I’m still not over the fact that Xaden abandoned all his intentions of just repressing the crap out of his feelings, flew to Montserrat, and immediately started flirting with Violet just because he didn’t see her for a couple of days and was worried she was getting close to another man, who she’d been nothing but distant towards for weeks.
He is SO dramatic I can’t even 😭
Sometimes I think I’m being over-dramatic, but then I remember when Xaden flew halfway across the kingdom because he didn’t see his crush for a few days and was worried she was getting close to another guy.
Xaden is hilariously dramatic sometimes, I mean have you seen the way he enters rooms? In Fourth Wing, bursting into Violet’s bedroom with shadows whipping around for literally no other reason than dramatic effect. Iconic behaviour imo
SPOILERS FOR FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME
One of the most (if not the most) popular theories about Violet’s second signet is that she is a truth-sayer. I see this everywhere, and so many people are convinced it’s correct.
Although I can absolutely see why people think this—there is so much evidence—I just don’t like the idea of Violet being a truth-sayer for a couple of reasons.
no matter how good she looks today or how delectable she smells sitting next to me, like some kind of citrus that makes me want to bury my face in the side of her neck
Please tell me I’m not the only one who finds it really funny that Violet canonically smells like the thing Jack Barlowe is allergic to.
You know I am usually someone to easily call out Xaden (especially on his communication issues in Iron Flame *cough* call out *cough* lol )
But now I actually need to defend him in regards of what he said and how some people receive it:
"In the years after my father died, I forgot what it felt like to be loved. [...] But then you (Violet) gave those words to me, and I remembered..."
And then you have responses like:
Basically pointing the finger at Xaden, what about your friends who love you?
Where I need to say okay first valid or rather understandable response.
Buuut I think people are to harsh here on Xaden. I'm deliberately simplifying this here, Xaden's life consisted of two parts, the revolution and survival. Violet gave him love outside of that. It was something new, something, looking at the quote above, he didn't even knew in the beginning he wanted or maybe didn't dare to want. (Also Violet is awesome! Who can blame him? Edit: and look his new BC he is a total simp for her, as he should be)
"Now, Riorson."
I can't keep from wincing. She never uses my last name. Maybe it's because she doesn't like to remember that I'm Fen Riorson's son, and all my father cost her, but I've always been Xaden to her. The loss feels like a bottomless abyss, like a death blow.
"I've always been Xaden to her" and look how shattered poor boy was when he thought he lost that. With Violet he was not Fen Riorson's son, he was not his last name which symbolizes the proclamation of the revolution, the continued existence of the revolution. He was just Xaden with Violet. Just a man.
But now let's look at his love for his friends and at the beginning of the very same letter which brings you an understanding of his feelings
"Then I entered the quadrant and became the monster everyone needed me to be, and I never regretted it."
Who is everyone? Every person being part of the revolution. He consciously tried to forget the feeling of love because that would help the revolution best. Cold and calculating. But who is also part of the revolution? His friends. With his friends he was also Xaden, but not only. The revolution became a huge part of their lives.
I think with his friends their love and loyalty became the same thing for him. That's why Xaden said only whwn Violet came along he remembered what love meant. Don't get me wrong, in a healthy relationship it goes hand in hand but it's not the same and I think it just became too blurry over time and given circumstances alas being key figures in a revolution.
Also I understand when people say they want to see more of Xaden's friendships, same I am no different, but the lack of these relationships is due to the fact that the books are currently only from Violet's POV, after all they are Xaden's friends and not hers. I mean every chapter we had in his POV there were always interactions with his friends (except his capital at the end of IF) and we can all agree we loved them (I hope so lol)
I hope it makes sense what i am trying to say i just think people are to harsh here on Xaden became in the end of the day he cares for his friends. Both sides would go through hell for the other, if you look at their lives you can safely say it's their "I love you"
Controversial opinion: I really like the new Fourth Wing bonus chapter. Do plot inconsistencies annoy me? Yes (I’m still not over the fact that Baide seemed to change gender halfway through Fourth Wing with zero explanation). Does Xaden being pathetically down bad for Violet cancel that out for me? Absolutely.
Is it just me or in some fandoms I'm not saying all but the MMC defenders can't defend him without degrading the FMC I mean when people defend FMC they don't hate the MMC they just want him to do better
This is so true, and I see it way too much in fandoms like Fourth Wing/the Empyrean where the couple don’t immediately get their happily ever after.
Xaden and Violet have a dynamic that I personally don’t see a lot in fantasy series, which is when they have genuine relationship problems that need to be worked through, rather than the usual romantasy pipeline of confessions of love -> fucking -> marriage (order interchangeable). The “miscommunication” (this is one of those phrases that BookTok throws around very lightly) caused so many people to take sides in the drama, most often in favour of Xaden because he’s the hot shadow-wielding love interest. And it pisses me off every time I see someone call Violet “annoying” for her perfectly reasonable response to the situation she was in. She was absolutely not at fault, but I’m not saying Xaden was entirely either.
But so many people in fandoms can’t look past the idea of blaming someone to recognise that all characters are complex and flawed and these are issues that they had to work through. What did people want Violet to do? Sweep it under a rug and pretend the man she was in love with didn’t conceal a secret that almost got her killed?
That’s just one example, another being in the ACOTAR fandom (toxic pit of hell that it is) when people talk about Nessian, defending Cassian by hating on Nesta.
*clears throat importantly* YOU CAN DEFEND A MALE CHARACTER WITHOUT DISCREDITING A FEMALE ONE.
These are two examples of characters who are crazy for each other and in loving relationships. Why do fandoms so often try to set them against each other? Why is it always the MMC who “deserves better”? Why is it the female character who is always at fault?
Do you ever think of why Lilith was fine with Violet going to the Scribe's Quadrant as long as Papa Sorrengail was alive? Yeah? No? Well I do.
“That’s not happening,” Xaden counters.
Her eyes harden when she looks at him. “You of all people know the lengths I’ll go to in order to protect her.
This. This right here speaks volumes about how good of a mom Lilith actually is. She may not outright show it but after reading Iron Flame, I think that she has done a great job as a protector and a provider.
“You’ve known what’s happening out there for all these years.” I white-knuckle my weapon.
She steps forward, her gaze jumping from the dagger in one of my hands to the splint on the other, then selects a pocket in my uniform top and slides the vial in. “When you have children, we can discuss the risks you’ll take, the lies you’ll be willing to tell in order to keep them safe.”
“What about their children?” My voice rises.
“Again.” She hooks her arm around my upper back, sliding her hand under my shoulder, and hauls me against her side. “When you are a mother, talk to me about who you’re willing to sacrifice so your child lives. Now walk.”
THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE.
Violet may not know her mother well, but her mother knows Violet in and out. You think her mother does not know about her and Xaden? She does. You think she has not kept tabs on her whenever she was at Basgiath? She has.
Now, to the main question.
“He made the mistake of thinking you’d be easy to control, but I know my daughter.”
I believe that the parent Sorrengails knew that they can hide the truth from Mira and Brennan, but never from Violet.
Lilith was ok with sending Violet to the Scribes Quadrant because Papa Sorrengail was there to make sure she stayed safe.
After his death, Violet was tutored by Markham. Markham wanted Violet to be the head of the Scribes, which she definitely qouldve become, had it not been for Lilith.
But Violet would not lie. Violet, as awesome she is, would always voice out her opinions. She would not be afraid to do that in front of Markham and would've ended up dead.
Lilith sent Violet in the Rider's Quadrant because she hoped that in this way Violet would stay safe. That she would never know about the venin and live a happy life.
Lilith asked Xaden to look after Violet, to ensure that she stays alive is because she knew Xaden is a man of his words. And powerful. He was the wingleader for God's sake.
Lilith Sorrengail isn't winning any Parent of the Year awards, but she's like Xaden in that she'd burn the world down (or in this case, lie about venin) to keep her kids safe. She's living in a time of active war, so she can't guarantee their safety (see Brennan), but she can give them every possible opportunity to survive. Violet in the scribe quadrant would have spelled certain death. Like the marked ones, Violet gets a chance at life instead of the guarantee of death.
Dain could have a hundred redemptive moments in this series, but something I will never be able to forgive him for is saying “If the marked ones died betraying our kingdom, then they deserved what they got.”
Maybe he said that to convince Varrish he was on their side, but at that point he hadn’t seen Violet’s memories of the venin and the wyverns, so there’s every chance he believed what he said. And even if he didn’t mean it or had every reason to hate Xaden, HOW COULD HE SAY THAT ABOUT LIAM??? 🥺🥺
One of my favourite things about the Fourth Wing/Empyrean fandom is that we all post like Liam is still alive. Incorrect quotes? Yep. Fan fiction? You got it. Headcanons? Of course he's making an appearance. Those TikToks about how various characters would dance at a club? He’s there.
It’s like we all collectively agreed he didn’t die and completely refuse to acknowledge it, except every once in a while someone makes a post about how they’re still traumatised and like twenty people reblog with “me too 😭”.
Nick Miller is an icon and New Girl x Empyrean is one of my favourite things ever
Somewhat inspired by this post and also several reels I’ve seen on Instagram (don’t come after me, I have TikTok now)
Best thing I’ve seen this week is a video of Rebecca Yarros talking about how Xaden knew all the filthy thoughts Violet was having about him in Fourth Wing because of his second signet, and that there are several moments in Onyx Storm when he’s like “yeah I remember you thinking that”
Ok, but how insane must the gossip at Basgiath have been? First of all, Xaden and Violet were not subtle and they danced around each other for the best part of a year before finally getting together. I’m guessing news would travel very fast about Xaden sparring with Violet and almost stepping in at Threshing and how he clearly didn’t hate the person everyone was convinced he would kill the first chance he got. I’m sorry, but you cannot convince me that a good percentage of Basgiath was not completely invested in the drama, with the mated dragons and following her to Montserrat and accusing another wingleader for her sake. If I was a cadet, I know I’d be watching everything play out whilst eating popcorn and being really jealous it wasn’t happening to me.
Xaden and Violet aside, the other crazy stuff that happens in that war college? Dain and Violet’s incredibly public hostility to one another? The Marked Ones returning back late after war games? (I refuse to believe nobody noticed how many of them had rebellion relics in that group.) Other cadets hooking up with their commanding officers? Propaganda getting leaked in Battle Brief? And most of this happening between like 10 characters as well.
thinking about how mr. "don't fall for me" riorson, who was already falling in love/in love with violet, but fighting it & in deep denial about it, made a pt to leave her a bouquet of violets after they had sex together for the first time, likely knowing she had received mutilated ones in her bed as a threat months prior, so it wasn't just about making her feel seen & cared for, but trying to replace a smaller trauma w/a gentle & tender gesture bc it's little things like that, that can make all the difference (and if that man doesn't know a thing about trauma & being haunted. plus, it makes this exchange even more poignant:
Tairn: “He cares for you. That’s already hard enough for him.”
Violet: “He cares about keeping me alive. There’s a difference.”
Tairn: “Not for him there isn’t.”)
