#it’s easy with Xaden and the bond but she did it to Dain in the interrogation room where she forced him to see her memories | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fandomrewrites · 1 month ago

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Legends Chapter 5: Threshing

Hi Riders, This chapter is a little shorter than my last two but it's Threshing so we finally get to see who (Y/N) bonds! I'm going to add a longer note at the end so I don't spoil anything but until then, I hope you like the chapter!

Chapters 13-15 in Fourth Wing Pairings: Xaden x Younger Sister, Liam x Best friend Warnings: Swearing, violence, death, spoilers from the book series Word Count: 5,524

Legends Masterlist

Gods, I can't wait for Threshing. It must feel amazing to bond a dragon, to fly for the first time. What will my dragon be like? Will any even want to bond with me? -Recovered correspondence from (Y/N) Riorson to Cadet Xaden Riorson

I sit in Eya's room on her bed, drawing, while she sits at her desk working on homework for Physics. We haven't had a lot of chances to spend time together since I started at the college so she invited me back to her room after dinner.

"Are you nervous for Threshing tomorrow?" Eya asks, glancing over her shoulder at me.

"Not really," I sigh. "Whatever happens tomorrow happens. My only goal is to survive but if I can't do that then obviously I wasn't met to be a rider."

Eya scoffs, "Please, you're probably the most rider coded marked one, even more than your brother. You always loved the idea of bonding. And you fit in here on an almost scary level."

I laugh, "It's because I'm ruthless isn't?"

"Ruthless, brutal, savage, cutthroat…" Eya trails off, a smirk on her face as she turns around to look at me properly.

"Yeah, yeah. No regrets. People have to know not to fuck with me. Though to be fair, it seems like some people still don't understand that. Maybe I just need to kill someone right in front of everyone, battle brief would do."

Eya laughs, throwing her head back, "Imagine the look on Markham's face." I start laughing too. "Oh my Gods, I kind of want you to kill someone now, maybe that Barlowe kid?"

"You don't understand how badly I want to kill him. Every time he opens his mouth it's like listening to a cat die."

Our laughter dies out, "Xaden is going to kill me for encouraging this."

"I won't tell him if you don't."

"Deal." She smiles at me, "Do you know which dragon you're going for? Any stand out at Presentation?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. They were all beautiful, but I didn't feel a connection to any of them. What was it like for you? Did you know?"

Eya nods, "I knew once Presentation was over. Once everyone went through I just kept thinking about this emerald green dragon, it was like I couldn't think of anything else. My heart lead me to her during Threshing and she bonded me."

"Seems like it was easy."

"It was, but it's not like that for everyone, some dragons want to make it a bit more challenging so they know if you're the right fit for them. Maybe that's what your dragon is doing. Leran said I didn't need to prove myself, she knew and she called out to me right when Threshing started."

I look down at my drawing of the two feathertails, tracing over one of the wings. "It's funny, the only dragons I even feel remotely close to are the feathertails, but they don't bond. They can't hold a rider."

"Which dragon was close to the feathertails? Maybe that's yours?"

"It was a brown one," I pause, "But I don't know. Maybe my dragon just wasn't there. Maybe I'm destined to repeat a year."

Eya shakes her head, "No, you're incredible. There's definitely a dragon for you, you'll find them tomorrow." I smile at her before turning back to my drawing.

*_*_*_*_*

It's early morning on October first; Threshing is today. It doesn't matter which day of the week or the weather, Threshing is always on the same day every year. I wake up for my morning run, quietly leaving the room. Dain's waiting for me as usual, his arms crossed. "I had a feeling you lied yesterday."

I roll my eyes, he tried to convince me not to go running today since I'd be busy all day dealing with Threshing. After his persistence I told him I'd sleep in, hoping to finally get some peace and quiet on a run. "Can't blame a girl for trying." I mumble, maybe if I annoy him enough he'll stop coming with me, "Ready for our run, sweet cheeks?" I smile brightly.

Dain rolls his eyes, "Let's do this." We take off, starting off at a light jog before gradually running faster. We stay out for about 20 minutes before Dain starts talking, "Do you know what dragon you're going for today?"

I shake my head. Dain likes to talk during these runs, I've slowly started to answer his questions but it's usually short replies, just yes and no answers and I'll ignore anything else, unless I know my response will annoy him. What can I say? Dain's fun to tease. "You should go for a red one."

"Isn't yours red?" I ask.

Dain nods, "Yeah, Cath is. Reds are typically fiery, you'd fit well with one."

"I know the dragons temperaments, you don't need to remind me." I roll my eyes, "Does that mean you think I'm fiery?"

As we see the school come back into view, we start slowing down. I see Dain look at me from the corner of my eyes, "Have you met you?"

I smirk, turning to look at him, "Are you fiery, Aetos?" This time he rolls his eyes, his eyes look far away and then a blush starts up his cheeks. My smirk widens, "What's the blush for?"

His eyes snap to mine, "What? I'm not blushing. I'm warm from the run."

"Uh huh, and Malek isn't the God of Death."

"Really considering telling one of your friends to start coming on runs with you." Dain mumbles.

I playfully roll my eyes, "You won't."

"You really think I won't?"

"It's been a couple of weeks and you haven't said anything to anyone. You even lied for me to Imogen. You won't say anything." I confidently say, walking backwards away from Dain, "See you later, squad leader."

*_*_*_*_* Violet

The squad is sitting around the breakfast table but I refuse to eat. I'm too nervous and I know it won't do me any good. Most of the cadets eat a light breakfast except for Ridoc and (Y/N). They're both eating like they normally do and I don't understand how. "How are you guys eating?" I ask.

"If I die today, I at least want to eat a good meal." Ridoc replies.

(Y/N) shrugs, "I'm not nervous."

The squad all turn to look at her, "What? How? We have a good chance of dying today, especially you with your last name." I say.

(Y/N) shrugs once more, "And? If I die I'm greeting Malek like an old friend, then I'm going to find my dad and tell him about all the shit I've gotten into since he died."

My jaw drops, "Gods, I wish I could think like that."

Rhiannon snorts, "I've come to the conclusion that (Y/N)'s not human. There's no way someone can be this unbothered about death."

"You forget that I witnessed the death of over 100 people, one of which was my own father. Death doesn't bother me. When I say I'd great Malek like an old friend, it's because he is." The table grows silent at (Y/N)'s words.

My heart pangs, (Y/N)'s grown on me a lot since we first met, enough were I consider her a friend. She's been nothing but kind to me since Parapet even when I tried to push her away because of her last name. And despite me jumping to conclusions about her, she never did the same to me. Hearing her talk so freely about witnessing her father's death makes me see (Y/N) differently.

She's been through so much and she's still such a good person. It makes me wonder why her father turned into a traitor. What was so important to him that he risked everything? "No need to get all quiet at my expense." (Y/N) eyes the group, bringing a piece of bacon to her lips.

"We just don't really hear you talk about that day," Trina replies quietly.

"Well yeah, I'm not going to be jumping for joy at the fact I watched my father and everyone that fought with him get incinerated in front of me." (Y/N) rolls her onyx eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry about it." (Y/N) brushes her off, "Changing the topic, are you guys really all that nervous?"

Sawyer is the first to reply, "I don't know how you aren't. I'm not even nervous about dying, I'd rather die than not bond again."

"I personally would rather live and bond a dragon. So yeah, I'm nervous that that won't be the outcome." I answer.

"I'm with (Y/N). I'm confident in myself. I'm coming back a rider today." Tynan says.

I watch as (Y/N) rolls her eyes once more, she throws her long hair over her shoulder, "I never said I'm confident I'll bond. I think I will but no one knows how the mind of a dragon works. You can be the best in our year but if the dragon for you isn't bonding this year then you'll still end up unbonded. I'm just not nervous of whatever outcome I may have. I can die, I can be unbonded, or best case scenario I survive and bond. It doesn't matter to me, whatever happens happens."

"You'll bond," All of our heads turn as Bodhi walks up to our table, Xaden and Garrick on either side of him.

"You sure seem confident in me, cousin." (Y/N) replies.

"He's not the only one," Xaden says, Garrick nodding in agreement. Gods, when I said the Riorson's have good genes at Presentation, I absolutely meant it. All three of them are attractive. They look very similar; it's easy to tell they're related. Xaden's feature's are sharper than his sisters and cousins. Bodhi looks the most approachable out of all three. (Y/N) on the other hand looks intimidating, not because she looks scary but because I don't think I've ever seen someone as beautiful as her.

"Are Cuir, Chradh, and Sgaeyl telling you guys something that I should know?" (Y/N) asks, brows knitting together.

"Well, considering Sgaeyl told me she should had waited a couple years to bond so she can get you, I'd say there's at least one dragon out there that wants you."

Ridoc splutters, "She likes (Y/N) that much?"

"Why do you sound so surprised by that?" (Y/N) asks, "I'm amazing."

"Sgaeyl is terrifying!" Ridoc exclaims, causing Xaden to smirk.

"Chradh likes you too, according to him he's been talking you up to the other dragons." Garrick says, eyes locked on (Y/N).

"Tell him I said thank you." (Y/N) smiles.

"Cuir also has a good opinion of you." Bodhi smiles.

"Gods, how do I get all the dragons to like me?" Rhiannon asks.

"Okay, so a few bonded dragons like me?" (Y/N) rolls her eyes, "That doesn't mean one of the unbounded dragons will want to bond with me."

The three older marked ones exchange a look before turning back to (Y/N), "You'll bond." They say together. (Y/N) holds her hands up but doesn't argue.

Xaden reaches down, pressing a kiss to the top of (Y/N)'s head, "I'll see you later," He looks to the rest of us, briefly making eye contact with me, "Good luck everyone."

Bodhi wraps (Y/N) in a one armed hug, "Love you, cuz. Good luck guys."

Garrick gives (Y/N) a hug as well, "Good luck, Smiley." He nods at the rest of us before walking away with the others.

I sigh, "I was right, they really do love you."

(Y/N) laughs, "I never said they didn't." She turns to look at their table, a small smile on her face, "And I love them too, even though they drive me insane sometimes."

*_*_*_*_* (Y/N)

We're waiting in the bowl shaped valley for Threshing to start. Ridoc is currently heaving up the contents of his stomach by a tree. My nose scrunches up in disgust as I watch him. I turn away, noticing that Liam is approaching me. "Hey, good luck today." He says, wrapping me in a hug.

I hug him back, squeezing gently, "Good luck," I whisper to him.

He rests his head on top of mine, "We'll be fine, we'll come back as bonded riders."

I nod, "We got this."

We slowly pull away from each other, he catches something over my head nodding in the direction, "I think you're friends want you." I turn to look behind me, where Rhiannon and Violet are waiting for me. "Hey," I turn back to Liam, "I love you." He says, smiling.

"I love you too, Li. I'll see you later." He nods, turning to walk back to his squad.

I walk towards Rhiannon and Violet, turning to listen to Professor Kaori, "Remember to listen here," he says, tapping his chest. "If a dragon has already selected you, they'll be calling. So pay attention to not just your surroundings but your feelings, and go with them. And if your feelings are telling you to go in the other direction… listen to that, too."

"Which one are you guys going for?" Rhiannon asks Violet and I.

"I don't know." Violet sighs.

"Yeah, me neither. I'll know when I see them." I say.

"You both memorized the cards, right?" Rhiannon questions, "So you know what's out there."

I nod as Violet answers, "Yes. I just don't feel connected to any of them. Dain tried to talk me into a brown."

"Dain lost his vote when he tried talking you into leaving." Rhiannon counters.

"He told me to go for a red." I reply. Both girls snap there heads in my direction. "What?"

"He talked to you about Threshing?" Violet asks.

"Yeah," I shrug. "What about you, Rhiannon? What dragon are you going for?"

"Hold up, when did Dain talk to you about Threshing? And why?" Violet asks, before Rhiannon can answer my question.

I roll my eyes, then reach back and start braiding my hair, "This morning before breakfast and I don't know why he talked to me about it. I was trying to ignore him."

"Where have you been going in the mornings? I've been meaning to ask." Rhiannon questions.

"I've been running. Dain's bumped into me a few times when I'm heading out." I choose not to give them too much information, I don't want a bunch of questions, especially not right now.

Thankfully, Rhiannon changes the topic back to Threshing, answering my previous question, "I'm thinking about that green. The one closest to me when they got all up close and personal with you."

"Still can't believe they did that." I mumble, the girls told me about the two dragons that approached Violet at Presentation, because Violet's corset is made of her sister's dragons scales. I was surprised that Violet trusted me with that information but I'm happy she's realizing that I'm not a bad person.

"Well, it didn't eat you, so that's a promising start." Violet replies, smiling.

Rhiannon and I smile back, "I think so, too." She says, interlocking her arms with Violet and me.

We turn back to Kaori, "If you go in groups, you're more likely to be incinerated than bonded," Kaori argues with someone closer to the front, "The scribes have run the statistics. You're better off on your own."

"And what if we aren't chosen by dinner?" A cadet with a beard asks.

"If you're not chosen be nightfall, there's a problem," Kaori frowns, "You'll be brought out by a professor or senior leadership, so don't give up and think we've forgotten about you." He checks his pocket watch, "Remember to spread out and use every foot of this valley to your advantage. It's nine, which means they should be flying in any minute now. The only other words I have for you are good luck." He nods, eyes sweeping over the field of cadets. Then he leaves, marching up a hill and disappearing from sight.

"Be careful," Rhiannon says pulling me then Violet into a hug.

"You too." Violet says back, before pulling me into a hug.

"We got this guys, I'll see you both later." I smile.

"Don't die," Ridoc orders looking over our group.

"See you soon, good luck." Sawyer says, hugging me. Then we separate, the squad moving in different directions.

*_*_*_*_*

It's been a couple of hours since Threshing has started. I've come across a couple of oranges, three brown, and a green, none were my dragons. I've seen some dragon's launch into the sky with cadets, now riders, on their backs. I watched one cadet fall right off their dragons back. I've also seen plenty plumes of smoke rise from within the forest.

I feel like I'm wandering around aimlessly but I refuse to give up. I reach into my small pack, getting out my canteen of water. I've been lucky to avoid other cadets as well. I just know plenty of people here want to kill me and I really don't want to deal with that bullshit at the moment.

I just hope my friends are still alive, and hopefully bonded by now or will bond soon. As I continue walking, I see Violet rush past. I stop to let her get away but watch as her foot catches on a branch that was hidden by leaves and she careens forward, falling over.

I run towards her, "Vi!"

Her head whips towards me, "Shh!" She puts a finger to her lips.

I nod, helping her up, "Are you alright?" I whisper.

"I think it's just a sprain." She moves her ankle slowly, "I gotta keep moving though."

"You're dragon?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "Tynan, Oren, and Jack are heading towards the two feathertails. They want to kill them." She starts walking before I can say anything.

"Fuck that, I'll help." I walk beside her, there's no way I'm letting her do this by herself. If they bump into each other that's three against one, and let's be real here, Violet's not the best fighter.

We come to a clearing where the silver and gold feathertails sit, "You have to get out of here!" Violet hisses. "They're going to kill you if you don't leave." The dragons turn, watching us.

"Yes, you two! Leave, please!" I exclaim.

They blink, exchanging looks between each other, "Go! Run! Fly!" Violet shoos them away. The branches rustle from opposite us and Jack, Tynan, and Oren step into the clearing. The two feathertails turning their heads to look at the trio.

"Fuck." I say, eyes narrowing into a glare.

"We'll make it painless," Jack says, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Scorch them!" Violet tries once more.

"They aren't going to kill them. Maybe feathertails can't." I say. "We're going to have to do something. Feel free to leave if you want, but I also know that you're not a coward so I expect we'll be fighting side-by-side."

"There's no way I'm leaving you to deal with this by yourself." Violet takes a breath, then steps in the clearing, I'm close on her heels, "You can't do this!" She calls out to the trio.

"Oh, look," Jack sneers. "We can take out all three of the weakest links at the same time. Plus a traitor."

I snort, "That's cute, that you think you can kill me." Violet and I stand in between the three guys and two dragons.

"I've been waiting a long time for this Sorrengail," Jack says, ignoring my comment.

"If you can fly, now would be a good time." Violet calls over her shoulder.

"You can't kill a dragon." I snap.

"Yes, we can." Jack shrugs. Oren looks a bit uncertain though, Violet must notice as well because she turns to him.

"You can't. It goes against everything we believe in!" She says.

"You really think a dragon will bond with someone who killed one of their own?" I ask, I'm completely bullshitting though, since I actually don't know if they would care.

"Letting something so weak so incapable of fighting, live is against our beliefs!" Jack shouts back.

"Just because something is smaller, doesn't mean it's weaker." I reply, glaring.

"If you want to do this, you have to go through us." Violet says, raising her chin. She raises her daggers, flipping one to pinch the tip. I pull out my short sword and a dagger.

"I don't really consider that a problem," Jack sneers.

They raise their swords, just as we are about to start fighting, a voice calls out from across the field to my right, "I would strongly recommend you rethink your actions." I know that voice, I don't bother turning to look, keeping my attention on the enemies before us. Xaden is here, and he's pissed.

"And if we don't want to rethink our actions?" Jack shouts, glancing over his shoulder. There's a brief pause, "There's nothing you can do, right? Wingleader?

"It's not me you should worry about today," Xaden responds, I see Sgaeyl tilt her head from the corner of my eye.

"You're really going to do this?" Violet asks Tynan, "Attack two squadmates."

"Squads don't mean shit today," Tynan snarls, eyeing me.

"Oh, no need to be jealous that I wouldn't sleep with you," I say, he been bitter ever since I turned him down at Presentation, "Walk away now and at least you have a better chance of living to see another day."

Tynan snarls, "I'm going to kill you myself, Riorson."

I scoff, "Please do try."

Violet ignores Tynan and I; instead she chooses to talk to the two dragons once more, "So that's a no on the flying?" The dragons chuff in response, "Great. Well, if you can back us up with your claws, we'd really appreciate it."

They each chuff again causing Violet and I to turn slightly, we look down seeing they have no claws, just paws. Violet and I exchange a look, I mumble quietly, "See, I don't think they can kill."

"Oh, fucking hell." Violet replies. We turn back to look at the guys, Jack roars a battle cry and sprints towards Violet.

Violet throws her dagger, it lands in the shoulder of his sword arm, "Couldn't have gone for the neck?" I question as Jack cries out. Oren and Tynan run at us, Oren moving towards Violet and Tynan towards me.

I quickly slash at Tynan, blocking his strike with my sword. I move quick, pushing him away from Violet and the dragons. "She's destroyed my shoulder!" Jack shouts, clutching the wound, "I can't move it!"

I push Tynan back more, cutting his thigh, "That's the thing about having weak joints," Violet replies, "You know exactly where to strike."

"Kill them!" Jack orders, then runs away, still clutching his shoulder.

"Come back here, coward!" I yell, I maneuver around Tynan, ending up behind him, then sink my sword through his abdomen. There's a gross squelching sound as I pull the blade back out, Tynan sinks to his knees, falling to the ground. He takes one last breath, then stops moving.

"Behind you!" Xaden calls out, I turn quick, but it's Violet that Oren is attacking. She turns around, deflecting his blow.

"You can't interfere!" Oren screams.

"No, but I can narrate." Xaden replies.

I move to close the distance, to kill Oren just like I did Tynan since Violet clearly won't take a killing shot, but before I do Violet manages to knock Oren unconscious.

We each take a breath, making sure the other is okay. Then I watch as a huge black dragon lands behind Violet, a few seconds later I hear another dragon land behind me. My eyes widen, I slowly look over my shoulder, seeing the white dragon that Kaori showed us. "Holy shit." I mumble, turning to look back at Violet and the black dragon.

"Is she an enemy, Night Orchid?" A silky voice asks. What the fuck. My head, whips around to look at the white dragon again.

"No." I say quickly.

I notice Violet eyeing the black dragon, "I can't kill an unconscious man," She says, looking at Oren and shaking her head.

I scoff, "I can. Move."

The white dragon makes a huffing noise, almost like a laugh, "One of the many reasons why I'm choosing you," She says, her voice sounding in my head.

"No, (Y/N)," Violet scolds, "You can't."

"Oh yeah? Watch me." I reply, Violet steps in between me and the unconscious Oren. "Seriously? He almost just killed you and you're protecting him?" Out of the corner of my eye I see a flash of blue as Xaden and Sgaeyl take off.

"He can't harm us."

"Right now." I pause when Violet glares at me, "Fine, but when he tries to kill one of us later, I have every right to say I told you so."

She huffs, "Fine."

Violet starts talking to the black dragon, or at least I assume she does since I can't actually hear the black dragon speaking. "You're friend will be fine, but you're right. Maybe we should wait for them to leave so you can kill the enemy at her feet."

"Gladly. At least someone understands me." I say to the dragon. I see a twinkle in her eyes, and if dragons could smile, I swear she would be.

"You can speak to me in your thoughts, (Y/N), no need to speak everything aloud."

My head tilts, "So you can just hear everything I think."

"Yes, Night Orchid. There will be no secret you can hide from me." That's kind of terrifying… My dragon chuffs, blowing out warm steam.

I turn back around as I hear a shuffling behind me. The gold and silver dragons bend their legs then launch into the sky. "Oh, so they can fly." I say, watching them leave.

The black dragon inclines it's front leg, Violet gulps then looks at me, "I'll see you in a bit." I nod. She crawls up the dragons front leg, taking a seat on his back. Once she's seated, the black dragon stands to his full height then pushes off the ground, flying over the trees.

"Will you kill him now?" The white dragon asks.

"Don't need to tell me twice," I reply, walking towards the unconscious Oren. I slip a dagger out, plunging it into his neck. Might as well make his death merciful, it's the least I can do since Violet was so against it.

"Good, now come." I turn back to the dragon and smile. I slip my dagger back into the sheath at my thigh then run as fast as I can to climb up her front leg. I grab onto her shoulder, pulling myself up the rest of the way. I move so I'm at her shoulder blades, and grab onto the pommel. I squeeze my thighs and hold on tight, waiting for her to start flying.

"My name is Nyxarainum, daughter of Nyzrailim and Chaliache, descended from the cunning Dubhmadinn line." She pauses as she launches into the air, "You may call me Nyx."

"Nyxarainum," I whisper, testing the name.

Nyx hums, "Your pronunciation isn't too bad, but it could use a little work."

Nyx flies fast, she pivots and dives, testing my ability to hold on. I see another cadet fall in the distance, I can't help but hope it wasn't one of my friends. "This is amazing!" I laugh, closing my eyes and breathing in the cold air. "Is it true you're the only one of your kind?"

"Not technically," Nyx answers, "I am currently the only white dragon but I'm part of the black den."

"What do you mean?"

"It's rare, but on occasion dragons end up with…" She trails off as she takes a sharp left turn, "Abnormalities. Some grow to be blind, others deaf, one has even grown without wings. Those dragons can never bond, they stay in the Vale for their whole lives because that's where they are safest. I'm albino. I was supposed to be black by my abnormality made me loose my pigmentation."

"But this abnormality doesn't affect your ability to survive outside the Vale so you're free to bond." I finish for her.

"Correct, Night Orchid."

"So why now? After all this time, why bond with me?" My eyes narrow in confusion. Kaori told us she's never bonded before, he didn't even know that she was technically a black dragon because there was no way to communicate with her before. "And why do you call me Night Orchid?"

"You're brilliant, (Y/N) Riorson. Smart, loyal, strong, kind, and much more. Sgaeyl talks highly of you, the only other person alive she talks that highly of is your brother and my mate has also been making sure I was aware of you."

"Your mate?" I didn't realize she was mated, or dragons were this into gossiping.

Nyx chortles, the field with bonded cadets coming into view, "We know how to keep secrets very well, we won't gossip about things that matter, but things like this? Yes, we talk about it, it makes the bonding process a lot easier. And I call you Night Orchid because that's one of the meanings of your name. Plus Night Orchid's are very beautiful but deadly, much like you." I noticed she avoided my question about her mate. "I'll tell you soon." She lands on the field, right behind Violet and the black dragon. "First, go tell the roll keeper we've bonded."

I climb down Nyx's front leg, landing with a soft thud. The silver and gold dragons are nearby, safe. I smile at them, glad that Violet and I helped. "You two really should had flown away quicker." I say to them, shaking my head. The silver dragon snakes its head towards me, chuffs twice, then pulls back.

I look towards Violet who is limping towards the dais. Running to catch up, I lightly grab her arm, startling her, "Sorry. Are you okay?" I interlock our arms, "I can't believe you bonded him, that's amazing!"

Violet and I glance around us, watching as everyone that's currently on the field gape at the two huge dragons and the two smaller feathertails. Everyone's gazes jump back and forth between the four dragons and us, walking away from them.

"I'm alright, just some minor pain but nothing I can't live with. And yeah, his name's Tairn. I'm finding it hard to believe he'd want to bond with me." Violet says back.

I roll my eyes, "Please, you're brilliant, Sorrengail. Of course he'd see that."

Violet looks over her shoulder, towards her dragon, then looks back at me, "He says I should listen to you. But enough about me, you bonded the white dragon." She smiles.

I smile back, "Nyx. She's a black dragon too, just albino which is why she appears white."

"Interesting," Violet replies, we make it to the row of cadets waiting to tell the roll keeper their dragon's name. I let Violet in front of me, the girl in front finishes and Violet steps forward. I look on as General Melgren, General Sorrengail, and Commandment Pancheck all gape at Tairn and Nyx. They then look towards Violet and I, clearly not believing that we were the ones to bond them.

"Assholes." I can't help but roll my eyes.

"I can't argue with that, Night Orchid." Nyx says. Kaori jumps up from his seat, eyeing the two dragons in fascination. Violet glances at the roll keeper then says Tairns full name.

I look up, noticing General Melgren glaring at me. I raise my chin, refusing to turn away first. I hear a surprised, "Both dragons?" Causing me to turn back towards Violet. Then I see Violet nod.

"What just happened?" I ask Nyx.

"Violet bonded Tairn and Andarna, the little gold one."

My head whips around, looking at Nyx and the small silver dragon that stays close to her, the voices of the arguing generals mesh into one, "Wait. No."

"What do you mean no," A new voice, male, says to me, "We'll be great together." If dragons can pout, I know he would be.

"I just," I pause, "If they're freaking out about Sorrengail bonding two dragons they're going to loose their fucking minds when they find out a Riorson has."

"Good," The silver dragon replies. My jaw drops. I quickly close my mouth turning back around to the dais, the redhead roll keeper waves me forward, needing to continue her job, even with the generals still arguing. Violet already limped off, towards the medical tent with Kaori.

"(Y/N) Riorson," She smiles, though it looks strained, "Please state the name of the dragon who has chosen you for the record."

I nod, "Nyxarainum."

"Aetherion, Aether for short." The little silver dragon tells me.

I gulp, "And Aetherion."

The roll keepers mouth drops open, "You also bonded two dragons?"

I raise my chin, "I did." I was right, the generals are even more pissed off now.

Taglist: @desprrssooo-espresssooooo @galaxystern08

So first, I wanted to say a little fun fact. Nyx's personality is loosely based off my dog, Max. And Aether's is loosely based off my cat, Kreacher. I was hesitant at first to have her bond 2 dragons but with the way I want the story to work out it just made sense, so I hope you guys like this decision as much as I do. Remember to share your opinions or questions, I love hearing from you guys!

#series rewrite #the empyrean #fourth wing #xaden x sister!riorson reader #xaden riorson #dain aetos #violet sorrengail #bodhi durran #garrick tavis #rhiannon matthias #ridoc gamlyn #sawyer henrick #liam mairi

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callsign-rogueone · 1 year ago

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our girl - d.a + x.r.

Dain Aetos x reader x Xaden Riorson You and Xaden have been hooking up for a while now, but Threshing throws a wrench (and another person) into your relationship. [request] words: 2.5k (went a little overboard lol, this dynamic was so fun to think about) 🏷: FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME SPOILERS. NSFW at the end. she/her reader. I did this one a little differently; a full scene with dialogue, and then headcanons about what the relationship would be like (sfw, nsfw + angst; I apologize in advance…) banner made by user cafekitsune!

You dismount, managing to land on your feet. Maybe the gauntlet had been good practice after all, and not just a form of torture. The flight field is slowly filling in with dragons and their chosen riders. Dain is standing next to you with a massive red daggertail. Nice.

Your two dragons look at each other, and for a moment you’re worried they’re going to start a fight, but they just bump heads softly. They’re… friends?

Then Dain’s dragon turns toward you, looking you in the eye, and you freeze, holding completely still as it sniffs you. You must pass inspection, because he pulls back after a few seconds, satisfied, but you don’t dare move, your heart still pounding.

“Relax, girl. I will not hurt you.”

You startle at the second voice speaking to you, stumbling back in shock. A shimmering red string has appeared beside the soft blue one you share with Lann. You tug on it gently, and Dain’s eyes snap toward you, having felt the pull.

“They’re mated.”

“Smart boy,” Cath purrs.

You’re still trying to get used to having another being speaking in your head, hearing your every thought, but now you have two?

You don’t have time to complain about it before Xaden comes running toward you.

Both Lann and Cath stand taller, flaring their nostrils. Cath looks like he’s contemplating how Xaden would taste.

Xaden comes to a stop a few yards away, not wanting to provoke them. It’s easy enough for him to put it together, seeing Dain standing behind you with the mated pair. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Cath blows a puff of foul-smelling steam at Xaden in warning. “Tell him to watch his tone.”

You don’t.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Xaden says, a look in his eye you’ve never seen before; pure anger.

You take a step back, bumping into Lann’s foreleg. She curls her neck down, placing her head between your body and Xaden’s. You’ve only been bonded all of ten minutes, but she’s already willing to protect you with her life.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Dain challenges, crossing his arms. “Nor is it mine.”

Your stomach flips. You’d never expected that Dain would be the one defending you here.

“I should gut you before the bond gets any stronger,” Xaden threatens. What is he so mad for?

“You of all people should know that the consequences can be dire. You won’t risk her life in that way.”

“What the hell are the two of you talking about?” You ask, but they don’t answer, too busy threatening each other.

“Human males and their arguing,” Lann sighs. “Were they dragons, they’d fight to the death and the victor would keep you.”

“That remains a possibility,” you reply quietly, still watching the two of them. Xaden certainly looks like he’s contemplating murder right now.

“I could just incinerate him, but Sgaeyl would have my head if I did,” Cath muses, sounding bored. “And you seem attached.”

You turn to glare at him. “Not funny.”

“Threats from someone your size are only humorous,” Cath replies, still watching the two men argue.

“Like it or not, Riorson, she’s my responsibility now,” Dain says firmly. What is that supposed to mean? Why does Dain care all of a sudden if you live or die?

“Do not forget that you have a voice in this matter, too,” Lann adds.

She’s right.

“Quit it, both of you!” You interrupt before they can come to blows, and both boys turn toward you, quieting. “Stop talking about me like I’m not even here!”

Their eyes soften.

“Darling, I didn’t mean-“ Xaden begins.

You cross your arms over your chest, glaring up at the boy. “I’m not done,” you say, and he falls silent. “Dain’s right; neither of us asked for this, but it happened, and there’s no changing it now. I know you two hate each other, but I will not have you two fighting over me like I’m some kind of object. Neither of you have any claim to me. I’m not your girlfriend, and even if I was, you still don’t own me. I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions and keep myself safe.”

Neither of them respond, silent and guilty as your words settle in.

“And that is why I chose you,” Lann says proudly.

You ignore the compliment, stepping away from her and turning to leave, swiping the tears from your cheeks.

“I apologize, shrewd one.”

“It’s okay,” you say quietly. “You didn’t know.”

—————————————————

“Professor Kaori?” You ask quietly. “Can I ask you a few questions?”

He already knows why you’re here. “I heard about you and Aetos. Cath and Lann have been mated for nearly two centuries. Their bond is strong.”

“Have you known many other pairs like them?”

“A few,” he answers. “Dragons can live for millennia. Unlike us, they do not fall in love at age twenty, and they are quite selective with their partner. It is a lifelong commitment for them, and not one they take lightly.”

“And their riders?” You ask, holding your breath.

“A pair at Montserrat, who are now married, and another pair who regard each other like blood sisters.”

He doesn’t mention anyone like you and Dain, who hardly know each other and don’t really care to.

“I‘ll make this clear with you, cadet, as you need to know this and accept it; you and Aetos will be stuck together until the end of your days. The four of you must exist as a functional unit. The grief of one of your deaths may be enough to end you all.”

Your eyes widen. So that’s why Xaden had been so pissed.

“You are both excellent students who will undoubtedly become skilled riders,” Kaori says. “Get to know each other in the coming weeks, and settle your differences sooner than later. The health of your relationship, even if it remains strictly professional, is vital.”

You thank him quietly, heading back to your room. You don’t have time to stew over the news; you have assignments due tomorrow.

Two hours pass. You’ve just finished proofreading your essay when there’s a knock on the door.

Dain and Xaden. You motion for them to come in, knowing that the two of them together outside your door will look deeply suspicious to any passerby.

“What the fuck do you two want?”

Xaden nods at Dain, motioning for him to talk.

“We discussed it, and we realized you’re right. We’re just going to have to deal with this, and there’s no use in us fighting about it.”

Xaden speaks next. “You’ve proven that you can handle yourself, but we both still want to protect you. We care for you deeply, and that’s not going to change. We’re declaring a truce.”

“Whose idea was that?” You ask, wary.

“His,” Dain answers. Interesting.

You look to Xaden. “And you’re fine with this,” you say, motioning between you and Dain, “that we’ll be able to speak directly to each other, that we can’t be apart for more than a few days, that we’re going to be stationed together for life?”

“Yes. I trust him not to hurt you, if only because his life is now tied to yours.”

That’s high praise coming from Riorson, who doesn’t fully trust anyone. You don’t dare ask why he feels this way.

“As you said,” Xaden continues, the tone of his voice making your heart flutter, “I hold no claim to you. You remain your own person, no matter how strongly I feel for you or how many nights we have spent together. The decision lies with you.”

“Dain?” You ask.

He’s been silent, watching you with a softness in his eyes. He’d never taken a good look at you before, never appreciated how beautiful you are. “If he’s okay with it, and you are, then I am too.”

You’d never felt compassion for Dain, never cared if he lived or died, but now you’re overwhelmed with a sense that you need to protect him — to guard that little red string until your last breath. “I care for both of you as well. You’re both good men, who are important to me, and I’d like to have you remain in my life, if you promise to play nicely.”

You extend a pinky to each of them.

Dain looks confused.

“She doesn’t fuck around with pinky promises. This might as well be a blood oath for her,” Xaden explains, interlocking your fingers — this isn’t new to him.

Dain reaches forward, the warmth of his skin against yours sending a wave of soothing energy through you.

“Are you going to make us pinky promise each other too?” He asks playfully, the first joke you’ve ever heard him crack.

Xaden is unamused. “Don’t push it, Aetos.”

You giggle at his barely-restrained contempt. This is gonna be fun.

———————————————

sfw

Most of the quadrant know that yours and Dain’s dragons are mated, and that messing with one of the four of you means invoking the wrath of the other three. For the first time since conscription day, you can walk the halls alone without fearing for your life.

Nobody is aware of Xaden’s role in the relationship, and he prefers to keep it that way — it keeps the target off your back, and this way nobody can say that he’s giving you special treatment or shame you for having two partners. Garrick is the only person who knows about all of this, and he’s sworn to secrecy (that had certainly been an interesting conversation to have).

Xaden may not declare his feelings for you publicly, but he and Sgaeyl are always watching your back, ready to jump in should Dain not be there or should things get out of his control.

The two act generally indifferent to each other, but their love of you is enough for them to behave when you’re around.

They find a good balance between treating you like a princess and pushing you to be the best you can be, letting you do your own work and prepare yourself for what’s to come after graduation.

nsfw:

The first time you felt Lann and Cath going at it was... interesting.

Xaden knew that this would happen eventually, having felt the same feeling before from Tairn and Sgaeyl. He had warned you days prior that the overwhelming need could lead you astray easily, but that he wouldn’t be mad if you and Dain acted on it.

And act you did. You became addicted to Dain’s touch as soon as you felt it, not wanting it to be a one-time thing, and that’s when the three of you decided that the boys would share you.

We all know Xaden is possessive. He used to call you “my girl” when it was just the two of you hooking up, but now you’re their girl.

“Aww, is our pretty girl needy?”

“I think our girl deserves a reward for being so good.”

Dain is shy at first, but he works up the confidence to start teasing you through the bond. He loves to watch you squirm from across the room as his voice speaks directly into your mind, telling you how hot you looked sparring, what he’s going to do to you tonight…

Xaden does something similar, his shadows brushing your arms and neck, sometimes even slipping under your clothes to touch your body when he can’t, giving soft caresses to your back and waist, but he’ll never take it too far — just enough to make you want his hands on you instead.

They’re competitive as hell. They’ll tag team you, taking turns to see who can make you cum harder/faster. Your personal record is six times in one night, three apiece before you nearly passed out. They declared a tie, putting aside their egos to care for their sweet girl who had taken it all so well for them.

Sometimes you get both of them at once, and it’s a little overwhelming but so so good. Making out with one while the other is on his knees for you, or one holding your hand and telling you how pretty you look while the other pounds you into the mattress…

The two of them together are the ultimate brat taming combo, with Dain’s strictness and Xaden’s strength. If you give them attitude, get too cozy with another rider, purposely put yourself in danger, or neglect to take care of yourself (overworking, skipping meals, not getting enough sleep…), you’ll have some consequences to face when you’re back behind closed doors that night.

Xaden will tie your hands behind your back with his shadows, Dain edging you until you cry and apologize, promising that you’ll never break their rules again (but you inevitably do, and then they have to teach you your lesson all over again, hehe)

Despite how rough they can be with you, they always take incredibly good care of you afterward, staying to clean you up and hold you close, reminding you how much they love you.

You’re always in the middle when cuddling afterward, as they refuse to touch each other more than absolutely necessary, but you don’t complain, just happy to be held and fall asleep safe between your two strong men 🥰

and now some angst, because that’s what I do:

When you and Dain came back from RSC, bloody and limp, Xaden took care of both of you, finally showing some love to Dain and taking pity on him, helping bandage his wounds and wash the dried blood from his skin.

Eventually Xaden starts distancing himself from the two of you, worried that Dain will read his memories either on purpose or by accident, and find out about his dealings with the gryphon fliers, which you have no idea about.

He plays it off as being busy with third year / wingleader stuff, and you and Dain don’t think anything of it; Xaden has always been withdrawn, never the type to share his thoughts unprompted, and he likes to spend time alone.

When Violet bonds with Tairn at threshing, you realize how Xaden had felt when he realized you and Dain were tied together, only you were less angry and more sad.

You knew this would happen, that Tairn would have to choose a rider eventually, but it still hurt you deeply. Dain held you all night, whispering sweet things to you while you cried and promising that he would never ever leave you.

You decide to rip the bandage off first, finding Xaden alone a few days later and telling him that for the sake of all four of you and your dragons, this should end here.

He agreed quietly, giving you one last kiss and holding you for a few minutes before finally letting go.

When Basgiath found out about the revolution, about everything going on beyond the wards, the two of you didn’t hesitate to follow Xaden to Aretia — he may no longer be yours, but you still love him and would gladly fight by his side until the end of your days. 💔

#xaden riorson #dain aetos #xaden riorson x reader #dain aetos x reader #fourth wing #fourth wing x reader #reader insert #mine

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teenageread · 4 months ago

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Review: Fourth Wing

Initial Thoughts:

Recommended by a friend, and it was a wild recommendation worth every page. Rebecca Yarros introduces us to the world of Dragon College, where death rates and graduation rates seem to be competing. From the lengthy introduction to the map at the beginning, you can already tell this is going to be a long and epic series. Yarros grips readers not only with a captivating plot but also with well-developed characters. The story features a physically weak but mentally strong heroine, a dark and brooding bad boy love interest, dragons, and rich history. There’s so much to love about this long, dark novel, with just the right amount of smutty romance to offer hope for true love. It’s fantastic, and one I’m grateful my friend recommended. This book, which won the 2023 Goodreads Award for Best Romantasy, is definitely deserving of the praise and highly recommended.

Characters:

Violet Sorrengail is a character to fall in love with. Though physically weak—she has brittle bones and easily torn ligaments—Violet is mentally strong. She was never meant to be a Rider, but after the death of her father, her mother, General Sorrengail, forces her into this role, just as she did with Violet's older sister, Mira, and her deceased brother, Brennan. This dynamic shows just how complicated Violet’s relationship with her mother is, while also highlighting the bond between the sisters. Violet may be fragile physically, but she’s sharp, witty, and compassionate, particularly towards her friends.

Violet’s childhood best friend, Dain, becomes an unlikeable character as he constantly tells her she doesn’t belong in the Riders Quadrant, even as she proves him wrong time and again. His protective instincts go too far, and he’s unable to see just how capable Violet is. Enter Xaden Riorson, the dark and brooding bad boy with a tragic past. His father led the rebellion that Violet’s mother crushed, resulting in Xaden being forced into the Riders Quadrant to prove his loyalty to the crown or die. Despite their history, Xaden doesn’t hate Violet, and their relationship follows the well-loved enemies-to-lovers trope. As Yarros delves into Xaden’s past, you start to see his vulnerability—his heart may be dark, but it’s also big, and he’s willing to risk everything for the right cause, even if it means breaking the rules.

Plot:

As mentioned, this novel is set in Dragon College, a place where dragon riders are trained. The story follows Violet’s journey from her arrival at the college to surviving brutal training and even more brutal classmates. One of the biggest events is the Treashing, where students bond with a dragon—or die trying. But the Treashing only happens in October, and there are still ten months left in the novel after that. So, while bonding with a dragon could have been the central plot point, Yarros keeps us on our toes with other events like squad games, war games, and the challenge of manifesting a dragon’s power. Death rates at the college are high, and Violet’s survival is constantly at risk, whether from her peers or her dragon. It’s a dark, action-packed world, and it’s clear that Violet’s not meant to make it, yet she keeps proving everyone wrong.

Writing:

At over 500 pages, this novel is long, but Yarros does an excellent job of keeping the plot moving, even with the slower moments that build the world. Like most fantasy novels, there’s a lot of world-building to do, from the complex governmental system and quadrant codex to the backstories of the Sorrengail and Riorson families. This takes time, but the journey is well worth it. The writing is clear and easy to follow, even with the fantasy names and terminology. Yarros keeps things engaging through character development, interactions between friends, and the growing tension between Violet and Xaden. Big events like the Threshing keep the action flowing, and the novel ends on a cliffhanger, making it clear that this is the start of an epic series. I can’t wait to read what comes next.

Conclusion:

There’s very little that Yarros doesn’t hit with this novel. It has romance, action, dragons, and fantasy that’s off the charts. Those smutty scenes add just the right amount of tension and heat to make the long journey worth it. This is a book I would definitely recommend, as Yarros' writing completely pulls you into the world she’s created. Like Violet, you’ll want to see justice served in a world that’s seen too much cruelty—and, of course, you’ll want to root for the boy who doesn’t yet see his worth, but you know he has so much to offer.

#Fourth Wing #Rebecca Yarros #book reivew #book reccomendation #teenage reads

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bepop-moon · 1 year ago

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!!SPOILERS!!

The Fourth Wing review !!!

WHAT. I just finished the fourth wing like 5 minutes ago and i NEED to talk about it before i go to the store and buy the second book.

- I am an ultimate book-lover and it takes a lot for me to dislike a book so this is just gonna be filled the positive things that i loved

I’ll get nerding about the world-building out the way first

So for starters, this book was so well written. As a fantasy lover, i’m a sucker for a well-built fantasy world. I loved how without being too heavy on description Rebecca managed to describe the world beautifully and naturally. I love how developed the history and culture is, the religion and beliefs and values.

I love Rebecca’s take on dragons. The idea of bonding and the mental communication and emotional connection. I don’t know how original it is but it was so well-done in this story. The design of the dragons and the different species are not overcomplicated and the way she wrote it made it easy to understand. I love the descriptions of the dragons, but also (this is just my opinion) i love that Rebecca didn’t shy away from the sheer size of the dragons. Ik in fantasy there are no rules about species like this, but in all folklore and mythology dragons are like, huge, and not enough books show that.

Overall, the world building is 10/10 and perfectly woven into the story.

Things that had my jaw on the floor

Something that had me ✨flabbergasted ✨ was the small details Rebecca snuck in there unnoticed. Now i was kicking myself when it came to Violet finally finding out her signet was lightning and Xaden tells her he suspected it from the first time they kissed. I went back and realised that in that scene lightning was striking. I usually pick up on these things 😭😭

Another example is- and this one hurt me physically because i realised like the paragraph before they said it- all the times dain “caressed her cheek” or “cupped her face” the actual vulgar little maggot (i hate him). I hate that they didn’t finish him off in this book and i so hope that Xaden or Violet ends him when they get back. if not i will.

Also, the ENDING??!! THE LAST FEW LINES??!! HELLO?!?!? I did call it though as soon as she woke up and Xaden looked at her wound and it was all healed up, i was like woah hang on i thought this was the venins poison. But I WASNT EXPECTING TO MEET HIM. I do want to just say that it really ticked me off because i don’t believe Xaden knew Brennan was alive but didn’t tell violet. I want to think he found out when he got there but i think he mentioned knowing this was the place to come or something. They must have a bloody good reason to be keeping this one ☝️

The characters 🥺🥺🥺

i was in love with EVERY single one of the characters. I love how every character was focussed on at one point or another so you could connect with all of them. I love the entire groups chemistry. I think an easier way to explain would be to go through them individually:

VIOLET- So, i made a post when i was in the early chapters of this book about how she annoyed me. She was very much a stereotypical “aren’t i just��‍♀️…too small and weak🥺to play rugby👉👈” kind of girl, and i could see myself disliking the book if it kept up. I also said i can see how, if done correctly, she could have the BEST character development and gods, it didn’t disappoint. Rebecca showed Violet growing mentally and physically in a really real and natural way. It was forced, rushed or skimmed over. It was really a big part of the whole story, and i really loved it. Violet is my short, feisty girlboss and she’s litterally my idol. I volunteer as tribute guys, i will join the riders quadrant to be with her 😔😔. Dw, I can replace Liam. I love her sarcasm. She’s litterally me if i had confidence. Her chemistry with everyone else is on point.

RHIANNON- So dispite the fact that I was pronouncing her name wrong for a good chunk of the book, THIS GURL IS ONE OF MY FAVS. Everyone needs a friend like Rhi, period. She’s also a bisexual queen (** i will lead into this later) which makes me love her even more. Massive crush. She’s so badass.

RIDOC- okay now hes just a cutie patootie 🥰🥰 like “YES THATS OUR GIRL” when Vi beat the gauntlet had my heart melting. I want one. i want a ridoc. He’s my under appreciated baby.

THE OG GANG (Vi, Rhi, Ridoc, Sawyer)- I honestly wish they had more time. I could never get enough of them. The chemistry 😭 get me a friend group like this.

LIAM- i cried. no sorry i balled. like omg why was taking him like that necessary 😭😭 But i did know he was gonna die cuz i remember when he gave vi the wooden tairn he made, i said to myself “uh oh he’s too nice he’s not gonna live”. The emotional attachment i had to this man. But besides that, the whole backstory of him and Xaden being his foster-brother and the two of them having gone through so much together was soo good. I’m so glad Xaden was given a character to fall back on, and in a sad way, i’m glad that his loss was what made him break in the end. He stayed so strong for both Violet and Xaden. He’s so loyal and sweet, there is nothing not to love about him. RIP 🩷🩷🩷

XADEN- Where do i even start with this man. just love. love love love love ❤️ Ngl, i didn’t like his description and his initial impression looks-wise which (silly me with my high fictional person standards) put me off him for the first part. But- i made a post about this aswell- i think that’s just me personally not liking big, tall, dark, hunky men. I couldn’t picture him correctly. That is until i went onto pinterest and started picturing a slightly more buff Zayn Malik with fluffy hair and reading-glasses that i liked the sound of him a lot more. OkOk besides looks, I think Xaden is my favourite character. He was so compassionate to Violet as they got closer, and just every small thing he did i loved. I mostly loved how gift-giving is his love language. Okay let’s list off the things Xaden gave: The dagger, the saddle, flowers, dick, coffee, head, his jacket, more daggers. lol anyway he had it made just for her 😭😭 So i love how we got to see him and his high defences all come crumbling down at the end. He knew he messed up when he kept secrets, and the way he was like “i will try every day for the rest of my life to make you trust me again”. The battle- Liams loss and thinking he lost Violet must’ve affected him so much i just wanna give him a big hug. AND HIS CHAPTER AT THE END 😭 i squealed when i saw it was his perspective. i want more of that ngl. When he said he felt unloved since his father died. He’s a little bundle of trauma and i love him for that. Angst aside, the pet name, the banter, the mind talking thing THE CHEMISTRY AHHHH. Best boy.

The Family trio (Liam, Xaden, Bodhi)- their connection was so cute and refreshing. It was so nice to see Xaden have people he can rely on other than Vi, and they are so iconic. I wish they got more time. I also wanted to see more of Bodhi and how he dealt with Liam’s loss. It was all very Xaden-heavy. Let’s not forget about him 🥺

The cool bois 😎 (Xaden, Garrick, Bodhi)- Honestly, i bet they act like young teenagers. I like to imagine them getting extremely competitive over a card game like dobble or smt and flipping the table. The way Garrick and Bodhi both always had Xaden’s back, keeping his secrets, knowing his history, which he doesn’t tell many people. They also quietly had Violets back too, when they cleaned up her room after her attack in the night, and then hauled in a new armoire after their.. evening together. They are also funny and Garrick and Bodhi are so quick to defend Xaden in a rlly wholesome way.

Sex 🫢

Okay so this is a fun one 🤩 First i’ll talk about sexuality in this book and the representation. Although this is just a small detail my queer ass naturally picks up on, is how i love that sexuality isn’t an explicitly identified thing in this world, it just is what it is. You sleep with who you sleep with, you love who you love. It’s not a labelled thing. Rhiannon slept with tara- normal. Then she slept with Sawyer- normal. Ridoc slept with some older guy idk- normal. Ridoc then made jokes about sleeping with violet. normal. It’s just so natural and normalised and i like that she didn’t read too deep into it. that’s all. And also the Non-binary (again not labelled) rep with i think their name was Heaton? idk but i like never see they/thems in books so it was kinda nice. I think it’s a nice thing about creating a fantasy world, you can litterally portray things like this however you want, because it’s your fictional society, and you can give them whatever norms and values you want.

Ok smut 🫣. The book had good smut, a dedicated smut chapter, and a lot of steamy moments after that. But i won’t lie to you, the main smut scene was giving edward cullen destroying the bed 😥 like ngl i was scared- and then the lightning?!? girl- anyway it was wild. I like how Xaden was openly humble, reluctant to go any further in fear of “taking advantage of her after a shit day”, He cares so much 🥺❤️. The consent was a nice part. And then another thing, that kind of relates to what i was saying about the perks of being able to create the norms of a fictional society, is how they both mentioned they were on fertility surpressants. Both of them, not just her. I liked that small detail. OTHERWISE I WAS LITTERALLY SCARED FOR HER LIFE ON THAT SCENE😭😭

My only complaint about this in particular, some might disagree is that as much as i like smut in a book, i prefer it a lot more when it’s evenly split with fluff and wholesome cuddles and forehead kisses and stuff. It was just a very sexual-heavy relationship. Although, it’s understandable considering they ARENT ACTUALLY DATING !!!

Just some other things i liked:

- Tairn and Andarna 🥺 They are so cute just eeee!!

- Golden one and silver one

- “violence”

- Jesinia, using sign. love 👏the👏inclusivity👏

- The way the storyline all came together at the end. It’s just the best feeling when you read a book and you’re getting the ending and you can see all the small details tying together perfectly, and Rebecca did SUCH a good job at that

- I love the note at the beginning saying “the following text has been translated..” because it adds such a cool small layer of depth to the whole story

- How Rebecca showed violets trauma. She couldn’t bring herself to show weakness in front of others so she runs away to somewhere where she knows she can be alone to cry. How everything comes crumbling down on her when she sees mira again. How she panics when someone she loves is at risk. How she has flashbacks when she killed Barlowe. Beautiful 😍

- Jack’s death being her discovery of her signet and a big moment for her, how it was ruined by the fear and instant trauma of killing him (lol he had it coming)

Complaints !!

I don’t think i have many complaints about this book at all, only that all the guys look the same with different hair colours 😭 i said earlier about how i don’t like the stereotypical buff protective guy and that’s what im imagining them all as. More male diversity. Obvs i mentioned the lack of fluff. Probably could’ve done with more angst.

also dain was the biggest ick from the start

The next book???

I CANT WAIT!! i’ll probably stop by and buy it tomorrow. There are a few things i’m interested in:

-Brennan 🧍‍♂️

-Xadenviolet fixing itself

-Torturing Dain 😍

-The REBELLION!! hunger games who? violet everdeen who?

something i do hope is that it continues right where it left off, because istg if rebecca decides to do something clever and introduce a whole new set of characters and not even MENTION my babies until like the end of the book i will come to her house and scrap her (a formal threat). I hope it will be just as good as the first one!! it was very quick to be released but i bet she has a trilogy or series or something lined up she will be popping out soon. I don’t see Iron Flame being the last book of the series.

Conclusion 🤩🤩💃🕺

10/10 would recommend to young-adult readers!! It just had the perfect blend of, fantasy world, storyline, romance, plot twists and action that a story could have. Will give me so much daydreaming material to work with. Very inspiring for my own fantasy world aswell !! lots of small details to take inspo from and a very cool world to explore. The whole Xadenviolet arc from start to not-so-finish is annoyingly touching and Dain is just annoying!! (i hate him)

If you got this far thanks for reading :) xx

#book review #the fourth wing #xadenviolet #violet and xaden #fantasy #fantasy books #dragons #tfw #rebecca yarros #iron flame

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meggoreads · 2 years ago

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Meg Thinks: Fourth Wing

So, I finally read the second coming of Christ on BookTok. Let's talk about Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing. (Warning: possible spoilers ahead)

First, I was fully under the impression that this was firmly in the adult fantasy genre, but it was a YA fantasy with a NA hat on.

Did I still read it all in two days? Yes. 👀 But maybe it was easy to fly through because I've read these scenes thousands of times before.

It was a trope heavy book that is marketed as about dragons but the dragons take up maybe 10% of the book and feel more like comic relief characters. (They were still my favorite)

Since the author says this is going to be a 5-6 book series, I’m hoping this first book was her finding her footing and each book gets progressively better, but seeing as how the next book is already slated to come out before she's had a chance to read literally any of the constructive criticism, I highly doubt it. (I mean, I'll probably still end up reading it because I vehemently hate being out of the loop)

Things I Liked:

The dragons, obviously

The bonds and the signets

Liam :,(

Things That Need To Be Improved:

The romance, it was boring. Stop leading me on with "This guy literally hates my guts and wants to murder me" only for him to have been in love with the FMC the entire time. I also hate when the main love interests get together in the first book. Where was the build-up???

Relationships and general characterization. Aside from Violet, Xaden, Liam, and Dain, I know next to nothing about any of the characters. Why should I care about any of them? The book was so large, but we barely got any scenes of Violet getting to know her squadmates. Or she could reminisce on her past with Dain, her mother/sister/brother.

Rhiannon seems so suspicious. Please write her better.

Violet's condition. What is it? How does it effect her day to day life?

World-building. I'm not hating on it as much as everyone else is because it's fantasy and the author can do whatever they want. I just think we need more lore because all I'm imagining is Attack on Titan with dragons instead of titans.

Things I Didn't Like:

I'm not a fan of the MMC's name starting with an X (or Z) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Griffins. Without spoiling the ending, how are we supposed to believe griffins have any kind of power against literal dragons??

What even is the Gauntlet? T_T

There was a lot of complaints about the cursing which I didn't notice in the first half of the book, but it was very heavy in the second half and quite jarring

Show Don't Tell. Show us how Violet is smart. Stop telling the reader everything.

I felt like I was reading AoT, Divergent, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and any SJM book all in one. It's fine to take inspiration, but this was just... a lot.

(Also this is what I imagined the Venin looking like)

Overall, it was a fairly addicting read and even if something is not a literary masterpiece, I like being a part of the book community and getting in on all of the memes and discussion. Which can be harder to find for more of the well written books in the YA/NA/Adult Fantasy circles.

Here's to hoping Book 2 has more dragons and a better storyline.

#meggoreads #megreads #megthinks #fourth wing #rebecca yarros #violet sorrengail #xaden riorson #tairneanach #andarna #dragons #new adult #booktok #books #fantasy #romance #smut

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mistwraiths · 2 years ago

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4 stars

I really enjoyed this, mostly because I LOVE dragons and there absolutely needs to be more dragons in fantasy books. Was this the greatest thing I've ever read? No. But if you like romance and dragons, and simple fantasy setting, I think you'll like it.

When I didn't think too hard about the worldbuilding, the plot itself and its holes, the history of the world, or the mechanics of this world, I liked the book better. That sounds like a bad thing to say. This book has fantasy but it doesn't really buckle down on it because it's more focused on Violet and Xaden.

What I mean is: I don't understand what the war is about or for?? Like they're stopping gryphons and their riders attacking or something?? Why?? But also there's a treaty or something??? They trade certain things but apparently that doesn't stop the war? This has been going on for 600 years but some things have happened over time like the treaty. There was a rebellion not long ago but we aren't told what for. (I know now at the end but not even a good made up reason is given???)

I don't understand how the wards work. How they're created? How they're created? The magic is described enough but like so there's ~wild magic outside the wards and only dragons can channel magic within wards and through people and it won't kill their soul or whatever. It's all a little confusing.

I don't understand the tone either. Is this kind of medieval Europe vibes? But why is the dialogue so modern?? It gives me ACOTAR vibes where its fantasy but modern feeling/writing and its palatable. I prefer my adult books to be more adult-y I suppose?

Parts of this book feel very similar to a mix of books. Quadrants where you are either Healer, Scribe, Rider, or Infantry feel almost like Divergent-y. Violet's brown hair going to silver through the length felt reminiscent of Mare Barrow and then her power literally being lightning felt like Red Queen-ish. Xaden with his dark hair and golden skin and being tall and his shadow wielding powers felt a lot like the usual love interest of any popular book right now. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this book.

To me, I did feel like the pacing was off. The first 200 pages or so was very enjoyable, with her struggling and making friends and trying to survive and claim a dragon. But after that, this book dragged quite a bit. A lot of the scenes felt like they went on for longer than needed. Once she gets a dragon, it's mainly about Xaden and her. I was under the impression that this was meant to be a military fantasy type book, like we were going to like get battles or like discover that the leadership was hiding things. There's like... one scene where Violet and Liam find something about a outpost and the teacher doesn't say anything about it. And they are confused for the page, and then promptly nothing else happens. The way we learn about what the book mentions of the secrets the leadership is hiding and her suspecting isn't really her suspecting at all? She sees it firsthand at the VERY end. It just felt like a misdirection in the summary.

I do like Violet. Is she frustrating at times, yes, but I found her to be a good MC and to actually be smart and tough and capable. I love that the book SHOWS me she's smart, it doesn't just tell me or have her ask a million questions to be answered by the love interest. She's a good person and compassionate. The whole two dragons bonding was a little eyerolling to me but whatever. To be honest, the only annoying thing about her was her not thinking Xaden didn't care for her/love her, when she gave Dain a million chances, and at the end where she acted like everything was lies.

I do like that the book highlights her differences and while there is ableism the book always shows how terrible and shitty it is. I say differences because it mentions that she's sickly but also her joints are weak and pop out/bones break easy but it never specifically states what she suffers from. Maybe it mentioned she's chronically ill but she never shows pretty much any symptoms. She talks about being in pain too. But she's never sick in the books and her bones aren't like glass. So, it did kind of feel disingenuous with its representation to me. She does have to train to get better but everyone has to do that.

There's a big part where it mentions she can't make jumps/pull herself up because not only her disability but she's short. How short is she? Are there NO other short people who experience that problem too about the vertical ascent? Also, a big majority of the book focuses on her being unable to keep her seat on a dragon. It's mentioned MANY people fall to their death. Um?? Why not make saddles a regular thing? It's been 600 hundred years and there's no advancements???

Xaden was good, we don't really get to know him a lot. Other than Violet being immediately hot for him, that's pretty much all we get until we slowly see he's a decent and good guy. I do respect that he never tries to make choices for Violet and he treats her like she can handle herself and helps her. I really admired his loyalty to all the rebellion kids and how he feels responsible for them. It's absolutely asinine and ridiculous that people make children suffer for the actions of their parents. It honestly makes me wonder about how great the dragons REALLY are when they're marking children and going along with it.

I'm also really glad that this was never a love triangle. She shut that shit down so fast. Dain was literally the WORST friend and just so god damn awful nearly every time. And like HE KEPT SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD about literally everything.

Big spoilers ahead

When we find out the truth that Xaden's been keeping, Violet acts like it's SUCH a huge betrayal and she hates him because he didn't trust her, etc. Let's not forget that they haven't REALLY been together together for not even 24 hours yet. Plus, like... that's SUCH a huge secret. You have to slowly really trust someone because it could endanger SO MANY PEOPLE. This isn't a "don't tell people I met with a group of other rebellion kids to help tutor them through the year" kind of small secret. This is a EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS A LIE AND YOUR FAMILY IS COMPLICIT AND PEOPLE WILL DIE IF TOLD kind of secret. I'm not saying she doesn't have a right to be angry. HOWEVER, I think she could be more "I'm angry that you didn't feel like you could trust me, but I understand how big and hard of a secret this is."

Also, we don't know for SURE if Dain did steal memory from her or not. I absolutely wouldn't put it past him to be honest and wouldn't be surprised if he did. HOWEVER. There's a mention that specifically states that command and leadership didn't expect the rebellion kids to survive and bond dragons, and states specifically that they aren't quite sure what to do with them! Xaden and his third years are the first about to graduate!! It makes more sense to me that leadership just either set them up to die because it was an easy solution. Especially since we did have that scene where Violet tells Dain to never take without permission and without asking and he's like omg I didn't ask?? And apologizes. Doesn't mean he DIDN'T DO IT I'm just throwing it out there. It's all just speculation.

I do think I'll keep reading the series whenever the next book comes out. I'm interested and I like the dragons and characters.

#rebecca yarros #fourth wing #steph's book review #steph reads #book review #2023 reads

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