not reveal Andarna’s gift. Colonel Aetos wants to study Andarna, but Violet declines. He shares that Violet’s father studied the second Krovlan uprising and mentioned feathertails.
Chapters 25-32
Chapter 25
Squad Battle begins. Liam wins his battle, and the final task begins. They must break into their squads and accomplish a mission without their squad leaders: to find the one thing that would be most advantageous to their enemies in the war.
Nadine accepts the leadership role for the mission. Violet analyzes their signets and adds that Imogen can wipe recent memories, Heaton can breathe underwater, Emery can control wind, Quinn can astral project, and Nadine can unweave wards. As a result, Violet’s idea is to break into her mother’s office.
They break in, and Violet reads a missive that says the raids around Athebyne have spread the wing too thin. Reinforcements beyond the wards are requested. This hasn’t been discussed in Battle Brief. Another missive says that protests against conscription laws are growing in Tyrrendor. Spending there is requested to bolster the economy. Violet is confused because it should be safe there. She looks at the map and knows they must steal it. They win.
Chapter 26
The winners travel to Montserrat, where Violet sees Mira.
Violet and Rhiannon try to fly to Rhiannon’s family’s house nearby, and Mira begrudgingly agrees to join them against the rules.
Mira advises Violet to help her manifest her signet, and Violet admits there’s more going on along the borders than they are told. Mira confirms this. They discuss Dain and Xaden, as well as the folklore book about venin and wyvern. Xaden appears and says mated dragons can only stay apart for three days.
Chapter 27
They are split into two groups: Rhiannon, Sawyer, Cianna, Nadine, and Heaton study outpost battles with Professor Devera; and Dain, Ridoc, Liam, Emery, Quinn, Violet, and Xaden fly around the area.
Violet’s group has a makeshift Battle Brief with Mira. Violet hears Xaden’s voice in her head, and he tells her this is part of their dragon bond.
Mira yells at Dain for not revealing his signet and for being mad about Xaden protecting Violet. She asks Xaden what will happen after Xaden graduates because Violet won’t get the training she needs if she has to travel to the front lines so that Tairn and Sgaeyl can be together. Violet defends Xaden.
Tairn says there’s a drift of gryphons headed towards them. Mira orders Xaden to get Violet out of there and help her keep her seat on her dragon. Dain helps get all the first years out. Xaden kisses Violet. As they fly away, Violet sees gryphons.
Chapter 28
Xaden and Violet talk, and he reveals that he wants to do more than kiss her. Violet learns how to talk to him through the bond.
Professor Markham tells Violet that Mira survived.
Violet tries to get to know Xaden.
War Games begin. First Wing guards a crystal egg they must retrieve while guarding their own flag.
Xaden has made an accessible saddle for Violet on Tairn, and she’s no longer afraid to fly. Violet and Tairn discover the egg and tell Xaden.
Liam and Deigh are in a battle with Jack and Baide. Violet seeks to help Liam, who falls. Violet channels Andarna’s time-stopping gift to catch him. In her anger with Jack, Violet wields lightning (her signet) that causes Jack to fall down the mountainside in a rock avalanche.
Chapter 29
Violet realizes she killed Jack. Garrick lifts the egg, and Dain waves the flag– they won.
Violet is upset that her signet can’t be used for good. Xaden convinces her it’s a power for protection, too. Violet lies to Rhiannon about how Tairn was able to save Liam. Xaden tries to calm Violet down, and she kisses him.
Chapter 30
Xaden and Violet kiss, touch, and have sex. Lightning strikes!
Xaden reveals his scars indicate that he took responsibility for the loyalty of the 107 children of the rebellion, so they can fight to enter the Riders Quadrant versus being executed. If any of them betray Navarre, he will die.
Professor Carr teaches Violet to control her signet, but she still can’t aim it.
Chapter 31
Violet talks about the fables. One is about the first riders who bonded dragons and how the bonds could turn if the riders consumed too much power. Others are about dark magic creatures called venin, who create flocks of winged creatures called wyvern and scour the land for more power. Another is about the danger of wielding from the ground, which can drive you mad.
Xaden and Violet try not to fall in love with each other.
King Tauri celebrates Reunification Day with them.
Chapter 32
Violet walks on the parapet to find Xaden. She admits she’s in love with him and gets him to admit the same. They retreat to Xaden’s room and have sex. Violet shatters his window with her lightning-wielding.
Garrick says they’re under attack.
Ending: Chapters 33-39
(Get the Fourth Wing ending explained in more details.)
Chapter 33
Panchek reveals “the attack” is really the last event of War Games. They must pretend the wards are falling and the borders are attacked by gryphon riders. Fourth Wing is sent to the southeast, where the squads will pick outposts to reinforce. Xaden’s headquarters will be at Athebyne, which is beyond the wards and where Xaden had a secret mission. The wingleaders can assemble squads at their discretion.
Dain wants to go to Eltuval, the northernmost outpost in their region. However, Xaden says that Violet, Imogen, and Liam will accompany him to Athebyne.
Chapter 34
Xaden kisses Violet. A woman catches them. Violet sees a pair of gryphon riders with gryphons, who are a third the size of the dragons with beaks and claws. He tells Violet to trust him, then he tells the gryphon riders they’re early.
Chapter 35
Violet realizes Xaden is working with the gryphon riders. They say that venin decimated a village and are headed to the Athebyne outpost. Everyone there knew this except Violet, and all of the people Xaden compiled are marked ones.
Xaden has been giving the gryphon riders weapons to fight venin, who really do exist. They never enter Navarre because the wards make non-dragon magic impossible. Navarre does nothing about it because the only thing that kills venin is what powers their wards (thus keeping Navarrians safe). This is why venin have been attacking the border.
Violet realizes her father has been warning her through books. She agrees to fly to Athebyne, and she realizes The Fables of the Barren is a forbidden book.
No one is there. It isn’t a War Game. Xaden realizes Dain read Violet’s memories of Xaden telling her about his mission in Athebyne and told his father. Colonel Aetos left a missive that says they must survive, and Xaden blames Violet for getting them sent there to die.
Chapter 36
The letter says they must choose to abandon the village of their enemy or the command of their wing. If they leave, they’ll make it to the new headquarters for Fourth Wing with Dain at Eltuval for War Games, but if they leave, the trading post of Resson and its occupants will be destroyed by venin, who are wearing purple robes and have red veins around their red eyes.
The venin can only be killed by the daggers, not dragon fire.
The group is happy not to see wyvern, which compete with dragons. Venin channel power into them, not from them.
Violet is angry that her mother kept this a secret.
They all agree to fight.
Then, they do see wyvern with two legs.
Xaden says General Melgren won’t be able to see the outcome of the battle because of his rebellion relic.
Soleil and Fuil die.
Violet wields lightning.
The wyvern kill Deigh and Liam. As Liam dies, he asks Violet to care for his sister Sloane, and she promises to do so.
A wyvern comes toward Tairn.
Chapter 37
A venin gets on Tairn’s back, and Violet battles her. She says that Violet has so much untapped power to command the sky but doesn’t know what to do with it. She wants to hand Violet over to her Sage teacher. Violet kills her but is hurt. She realizes that Liam was trying to tell her that when she kills a venin, all the wyvern that the venin created die.
Violet sees the Sage with a staff. He looks at Xaden, then disappears. A general can recognize another general.
Violet tells Xaden to drop the shadows so he doesn’t burn out. Wyvern head toward them, and Violet tries to command the sky with her signet. Tairn worries that Violet will take too much power and die. Andarna helps by stopping time, and Violet is able to aim her lightning to kill the venin.
Xaden kills the remaining venin, and Violet falls.
Chapter 38
Violet lands on Andarna’s back, but Andarna is also falling because she isn’t strong enough. Time starts again, and Violet slips into Xaden’s arms. He says a green-tipped dagger poisoned her.
Violet awakens groggily, with her magic cut off. Her blood is black, and the group questions whether it was poison or magic. They want to get her back to Nolon at Basgiath to heal her, but the flight is too long. Xaden says he knows somewhere closer, but Garrick says that will risk everything. Xaden doesn’t care.
Violet feels herself flying over the Cliffs of Dralor in Tyrrendor. Violet hears a voice say, “You have to save her.”
Chapter 39
(Xaden’s perspective) It’s been three days, and Violet hasn’t woken up. Tairn blames Xaden for not telling Violet about the venin.
Violet awakens, and Xaden checks her wound, which is healing.
He promises to make things up to her, but she is confused because the poison went to her brain. He tells her that Andarna is huge now, but her gift is gone.
Xaden looks out onto Aretia, which he’s been rebuilding. Violet wonders why she hasn’t read about it, then realizes Melgren can’t see the outcome when three or more “rebels” are together. Xaden also notes that the scribes haven’t been attentive to them. The land remains Xaden’s. He confirms Liam is dead.
Garrick wonders if Violet will keep the secret and discusses the iron box with runes that his dragon, Chradh, retrieved.
Xaden asks Violet if she’s willing to fight with them, and she agrees, but she doesn’t want to be with Xaden anymore since he violated her trust. He says he will earn it back.
Violet wonders if the missive at Atheybyne was about War Games or a death mission, and her brother, Brennan, enters and tells her it wasn’t an accident. He is alive, and he healed her. He welcomes her to the revolution.
Related Fourth Wing Posts
If you liked this Fourth Wing summary, then check out these posts about the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros next:
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
