Fourth Wing summary:
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
Note: The below article is filled with spoilers, so please avoid reading if you haven’t read the book yet.
Fourth Wing characters.
Who is the main character in Fourth Wing, I hear you ask? The main character is Violet Sorrengail, who narrates nearly the majority of the book, as well as Xaden Riorson, who narrates a small sliver toward the end and is Violet’s main love interest.
Below is a list of all the Fourth Wing characters that play a decent or minor part and physical character descriptions of our main ones:
Violet Sorrengail:
“She picks up the end of my long braid, scoffs at the section just above my shoulders where the brown strands start to lose their warmth of color and slowly fade to a steely, metallic silver by the ends, and then drops it. ‘Pale skin, pale eyes, pale hair.’” (Violet/Lilith [General] Sorrengail)
“My eyes are just as indecisive, a light hazel of varying blues and ambers that never seem to favor either color.” (Violet)
“I’m too short. Too frail. what curves I do have should be muscle, and my traitorous body makes me embarrassingly vulnerable.” (Violet)
Xaden Riorson:
“He’s tall, with windblown black hair and dark brows. The line of his jaw is strong and covered by warm tawny skin and dark stubble, and when he folds his arms across his torso, the muscles in his chest and arms ripple, moving in a way that makes me swallow. And his eyes… His eyes are the shade of gold-flecked onyx. The contrast is startling, jaw-dropping even—everything about him is. His features are so harsh that they look carved, and yet they’re astonishingly perfect, like an artist worked a lifetime sculpting him, and at least a year of that was spent on his mouth.”
“Even the diagonal scar that bisects his left eyebrow and marks the top corner of his cheek only makes him hotter.”
Tairn (dragon)
Andarna (dragon)
Sgaeyl (dragon)
Deigh (dragon)
Liam Mairi
“The guy is massive, as tall as Sawyer and as built as Dain, with light-blond hair, prominent nose, blue eyes, and the sprawling rebellion relic that begins at his wrist and disappears under the sleeve of his tunic gives his mission away.”
Rhiannon Matthias
“Her dark brown hair is worn in several rows of short braids that just touch the equally dark skin of her neck.”
Ridoc
Sawyer
Dain Aetos
Mira Sorrengail (Violet’s sister)
Bodhi
Garrick
Imogen
Jack Barlowe
Tynan
Oren Seifert
Luca
Pryor
Aurelie
Trina
Nadine
Dylan
General Lilith Sorrengail (Violet’s mother)
General Melgren
Colonel Aetos
Commandant Panchek
King Tauri
Professor Kaori
Professor Emetterio
Professor Carr
Professor Markham
Professor Devera
Amber Mavis
Quinn
Emery
Heaton
Cianna
Jesinia
Soleil
Syrena
Captain Fitzgibbons
Brennan Sorrengail
Nolon
Winifred
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Fourth Wing dragons.
There’s no doubt about it. The dragons in Fourth Wing are central to the story, but more than that, they are one of the book's ingredients that makes it such a powerful and spellbinding read. In this book, there are three dragons we really get to know. Keep reading to learn more about the main Fourth Wing dragons, followed by a complete list of all the dragons (names and types) we encounter in the first novel of The Empyrean series. And if you’re looking for how to pronounce Tairneanach or Andarnaurram, I recommend watching this video.
Tairn (full name Tairneanach): Black morningstartail.
“My name is Tairneanach, son of Murtcuideam and Fiaclanfuil, descended from the cunning Dubhmadhinn line.”
Tairn is one of the deadliest dragons in Navarre and the most celebrated in the Vale. He’s an enormous black morningstartail dragon with golden eyes and hard-as-stone scales, and pointed spikes that ripple down most of his neck like a mane. More than just power and might, Tairn’s personality is unbothered and full of wisdom, wit, snark and sarcasm. He values cleverness, strength and courage, choosing to bond with Violet Sorrengail when she defends young Andarna from death. He would not hesitate to burn anyone to cinders that dares to threaten Violet. Sgaeyl is his mated pair.
Tairneanach originates from Scottish Gaelic and means “thunder.”
2. Andarna (full name Andarnaurram): Golden feathertail.
Andarna is a small shiny golden feathertail dragon with golden eyes, only a few feet taller than Violet, with a forked tail and paws, rather than claws, when we meet her. She’s one of the youngest dragons to have ever bonded a rider, choosing Violet Sorrengail after she defends her. Her parents passed before she hatched, and as a result, she has a lot of dragon elders who’ve taken her under their…er, wing. This precious gold dragon is gentle, sweet, protective and nurturing. What will be interesting to note in the next books in this series is to watch her evolution as she “matures” into a fully-grown adult dragon.
Andarnaurram also originates from Scottish Gaelic and means “the second honour.”
3. Sgaeyl: Blue daggertail.
Sgaeyl is a fierce navy-blue daggertail, the rarest of the blues, with knifelike spikes at the tip of her tail that can disembowel an enemy with one flick. Sgaeyl is the most powerful of all the blues in active service, according to Professor Kaori. She has golden eyes, glistening blue horns and the tip of her wings’ top joint is crowned by a single fierce talon. Blue dragons descend from the Gormfaileas line, and are known for their formidable size. Sgaeyl chose Xaden for the scars on his back and the fact that he is the grandson of her second rider, the one who didn’t make it through the quadrant. Tairn is her mated pair.
Check out the immensely talented @paintfaery’s interpretation and artistry of Tairn, Andarna and Sgaeyl below - click the side arrows to view all the slides:
Full list of Fourth Wing dragon names & types.
Tairneanach aka Tairn, Black Morningstartail (bonded with Violet)
Andarnaurram aka Andarna, Golden Feathertail (bonded with Violet)
Sgaeyl, Blue Daggertail (bonded with Xaden)
Deigh, Red Daggertail (bonded with Liam)
Teine, Green Daggertail (bonded with Mira)
Feirge , Green Daggertail (bonded with Rhiannon)
Aotrom, Brown Swordtail (bonded with Ridoc)
Sliseag, Red Swordtail (bonded with Sawyer)
Cath, Red Swordtail (bonded with Dain)
Codagh, Black Swordtail (bonded with General Melgren)
Claidh, Orange Daggertail (bonded with Amber Mavis)
Fuil, Brown Clubtail (bonded with Soileil)
Chradh, Brown Scorpiontail (bonded with Garrick)
Baide, Orange Scorpiontail (bonded with Jack Barlowe)
Aimsir, Brown [TBC] (bonded with General Lilith Sorrengail)
Smachd, [Color and type TBC], (bonded with Professor Kaori)
A complete chart of Fourth Wing dragon names, types, riders, colors & signets.
Beware: Semi-spoilers below!
Curious to know which dragon Violet bonds with in Fourth Wing? The short answer is that she bonds not one but two dragons, Tairn, a fierce black morningstartail, and Andarna, a sweet, golden feathertail.
For more information on every Fourth Wing character’s dragon pairing, here is a handy chart and cheat sheet for every Fourth Wing dragon name, dragon type, color, rider and signet. Remember, this is what we know only for Book One of The Empyrean Series, I’m sure we’ll be able to fill in the gaps when Iron Flame is out.
*Some Fourth Wing signets mentioned below are inferred from the book but inconclusive.
Fourth Wing spoilers & FAQs.
Major Fourth Wing spoilers alert below.
Got a burning question about Fourth Wing that you need the answer to?
Who does Violet end up with in Fourth Wing? Who dies? Who survives? Who gets a dragon? What on god’s green earth are mage lights?
Okay, I don’t know the answer to the mage lights one yet, sorry. But for everything else, worry not! The below frequently asked questions and answers are Fourth Wing spoilers for anyone who wants to find out the juicy details early on and or skip to the end.
WARNING: This section is filled with major Fourth Wing spoilers. You probably already guessed that.
Whose dragon is Solas?
Speculation is rife that it is the new Vice Commandant’s dragon. However, we’ll have to find out in Iron Flame, book two of The Empyrean, coming out in November 2023. In the meantime, you can read an extremely frustratingly smallish sneak peek from Iron Flame here, shared exclusively with Today, regarding the dragon, Solas, from Iron Flame.
Whose is Sloane?
Sloane is Liam Mairi’s sister. Looks like she makes it across the parapet, according to the teaser!
What dragon does Violet bond with in Fourth Wing?
Violet bonds with two dragons in Fourth Wing:
Tairn, a black morningstartail, and the fiercest dragon in the vale
Andarna, a young-ish, sweet golden feathertail dragon
How does Violet bond two dragons?
Violet defended Andarna against three bullies intent on killing the little golden dragon and Violet. However, fierce blue daggertail, Sgaeyl is quite fond of little Andarna, therefore she and her rider, Xaden were watching, unable to intervene according to the rules.
With Andarna’s life in peril, Sgaeyl called her mate, Tairn, to help defend Andarna from the bullies, being fond of the little gold dragon. Once Tairn got there and witnessed Violet’s courage, he chose Violet as his rider all on his own, as too did Andarna (to Violet’s surprise).
There has never been a case of two dragons selecting the same rider, and therefore, there is no dragon law against it. Thus, with dragon law overriding human law, Tairn’s and Andarna’s choices stood.
Is Fourth Wing spicy?
Fourth Wing can definitely be considered spicy, with some pretty explicitly detailed scenes from making out to sexy. However, I wouldn’t consider it smutty, more of a medium level of spice, where the plot is a lot more important than the sex scenes.
The Fourth Wing age rating is definitely R18+!
Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶
2.5-3/5, mild to medium spice
What are the spicy chapters in Fourth Wing?
For all the steamy scenes, here are the Fourth Wing spicy chapters, varying from kissing and non-explicit to the more explicit side:
Chapter 22: An extremely steamy, lust-filled kiss (descriptive, but no sex).
Chapter 30: Quite the explicit, descriptive scene of Violet and Xaden finally hooking up. 🌶
Chapter 32: A passionate scene following Violet’s admission of those three little words for Xaden. 🌶
How many books will be in the Fourth Wing (aka The Empyrean) series?
Rebecca Yarros has confirmed there will be five books in the Fourth Wing series.
What is Violet’s signet?
Violet’s signet (a power channelled through her dragon) is wielding lightning.
In what chapter does Violet get her signet?
In chapter 22, when Violet and Xaden share a steamy kiss for the first time and unleash their inhibitions, a flash of light burns behind Violet’s closed eyes, followed by the boom of thunder. This is when Violet officially first unknowingly gets her signet power. However, it’s not revealed that the lightning and thunder are her signet power manifesting until later chapters.
In chapter 29, when Jack Barlowe attempts to kill Liam Mairi, and Violet channels her power and emotions, she, as the narrator, realises her signet — lightning wielder.
In what chapter does Violet get her dragons?
Violet gets Tairn, her black morningstartail dragon, in chapter fourteen.
In chapter fifteen, Violet also realises that Andarna, the golden feathertail dragon, has chosen her when Andarna speaks to Violet in her mind, telling Violet her full name, Andarnaurram, insisting Violet tells the roll-keeper her full dragon name.
How old is Violet in Fourth Wing?
Violet is twenty years old in Fourth Wing.
Who does Violet end up with in Fourth Wing?
Dain or Xaden? Xaden or Dain? That is the question. Drumroll… Violet ends up with Xaden in Fourth Wing. Dain Aetos turns out to be an overbearing, controlling traitor.
What is a parapet?
Lots of mention of the parapet in Fourth Wing, from the heart-pounding beginning sequences, to the romance. The parapet is almost its own character in Fourth Wing, symbolic of new beginnings and grim endings, and a key catalyst to driving the plot. But what actually is a parapet?
From Merriam Webster:
1
: a wall, rampart, or elevation of earth or stone to protect soldiers
The invaders fired arrows over the castle's parapet.
2
: a low wall or railing to protect the edge of a platform, roof, or bridge
called also parapet wall
The visitor peered over the parapet with binoculars.
What LGBTIQ+ rep is there in Fourth Wing?
There is decent LGBTIQ+ rep in Fourth in a number of characters:
Rhiannon is bisexual
Ridoc is queer
Heaton is non-binary
What are the tropes?
Enemies to lovers, forced proximity
Dysfunctional family
Betrayal
Underdog and overcoming adversity
Love triangle (mildly)
Who dies in Fourth Wing?
Ouch. This one hurts to answer. Major spoiler alert, but I guess if you’re determined to read this, I can’t stop you from wanting to learn who dies in Fourth Wing. Here is the list of Fourth Wing major deaths:
Dylan
Aurelie
Liam Mairi & Deigh
Trina
Jack Barlowe
Oren Seifart
Tynan
Pryor
Luca
Soleil
Amber Mavis
Fourth Wing book review.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.25 stars.
Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶
3/5, medium spice.
If Daenerys Targaryen was blended with Katniss Everdeen, as well as Storm from the X-men (perhaps even a sprinkle of Hermione Granger), then you might be able to get a feeling for our main character Violet Sorrengail.
Fourth Wing is set in Basgiath War College, a world not too dissimilar to Panem with elements of Hogwarts and Ninja Warrior, with dragons, and includes a big dash of spice.
What sets Violet apart from other comparatively cunning, compassionate and courageous heroines, though, is that Violet is differently-abled, with a type of connective tissue disorder that could be representative of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a hereditary disorder and chronic illness caused by a defect in collagen, which is essential to strong bones and cartilage. Quite a unique skew on your lead female heroine trope. This chronic illness is undoubtedly a cause close to author Rebecca Yarros’ heart. #OwnVoices.
The book is a romantasy that I definitely enjoyed and must admit I devoured pretty quickly, I can understand the hype, though I can also see a few areas which could be strengthened.
Semi-spoilers below, stop reading if you’re not into that!
Liked:
I particularly loved the dragons and the world of magic they bring. Just adored Tairn and Andarna, their individual grumpy and sweet personalities and that they can communicate with their one chosen human.
The world-building was excellent, and always appreciate a book that has a map.
The banter was snappy, mostly, although it read more YA. (There also may’ve been a cringe line or two, but I’m still bucketing it as mostly good.) A lot of use of the f-word, which I didn’t mind, although others may not like it.
Usually not one for extremely typical tropes such as enemies to lovers and love triangles, however, I didn’t dislike them.
There was also decent diversity representation from a few angles: LGBTIQ+ rep, differently-abled rep, race diversity and religious diversity.
BIG SPOILERS BELOW: STOP READING RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT.
What I thought could be strengthened:
I am deducting a star because I thought some of the plot points towards the end were just a bit formulaic-predictable. Nonetheless, they were executed well.
I was sad that because of the formulaicness mentioned above, we had to lose a likeable Fourth Wing character Liam Mairi and Deigh, with the same ruthlessness that George R.R. Martin occasionally exercises in A Game of Thrones, where he builds your emotional attachment to a character and then annihilates them along with your heart. Notably, losing Liam was not Red Wedding ruthless, maybe not Ned Stark ruthless either, but regardless, it destroyed me. Did we really need to do that? Cheap shot. My heart legit hurts. Yes, I’m allowed to deduct points for that.
A few of the bullies were a bit of a caricature, like Jack Barlowe. Or maybe he is just a psychopath with no villain backstory? I dunno.
Xaden went from being a mysterious and intriguing character in the first half to a tropey love interest, maybe it’s because the romance felt a bit too instant for me, considering that Violet’s mother killed Xaden’s father, who killed Violet’s brother or something like that.
Overall…
However, it’s an entertaining light read, so if you like The Hunger Games, Divergent, dragons, Harry Potter and magical boarding schools, etc., you’ll probably like this -- a big part of my enjoyment from reading this book came from nostalgia for those books, and I will definitely read the second book, Iron Flame, coming out later this year. Thanks for reading my Fourth Wing review and Ted Talk.
PS. Get in the bin, Dain Aetos.
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Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
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