Onyx Storm Brought Back A Part Of Violet I Thought Was Lost

Onyx Stormsaw Yarros’ Empyrean universe greatly expanded, with the Ridoc-coined “quest squad” exploring the isles for answers about the venin and allies in their fight against them. These chapters were some of the most gripping in the novel, testing Violet’s intellect, leadership, resilience, and strategy. Although there are plot problems in Onyx Storm, these adventures were a highlight. Violet’s cunning gives the quest squad almost as much plot armor as Ridoc’s uncanny luck.

After the challenges Violet faced in Iron Flame, leading to many reader criticisms of her struggles, her character growth shines in the third book of the series. This has lead to theories and predictions for the next Fourth Wing book. My favorite parts of Onyx Storm were moments where Violet seems several steps ahead of the reader, whereas it has often been the other way around previously. Her setbacks have contributed greatly to how her character now presents.

Fourth Wing’s Violet Showed Shrewdness And Cunning

Violet Has The Mind Of A Scribe

A major part of Violet’s background is that she always intended to be a scribe before her mother forced her to train to be a rider. Violet’s former scribe identity is vital to the beginning of Violet’s journey, as well as being a great technique for Yarros to write an exposition. Violet recounts the history of Navarre as a way to calm herself down when she is distressed, such as when she is crossing the parapet in Fourth Wing.

Her intelligence and strategic mindset keep her alive while she builds her physical strength...

Her voracious reading serves her well in Fourth Wing - by expanding her herbalism knowledge with the help of the Book of Brennan, she can even the playing field by poisoning her opponents. Although, as Xaden points out, she cannot use this approach in every situation, her intelligence and strategic mindset keep her alive while she builds her physical strength. She can also read between the lines of the Rider’s Codex, having the “mind of a scribe”.

Violet Seemed To Regress In Iron Flame

Violet's Disillusionment And Trust Issues Are A Key Setback

Iron Flame is perhaps the most divisive book in the series so far. The second book of Yarros’ Empyrean series is one of growing pains, both intellectual and emotional. Because Violet’s intellect is such a big part of who she is, emphasized by characters around her repeatedly referring to her as smart, her seeming to have less insight than in Fourth Wing is part of showing her world has been turned upside down. Her need for full disclosure from Xaden only amplifies her growing desperation for stability and self-assuredness.

Violet is great at memorizing historical “facts” about Navarre, so learning that so much of what she has been taught is a lie is bound to make Empyrean’s protagonist lose confidence. Important things to remember from Iron Flameinclude her intellectual feats,translating an ancient text and figuring out how to raise the wards, but there were equally many moments I felt she was understandably floundering. Rebecca Yarros has spoken on this aspect of the novel and her way of showing that the hero does not always come out swinging (per Variety).

Violet’s Cunning Returned In Onyx Storm

Her Scribe's Mind Shone In The Quest Squad Adventures

Although Violet is still going through one destabilizing experience after another in Onyx Storm and has plenty of reasons to struggle mentally, she is still the quick-thinking heroine I grew to love in Fourth Wing. One of my favorite parts of Onyx Storm was Violet’s major strategic feat in outsmarting Faris and the other Hedotics in chapter 35. Her ingenious planning - or, as Andarna phrases it, “scheming” - is what saves Garrick’s life.

It is the integration of her mental and emotional intelligence in this part of the book that stands out. Rather than simply having booksmarts, she can recognize that for Faris, it is an emotional issue that stops him from standing down, so appealing to his logic would not have made a difference. This shows great character growth, as Violet and Xaden’s romance has to develop a lot of emotional intelligence throughout Iron Flame.

Her excellence as a tactician also shines in Onyx Storm. In battle strategy classes, Devera often calls on Violet to speak about what approach she would take. Violet is not perfect - perhaps because there is so much else going on, she is not as assertive as she could be when she realizes Xaden is reading her mind in Onyx Storm. However, Violet not becoming a Mary Sue is vital to Empyrean remaining a compelling read.

I Hope Violet Has Her Strategic Edge In Empyrean Book 4

Violet's Request For A Memory Wipe Hints At A Grand Plan

Onyx Storm’s shocking ending, which has inspired huge Onyx Storm theories, included her memories being erased by Imogen at her own request. Some clues as to what happened in the last 12 hours were a ring on her finger and six missing dragon eggs. The display of Violet’s strategic mind throughout the novel makes me hopeful that she had full agency over what transpired in that lost time and that despite the memory loss, Violet will use her dreamwalking abilities strategically in book 4.

Considering the disillusionment Violet has experienced so far, requesting that Imogen erase her memories is a huge leap of faith. This bodes well for her continued growth. It would be great to see Violet having agency over the plan the reader doesn’t get to see at the end of Onyx Storm,and see her one step ahead of the reader and Onyx Storm’s venin in the next book. Her second signet reveal will be another aspect of Violet’s identity that she will harness and grow in the next book, making her cunning scribe’s mind her biggest asset once again.

Source: Variety