Tairn, Sgaeyl, and Andarna are such a good influence on the dragons in the Empyrean because they are so openly protective of Violet and Xaden and it seems like more and more of the dragons are able to trust their riders with things previously kept completely secret.
And Violet and Xaden show that they are worthy of that trust and will even put their life in the hands of people like Varrish to keep knowledge of feather-tails and hatchling's gifts a secret from those that might exploit them.
They show it's possible to have something more than a reluctant truce between species.
I’ve had enough time to simmer with my feelings/thoughts on this book (and the series as a whole).
I’m going to be honest and if my thoughts will hurt your feelers please do not proceed because I will not be arguing with anyone, now constructive convo? I’m all for.
I went in expecting to turn my brain off for this series but I’ve turned it off enough
You are entitled to your opinions as I am entitled to mine.
Aspects of this book that I enjoyed:
✨The lore surrounding the Irid’s
✨Ridoc’s added presence
✨Sawyer’s development after his injury
✨Jesinia and Sawyer
✨Tairn and Andarna
✨Mira and Drake
✨Minuscule moments we had between Sloane and Dain
✨Long overdue world building
Now, things that I did not enjoy:
✨The writing style is not for me. Mind yall I listened to the audio. Perhaps it was the VA’s, I have no clue, but the writing at least to me is not good, and that’s OKAY. I still enjoyed the story and PLOT. However, I could especially hear it during the narration.
✨Xaden’s voice actor for one made me want to bang my head against a concrete wall. And before anyone comes for me, I work two jobs and this is the only way I can get my reading in. Now, I could have switched to the traditional audiobook instead of the graphic but perhaps it’s my own special tendencies that prevented me from doing it because once I started the graphic my brain wouldn’t permit me to just switch. Odd I know. I did try and don’t get very far before I switched back.
✨The love making scenes/any romantic scenes were not it. I couldn’t. They were insufferable and I had to skip them because they were doing too much. Even when they kissed, I’m sorry but I just COULDNT DO IT.
✨Absolutely could not handle Violet and Xaden’s relationship. Listen, if they’re your ship I am so happy for you but they were not mine. I did not care one bit about them as a couple— in fact I feel that once they became a couple is when they both became insufferable. They lost a lot of personal agency because of their codependent tendency’s. The miscommunication trope only worked so much with me, especially when it comes down to it THEY DO NOT TRUST ONE ANOTHER. And because of that a lot of their issues are their OWN doing. I cared more about Dain and Sloane with the crumbs we got of them than I did Violet and Xaden, along with Jesinia and Sawyer. Perhaps it’s my age, but I kept having to remind myself that she’s only 21🫠 like I would have ate them up in my early 20’s I’m not gonna lie, but at the ripe age of my fully developed frontal lobe??? I just can’t.
✨Xaden has a tragic backstory, I will not deny that however, I did not care that he turned venin. I saw it coming a mile away. And though that final time he drew power was to save Sygael (which is honorable on his part) I just did not care because-to me- his fate was sealed the moment he did it the first time
✨which brings me to my next point, if he turns into a big bad that the hero’s have to take down I do think that would be a ballsy move on Yarros’s part I would enjoy because it’s realistic. It’d be attack on titan coded and I’m a sucker for the hero turning villain no matter how much it breaks my heart because of how tragic it is. I don’t think she will because the plot armor is strong, but it would elevate the story I believe, because as I’ve said before, in war no one wins and even those with great intentions become corrupted by the systemic atrocities conducted.
✨when it comes to the core group, I too feel like- aside from Liam (RIP KING), Ridoc and Sawyer- I would not care if anyone of them died. She has not made me care enough about them, and I feel that’s because she sidelined them to focus on Violet and Xaden. Quinn’s death was sad on Imogen’s part. Her POV made me feel her death. Now if Rhi died? I honestly don’t know if I’d care, which is bothersome because she’s supposed to be Vi’s best friend.
✨FINALLY because if I keep going I’ll keep ranting the usage of the memory loss trope pissed me off. It’s cliche and a cop out in my opinion to further drive the plot forward. It’s a plot device I would have used as a teenager, and I dunno what I expected but it wasn’t that. The very fact that he left her a note saying “don’t look for me” was stupid because we all know she’s going to. We know it, Violet knows it, and Xaden knows it too.
Anyways,
Am I still going to continue the series despite the issues I have with it? Yes. I have too many questions left not to but also becaue I can still give my criticism and enjoy the overall story held within it.
I really want to know more about individual riders relationships to their dragons. We mainly just get Tairn and Violets relationship which seems significantly more forthcoming/caring than others. For example he gives her his sight but say few other have that privilege, he catches her consistently when many dragons let their newly bonded riders fall and die. Sygael also seems extremely protective of Xaden. Other dragons seem to be more shielded towards their rider? Like I can’t imagine Codagh chatting Melgren up. Violet also directly talks to Codagh and just doesn’t tell Melgren what she’s up to in the end of Iron Flame. It also seems as though Melgren is a general because of Codagh not the other way around. There’s just so much with signets, communication, and the openness of the Empyrean that I need to know more about. RY also just dropped the irids saying that Andarna gave Biolet her signet and we just never circled back to that?!
