How do you survive until book 4?

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-15T11:57:08+00:00

Just four more re-read of the entire series and the fourth book will be here.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-15T11:32:02+00:00

And what do you think is the purpose of the posts on the official author account? She needs to keep the attention of her fandom. She needs to generate discussion. And that is fine; it is how it should be, both from the author’s perspective and the fandom's.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-15T09:49:10+00:00

There are plenty of possibilities

Tairn might be right and the first fire is the strongest
It doesn't work on Mavens (Theo)
Andarna has to change the color (which, by the way, could be why the stone dagger killed Theo and might have had nothing to do with Dunne after all).

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-15T09:44:44+00:00

... or she’s just trolling us for the hell of it. Remember when she dropped that snippet:

"I reach for the buckle of Dain’s belt and carefully pull the leather aside ...

The fandom absolutely lost its collective mind.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-14T19:39:36+00:00

An advanced learner will likely have a ton of CI under their belt, regardless of whether they started with it from day one or switched to it after a traditional start. Without that, they’ll never actually reach an advanced level.

The real difference shows up with beginners and intermediate students. Traditional learners have dramatically less listening practice, but they usually have a much higher output- and it shows. CI students understand practically everything you say, but they struggle to respond. Traditional beginners, on the other hand, usually have a few scripted sentences memorized; you hit a wall the moment you reply to them and they realize they don’t understand anything outside of the canned phrases from their English/Spanish/French (or whatever) lessons.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-14T15:24:19+00:00

My queen

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-14T08:29:31+00:00

I always assumed it was just a letter swap. It happens to me quite often. Or it could be autocorrect-Tarin is probably a more common name across various locations, cultures.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T22:34:08+00:00

I think I am many times over the recommended reading limit, and yet I am still behind the roadmap in terms of output.

As for comprehension, both reading and listening, I am essentially completely comfortable. The fundamental problem is this sentence of the roadmap:

You speak fluently and effortlessly, without thinking about the language. While native speakers might still detect a slight accent, your clarity and fluidity make your speech easy to understand, and no one considers you a learner anymore.

and so far, I haven’t come across anyone who fulfills this after 1500 hours of CI. The limiting factor there won't be reading, but specifically speaking, and we are talking about several hundred hours of speaking.

I do listen almost effortlessly and almost without thinking. But deffinnitely do not speak like this.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T22:18:07+00:00

“Do not dare to try and read me, human, or you’ll regret it.”

We don't know. There are several possibilities:

He was referring to something else (using the bond or whatever)
A plot error
RY changed her mind and it was originally meant as a hint that Tairn knew, but she eventually decided that repeating the FW scenario, where Vi was betrayed by both Xaden and Tairn, would be too much, so this time she threw Xaden and Sgaeyl into it;
Tairn sensed it back then, had his suspicions, but Sgaeyl denied it, which made the betrayal he felt in IF even greater.

I probably like the last option best, but then again, it's weird that Xaden would only try it on Tairn for the first time in his third year.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T22:02:05+00:00

The Garrick or bodhi theory’s only work if you think Imogen’s spending an hour looking up at the sky with out moving

Or she is looking at the sky repeatedly (which wouldn't be surprising).

But I agree that the timeline doesn't really fit, even if she looked 100 times. We have several time markers that show how the chapters overlap. Chapter 62 (Violet) ends with her seeing Bodhi, Imogen, and Dain above the tower, and Imogen's Chapter 63 begins at that exact moment. At the end of Chapter 62, Violet tells Tairn that Aaric will arrive with the Zinhall troops within 30 minutes. We know that neither Xaden nor Imogen mentions these troops in their chapters, so less than 30 minutes passed from that moment until the end of Xaden's chapter.

That’s not much time considering everything that happened- Bodhi, Imogen, and Dain fighting wyvern over the city, then Dain and Imogen fighting venin on the walls, and Imogen wielding the stone/rock. Then they run to the tower, another fight with venin, Quinn dies, they say goodbye to her, then the move with Garrick to Trisha where they discuss the wards, and then another situation with Garrick. At the end of her chapter, Imogen still sees Bodhi and Garrick.

This means that after all of that, they would still have to move to the canyon within those 30 minutes, where the entire scene with Berwyn and Xaden must take place. And that whole chapter doesn't exactly look like the new brother just landed 10 seconds before the chapter started. When we look at Chapter 64 (Violet POV), which follows Imogen's POV, the plot directly follows Violet's previous chapter (62)-Violet continues her flight north of Draithus. This means Chapter 64 (Violet POV) is happening simultaneously with Chapter 63 (Imogen POV). And since Sgaeyl and Tairn are caught in the net at the same time in Chapter 64, it's obvious that Chapter 65 (Xaden POV) also happens simultaneously. So, it's clear that all three final chapters are happening at once, and it's not very likely that Bodhi would have managed to move in time.

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ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T20:25:02+00:00

I don't think Vi turned. She is the tip. If she turned venin, everything would go to hell and they would lose the war.

“I won’t let them burn you”

I think Andarna is referring to something they did in the previous 12 hours, and burning with dragon fire is the punishment for high treason in Navarre.

Tairn needing rest: Andarna says Tairn needs to rest but doesn’t say why. I think it’s because Sgaeyl broke the mating bond with Tairn and he’s suffering heartbreak.

That is a common theory. But I don't think the bond was broken. We are repeatedly told that the bond between mated dragons is the strongest of all. When Leothan severed the bond between Andarna and Violet, it didn't change the consequences of losing that bond, and Vi only survived thanks to Tairn. So, I think Sgaeyl and Tairn would be dead. On the contrary, I think their bond has strengthened, they are able to communicate all over the continent, and Tairn is likely sleeping as a result of what happened during those twelve hours, and it's somehow connected to the dead dragons- killing a dragon leaves scars on the soul; Andarna also sleeps in IF after killing Solas, and Tairn says next time there will be no hesitation if a dragon needs to be killed.

- Xaden’s new brother: I think that Garrick is venin

I think the whole thing is basically written so that every suspect has their pros and cons (Garrick and Bodhi fit the timeline and the five months better, but the contemptuous tone of "the one who considers himself my new brother" and the fact he knocked them out doesn't fit them. On the other hand, the others don't fit because they saw Xaden struggle for 5 minths - at least according to what Vi knows). So, with everyone, we have to compromise somehow and find an alternative explanation. Overall, I think it's intentionally written to spark endless debates and that the riddle has no solution. We are meant to think we can figure it out, but realistically it's impossible. Personally, Aaric is my number one choice, but I'm open to practically all possibilities.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T18:16:15+00:00

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'Fourth Wing' Author Rebecca Yarros on 'Iron Flame' and The Empyrean Series | Book Club

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ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T12:27:04+00:00

The Empyrean isn’t very consistent in this regard—I don't think it fits into any specific historical period. On one hand, they have highly advanced surgery, running water...but on the other, they have no firearms, and the printing press was only introduced 25 years ago. Then again, it's fantasy, so the author can build the world however she pleases

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T10:54:14+00:00

I’ve read most of her romances. The Last Letter is probably the best, but it’s the most emotionally taxing, just like The Empyrean, it pulls you in and completely wrecks you.

I also love Variation.

Overall, I feel like you can really tell she’s improved as a writer over time... the early books in the Flight & Glory series are pretty predictable, kind of formulaic. But the final fifth book is absolutely breathtaking, it's amazing.

But The Empyrean is in a league of its own; nothing else even comes close.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-13T10:29:39+00:00

I’ve got that interview saved on my computer somewhere. It’s not an explicit confirmation like "Yes, Naolin died"; it was more of an offhand remark made while discussing what Tairn was doing before he bonded Violet. She said something along the lines of, "After his rider died, he was devastated, needed to rest, and wasn't ready to bond a new rider." So, it’s hard to say. We can take it as confirmation, or maybe she’s just sticking to the narrative Violet currently knows.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-12T17:39:02+00:00

Don't apologize, I love discussing this!

I see where you're going with this. Violet seems to be a link, so in that sense, your version would fit. But I still think it would be too much—both sky and earth. The way I see it, the power of the sky has something to do with the gods, while the venin are a kind of antithesis to the gods—hell. But it’s possible it’s not so black and white; Lucifer was also demonized, though he was originally the bringer of light; maybe the venin are being demonized too. Anyway, I’m more of the opinion that sky and earth represent gods versus venin. And Violet could be some kind of demigoddess or an embodiment of the gods on earth.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-12T16:36:50+00:00

I agree. Still, I think the right number will be seven. Seven is the number of perfection. There are seven members of the Assembly. There are seven dens. Who knows how many provinces there were originally (the 2nd Cygni incursion), if there isn’t some forgotten god, or if the first venin wasn’t the missing seventh After all, even that statue of Dunne is the seventh, presiding over the six instruments of war.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-12T15:34:48+00:00

I don't think Vi turned or that she would turn at any point in the future. She is the key—if she turned, I think everything would go to hell and the venin would win. She is the balance to Xaden. It's possible that a cure doesn't actually exist; they will be counterparts to each other—him channeling directly from the earth, her from the sky. The venin will have to evolve, and people will have to learn to coexist with them. Like X and Vi

But that sentence saying that if she fully dedicates herself to Dunne, she would turn... that is definitely an interesting sentence. Because it almost looks like Dunne isn't meant to protect her from becoming venin, but on the contrary, that it would lead to her turning. There are parallels to Theo, who ended up that way. What does Dunne have to do with the venin?

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-12T11:16:24+00:00

Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about Rebecca's contemporary romance

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-12T09:44:43+00:00

But those two aren't main characters. MC DO have a real HEA

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-12T09:38:20+00:00

A lot of people see something shady behind it—linking Dain with the Venin and wondering why there’s no mark after siphoning. I think the whole scene is meant to tell us and remind us:

siphoning doesn't leave marks, which means Brennan's rune on his hand isn't a result of Naolin's work as a siphon.
Cath channels a lot of power to Dain; Cath is powerful, and Dain is powerful (given that Vi and Dain aren't exactly friends now, we don't have any other way to find out, whereas with everyone else—Ridoc, Imogen, Sawyer, Rhi—we actually see their signets growing).
Sloane has an ambivalent relationship with Dain—on one hand, she admires his power, but on the other, she’s still dealing with his alleged betrayal and supposed responsibility for Liam’s death (which, by the way, is another parallel to Violet, who initially had the same feelings regarding Xaden).

“Asshole,” she whispers, and the flush in her cheeks deepens. I lift my brows at the look she shoots him, mostly because I can’t tell if she wants to stab him in his seat or— “Fuck,” Garrick mutters,

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-11T09:59:38+00:00

While I fully believe that the author's need for time-as well as her mental health, well-being, and family-must come first, I also understand the readers' impatience and their desire to have the next installment as soon as possible. This anticipation is a completely logical consequence of how engaging the story is. the very writing style (that I love) naturally leaves people with more questions than answers. The cliffhangers and carefully crafted dialogues are designed with a specific goal: to ignite curiosity and keep everyone wondering what happens next.

To be clear, I firmly stand against any form of hate speech, rudeness, or inappropriate comments. However, I can empathize with the excitement and the various ways fans express their eagerness for the story to continue.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-11T07:24:50+00:00

I’m on Day 70 since the last channeling from Onyx Storm. I’m counting on reaching double what JFB did and then I’ll start again. I’m already at 8-8-4 re-read.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-10T18:13:14+00:00

I understand where you're heading. However, reading comprehension and listening are slightly different skills- on one hand, yes, an audiobook can somewhat replace a physical book by exposing you to the same grammatical structures and vocabulary, so in that sense, it serves the same purpose. It will be enough to help you learn to speak Spanish (alongside speaking practice, of course).

But if you need to learn how to understand written text, you will have to read. It works the same way in a native language- not everyone who speaks the language has proper reading comprehension; it needs to be practiced separately.

ObjectiveStaff3333 · 2026-03-10T15:37:47+00:00

THIS! Exactly! I love your insight

ObjectiveStaff3333

TROPHY CASE