Major spoilers ahead. I’m going to assume you’ve finished the entire series. These chapters include spoilers from all the books, not just Fourth Wing.
The chapter kicks off with an unauthorized edition of Major Afendra’s Guide to the Rider’s Quadrant—a book I’d genuinely love to read. Honestly, who is Major Afendra? We know so little about him, yet his presence is intriguing.
We’ve now met Xaden Riorson and are about to cross the infamous parapet. Do you remember your first time reading this scene? It was surprisingly nerve-wracking yet beautifully introduced the action. Yarros masterfully avoids dwelling too long in Violet’s former world, instead thrusting her straight into thrilling, high-stakes action. We definitely appreciate this swift pacing.
“I send up a silent prayer to Zihnal, the god of luck.” Interestingly, this is the third god introduced. First was Malek, named right at the story’s start, then Amari in the first chapter, and now Zihnal. There’s an intriguing hierarchical importance forming in how these gods are presented.
“I answer as thunder cracks above me, the sound oddly comforting. I’ve always loved nights when storms beat against the fortress window, both illuminating and throwing shadows over the books I curled up with, though this downpour might just cost me my life.”
Here’s a fantastic Easter Egg—she mentions loving the interplay of shadows and light over her books. Light and dark…her signet and his. This feels like an insightful bit of foreshadowing. It particularly resonates when we later see how their signets cooperate to fight venin—his shadows create darkness (a literal Onyx Storm), and her lightning provides just enough illumination for her to strike accurately (in relation to Theo, for example).
In this chapter, we’re also quickly introduced to our antagonist, Jack Barlowe: “Remember the name. I’m going to be a wingleader one day.” We certainly needed to remember his name…for annoying reasons.
It’s wonderful to learn more about Violet. Many readers, myself included, deeply relate to Violet. Sure, we might not hum or sing in the shower, but we definitely spend a lot of time inside our heads. Facts. Logic. That’s our driver. Maybe that’s why we love her so much.
“Your mind already knows the answer, so just calm down and let it remember. That’s what Dad always told me.” This feels like another significant Easter Egg, pivotal to the entire series. Violet seems capable of solving our most pressing mysteries; she just rarely gets the quiet moment needed to recall the solutions. Could this be related to saving Xaden? Could it be that she already has the answer? Her father made sure of it, after all.
And let’s take a moment to applaud Yarros’s stunning artistry here. We’re literally holding our breath on that terrifyingly narrow parapet, battling wind and rain, and yet seamlessly absorbing crucial world-building information.
Here’s what we know so far:
One continent with two kingdoms, at war with each other for four centuries: Navarre, the largest kingdom with six provinces, and Poromiel, the enemy kingdom with three provinces. Beyond lies The Barrens, a dessert…with a lot more to it than we initially thought.
This history here is significant too. We quickly learn that Tyrrendor was the last province to ally with Navarre and later tried to secede after 627 years. This means the venin were defeated roughly 600 years ago. Navarre and Poromiel had around 200 years of uneasy peace until Poromiel began attacking 400 years ago, driven by, what I assume was, their search for weapons. This suggests the venin have quietly been growing their forces for these last four centuries, but entirely defeated six centuries ago.
Another key detail to remember—Poromiel is known for unique crystalline gems capable of amplifying minor magic. We’ve been debating in some theories that every stone has a major significance…emeralds, rubies etc
Here’s another intriguing Easter Egg: “There’s no room for fear, so I block it out, envisioning shoving the emotion behind locked iron bars in my mind.”
Initially described as a cell with iron bars—allowing emotions some gaps to seep through—this image evolves as Violet perfects the art of compartmentalizing emotions, eventually visualizing it as a tightly closed box. One small element of how she’s been evolving throughout the series.
Post-parapet, we gain more insight into Jack. Yarros rarely includes details without purpose, so the repeated mentions of Jack’s “glacial blue eyes” and “arctic blue eyes” might be deliberate, highlighting his non-venin status at this point.
Yet another Easter Egg appears:
“There’s nothing but pure malice in his features, promising retribution. A chill of apprehension lifts the hairs on my neck.”
Whether due to magic or divine intervention, Violet seems unusually attuned to danger, frequently experiencing this chilling, intuitive warning. There are many moments when she experiences the same feeling, or her “gravity shifting”.
The chapter closes with a chilling promise from Jack: “You’re dead, Sorrengail, and I’m going to be the one to kill you.”
I’ve pondered this for quite a while—if one must die to meet Malek, might Jack somehow fulfill his promise symbolically? Perhaps Jack and Violet might eventually join forces. Bold, I know. But recall Yarros’s interviews, where she emphasizes that no character, including Jack, should be utterly despised, as each has a purpose. The only purely vile character, according to Yarros, was Varrish…
Leave a Reply