Iron Flame Live Reactions: Chapters 26-28
Sep. 17th, 2024 12:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaChapter opens with a quote about how healers are bound to the Code of Chricton and swear to never harm anyone, whereas menders are riders and only answer to the Codex. I assume this chapter will get into whatever fuckery Nolon was up to.
All Violet's friends are immediately plotting to kill Jack Barlowe which, fair, he sucks and was a homicidal maniac from day one. No reason to think a near-death experience has improved him.
Battle Brief continues. There was an unprecedented attack on one of their largest outposts yesterday, involving three whole drifts. Which is a lot, I guess. Violet starts trying to work out which one in her head, but she's wrong: it was Samara, where Mira and Xaden are stationed. VIolet panics and reaches out to Tairn, to confirm that Xaden and Sgaeyl are all right, as the class goes on. Before he responds, she sees the professor scratch the side of her neck where Xaden's relic is, assumes this means that Xaden is the sole injured rider, and sprints out of class to meet Tairn.
Okay, so in a previous chapter it seemed Violet had realized something about this Professor Devera, and I recall her being a little subversive in a previous lecture, but we still don't know what, exactly. This is aggravating, because this is a first person novel and I think it's cheap to hide things from the readers that we really should know by dint of the POV. I assume that Devera is a secret rebel, though, from the context clues.
And the chapter's over! Who edited this book and why didn't they consolidate the fucking chapters?
Next chapter. Violet's in Samara. Violet is telling herself that her raw panic is all Tairn's feelings bleeding over and has nothing to do with her own feelings for Xaden. I do like that bit, it feels like a real bit of denial. Violet runs into the fortress after security finally lets her into the outpost and after a brief conversation with Mira, starts looking for Xaden.
Xaden is completely fine and is sparring with another rider. Violet is not fine, though, because she's not shielding well enough to block out Tairn's panic.
Side note: I still don't know how I feel about the dragon mating stuff. Like why do they mate in pairs so strongly they physically cannot be apart? It feels like plot convenience, mostly because we know so little about dragon culture.
Violet is freaking out, so Xaden rushes over to hold her. He tells her it's not like her to be impulsive, which is very funny. They get into the shower and Violet gets soaked in cold water, which finally lets her regain her shields.
At which point Xaden does this:
Violet has a point here. What jacket she's wearing is like the least of their problems, and also they are broken up right now. They argue more, Xaden is happy that Violet was worried about him, turns out he was critically wounded but the mender fixed him so he's fine now.
I don't know why Violet persists with this bullshit argument. Xaden has been extremely obvious about his feelings from like the first chapter of this fucking series. She's supposed to be an emotionally intelligent person. She should have picked up on this by now. Also Xaden was just seething in jealousy over her wearing another guy's jacket, what about him is cool and collected? Remember back in Fourth Wing when he murdered a bunch of guys? What?
They're making out in the shower now. Ew. They have another tedious argument about nothing, I don't even understand what either of them are upset about, and then they decide to fuck. Points for consent? I guess?
Chapter over. Dear god, can we have one chapter that contains more than a single short scene? Fine! I'll keep going!
Next chapter. Violet ruminates that because she and Xaden are assumed to be together, and their dragons are a pair, no one cares if they go on a midnight flight together.
Really? You're both members of the military, on assignment, one of you ran out without leave, and the outpost you're at was just attacked and has higher security than usual? But no one cares if you both play hooky? Even though one of you is the son of a famous rebel?
The book is bad again, guys.
Violet and Tairn banter a bit. Tairn is overprotective, but honestly, he's so over the top about everything that he's kind of fun. And he's not a love interest, so it's less annoying. I wish there were more dragons in this book. Tairn agrees to fly Violet so they can accompany Xaden to the secret dropoff of weapons to the gryphons, but won't let her dismount in case she gets hurt.
Xaden meets with Syrena, the gryphon flier, and her squad.
Oh, no. Oh, nooooo.
Xaden is pissed because the gryphon fliers nearly killed him, and warns them that if they start stealing weapons from Navarre he'll cut them off. I'm on the gryphons' side here, not going to lie. Violet points out that if they damage the wards that protect Navarre, the venin will take Basgiath, where all the weapons are actually forged, drying up the supply and powering up their enemies considerably. Logic! From Violet! Yay!
I complain but this is actually a good conflict! Xaden has a point, but so do the gryphon fliers, and you can see both sides of their argument. There's not an obvious solution, either. This is a layer of complexity that's interesting.
You know what's not interesting? The way this scene is all about another evil woman being interested in Xaden. Why does every popular romantasy have some random misogyny in there?
Anyways, Xaden's been working on building his own forge, but he's not ready yet.
Ooo. On one hand, foreshadowing! On the other hand, of course he wants Violet.
Anyways, they saddle up to head out, but not before Violet discovers the evil woman, Cat, is actually the mysterious woman from Xaden's past Bodhi mentioned a few chapters ago. Yep, it's time to introduce...Xaden's past flame, who is no doubt just here to make Violet look better. Yaaaay.
Welp. Kind of a mixed bag, these chapters. All of them are really short, but at least the plot is moving forward in this last one and we're finally getting into the conflict that the series is ostensibly about. Xaden and Violet's relationship is nauseating, but whatever, maybe now that they're back together (are they?) we can stop reading their asinine arguments about Violet refusing to say "i love you" or whatever the fuck they're about.
All Violet's friends are immediately plotting to kill Jack Barlowe which, fair, he sucks and was a homicidal maniac from day one. No reason to think a near-death experience has improved him.
Battle Brief continues. There was an unprecedented attack on one of their largest outposts yesterday, involving three whole drifts. Which is a lot, I guess. Violet starts trying to work out which one in her head, but she's wrong: it was Samara, where Mira and Xaden are stationed. VIolet panics and reaches out to Tairn, to confirm that Xaden and Sgaeyl are all right, as the class goes on. Before he responds, she sees the professor scratch the side of her neck where Xaden's relic is, assumes this means that Xaden is the sole injured rider, and sprints out of class to meet Tairn.
Okay, so in a previous chapter it seemed Violet had realized something about this Professor Devera, and I recall her being a little subversive in a previous lecture, but we still don't know what, exactly. This is aggravating, because this is a first person novel and I think it's cheap to hide things from the readers that we really should know by dint of the POV. I assume that Devera is a secret rebel, though, from the context clues.
And the chapter's over! Who edited this book and why didn't they consolidate the fucking chapters?
Next chapter. Violet's in Samara. Violet is telling herself that her raw panic is all Tairn's feelings bleeding over and has nothing to do with her own feelings for Xaden. I do like that bit, it feels like a real bit of denial. Violet runs into the fortress after security finally lets her into the outpost and after a brief conversation with Mira, starts looking for Xaden.
Xaden is completely fine and is sparring with another rider. Violet is not fine, though, because she's not shielding well enough to block out Tairn's panic.
Side note: I still don't know how I feel about the dragon mating stuff. Like why do they mate in pairs so strongly they physically cannot be apart? It feels like plot convenience, mostly because we know so little about dragon culture.
Violet is freaking out, so Xaden rushes over to hold her. He tells her it's not like her to be impulsive, which is very funny. They get into the shower and Violet gets soaked in cold water, which finally lets her regain her shields.
At which point Xaden does this:
“You didn’t get leave?” His voice lowers to that dangerous tone that terrifies everyone in the world besides me. “When you already know that Varrish is going to—” His words die abruptly as his focus drops to my shoulder. “Who the fuck’s flight jacket are you wearing?”
“Really?” I throw my arms out, happily letting the warmth soak into me. “It has third-year rank, Fourth Wing insignia, and a section leader designation. Who the hell’s jacket do you think I’m wearing?”
His jaw ticks, water streaming down his face.
“It’s Bodhi’s, you territorial asshole!”
Violet has a point here. What jacket she's wearing is like the least of their problems, and also they are broken up right now. They argue more, Xaden is happy that Violet was worried about him, turns out he was critically wounded but the mender fixed him so he's fine now.
“No!” Of course he doesn’t get it. His life might depend on mine, but he doesn’t feel the way I do about him. He wants me, even said he fell for me, but he’s never said he loves me. “I’m not mad at you for not being hurt. I would never want you hurt. I’m pissed at myself for being so reckless, so wrapped up in you, having such little control over my emotions that I just ran after you like… like…” Like a lovesick little fool. “And you, you’re always calm, collected, and in control. You would have waited for all the information, and you sure as hell never, ever would have let Sgaeyl’s emotions take over—”
I don't know why Violet persists with this bullshit argument. Xaden has been extremely obvious about his feelings from like the first chapter of this fucking series. She's supposed to be an emotionally intelligent person. She should have picked up on this by now. Also Xaden was just seething in jealousy over her wearing another guy's jacket, what about him is cool and collected? Remember back in Fourth Wing when he murdered a bunch of guys? What?
They're making out in the shower now. Ew. They have another tedious argument about nothing, I don't even understand what either of them are upset about, and then they decide to fuck. Points for consent? I guess?
Chapter over. Dear god, can we have one chapter that contains more than a single short scene? Fine! I'll keep going!
Next chapter. Violet ruminates that because she and Xaden are assumed to be together, and their dragons are a pair, no one cares if they go on a midnight flight together.
Really? You're both members of the military, on assignment, one of you ran out without leave, and the outpost you're at was just attacked and has higher security than usual? But no one cares if you both play hooky? Even though one of you is the son of a famous rebel?
The book is bad again, guys.
Violet and Tairn banter a bit. Tairn is overprotective, but honestly, he's so over the top about everything that he's kind of fun. And he's not a love interest, so it's less annoying. I wish there were more dragons in this book. Tairn agrees to fly Violet so they can accompany Xaden to the secret dropoff of weapons to the gryphons, but won't let her dismount in case she gets hurt.
Xaden meets with Syrena, the gryphon flier, and her squad.
My chest tightens. The way she looks at Xaden isn’t just doe-eyed. There’s an unmistakable longing there, a hunger that has me blinking. It’s like she’s been trudging through a desert and he’s the oasis.
She looks…like how I feel.
Oh, no. Oh, nooooo.
Xaden is pissed because the gryphon fliers nearly killed him, and warns them that if they start stealing weapons from Navarre he'll cut them off. I'm on the gryphons' side here, not going to lie. Violet points out that if they damage the wards that protect Navarre, the venin will take Basgiath, where all the weapons are actually forged, drying up the supply and powering up their enemies considerably. Logic! From Violet! Yay!
I complain but this is actually a good conflict! Xaden has a point, but so do the gryphon fliers, and you can see both sides of their argument. There's not an obvious solution, either. This is a layer of complexity that's interesting.
You know what's not interesting? The way this scene is all about another evil woman being interested in Xaden. Why does every popular romantasy have some random misogyny in there?
Anyways, Xaden's been working on building his own forge, but he's not ready yet.
“Completing a forge?” Cat chances another glare in my direction. “Viscount Tecarus would strongly argue with that statement. You’ve had not one but two chances to acquire the luminary, and it’s not like you haven’t had what he’s asked for both times.”
“Out of the question,” Xaden bites out.
“You’re willing to let our entire kingdom fall prey to these monsters because you’re what?” Cat asks, cocking her head at Xaden. “Smitten? Please. I know you better than that.”
“Cat!” Syrena snaps.
My stomach lurches. “What the hell is she talking about?” Ludicrous as it might be, I think…it’s me. What the hell would I have to do with a Poromish viscount?
Ooo. On one hand, foreshadowing! On the other hand, of course he wants Violet.
Anyways, they saddle up to head out, but not before Violet discovers the evil woman, Cat, is actually the mysterious woman from Xaden's past Bodhi mentioned a few chapters ago. Yep, it's time to introduce...Xaden's past flame, who is no doubt just here to make Violet look better. Yaaaay.
Welp. Kind of a mixed bag, these chapters. All of them are really short, but at least the plot is moving forward in this last one and we're finally getting into the conflict that the series is ostensibly about. Xaden and Violet's relationship is nauseating, but whatever, maybe now that they're back together (are they?) we can stop reading their asinine arguments about Violet refusing to say "i love you" or whatever the fuck they're about.
