Violet is having the dream about the venin sage that she's been having for like. 2 whole books. Which she insists is just a dream. Even though we figured out it wasn't the first time it happened. Instead of using her supposedly good brain to figure that out, Violet unwraps last chapter's mysterious package.
pausing the plot for...lingerie )

Violet explains everything to Ridoc off page, because why would any interesting conversation actually be shown to us. Then she asks him to cover for her so she can tell everyone about the irids first. He agrees.
another kind of boring chapter )

“She is not a horror!” I march forward as Andarna’s scales turn black, unable to listen to one more second of this bullshit.

“No, you are.” The male cranes his head in my direction. “She is but what you made her.”
the horror of...not letting the venin kill you? )

So this dragon is speaking to Violet.

Dragons don’t speak to humans they’re not bonded to, yet that deep, gruff voice definitely does not belong to Tairn.
rules? why would the setting have rules? )
The crew flies out to bury the bodies of Trager and Silas.
whelp )


Trager's been murdered in front of them but they can't react or they'll fail this themed challenge. Trager, in case you have forgotten, is a gryphon flier and Cat's new love interest. He's also a guy with barely any screen time who was introduced in this section of the book, presumably so Yarros could kill a named character and not have to murder anyone the reader is actually attached to.
this is bc yarros is a coward )
Barely made my quarterly goal of 50 books.

a lot of katherine addison )

It's dinner time, baby.

the cake is a lie )
Opening quote is about how the Hedotis people value knowledge but are also fake. Cool.

We cut to Violet receiving a tray of snacks from Talia, Xaden's mom, while he stands behind her and refuses to talk to her. This is extremely funny and I am not mad at it.
mom i'm not talking to you )


Do not mistake a dragon’s bond for fealty. If you expect a dragon to choose their rider over the well-being of their own kind, prepare for two things: disappointment and death.

—Colonel Kaori’s Field Guide to Dragonkind

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
are you fucking kidding me )


We've passed the 50% mark. Somehow.

Violet is naturally fighting against the only female warrior the Unnbrish put up. It's not like this woman is described as physically smaller or weaker than the others, so I don't know why the book needed her to be female.

woooo fight scene )
Guardians are no longer permitted to dedicate children in service to their favored deity. The decision to serve the gods for life must be made after the age of majority and of one’s free will.

—Public Notice 200.417 Transcribed by Racel Lightstone
never forget that violet is the protagonist )
Okay, the chapter opens with this quote.

It is unwise to favor one god above another. Better to shun them all than show favoritism amongst a jealous, prodigious pantheon.

—Major Rorilee’s Guide to Appeasing the Gods, Second Edition

you know yarros is a mormon yet she did not bring that energy to these books )
The chapter opens with Violet being anxious about the upcoming mission, because Xaden's eyes have not returned to normal.

I hate that we’ve lied to Halden that this is only the Unnbriel trip, but there’s a growing part of me that just doesn’t care.

He’s a fucking liability.
you hate lying to halden? that's who you hate lying to? REALLY? )





The chapter opens three days later, in fucking Battle Brief. I'm sick of Battle Brief. I need to be free.

It's very crowded, because more fliers have arrived from Poromiel, and it's very stressful, because the venin are advancing in Krovla. Violet feels like shit because she went straight from her mission to class with no break per Aetos.
what is aetos going to do if she misses class? give her detention? )

Forgot to do these back when they were due, but whatever, it's my blog and no one is reading it.

read a decent amount )
Xaden, Violet, and Halden versus three panthers and all the king's men. What could go wrong.

They're trying not to kill any of the opposing guards, in the interest of salvaging diplomacy with Deverelli. Like many writers, Yarros seems to think being knocked unconscious and dying are mutually exclusive options. This is a ubiquitous misunderstanding in media, so I'm not going to hold it against her, but I will say it here: if you are hit in the head so hard you pass out, you can die from that. Sometimes it's a concussion and sometimes it's a fatal hemorrhage! Woo!
ok medical PSA over. let's get to it )



Page generated Apr. 23rd, 2025 09:27 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios