u/Mysterious_Bake_7847

Don't read this if you haven't read books 1-3 and Threshing Day!

I haven't exactly figured out all points of the theory, but I think some of the dragons are wanting their riders to turn, or at least just know in advance that they will. And I think it has something to do with the hatching ground maybe... ? Which is why some eggs are missing at the end of Onyx Storm.

And hand in hand with this... What if "the brother" Xaden talks about in his POV, isn't the only one who has also turned? What if ALL the missing cadets mentioned in OS are now venin?

Because when I heard Garrick's POV in Threshing Day, I was certain he was the venin brother.

"It might surprise you to find that nothing is too difficult to me." - Garrick

"Quite the contrary, I'm counting on it." - Chradh

So is Chradh counting on something being too difficult for Garrick... ? Perhaps, Garrick not having enough power to save his friends, making him channel... ?

(Or maybe he just means he's counting on the fact that Garrick will stop at nothing for those he cares about, but that too could be foreshadowing, right?)

But then when I heard Bodhi's, I could see how he could be the venin brother too, because of quotes like, "... until your death or demise." said by Cuir, as well as when Bodhi vows he will "never be powerless again."

So what if they both end up venin, along with some of the others?

In Threshing Day, Xaden admits to Sgaeyl that he plans to burn Basgiath to the ground, and then he's surprised that she's okay with that because the Vale is there and that's their hatching ground...

So what if the dragons wanted them to turn or knew they would turn, and it helps the dragons to break free of having to help Navarrians because they could start a new hatching ground in Aretia? And that's why there are eggs missing at the end of OS!

So perhaps these dragons know their riders enough to know they won't completely turn/lose their souls because they're turning for the right reasons? I DON'T KNOW!

But something that works against my theory is Sgaeyl telling Xaden not to channel for her when she's tied up... I don't know how that would fit in 🤔

But as I said, I haven't worked it all out yet. And I could definitely be COMPLETELY wrong. I just wanted to share to see other people's take on this.

Can all the dragons be trusted?

Did more than one other person turn? (Garrick, Bodhi, the other missing riders, one of which could be Aaric... ?)

Discuss this with me, please! Talk me down from my crazy theories or back me up with them!

And can the next book please come out this winter?! 😭

Theory: What if Andarna bonded Xaden at the end of Onyx Storm?
Okay, hear me out. What if Andarna bonded Xaden during Violet’s missing twelve hours, and Violet doesn’t remember it because she had Imogen erase her memories?
At the end of Xaden’s POV, he thinks “she promised to help.” The obvious interpretation is Violet—but what if Andarna also promised to help him?
There are a few things making me suspicious:
Leothan specifically says Andarna is “fond” of Xaden. That’s an interesting detail considering we haven’t seen much of their relationship directly.
Near the ending, Andarna says “I won’t let them burn you.” We assume she’s speaking to Violet, but Violet also notices movement in the shadows to her right around this scene. What if Xaden is there and Andarna is actually speaking to him? “Burn” would be particularly meaningful now that Xaden is venin.
Throughout Onyx Storm, Andarna repeatedly talks about “every possible path.” What if she’s been looking for a path that saves Xaden?
Violet already proves that normal bonding rules aren’t absolute: one rider can bond two dragons. What if irids can do the reverse—one dragon can bond two riders?
Andarna has known Xaden since Fourth Wing. She’s watched him protect Violet, protect Andarna’s secrets, fight at Resson, and eventually sacrifice himself at Basgiath. So if she chooses him, it wouldn’t simply be because Violet asked. Andarna has had three books to decide for herself that Xaden is worth saving.
Most importantly, the missing twelve hours are the perfect place to hide a second bond from the reader. We already know major things happened during that period: Violet and Xaden married, Violet arranged to lose her memories, Xaden left, Garrick disappeared, etc. What else don’t we remember?
What if that’s why some of the mental communication at the end seems ambiguous? If Andarna is now bonded to both Violet and Xaden, the three of them may have a new mental connection.
It could also eventually be part of the venin cure. Venin take power directly from the source, while riders receive power through their dragons. Maybe an irid bond gives Xaden another connection to magic—or helps sever/stabilize his connection to the source.
So maybe “I won’t let them burn you” wasn’t Andarna protecting Violet.
Maybe it was Andarna making her first promise to her new rider.
And if Book 4 reveals that Andarna chose Xaden not because Violet asked her to, but because she independently decided he was worth saving. Thoughts?

Fourth wing book 4 theories

So rebecca said one of our beloved is gonna die

My say is that it would be imogen.

In threshing day she says how everyone close to her dies, its like her character is a tragedy. She said despite all of it she has quinn as her best friend and wont let anything happen to her and also wont get close to garrick as she doesnt want him to die on her account.

In onyx storm we know how quinn died.

So in book 4 they would finally have that confession and then garrick would be in danger, and imogen being terrified that even the last person she loves is gonna die, now to "break" this trend she sacrifices herself to save garrick. And dialogue would go like "If I had let you die, how could I have lived with myself?"

Also she and glane both said "I plan to die in combat." "So do I. "

Naolin is definitely younger or in the same year as brennan and most likely his lover and male It could be that both loved each other but never got the chance

As it is confirmed in threshing day novella that he is gay.

Also i am saying this as in the threshing day novella his exact line regarding wanting to bond a black dragon was “I would have loved a black dragon, but none are willing to bond this year."

We know only two black dragons one is codagh who was already bonded during that time and tairn

So he said "not willing" and not "not vacant" that means during this time tairn has to be unbonded. That would mean naolin is younger than brennan.

ONYX STORM ending theory

I think the one who turned is BODHI

Ofc its highly speculated but hear me out.

In threshing day novella in the pov of bodhi when he bonds with his dragon they both promise to choose each other above everyone else.

It would be really interesting if one of them broke the promise while the other kept it.

So bodhi broke his promise and chose xaden over himself and turned venin to aide him. (Or maybe xaden wouldn't take bodhi with him so he also channeled as in to say 'now you have no choice but to take me too' ) and Cuir kept his promise as he chose to stay on bodhi's side despite everything.

I also think this because it doesnt has to be garrick cause he is already an interesting character but bodhi is the one overlooked so it will also give him importance in later books if he turned

In threshing day novella asher gives the bracelet to brennan and tells him

That "Our hearts couldn't take it if anything happened to you," and we all know that asher died because of heart failure after brennan "supposedly" died. Could it be that, that the bracelet had an extra life for brennan, as in if he dies he gets one more chance at life in exchange of asher's life. The bracelet was connected to asher's life force.

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So rebecca said one of our beloved is gonna die

My say is that it would be imogen.

In threshing day she says how everyone close to her dies, its like her character is a tragedy. She said despite all of it she has quinn as her best friend and wont let anything happen to her and also wont get close to garrick as she doesnt want him to die on her account.

In onyx storm we know how quinn died.

So in book 4 they (imogen and garrick) would finally have that confession and then garrick would be in danger, and imogen being terrified that even the last person she loves is gonna die, now to "break" this trend she sacrifices herself to save garrick. And dialogue would go like "If I had let you die, how could I have lived with myself?"

He is one of the missing 4. He can see the future so it would be really convenient on having him on our side and THAT would not be interesting.

So he is definitely working with Xaden as it then would be interesting.

Also i think they have striken a deal of some sort. And xaden and aaric together has a plan for everything and are playing it out as aaric have seen in his memories.

Also aaric is most likely gonna die because he is so hell bent convinced that by the end he dont expect to survive. With his ability? Very less chances. So since time is ticking off thats why he is always in such a hurry in that war cause he have 'things' to do.

And aaric definitely could not be on our side (as in not with us geographically) as it would make everything clear, understandable and no mystery for us as we learn everything from violets pov

I think the one who turned is BODHI

Ofc its highly speculated but hear me out.

In threshing day novella in the pov of bodhi when he bonds with his dragon they both promise to choose each other above everyone else.

It would be really interesting if one of them broke the promise while the other kept it.

So bodhi broke his promise and chose xaden over himself and turned venin to aide him. (Or maybe xaden wouldn't take bodhi with him so he also channeled as in to say 'now you have no choice but to take me too' ) and Cuir kept his promise as he chose to stay on bodhi's side despite everything.