Fourth Wing

We first meet Violet on Conscription Day when she visits her mother, General Sorrengail, and her sister, Mira. What is the family dynamic among Violet, Mira, and General Sorrengail? In what ways is Violet not suited to be in the Riders Quadrant? Would Violet be better off being a Scribe?

When beginning the parapet challenge, Violet swaps one of her boots with Rhiannon so she has a better chance of making it. Is her decision heroic or foolhardy? What would you have done?

Which Conscription Day challenge would you be the best at? Which would frighten you most?

It is the duty of the riders to protect the borders of Navarre from invading armies. In Chapter Five Violet explains why: Those greedy assholes are never content with the land they have. They always want ours, too, and until they learn to be content with their own borders, we have no chance of ending conscription in Navarre. No chance of experiencing peace. In other words, wars are usually fought over resources. Can there ever be real world peace?

How did you feel about Violet using poison to help her defeat her challengers?

Were you surprised by Tairn bonding with Violet? Why or why not? What did you think about Violet having a second dragon? What are your thoughts about Andarna for the next book?

Dragon riders develop a signet through their connection with their dragon, such as memory reading, mind reading, shadow control, the ability to move objects, and Violet’s signet of producing lightning (and her secret signet from Andarna of stopping time). Which do you think is the most useful? Which signet would you want?

In order to control her signet better, Violet is told to “ground” herself to a place that brings her comfort. She chooses the Archives, where she trained to be a Scribe. Where would you ground yourself?

Many of the characters discuss seeing their departed loved ones should they die during challenges or battles. What are your thoughts about death?

Violet had many opportunities to give up and go back to being a Scribe. What motivates her to continue her very difficult challenges to become a dragon rider? On page 177, she discusses hopefulness: “I knew what the odds were, and I came anyway, concentrating on that tiny percentage of a chance that I would live. And then I make it almost two months and I get…hopeful.” Xaden tells her: "Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities.” Who do you agree with? Do their circumstances have anything to do with their feelings about hope?

Is Xaden really the best choice for Violet? At first he threatened to kill her. Then he told her: Every day I let you live, I get to convince myself that there’s still a part of me that’s a decent person. What are his positive and negative qualities? Does he consider himself to be a bad person?  Do you?

How did your attitude about Dain change from the beginning to the end of the book?

At first the final battle at Resson seems to be part of the War Games. Then the group realizes venin are involved. What do you imagine the venin look like? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What parts of the battle were most memorable for you?

The children of the resistance are sent to train as dragon riders along with the loyalists. What is the purpose of this? Are the leaders hoping to indoctrinate them to come around to their point of view? We learn at the end that the resistance is going strong, therefore the resistance fighters were not indoctrinated. How can this vicious cycle of war end?