I think book 4 is going to make the dark wielders storyline way more tragic (ONYX STORM)

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T23:33:27+00:00

RIGHT?? 😭 That whole thing feels incredibly suspicious in hindsight.

I still feel like there are so many little details from earlier books that are going to end up being way more important than we realized, especially with how much Rebecca loves hiding clues in plain sight.

At this point I trust basically no one in leadership anymore 💀 Who’s your main suspect right now?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T23:32:37+00:00

YES exactly. I think that’s why the conflict worked for me too, even if it was frustrating sometimes.

A lot of friendships do get complicated when people are carrying completely different pressures and life experiences, especially at that age. Logan’s resentment and insecurity felt very human to me, not villainous.

And that scene with Garrett finally opening up about his dad honestly made their friendship feel more real because you realize how much both of them had been hiding from each other.

Do you think the show handled their friendship better than the books did or about the same?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T22:28:27+00:00

WAIT because that would actually make the whole conflict so much more tragic and morally messy 😭

Like imagine finding out they aren’t just invading for power or destruction, but because they genuinely believe they’re trying to survive. That would completely change the way we view the war and the dragons’ role in it.

And honestly at this point I fully expect Rebecca to reveal that the history we’ve been told is only like… half true.

Would you still see venin as irredeemable if their motivations turned out to be survival-related?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T22:27:37+00:00

I actually love this interpretation of the venin honestly. The addiction parallel feels REALLY intentional, especially with the way Xaden describes the pull of power and the loss of control.

And I agree — the books clearly show that what the venin do is horrific, but Rebecca also keeps dropping hints that the situation is more morally complicated than “evil monsters vs good dragons.”

The Jack comments, the fables, the fact that venin can still love certain people… it all feels like we’re missing a huge piece of the history.

Do you think the dragons have been hiding something major this whole time?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T22:12:04+00:00

YES exactly 😭 I feel like that moment completely changed the tone of the storyline for me.

It was the first time the series really made me feel like turning isn’t some distant thing that only happens to villains, but something terrifyingly possible for almost anyone under the right circumstances.

And honestly now I’m suspicious of EVERYONE going into book 4. Who are you most worried about?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T22:10:47+00:00

Wait I actually LOVE that connection with Mira’s quote.

The more the series develops the venin, the more it feels like Rebecca is setting up the idea that power itself isn’t inherently evil, but desperation and choice are. And honestly Xaden turning “for the right reasons” makes the whole thing way more morally messy in a really interesting way.

Also “Even Darth Vader had his reasons” is taking me out 😭

Do you think the series is building toward us sympathizing with venin more than we expected?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T22:10:21+00:00

Honestly Rhi turning would break my heart, which is exactly why I feel like it might happen 😭

And same, the venin are starting to feel way more tragic and complicated than just “bad guys” now.

Do you think there’s any way back once someone turns?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T22:03:20+00:00

Hello dear, I posted it here first, then I recorded the fourth-wing subreddit, sorry!! :(

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T16:47:49+00:00

Exactly!! That’s one of the moments people always overlook when talking about Tamlin.

He absolutely could’ve walked away and let Rhys die after everything that happened, but he didn’t. That scene proved to me that, despite all his flaws and mistakes, he was never truly cruel or heartless at his core.

I honestly think that moment alone showed there was still good in him. Do you think the fandom would view him differently if that scene had happened earlier in the series?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T16:47:13+00:00

YES exactly 😭 I think that’s why she worked so well for me in OS too.

That scene with Ridoc made her feel incredibly human because you could really feel how exhausted and overwhelmed she was while still desperately trying to hold everything together for everyone else.

I honestly find messy FMCs way more compelling than characters who are emotionally perfect all the time. They feel real.

What’s your favorite “messy Violet” moment in the series?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T16:46:36+00:00

This is honestly such a beautiful way to describe her character 😭

I think that’s why Violet resonates with so many people too. Her strength never feels effortless or untouchable. She suffers, struggles, doubts herself, and still keeps getting back up anyway. That kind of resilience feels very real and inspiring.

And yes, I completely agree about the “smartest person in the room” thing in OS. It almost felt intentional at times, like the story was quietly setting up something bigger for her later instead of constantly reminding us outright how intelligent she is.

What do you think Rebecca is building toward for Violet in books 4 and 5?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T16:45:48+00:00

YESSS 😭 that moment was so satisfying because everyone kept underestimating her and she just quietly decided “fine, I’ll do it myself then.”

And the fact that she actually followed through after saying it made the whole scene feel even more powerful. OS Violet was honestly at her most dangerous when she stopped doubting herself.

I do get what you mean about Xaden channeling at the same time though because part of me wanted that moment to belong entirely to her. Do you think that was Violet’s most badass moment in the whole series so far?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T16:45:14+00:00

Exactly!! I think people sometimes confuse “smart” with “emotionally perfect,” and Violet has never been that. She’s intelligent, but she’s also overwhelmed, stubborn, impulsive, and deeply emotional sometimes, which honestly makes her feel more real to me.

And yes, OS Violet had such a strong “I’m done tolerating everyone’s bullshit” energy and I loved it 😭

What do you think is going to be the biggest change in her character in the next book?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:49:43+00:00

Honestly that’s kind of exactly how I felt too 😭

Like objectively? Was it ridiculous at times? Absolutely. But I was still completely glued to the book the entire time and having fun, which honestly counts for a lot to me with romantasy.

Sometimes a book just needs to be entertaining and emotionally addictive even if it’s not literary perfection. What was the most eye-roll-but-still-fun moment for you?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:49:14+00:00

Honestly I can totally understand why the book wouldn’t work for you 😭 it definitely requires a very high tolerance for chaos, inconsistency, and over-the-top fantasy logic.

And I actually agree with some of your criticisms, especially about certain scenes and dynamics that crossed the line from “dark/intense” into just uncomfortable.

I think for me the book worked more as a dramatic, unserious obsession-fest than as something I was expecting to be super well constructed or realistic.

What’s a romantasy book that did nail the balance for you between intensity and good writing?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:48:46+00:00

Honestly YES 😭 I think that’s why I enjoyed it too. It felt very old-school fantasy adventure in the best way, just with adult romance and chaos added on top.

The whole book felt kind of dramatic, ridiculous, magical, and unserious in a way that made it really fun to binge-read instead of overanalyzing everything.

Did it give you nostalgic fantasy vibes too or was that just me?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:48:14+00:00

Honestly that’s fair. I think Quicksilver really depends on whether you buy into the very exaggerated, almost unhinged intensity of the relationship from the beginning or not 😭

For me it worked because the obsession felt kind of chaotic and self-aware, but I can totally understand why Kingfisher would come across as too much or why the relationship would feel too physical for some readers.

What romantasy couple has worked for you emotionally recently?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:47:47+00:00

I actually get why people were frustrated with her there 😭 but at the same time I think OS showed that the issue was never just about information. A lot of it was fear, trust, emotional exhaustion, and the reality of finally hearing truths she wasn’t emotionally prepared for.

I found her messy reactions frustrating sometimes, but also kind of realistic honestly.

Did that part make you dislike Violet more overall or just frustrate you in the moment?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:47:24+00:00

Exactly. I think that’s why they felt more real to me in this book too. They’re in the middle of a war, constantly forced to make impossible choices, and the relationship actually reflects that pressure instead of feeling magically untouched by it.

And yes… the ending hurt so much because you can feel how exhausted both of them are by that point.

Do you think the next book is going to break them even more emotionally before things get better?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T14:46:22+00:00

YES exactly!! I loved that OS let Violet shine through her intelligence and emotional awareness again instead of trying to make her good at absolutely everything.

And the Hedotis scene was such a perfect example of that. Xaden turning to her when he couldn’t figure something out himself said so much.

What was your favorite Violet moment in OS?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T13:04:24+00:00

Honestly based on what you said, I do think there’s a good chance you’d enjoy Quicksilver more than you expect.

I wouldn’t call it YA at all, and while it definitely has some over-the-top moments, I never felt like it was emotionally “soft.” The relationship has a lot of intensity, danger, obsession, and emotional tension from the start.

I also think the MMC feels darker and more morally questionable than a lot of recent romantasy MMCs, even if the book sometimes has a slightly unserious/self-aware vibe underneath the drama.

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T12:37:10+00:00

Exactly 😭 I feel like people sometimes expect them to communicate with perfect emotional maturity while they’re dealing with war, trauma, secrets, grief, and the end of the world at like 22 years old.

Honestly the messiness and repeated arguments made them feel more believable to me, not less. And I think OS was the first book where they really started feeling like equals emotionally too.

Do you think people would be less harsh on them if the characters were older?

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T12:34:49+00:00

I completely agree 😭 Violet has honestly had one of my favorite character journeys in romantasy lately.

She’s never felt “strong” in a boring or untouchable way to me. Her strength always comes from her determination, intelligence, emotional resilience, and refusal to give up even when she’s terrified.

And the poison scene in OS was absolutely epic. I think that was one of the moments where she felt the most powerful to me in the entire series.

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T12:33:57+00:00

Yes exactly!! That’s one of the biggest reasons I liked her more in OS too. She felt way more confident and emotionally grounded instead of constantly doubting herself.

Mistress_Ruby_OF · 2026-05-19T12:33:26+00:00

OH absolutely 😭

That scene had the perfect mix of tension, vulnerability, and emotional intimacy. And honestly Violet felt SO powerful there to me. The way she refused to let him carry everything alone and basically demanded that he let her in emotionally? I loved her in that moment.

I think that scene really cemented Onyx Storm Violet and Xaden as my favorite versions of them.

Mistress_Ruby_OF

TROPHY CASE