r/fourthwing

Every time I see fan casts for Xaden Riorson from Fourth Wing, almost all the popular choices are white men with dark hair and sharp jawlines. And I’m always confused because that is NOT how I pictured him while reading.

The way he’s described in the books always gave me mixed-race / ethnically ambiguous energy. Not necessarily one specific ethnicity, but definitely not “default white fantasy male lead.” His features, skin tone, and overall presence felt much more racially ambiguous to me.

Curious if other people read him this way too or if I’m in the minority here?

Xaden ever called Violet by her first name only

&gt;!Gods, it’s not just as good as I’d been fantasizing about, remembering that night. It’s so much better. He was careful with me against that wall, but there is nothing hesitant about the way he lays claim to my mouth, nothing cautious about the ache that pulses low in my stomach. He only breaks the kiss when we’re both panting, then rests his forehead against mine. “Leave for me, Violet.”<!

Then the next time he does it is...

&gt;!“Violet.” He says my name like a warning, as if he’s something I should be wary of. Violet. He only says my name when it’s just the two of us, when all the walls and the pretenses fall away, and gods if I don’t want to hear it again and again, just like that.!<

There's something so intimate and so precious about these moments it gives me butterflies in my stomach.

Pretty much what the title says.

For me it's based on their maturity. Like, there's no way I'd hand the books to a 10 year old. At all. I'd be a bad parent.

But, if a 13-14 year old showed enough maturity, then, well....

Yeah, that's my opinion.

(And it's totally not because I read FW at 13.)

Yours?

What do we think will happen to the book 4 or 5 quest squad on Loysam (Loial’s love island that Rebecca pretty much confirmed Violet will go to in book 4)

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Quel couple aimerait tu que leur dragons s’accouple pour que leur cavaliers aient un lien d’accouplement, moi 100% garrick et Imogen ils se rendraient fous l’un de l’autre :) le sexe mental avec Garrick serait dingue vu son comportement

&gt;!I feel like committed long-term relationships among riders are rarely mentioned in the book with the exception of xaden and violet obviously...who else's in a relationship if you can think of any? Also who would you like to see dating? Obviously I want ImogenxGarrick and SloanexDain!<

Andarna´s Timestopping and time loops:

In short: I think the situations that happen right before Andarna stops time in FW always repeat themselves a year later.

Let's look at the situations copied below:

November 633AU (FW, Ch18) - the attack on Violet - AmberMavisgate, right before Andarna stopped time for the first time

and exactly a year later:

November 634AU - IF Ch52 - IF Nightmare No. III

In both situations -

• Violet is held in the air (by the attackers/Berwyn)
• she is being choked, feels a lack of air
• in the first case, it all ends with them putting a knife to her throat, Vi feels pain and then time stops;
• a year later, in her dream, she feels pain as Berwyn runs his fingernail across her throath and she wakes up.
• It is interesting that even in the situation in FW, there is an element of waking up from a dream right at the beginning.

FW, Chapter 18:

>“Wake before you die!” The bookshelves in the Archives tremble, and my heart jolts. “Now!
...
My dagger is kicked out of my hand with appalling ease, and my heart seizes as Oren grips my throat, yanking me toward him. I sweep out for his knees, but my bare feet make no impact as he lifts me off the ground, cutting off my air supply as I kick for purchase. No. No. No. I dig my hands into his arm, my fingernails puncturing his skin as I claw, drawing blood. He might bear my scars after this, but his grip doesn’t ease as he crushes my throat. Air. There’s no air. “He’s almost there!” Tairn promises, panic lacing his tone. He who? I can’t breathe. Can’t think. “Finish her!” one of the men yells. “He’ll only respect us if we finish her!” They’re after Tairn. Tairn’s roar of rage fills my head as Oren lowers my body, flipping me around as he curls his arm so my back is against his chest. At least my feet are on the ground, but the edge of my vision goes dark, my lungs fighting for oxygen that isn’t there. The greedy eyes of a bleeding first-year stare back into mine. “Do it!” she demands. “Your dragon is mine,” Oren hisses in my ear, and his hand falls away, replaced by a blade. Air rushes into my lungs as cold metal caresses my throat, the oxygen flooding my blood and clearing my head enough to realize this is it. I am going to die. From one heartbeat to what will probably be my last, an overwhelming sorrow seizes my chest, and I can’t help but wonder if I would have made it. Would I have been strong enough to graduate? Would I have become worthy of Tairn and Andarna? Would I have finally made my mother proud? The knife tip touches my skin

IF, Ch 52:

>
I’m suspended again over that sunburned field, the death wave a heartbeat from overtaking me once the Sage releases me from his hold, and he will. He does it every time. I recognize the scenario for what it is now—a recurring nightmare—and yet I’m still held powerless, still too slow to reach Tairn, still can’t force my consciousness to snap me awake. “I grow weary of this. Now wield,” the Sage whispers, his robes purple tonight. “Rip free. Show me the power you used to slay our forces above the trading post. Prove me right that you are a weapon worth watching, worth retrieving.” His hand hovers over mine but doesn’t touch me. “The one who watched thinks you’ll never yield, that we should kill you before you grow into your full abilities.” My stomach turns, my mouth watering with nausea as the bony hand drifts upward, pausing at my neck. “Usually, jealousy sways the tongue of young wielders.” He drags a single, long fingernail down my throat, exposing an expanse of tan arm under his robes, and I twitch, fear accelerating my heartbeat. I force my mouth to open, but no sound comes out. Touching me is new. Touching me is terrifying. “The rest turn for the power,” he whispers, coming so close I can smell a hint of something sweet on his breath. “But you will turn for something much more dangerous, much more volatile.” He wraps his hand around my throat loosely. I manage to shake my head in denial. “You will.” His dark, eyelash-less eyes narrow, and the jagged fingernails slice into my skin with an all-too-real bite of pain. ...

Now let's look at the second moment Andarna stops time

May 634AU: The War Games

What preceded the timestopping:

• Before the start of the games, Xaden secures Violet's safety by giving her a saddle.
• Violet and her team are tasked with guarding the flag; we know Imogen and Dain are on her team.
• Xaden and his team, in which we only know Garrick is present, are tasked with retrieving the egg.
• Xaden gets out of bond range and Vi cannot be in contact with him.
• Vi finds can see the egg, Xaden goes for it
• A big fight takes place between Tairn and three dragons (1st wing)
• Andarna stops time.

Have you already read the theory that this chapter is foreshadowing for the missing twelve hours at the end of OS? Unfortunately, that theory was deleted, so I cannot send a link.

What could have happened during those 12 hours according to this theory?

I remind you that this is exactly a year later, early May 634AU:

• It is probably good to remind ourselves that here, too, Xaden took care of Violet's safety - instead of a saddle, she received a ring and a title, protection by Tyrrendor, its army, and allies, just as Xaden promised during OS.
• Again we have a team where we know Vi and Imogen are present, and it can be assumed Dain is too, because he is not a new brother. They will probably defend the flag= Tyrrendor. (we don't know the other members, just like in the war games)
• Xaden is on a team with Garrick (we don't know the other members, just like in the war games) and is in charge of the dragon egg (or rather eggs).
• You have surely read theories that Tairn is asleep at the end of OS because he killed dragons, because Andarna also had to sleep after she killed Solas, and Tairn warns that next time he won't hesitate to kill a dragon if necessary. Was he fighting other dragons like at the end of the war games?
• Xaden gets out of bond range and Vi cannot be in contact with him.

Andarna stopped time once more, two months later, July 2, 634, Battle of Resson. What will happen on July 2, 635AU?

Is it just me seeing things, or is there something to it?

Is it suspicious, or am I just overthinking it?

What do you think will make Vi unleash the full power of the sky on her husband?

>!Fine. Hypothetically, he’d have to kill another rider without cause or hurt civilians. Hurt my friends, my dragons. Hurt…me,” I end in a whisper. “If he hurts me, then he’s not him anymore!<

Personally I don't WANT him to hurt her and I don't think he will so what will it be? One of her friends? Or will it look like he crossed the lines she named above but it really wasn't him...?

❤️‍🔥

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I’m re-reading IF and just got to the part where Brennan tells Violet (who thinks he speaks Old Lucerish) that he doesn’t know Old Lucerish. As u/iiamuntuii picked up in this super-clever thread, Trissa gives him a long look when he says this. And we don’t learn a lot about Trissa, other than that she is quiet and great at runes.

The consensus in that thread and comments is that Trissa clocked that he was lying and kept it a secret for some reason. But WHAT IF Trissa is the reason that he lied, and the look was a pointed one, to make sure he didn’t tell?

There are many reasons this might be, including that Trissa and Brennan are somehow in cahoots together with the venin. u/objectivestaff3333 compiled some compelling evidence on that score in the comments, particularly that venin have, in recent years, apparently gotten both more tactical (brennan’s specialty) and skilled with runes (Trissa’s specialty).

I don’t fully think Brennan is a Venin or a Venin sympathizer. I do, however, agree with the consensus that there’s something sketchy about the Naolin backstory, Brennan’s “death” and the rune scar.

Could Trissa be related to Naolin, and somehow controlling Brennan (or trying to) in Naolin’s absence? Violet describes her as rather young, so age-wise she could be a sister or even some kind of reincarnation of Naolin…she’s not listed as one of the most powerful riders at Aretia in IF39, but it’s Brennan who reports the “calculations,” so maybe Trissa is trying to keep the extent of her power a secret…

As I said, I’m still in the midst of the re-read. Can you think of anything else that supports this theory? Debunks it? Tell me your thoughts! :)

Does anybody know that they can talk telepathically?
I don’t think it’s ever said out loud by anyone, although in IF and OS it’s pretty obvious.

I’ve just finished Iron Flame and I’m gutted. I love Xaden. Unfortunately I knew it was coming (TikTok ruined it for me) but I’m still gutted. Is it even worth reading anymore?

I Absolutely loved this series! the only thing I dislike is the >!cliffhanger at the end of Onyx Storm!<; I was sooo mad when I finished because I wanted the 4th book to be out now so I didn't have to wait for what happened next. I can’t wait for book 4 to come out!

***spoiler***

OK, hear me out. I know we’re not getting a book four in September and I don’t know if anyone has brought this up before, but I was thinking what I would want from the next Empyrean series in September.
I know a lot of people complain about the connection between Xaden and Violet and how much we didn’t get to see of their relationship evolve. We’re just told that they’re in love. And there’s so much that we know that Violet doesn’t from Xadens point of view. Even in iron flame he’s begging her to ask him questions (ask me about the first time I saw you ask me about the time I almost killed you ) and she never gets the information. Maybe they covered it in Onyx storm I couldn’t bring myself to reread that one 😭

I would love for this next book to be a love letter to Violet about their experiences up to this point through his point of view. I know based on what he said that he doesn’t keep a journal so my hope is that there is like a love letter that he left her and that’s what we’re getting in September.
We all know what an unreliable narrator she is and I just think it would be so fun to hear their love story through him. Like something to leave her with after he said it’s yours, don’t look for me.
I hope my delusions are spot on.

I thought about it and I feel like Brennan is the only one I wouldn’t get fairly easily irritated by lol. Maybe Garrick and Jesinia too. I would go out of my way to avoid interacting with 99% of the characters

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