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Onyx Storm Thoughts!

I don’t wanna say theory because it’s not much of a theory, more just a realization I had. The epigraph at the beginning of Chapter 29 states, “In a culture that worships the goddess of war exclusively, blood is the preferred sacrifice and cowardice is the ultimate sin.” Jack Barlowe tells Violet when she’s integrating him, “Ask me why only initiates bleed.” I kinda think these two might be connected.

My thought is, venin can only bleed as initiates because they haven’t fully sacrificed their souls yet. Once they turn asim or higher, they’ve fully sacrificed their souls to the cause, and therefore can no longer bleed.

I also think the red rims around their eyes have something to do with this. The more of themselves they sacrifice, the redder their eyes turn, indicating their advancement in the ranks. The colour red is typically used to describe blood, so I’m thinking this all relates to some form of symbolism.

Again, not really a theory, just something I thought of the other day and figured I’d share! I could totally see more of an explanation for this being shared in one of the next books though!

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You know Xaden is too enamored on whatever Violet does when he says the line: "You are astonishing."

It happened after she learned to shield the first time. After the journal heist. That first class in Signet Sparring.

That's his home, his peace, his warmth, his air, his light, his love, his Duchess of Tyrrendor. 🥹 No one loves her more than he does love her... and people loves to love her!

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What’s your favourite horror movie? (Fearless spoilers ahead)

Idk probably when Lauren Roberts had Kai Azer’s father (the king) turn him into a murderer and a monster for the good of Ilya only for him to find out that it wasn’t for the good of Ilya at all but for a personal vendetta that the king had against ordinaries because his wife died giving birth to an ordinary who he believed was his daughter but it turns out his wife was actually having an affair and then Kai finding out that the king isn’t even his biological father and the only reason the king tolerated him was because he needed a weapon and he turned Kai into that weapon by torturing him because he was so jealous of the amount of power Kai had and that he could only have an ordinary child only for said ordinary child to become the love of Kai Azer’s life but then murder the king in self defence and the new king (Kai’s brother who taught him how to love) sends him on a mission to hunt down the love of his life and bring her back to face death only for him to finally admit his feelings for her in their last moment of freedom before returning to the castle and then deciding to let her go only for them to be spotted before she can actually leave and then having to watch his brother declare that he’s marrying the love of his life for the good of the kingdom and there’s nothing Kai can do about it and when he finally decides to step up and do something he makes it to the wedding too late and has to watch the love of his life marry someone who isn’t him only for him to then end up killing that same brother he loves so much because he was trying to kill the love of his life.

KAI AZER DESERVED BETTER (yes, I realize he gets a happy ending but still)

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Fearless Spoilers

Not Kai SHOWING UP TO SAVE PAEDYN at the wedding MOMENTS AFTER she says I do. The way I SCREAMED!!!

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Y’all Rebecca Yarros just announced that her son will be starting school at the University of Oregon in the fall and that she always tends to do more events/visits in places where her kids live. That’s two hours away from me and I am so excited!!

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Fearless Spoilers

My mood at the beginning of Chapter 43

My mood in Chapter 45

My mood in Chapter 47 and the beginning of Chapter 48

My mood by the end of Chapter 48

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Me the entirety of Saturday being unable to put down Fearless

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Y’all I just read chapter 33 and I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!

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I just finished my Powerless and Reckless re-reads and am finally gonna start Fearless! Stay tuned for the emotional turmoil I’m about to experience.

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Hi friends! I’m back with another unhinged Empyrean theory so buckle up.

What if the irids have something to do with Dunne? There’s a ton of speculation floating around that the gods have more of a role than we’ve seen so far, and that certain types of dragons represent certain gods. Well what if the irids are somehow connected to Dunne.

Yes, I realize they didn’t find them on Unnbriel (Dunne’s island), but I feel like that would have been way too obvious of a giveaway to who they represent. I think they were probably told to go hide somewhere inconspicuous. Like an island that’s not on any maps.

Points to support this theory:

-Theophanie knows about them. She’s well aware of what an irid is, and is actively looking for Andarna the first time we meet her. Yet she says that Berwyn and the other venin don’t know about Andarna.

-Dunne is the god of war, but ironically, the irids “abhor violence” and are “a peaceful bread”. War and peace are complete opposites and therefore create BALANCE. How many times is that mentioned throughout the series. Andarna herself even says “nature likes everything in balance”.

-When Leothan comes to fire the wardstone, he’s telling Andarna how dangerous Violet is. Andarna replies by saying, “She defends her people. And ours”. I’ve always thought the ‘and ours’ part of that quote was super weird, but this is right after they defend the temple of Dunne from Theophanie. So perhaps the ‘and ours’ Andarna is referring to are the temple attendants of Dunne.

-Finally, Andarna waited 650 years, for Violet, to hatch. She said she heard “talk of a weakling daughter of their general. With the mind of a scribe and the heart of a rider.” What if, the real reason Andarna was able to hear about the rumours, the real reason she felt a connection to Violet, was because of Dunne? Obviously we know that Andarna doesn’t remember anything about her past, but it could just be an innate reflex and she doesn’t even realize it. She also tells Violet, “you are as unique as I am” perhaps referencing the fact that they are both connected to Dunne.

Anyways, that’s all for now!

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Sgaeyl: Are we really going to let Adarna keep Violet?

Tairn: We kept Xaden.

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Weekly Empyrean/Onyx Storm Theories

Hi friends. I can’t believe it’s been 2 months of me posting my theories!

The 7 that I posted are really the most developed/best theories I came up with while reading. I have a few more thoughts/ideas but they’re pretty basic and don’t have a ton of evidence. I’m definitely planning to post them at some point, but I think my weekly theory series is over for now.

Stay tuned for some more super cool content!

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Weekly Empyrean/Onyx Storm Theories Week 7: “It’s yours now”

I think enough people have theorized at this point that Xaden was not talking about Tyrrendor in his note, but about his soul. We know that Tyrrendor is referred to as ‘she’ throughout the whole book, so the soul thing makes sense. This theory isn’t so much about that necessarily but more about what I hinted at in my last post, and how Violet physically has the last part of Xaden’s soul.

The epigraph at the beginning of chapter 62 states “There is no goddess more wrathful than Dunne. Entering Her temple will slice the soul from any attendant who has shunned Her Grace.” I think that’s what happened when they got married. They’re married in Dunne’s temple, and I think Xaden tied his soul to the emerald ring he gave Violet and that’s what he means is hers. That tiny little piece of his soul that’s still ‘him’. In his chapter in the book, when he’s giving in to the darkness, “the last remaining pieces of him” beg him to “save them”. Them being “the people she loves.” Then, when Violet says, “I love you” into the bond, it’s described as “a silken thread of warmth”. Xaden “grabs for that thread with desperate hands, clawing to keep her as more of my pieces are blown away. She is warmth and light and air and love.” He then goes on to tell us. “I love her. That is the emotion I cling to, the fire of pure power burning at the feeling’s edges, and I know if I take it any further, it will be the next and final piece to float away.” So he obviously keeps that one final part of his soul, and in putting it in that ring, gives ‘it’ to Violet to keep safe. His soul gets sliced away from him in Dunne’s temple, because he’s shunned her by being venin. I think we might get a Rhysand situation where Xaden ‘dies’ but then Violet can use that little piece of soul to bring him back.

We can also assume that in chapter 6 when Xaden makes Violet promise to “look after it”, he’s talking about his soul here too. At the time we assume ‘it’ is Tyrrendor, as he was just given his title back.

Another thing that’s mentioned several times in FW, IF, and OS is the classic “You’re going to be the death of me” line. Everyone’s worried about him actually dying, but what if this ties into the whole soul thing. The irids tell us “The power exchange kills the soul one piece at a time, and death has no cure.” She quite literally was the death of his soul. And, following this theory, got the last piece of it in the ring. So maybe that’s what that classic line has been telling us.

This is veering a little, but I think it’s still relevant. There’s a conversation in Onyx Storm when Xaden asks Violet, “You promised to help me protect Tyrrendor, remember?” To which Violet responds, “I remember.” I think the whole ‘remember’ thing is meant to be used ironically. I think, in the two weeks that passes in between the prologue and chapter one, Xaden and Violet have a totally different conversation about what’s actually going to happen to him. During this conversation I think he makes her promise something about looking after his soul, but then Imogen erases that memory. Then, he gives her something new to promise to protect (Tyrrendor) when in reality it’s been his soul all along.

Similar idea to the whole soul thing but not directly related, Theophenie said something about losing her power if she went back to Dunne’s temple. She states, “Do you know the pain of never being allowed to return, of knowing that it would sever the very thing that’s kept me untouchable all these years?” Does this mean Xaden could lose his power if he dedicates himself to Dunne?? Or something like this. I think this somehow ties back to the whole soul thing too.

Some more foreshadowing for the whole ‘soul in the ring’ theory. Xaden literally tells Violet, “I mean it when I say you own my soul”.

More soul thoughts that’s don’t really play into this theory specifically. They’re just more times when ‘soul’ was mentioned that I feel like are gonna be important:

-“For both war and love change souls irrevocably” This epigraph seems super important!! Again, I’m not quite sure for what yet, but it’s definitely telling us something.

-Aaric tells Violet, “You have to protect Dunne’s temple. It’s how you save Tyrrendor” right before they go off to fight the wyvern that crossed into Aretian airspace. Then Violet and Xaden got married at Dunne’s temple, allowing Tyrrendor to be saved. Xaden’s soul was cleaved, meaning he can one day be saved, ergo Tyrrendor is also saved.

-When Xaden and Violet are having sexy time in Deverelli, she describes Xaden as kissing her “like he’s searching for his own soul”.

Anyways, there’s a ton of thoughts in here, but I tried to make it as precise as possible!

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Weekly Empyrean/Onyx Storm Theories Week 6: Zihnal’s Gifts

The first time I read Onyx Storm, I was like ok these gifts have to mean something, like RY would never do something that random. Then RY confirmed in an interview that each gift, did in fact, have a purpose.

So let’s dive into them:

-Violet’s compass. I feel like this one is pretty obvious, and I know a ton of people agree. The compass is “broken” and “doesn’t point anywhere near north” because it’s gonna come into play when she’s trying to find Xaden. There are SO MANY references about direction throughout Onyx Storm. It’s mentioned all the time that ‘so and so is heading East’, ‘we’re travelling north’ and “every bone in my body says to fly south”. I feel like these little hints all just foreshadow into how important the compass is going to be in finding Xaden in book 4. Plus, when Xaden walks out into the hall with Lewellen after arguing with Calldyr, Violet says, “his gaze jumps to mine like a compass pulled north.” That’s pretty compelling evidence if I do say so myself.

-Xaden’s empty box. I think this signifies him losing his soul. The box is empty just like his soul is. It’s also not lost on me that Violet comments, “the glass box from Zehyllna is on his nightstand, and the emerald-hilted Blade of Aretia is resting within. It’s missing a single stone near the top”. This is obviously the blade the gem came from in Violet’s wedding ring (I have whole theory about how I think Violet’s emerald wedding ring contains the last part of Xaden’s soul, but that’s a theory for another time). It’s like the box is holding that last little part of his soul that’s still him.

-Garrick’s rusty bucket. I’m not one 100% sure on this one but I think this could be more foreshadowing that Garrick is the one who turns. He’s given “a rusted steel bucket”, which could coincide with the whole ‘not feeling like he is enough’ theme that Rebecca told us to pay attention to.

-Mira’s wine. To me, this is foreshadowing for the almost death Mira suffers from Theophanie. The red wine represents Mira’s spilt blood when Theophanie slits her throat.

-Ridoc’s kisses. This might be slightly controversial, but even after RY’s admission of how much she enjoys writing Ridoc, what a fun time she had writing him in Onyx Storm and how she’s excited for his future development, I still don’t think he’s safe. I mean she killed off Liam because he was a ‘perfect character’ so just because she loves Ridoc and is excited to expand him, I still think he’s one of the ones who is going to die. This being said, I think the kisses he gets represents ‘the kiss of death’ further foreshadowing him dying. At this point, other than Violet, Xaden, or any of their dragons, I think Ridoc’s death is the one that would get me the most.

-Dain’s slap. I, again, have seen similar thoughts elsewhere, but I think Dain’s slap gave him more power. Sloane says “someone like you shouldn’t have this much power” to him when she’s siphoning his power to Brennan to mend Mira, and I think he got it from Zihnal. I also think his new power is going to be instrumental in helping Violet recover the memories that Imogen erased.

-Aaric’s fractured hand mirror. We learn at the very end of Onyx Storm that Aaric is a precog. I think the mirror definitely foreshadows this. Mirrors are used all the time to depict desires, future wishes, etc, so I think it definitely applies to that. The fact that it’s broken however, is questionable. Typically, a broken mirror is associated with bad luck. Aaric mentions that “I will fight in this war, most likely die” when they’re on Hedotis. I think by this point we’re fairly certain he’s already manifested his signet. So, I think he’s outrightly telling us he’ll die. And the broken mirror is another way to foreshadow that.

-Cat’s ruby necklace. According to one of the epigraphs in Onyx Storm, fliers are given a gem when they graduate. It states that “it should always be worn close to the heart, but if you have not mastered your control, it will only amplify your downfall.” It’s what they go get from Anca, what King Courtlyn of Deverelli requests they bring him, the Amelian Citrine gem of one of the first fliers. I’m not sure what this means exactly, but I do think it has to do with Cat and the amount of power she holds in Poromiel. There are also several other instances throughout all 3 books where certain people are mentioned to have rubies. Violet wins a dagger “with a pretty ruby in the hilt” in one of her first challenges in Fourth Wing. The Duchess of Morraine is said to wear “a giant ruby” AND Theophanie is described to have a “ruby hilted sword” as well. Again, not totally sure how they all tie together, but I do NOT think it’s coincidental.

-Maren’s 2 tunics. We know that Maren has twin brothers, so the fact that she gets 2 tunics makes me think it symbolizes her being a protector over her brothers. Perhaps Zinhal gifted her with luck, that if her brothers wear the tunics he will watch over them for her while she is away.

-Broccoli (Drake’s gift). I’m fairly certain Broccoli was thrown in there as a little bit of a relief character, but I also think he forges the bond between Mira and Drake.

-Trager’s death. While I felt bad for Cat, Trager wasn’t a super important character, or one we were all that emotionally attached to. To me, Trager had to die so that the squad would fly to the tiny island and find Andarna’s kind. It was a sacrifice for the greater good.

Anyways, those are more of my thoughts!

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Weekly Empyrean/Onyx Storm Theories Week 5: Dragons

To preface, this is definitely a little unhinged. I’ve had this thought since reading Fourth Wing for the first time, and actually recently discussed it with someone else, BUT what if the dragons are actually bad???

Hear me out. We learn from Felix in Iron Flame, that dragons use the power of the earth (just like venin do), to help power their magic. If drawing from the Earth makes venin venin, how come dragons can do it? We also learn in Chapter one of Fourth Wing, from the Fables of the Barren, that you can’t draw power from the Earth, WITHOUT being bonded to a dragon. The Fables of the Barren is also mentioned to “demonized dragons”. If everything else in the book is true, why would that be any different? Jack also says in Onyx Storm, “You conveniently see me as the villain, but you’re bonded to two”.

We learn when we meet the irids that their “breed is born for peace, not violence like the others.” They tell Andarna, “You were left behind as the criterion. The measurement of their growth, their ability to choose tranquility and harmony with all living things. We’d hoped you would return to tell us the humans had evolved, and that they had blossomed under the wardstones and NO LONGER USED MAGIC AS A WEAPON, but instead you have shown us the opposite.” Then they say, “and dragonkind has not learned their lesson either.” What lesson are they taking about? Are they using magic as a weapon? The irids continue, and we learn, “You have weaponized your magic. You’ve become the very thing we abhor, the HORROR WE FLED FROM.” If it’s true that the irids left 600 years ago, and 600 years ago was when the first battle with General Daramor and the venin took place, then is this the horror they fled from? Did the dragons (mainly the emperyean) do something bad? You’ve become the horror we fled from. Interesting. The irids continue talking and Andarna asks, “Do you not care that people will die?” To which the irids respond, “Perhaps they should. Perhaps the corrupted ones should devour the land in its entirety. Only when they’re faced with starvation will they confront the evil they’ve become. Either they’ll die off and the land will regenerate, or they’ll confront the abominations they’ve become and change.” What if “the corrupted ones” in this scenario aren’t the venin, but the Empyrean dragons. The irids say that “their offspring could evolve, perhaps”, as an answer to how they’ll change. Then, Andanra asks “is that the dark wielder’s cure, to evolve?” To which the irids respond, “there is no cure.” SO, when the irids say that “they’ll confront the abominations they’ve become and change” but then go ahead and say “there is no cure (for the dark wielders)”, what if they’re talking about the DRAGONS changing, since the dark wielders can’t evolve. I know that’s a whole ton of info, but I think it makes sense. The whole dragons relying on Earth magic, while venin turn evil doing the same thing, has never sat quite right with me. Why is it ok for dragons to do it, but not people???

ALSO, at the very end of Onyx Storm when we find out Panchek is the one who’s been helping the venin, Berwyn stabs his dragon with an alloy hilted dagger. Xaden is shocked and thinks “Berwyn just killed a dragon with a dagger. How the fuck is that possible?” Maybe because the dragons steal the magic from the ground just like the venin, and can therefore be killed in the same way.

To summarize, I think all the dragons initially drew power from the sky. Something happened in the venin war, which caused them to drain from the earth instead, prompting the irid’s to leave due to them disagreeing. Thus giving the dragons and the venin the same power source, and similar qualities.

For example:

-They are completely powerless on the isles, because the land has no magic, whereas the irids are just fine. Same as how they are completely powerless on land that has already been drained, just like the venin.

-They can be killed by alloy daggers, just like the venin.

-Andarna’s fire is the only dragon fire able to scorch the venin, because it comes from a DIFFERENT source than what’s powering them.

-The Irid’s also say “dragonkind has not learned their lesson, either.” Because they’re obviously still using the WRONG magic source.

Some more thoughts that I don’t really know what to do with but also support this theory:

-When they fly to the isles for the first time, and Tairn starts losing altitude, he tells Violet “We draw on magic for strength. I hadn’t realized how dependent we truly are.” Interesting.

-When they’re on the isles, Tairn tells Violet “Andarna shows no sign of trouble”, supporting the ‘drawing from the sky theory’ and then says “I am cut off from my source of power and strength.” Again, cuz it’s coming from the ground.

-In Onyx Storm, when quest squad is resting in Zehyllna before leaving the next morning with Trager and Sila’s bodies, Violet is thinking about how they haven’t found the irids, how Melgren will be furious and how they “Could lose the war to the dark wielders.” Tairn replies, “At least we’re already in with the enemy.” At the time, we’re assuming he’s talking about Xaden, but Tairn is groggy from sleep here and maybe let something accidentally slip?

-When Violet sees the Irid’s for the first time, she tells us “They’re all feathertails” So maybe the tail is what does it? A feathertail doesn’t mean they’re juvenile necessarily, it just means they haven’t channeled from the ground? And they only channel from the sky? That’s why the Irid’s ask her “What have you done to your tail” and “Tell us what they’ve done to you” and are upset at how her tail has been changed. “You have weaponized your magic, even your tail,” is what they tell her.

-In Iron Flame, Tairn tells Violet, “if I could accurately detect wyvern, we wouldn’t be in this position”. Then, later in the book, Andarna tells Violet, “They smell of stolen magic” when she asks if Andarna scents wyvern. Is she the only one who can sense them because her source of magic is different?

Anyways, I don’t think the dragons as a whole are evil necessarily, but I do think there’s more to the story than ‘the venin are the bad guys and the dragons are the good guys.’ Do with that what you will!

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I miss Liam Mairi.

That’s it. That’s the post.

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Weekly Empyrean/Onyx Storm Theories Week 4: Venin Cure

Alright y’all. It’s mentioned several times throughout the book (almost every time Theophanie and Violet talk) that Theophanie ‘has the answers Violet seeks.’ Presumably about Xaden and how to cure him, cause that’s what Violet really wants. If Theophanie has the answers, I think it’s safe to assume that Berwyn does too.

Dreams are also a BIG thing all throughout the series so far. Violet has vivid dreams in Fourth Wing, before even manifesting a signet. When Oren and the un-bonded cadets try to kill her, Tairn wakes her up from a dream. She has the same dream all through Iron Flame (which we now know is actually Xaden’s) and then she manifests dream walking as a second signet. To me, the dream thing is leading up to something. RY is excellent at foreshadowing and planting Easter Eggs, so here’s my theory.

When Ridoc finds out that Xaden is venin, him and Violet are having it out in the woods. They’re arguing and Violet says, “That’s why I have to find a cure” to which Ridoc replies “They just told us there isn’t one.” Violet then goes on to explain that “Everything I’ve done over the last few months, has been … to find a cure for him.” She continues on and says “I don’t have all the answers Ridoc. I just know that I have to find them whether they’re in a forgotten book or some dark wielder’s head.”

So the theory is, that the cure to veninism is in Berwyn’s head. Violet is going to dream walk into one of his dreams, and then find the cure. This would make her manifesting a dream walking signet make a ton of sense, and also explain all the mentions of dreams and why there’s such a huge emphasis on them throughout the books.

Anyways, just an interesting thought I had during my reread!