Fourth Wing Summary

Violet Sorrengail faces the pressure of joining the Rider quadrant at Basgiath War College due to her mother, General Sorrengail’s influence. Despite her dreams of becoming a scribe and her weak constitution, she is pushed into a world filled with danger. As Violet approaches Conscription Day, her sister Mira tries to help by giving her armor made from dragon scales and warning her about Xaden Riorson, the son of a rebel leader killed by their mother.

On Conscription Day, Violet must walk across a narrow parapet to join her future classmates. Many cadets perish during this perilous event. She meets new friends, Rhiannon and Dylan, and is placed in the squad led by second-year cadet Dain. Though Dain advises her to leave and embrace her scribe ambitions, Violet is adamant about enduring her mother’s expectations and making it through the intense training program.

Classes prove to be a challenge. Violet’s frail bones put her at a great disadvantage physically; however, she shines in history and helps Rhiannon with tutoring. As Violet learns basic combat, she resorts to a risky tactic: poisoning her opponents before battles, ensuring victory or forcing rivals to healer rooms, showcasing her fierce will to survive against overwhelming odds.

While gathering bark for her poisons one night, Violet observes Xaden meeting with a group known as the "marked ones," who are children of executed rebels. Initially, she thinks about informing instructors, but she soon realizes that Xaden's intents are more protective than malicious—he aims to shelter new recruits from harm. This revelation complicates her feelings toward him.

Tragedy early in training when Deigh, a fellow candidate paired with a dragon, succumbs to injuries reminds everyone of the unpredictable risks they face. While dragons can survive without their human partners, the bond makes it clear that a rider’s fate is entwined with their dragon's survival. This mutual dependency adds to the pressure of Violet's journey.

Violet’s path becomes increasingly challenging as she contends with brutality in training, entrenched plots among cadets, and the broader political backdrop where Navarre faces threats from gryphon riders. Amid this chaos, Violet starts developing strength, courage, and insight into the loyalty and power struggles within her surroundings.

Throughout the narrative, transformations unfold as Violet evolves from a timid, hesitant participant into a shrewd and resilient fighter. Nestled in danger, she must build relationships with the dragons around her, navigate a treacherous landscape of rivalries, and uncover secrets that link her family's past to the ongoing conflicts facing the kingdom. As the stakes rise, Violet learns that to thrive, survival is more than merely enduring; it’s about confronting and overcoming the darkest shadows of her world and herself.

In the climactic ending of Fourth Wing, Violet, Xaden, and their allies fight to defend a trading village from an attack by venin, dark magic-influenced enemies. During the battle, Violet discovers a crucial fact: the way to defeat wyverns is to target the venin itself instead of the creatures. This knowledge helps them overcome the enemy forces. However, Violet is poisoned by venin magic during the chaos, and she loses consciousness.

When she wakes up, Violet finds herself at the Aretia rebel stronghold, a place she thought was destroyed. There, she is reunited with Xaden and shockingly discovers her brother Brennan is alive; he has been fighting against Navarre's tyranny and the venin. This revelation forces Violet to reassess her loyalties as the story approaches its end.

As the narrative wraps up, key character moments spotlight the deaths of Soleil and Fuil, along with the significant loss of Liam, who entrusts Violet with protecting his sister. Violet also develops the unique ability to control lightning, tied to her connection with dragons. The truth about family and betrayal unfolds, bringing new intensity to her choices as the realm faces deepening conflict. Fourth Wing concludes with a blend of victory and painful revelations, leaving Violet at a crossroads about her future loyalties.