Let’s talk about Iron Flame / Fourth Wing Book 2 review [part 2] 

Its not that all the marked kids have second signets. Its because Sgael was bonded with his direct grandfather before him.

I always saw through Lilith's coldness. I knew she was so hard on her kids with good intentions and a plan behind. I never understood the reader's hatred towards her, how none could see through!

there are a lot of theories about violets second signet, and these are my thoughts about it so let’s have a look at the dragons sgaeyl means shadow tairn means thunder and andarna means pomegranate, and pomegranate symbolizes RESURRECTION AND LIFE EVERLASTING this is clearly a pattern, some people are also saying Liams signet is ice bc he is seen wielding ice in the battle-also deigh means ice. So if the names of the dragon mean the signet they channel and anadarna basically means bringing someone back to life, it’s quite clear then that violets signet is resurrection. Further proof to this theory is that when violet is being tortured, she sees Liam (who is dead!) and feels like she is hallucinating, but what if she could actually see and talk to Liam from the underworld (or wherever malek’s realm is) but wasn't able to bring him back bc she wasn't trained with the signet and was incredibly weak at the moment, this could also answer why the venin sage wanted violets power badly. For all the people saying she had taken the serum and couldn’t reach the power, maybe the serum was powerful enough to smother one dragon bond (it is said that the only bond bigger than the one of rider and dragon is the one of mates so it would need a lot of power to smother it) but not enough for two dragon bonds- violet doesn’t reach out to anadarna bc she is in the dreamless sleep. for the people saying violets signet is amplifying signets, I don’t think so, because andarna is said to be unique and it is also said she spent 600 years hatching and is a whole different breed that can camouflage so it would mean she channels a really powerful signet like bringing someone back to life. andarna had the power to stop time, and I think bringing someone back to life is basically defying the rules of time as well bc people live for a certain amount of time before dying and there is no way to increase this time or even stop it--but isnt that what anadarna can do? anyways these are just my opinions! No hate to anyone, hope this helped ✨

We are forgetting that this book is told from Violet's perspective, her mother's actions would seem cold to Violet. Add on the fact that, Lilith has ingrained herself in this conspiracy to lie to the entire continent aof bout the existence Venin and their whyvern. So, any compassion Lilith shows towards her children is often compartmentalized with her fear that she might let something important about the conspiracy slip. Therefore in any interaction with Violet or Mira is always very cold astute befitting her military rank. We only see the veneer of composure totally slip when Lilith finds out Brennin is a alive. By then Violet has no choice but to trust her assumptions given all that is happening and no direct communication with mother. I believe you're right in saying that this change in Lilith comes out of left field because Violet feels the same way. We won't ever know how mother truly felt about her unless we get a prequel from Lillith's perpective.

I was soooo over the drama between Vi and Xaden in this book! And all the map details. It was sooo long of a book, I had a huge headache trying to separate the important details from the fluff detail.

Guys, does anyone else want to help me unpack when right before Violet had to go down the resurrect the wardstone Xaden claims that the Sage/general was after him? ……..

I forgot if Violet gained a second signet from purple bby [edit] Andarna, but if not yet - what if her second signet is resurrection and she will use that in order to heal Xaden by "killing" him with the Venin killing knife and curing him that way, and then use that signet to bring him back?

I hope I am wrong about this (so so much) but considering… Andarna being a 7th, Violet have 2 dragons, Xaden being Venin… Venins can’t die when their dragons do… I have this awful feeling that Rebecca is setting us up for Tairn and Sgaeyl’s eventual death.

Completely agree about Violets mum, it was very weird and inconsistent for the character

Violet and Xaden are endgame. BUT. They die together hence why Jesinia translated fourth wing not Violet

Is it just me who thinks Xaden going to die, but she manages to live because she has another dragon?

Yes I love Andarna she was adorable with the whole "I want to battle too!" like she's just a perfect character, her dialogue with Violet (ick hate her) is just hysterical. I think there's not enough dragons in the books for it to be a dragon series. I was so annoyed with fourth wing I legit threw it down many times because of dumb stuff that pulled me out of the story that didn't make sense. Also the fan-fiction style smut, is mega ick! Like, get some class lady there are better ways to write that stuff, very cringe-worthy on some of the choice words. There's just too much trope-filled Xaden (ick on the name soooo tweeny Twilight wannabe?) but he's better written than Violet, his dialogue is fantastic. Whereas Violet is soooo idk annoying? She comes off as so "tough" at times and so nonchalant but then here Xaden's going to carry her everywhere and bring her flowers (insert eye roll, I mean can u see Xaden walking around with flowers? 😑) its a death factory as the fliers say, come on flowers? kill me now! Idk so many out-of-character moments but anyway I skipped a lot of the fluff too, probably missed a lot but like having a nerdy librarian wannabe as the main character is just boring! Like she read constantly and we had to read with her like wtf I'm reading a book within a book-snooze fest!

Every single "big reveal" in this book fell so flat for me. I found myself just going "oh. well yeah, obviously". And don't get me started on how annoying violet and xaden were.

I didn’t think Lilith was the bad guy that she was portrayed to be, from one of the excerpts in the start of one of the chapters(can’t remember which one :) ) which was a recommendation from Lilith to not execute the kids of the rebellion parents as the kids shouldn’t suffer for parents action.

This is a theory based off of real life. I don’t think it will happen cause this book is far from real life, but in reality here is a strong possibility when it comes to your first love. Younger women are always attracted to the bad boys and the ones that are not good for them. It is apparent that Dain represents the good guy long time friend and Xaiden represents the bad boy. What if (mind you I am speculating. I know I am going to catch flack for this) she has to suffer through not only a more toxic relationship with Xaiden cause he is no longer human. That separates from her bond with him cause as you pointed out causes decay. Then she she has to kill him. Then the Good guy. The one who always takes a back seat. The one who cares for her more than anything and is always willing to take the back seat for her is there for her. Then they grow that relationship and Dain is the one who she ultimately ends up with. This is actually an extremely common trope (because it happens in real life like 90% of the time). Prime example is in the hunger games. I came to the realization that this series is a mixture between the hunger games and Divergent with a blend of Inheritance and Songs of Chaos (first two are fantasy romance the next two are fantasy dragons). Just my highly unlikely but predictable theory.

I really wanted to like this book but the constant fighting over the same thing was exhausting to read. All the moments they were spending a part and together were wasted with violet being angry ( unnecessarily in my opinion) with Xaden. Violet’s lack of character development is frustrating.

I hated the romance in this book, especially in the first part. Violet acted like spoiled teenager from LA, not twenty something cadet from war college with death possiblity every day! I was on Xaden side all the time, with Violent throwing tantrums for the unnecessary drama i felt tired....also wasn't surprised by plot twists at all, but to be honest at the end thought that she will become venin or will be kidnapped by the Sage. And wouldn't that be even better???😊

Thank you for reviewing and your thoughts! 💜 I had so much thoughts about the theories in that book after reading the first one and the fact that most of my ideas even didn't were included in the book, like there's no room for the information about the Violet's dad, about why exactly Andarna was 'left behind' as she's saying, why the hell the journals of the Six are different but in the same place and what happened to the communication of them, WHY THE KING HADN'T DONE something to find his son, like why Sloane wasn't preparing to the riders quadrant and then suddenly with no words about motivation decided to become one, why in the world would Xaden could be engaged with the Cat and not explain this properly to Violet, why on Earth we don't see the proper explanation of the politics and the people roles/job of the Revolution, whaaat happened with Lilith and her son so she would sacrifice him? - that feels exhausting. I'm overwhelmed by the fact that I was reading this book for 25 days literally because I could stand only tiny tiny bit of their communication. But! I loved this one, hahaha. Really, I enjoyed it for a lot of time, so I gave this book 4/5.

Okay. Very logical reason on why jack barlowe and Xaden could be a venin within the wards. It’s because they’re not wholly venin, they still have their signets or dragon magic and, thus allowing them both to be a venin within the wards. Or their soles aren’t completely venin or corrupted like the venin we’ve seen previously.

Wait, where does it say that all of the marked ones have a second signet?

Violet will find a cure

I think Xaden became Venin after he fought the leader of the Venin’s and killed him.

I read an interview with Yarros, there is scheduled to be seven books in this series. Violet’s second signet will be revealed in book three, which she said is hinted at in Iron Flame. There is supposed to be more background revealed on Xaden’s home area, too. I liked the book more in the second half. I, too got real tired of the arguing between them. Glad that they quickly recovered after his second signet revelation. I don’t know what will heal him, but I am sure that book 3 will probably have he and Violet trying to find a cure. Also, Yarros said becoming a venían happens in stages, so Xaden is in the first stages. But if you recall that’s why they are staying at the college, with the wards up it’s the safest place for Violet against him. Yarros also said that Violet’s dreams were actually Violet seeing through Xaden’s connection. I think venín are dead, like zombies. Remember, while she was reaching out to him when she was powering the stone she felt him dying. He told Jack that he’d rather die than become a venin and Jack basically joked you already did. Also, I hope Xaden doesn’t become evil and her villain as Jack eluded, but there were hints that Violet may make some sacrifices for love. I want them to be end game, Xaden has a line where he says there’s no path that doesn’t lead to them being end game and I hope that is an Easter egg from Yarros. I just can’t see how it will be sustained through seven books!! If they aren’t end game then I will be angry!

I dont understand how the venin are created either!! I thought it was just me 😂 please help in the comments if you know

I think I am here due to the fact that Chapter 65 ends with him saying Violet needs to be scared of him and then in his chapter..... HE IS IN BED WITH VIOLET? That makes no sense? Would he not be in a cell to be safe since all things Venin are unknown so would they not put him in a cell to be safe?

I’m convinced that Violet’s second signet gives her the ability to raise the dead. And Violet’s mother suddenly becoming a nurturing and protective mom who was willing to die to protect her children, felt like a major 180. 😂

I listened to the audiobook and I too completely missed how to venin thing happened

Also, i don't think this is a solid theory, but maybe xadens mother has something to do with the cure.. idk maybe. Also the whole liam thing in the torture scene made me wonder about violets second signet. Because she keeps mentioning malik, and different gods. And MAYBE her second signet has something to do with the gods. Like she could summon liam. and that would then lead to one of the theories i read in the comments about resurrection. Though i dont know if resurrection might be a far stretch. Anddd I also thought about Xaden turning venin. Like I understood that the sage or general (Idk) wanted Xaden to "Turn" and he was clearly trying to manipulate Xaden into turning, then xaden fell to the ground. But remember- he was thought violet was dying. he felt her sacrifice herself, and this made him... hopeless? and he was on the point of burnout. so he didnt have power_-- xaden felt powerless. and i think that was enough motivation for him to "drain" magic from the ground, because he felt like he needed to- therefore turning venin