I’m Less Frustrated With Violet’s Iron Flame Grudge After Remembering 1 Fourth Wing Detail

Violet’s grudge against Xaden in Iron Flame became less frustrating to me after I reminded myself of one detail from Fourth Wing. Violet in Fourth Wing was such a compelling character to me due to her intelligence and ingenuity. She was not only a calculating fighter, but a strategic thinker who understood the deadly situation she found herself in and the consequences of making a wrong move. So, when I began Iron Flame and Violet’s grudge against Xaden went on for a bit too long, I became frustrated.

Violet and Xaden’s relationship became romantic rather quickly, so I was not surprised that there was trouble in paradise towards the end of Fourth Wing. That being said, Violet’s grudge against Xaden for lying to her became more and more frustrating to me considering Violet’s character. Though some of that frustration lessened as Iron Flame went on and will likely not return due to Iron Flame’s ending, it still bothered me. However, Violet’s grudge against Xaden, while frustrating, began to make sense to me as I recalled one important part of her character and story arc.

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Violet’s Grudge Against Xaden In Iron Flame Is Frustrating (But It Makes Sense)

Xaden Had To Lie To Violet To Keep The Rebellion Safe

Violet’s grudge against Xaden in Iron Flame was primarily frustrating to me due to what exactly Xaden kept from her. Throughout their relationship in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, Violet and Xaden’s story is one of finding love in war. Violet is able to cope with the realities of war because Xaden has accepted them and, though not always the most sensitive, is able to help her. When it was revealed that Xaden is the leader of a secret rebellion with the fliers, I figured Violet would understand why he lied due to this, but was sorely disappointed.

Violet, even after saying she understood at the end of Fourth Wing, still spent most of Iron Flame wondering if she could trust Xaden. She did not seem to stop and consider that Xaden was keeping secrets because revealing them would cost thousands of lives if they fell into the wrong hands, which Dain proved, resulting in Resson. His own trauma also factors in, as his father died and Aretia was burned to keep Navarre’s secrets. I could not wrap my head around Violet’s grudge until I remembered one key part of her character that finally made it make sense.

I’m Way Less Annoyed With Violet After Remembering 1 Fourth Wing Detail

Violet Is, At Her Core, A Scribe

Iron Flame makes Violet’s need for information and past in the Scribe Quadrant a key point, making her grudge against Xaden make more sense. Despite the fact that Xaden had good reason to lie, Violet is a Scribe at her core. She admits several times in Iron Flame that she needs information to function, and that knowledge has and always will be her weapon of choice. Xaden’s betrayal was just one more nail in the coffin of things Violet thought she knew but actually did not, resulting in her grudge.

Fourth Wing showcased the death of every truth Violet knew. She thought the fliers were the enemy, only to discover that the venin are real. She thought Basigath’s archives were complete, only to discover that they had been heavily censored. Then she discovers that Xaden, someone who truly knew her, is also wrapped up in this web, which is the final straw for her already broken heart. This is why Violet uses her mental box, why she holds that grudge. Iron Flame is Violet coming to terms with her new reality and, though it is not graceful, it is realistic.

Iron Flame (2023)

Publisher(s)

Red Tower Books

Publication Date

2023-11-07

ISBN#

9781649374172

Author(s)

Rebecca Yarros