Please proceed with caution as there are some serious spoilers ahead. We’ve all been toying with this idea that Violet is part venin, or immune to venin somehow. Since this is coming up in the comments section a lot, I decided to try and make sense of it by writing my theory.
I will talk about her hair, her brittle bones and of course, her mother, Lilith. There is actually quite a lot that suggests Violet has somehow been drained by venin before, one way or another.
Alright, let’s get started and see where we’re at first.
Lilith’s pregnancy
“Pale skin, pale eyes, pale hair.” Her gaze siphons every ounce of my confidence down to the marrow in my bones. It’s like that fever stole all your coloring along with your strength.
[…]
“It’s not the first time I’ve heard her curse the sickness that nearly killed her while she was pregnant with.”
The above is in Fourth Wing chapter 1, if you want to go back and re-read it. So it was during Lilith’s pregnancy that “the fever” affected Violet. As Lilith herself spelled it out for us, the fever stole the coloring and her strength.
Violet’s fragility
We know all about it and I’m sure you don’t me to quote it. It’s when she needs to wrap her knees, how her bones snap so fast, how she’s not built like the rest of them. But what does this have to do with venin? I’m so glad you asked.
The Barrens
Let’s turn to the barrens and look at what happened there. We know that venin live there, and they drained the magic from the land. The land is now well, a barren. A desert, devoid of life and color according to Violet.
Interesting…now let’s look at Violet’s hair. Violet’s hair is like this “the brown strands start to lose their warmth of color and slowly fade to a steely, metallic silver“. She even tells us that no matter the length, this always happens, her hair always has those tips.
Violet has been drained…but how?
Her brittle bones and hair condition do tell me that Violet has been drained by venin. But how and when? There are a few ideas we can turn to here.
Lilith drained her
Her mother was venin but still wanted to protect her children at all cost. It’s not an unlikely scenario if you think about it. Lilith did talk to no other than Nolon. Do you remember? The missive at the end of Iron Flame? Sent to Nolon when he had lower military rank? I think it was all to do with her, being turned venin. Ok, so what does this mean?
Again, two scenarios here. Either Lilith turned venin at some point, and during pregnancy she accidentally drained Violet. OR Lilith was attacked during pregnancy and near death, she reached, to save herself and her child, turned venin and drained some of the strength from Violet.
Another venin drained her
Another option is that Lilith was attacked while pregnant. The venin tried to drain her but drained the baby first, giving Lilith time to reach, turn venin and defeat the attacker.
Is Violet immune?
I think so. I think Violet is immune, and there are a couple of explanations for it. I’m not sure where Rebecca Yarros is going with it, but I’m certain Violet cannot be drained further.
In Iron Flame, we learn about something vital. Crucial, information really:
“You quarried the stones from east of the Dunness River, the land that borders the Barrens. It had already been drained of its magic”.
This clearly means that once drained, venin cannot touch it again. It’s “immune” to them.
What is Violet most afraid of? Losing the ones she loves. She has nightmares about Resson how Soleil and Fuil were drained in an instant. She starts running to avoid this fate herself. She has nightmares about Tairn being caught surprised. She runs…
But what Violet doesn’t know yet, is that she cannot be drained further. She’s already suffered that fate once.
Is Violet venin then?
Not really. I think she’s immune to venin, but she doesn’t have venin in her. It’s not a virus or an illness. At least that’s not how it appears to be. It looks like you can “catch it” or transfer it. Which makes it believe that Violet didn’t get “a bit of venin” while Lilith was pregnant with her. She was simply drained, which gave her something greater: immunity.
People turn venin for power, right? Or in Xaden’s case…for love. So Violet really is the best weapon against venin as she can face them without the same fears.She just doesn’t know it YET.
I’m going to leave you with something else here. Which is on repeat in my mind and can’t quite make sense of it for now.
Fourth Wing Chapter 37, Page 475
“But it was the third brother, who commanded the sky to surrender its greatest power[..].”
Fourth Wing Chapter 37, Page 476
“[…]You could command the sky to surrender all its power, and I bet you don’t know what to do with it, do you?”
Is Violet…the third brother? She is technically the third sibling, is she not? Hmmm…food for thought, food for thought.
I cannot wait to hear what you think about Violet being immune to venin? Am I on the right track do you reckon? Let me know in the comments section below!
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