The Bite-Sized Version

Welcome to Basgaith War College, set in a fantasy world in the kingdom of Navarre where the admission process is literally a death-defying tightrope walk and the dropout rate is, well, fatal. Meet twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail, our main character and bookish heroine who’d rather have a quiet life of color-coding scrolls in the Scribe Quadrant but instead finds herself in the Riders Quadrant, thanks to her tough-as-talons mother’s unique brand of tough love. Violet’s first day is Conscription Day, which involves crossing the treacherous parapet while dodging a murderous classmate – because apparently, regular orientation icebreakers weren’t exciting enough.

After surviving this balance beam of doom, Violet joins the Fourth Wing, led by the overly attractive and ruthless wingleader Xaden Riorson, whose hobbies include brooding, riding dragons, and plotting Violet’s demise. The curriculum features delightful activities such as “Try Not to Get Torched by a Dragon 101” and “The Gauntlet,” an obstacle course that makes American Ninja Warrior look like a kiddie playground. Violet quickly learns that in this school, “survival of the fittest” isn’t just a theory – it’s the attendance policy.

As if deadly pop quizzes and fire-breathing study buddies weren’t enough, Violet must also navigate the treacherous waters of college social life. She’s got more enemies than friends, a potential love interest who can read minds, and a special dragon-scale corset that’s saved Violet’s life more times than she’d like to admit (our assumption). All while trying to prevent an invasion from the neighboring kingdom of Poromeil, because apparently, saving the world is now part of the core curriculum. Who said higher education wasn’t exciting?

The Bit-Sized Version

Chapter 1

This bit introduces our leading lady, twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail, as she reluctantly enters the Riders Quadrant to train to become a dragon rider cadet at Basgiath War College in Navarre.

• At Basgaith War College, there are four types of military officers a candidate can train to become – a healer, scribe, infantry, or rider. Once a cadet graduates through one of these tracks, they will join the war to protect the kingdom of Navarre from invasion from their neighboring kingdom, Poromeil. Say that five times fast.

• Violet spent all of her schooling preparing to become a scribe and enter the Scribe Quadrant, but mother of the year and army General, Lilith Sorrengail, forces her into the Riders Quadrant where her chances of survival are slim to none instead.

• Violet’s older sister Mira, a dragon riding icon and the polar opposite of petite, frail Violet (the result of a fever her mother had when she was pregnant that almost killed her), tries to no avail to get Violet out of this pickle by yelling at their mom and reminding her that she’s chancing burying another child with this decision. We learn through this beautiful mother-daughter moment that Violet’s brother Brennan, who was also a rider, died five years prior fighting a rebellion in the south. 

• Unsurprisingly that was a conversation ender, so Mira spends the rest of her time with Violet preparing her for what’s to come by outfitting her with rider apparel, lightening her pack (Violet planned to travel with a library-sized load of books), and warning her about the parapet crossing she will face that day. 

• On Conscription Day, candidates must cross the parapet (a balance beam-sized stone bridge) high above a ravine to enter the Riders Quadrant. Eager candidates who were not voluntold by their mothers to do this, of course, drop like flies.

• Violet meets two other candidates, Rhiannon Matthias and Dylan, as they climb the tower to the parapet. They trauma bond over the mid-air balance beam they’re about to walk across and become fast friends, with Violet even trading one of her better-traction boots she got from Mira with Rhiannon to up her own chances of success. We’re assuming she inherited this trait from her father’s side.

• At the top, Violet meets Xaden Riorson, son of a rebel leader executed by Violet’s mother and of course also the most attractive man on the planet. We learn that he bears the marks that all children of separatists got from another Navarre General, General Melgren’s dragon after he executed their parents, and then after that fun were forced to join the Rider’s Quadrant as punishment. As expected, Violet and Xaden do not become fast friends.

• It obviously starts to rain as Violet is getting closer to her turn. She watches new friend Dylan slip and fall to his death right before her, and Xaden takes this as the opportunity to wish her the worst on her way out as well. Violet does not appreciate the enthusiasm as she mentally prepares to make her crossing.

Chapter 2

This bit describes a dangerous initiation ritual called the Parapet during Conscription Day. Anyone who has chosen the Riders Quadrant must cross a narrow balance beam high above the ground in order to make it into the building that is Basgiath War College and officially join the Riders Quadrant.

• Violet, our leading lady, watches as a few candidates are attempting this crossing while it is pouring down rain. A few of them narrowly make it, a few of them fall to their death with no one seeming to even blink an eye. Her new friend, Rhiannon Matthias, goes before her.

• Violet is up next but of course walking across a tight rope in a storm isn’t enough, she is also being pursued by a hostile candidate named Jack Barlowe right behind her. She watches as he throws the candidate behind him off of the Parapet and aims his sights on her next.

• Violet decides her best bet is to maintain calm during the crossing so she leans into her Scribe background where she feels most safe. She starts reciting historical and geographical facts about the Six Provinces of The Continent, including her home kingdom of Navarre. We will see this as a continued coping mechanism throughout the book.

• She is almost across when a large gust of wind knocks her balance and she ends up slamming her knee against the stone while holding on for her life.

• Just when you think she might not make it, Violet reaches the end and turns the tables on Jack with some quick thinking and a well-placed dagger between the legs. She even throws some Riders Quadrant rule book quotes at him, which shows although we know she has the brains to survive, maybe she has the guts too. 

• Oh ya, and Rhiannon made it too.

Chapter 3

This bit takes us through Violet’s arrival at the Riders Quadrant after shockingly crossing the parapet successfully.

• Violet narrowly survives a full-blown murder attempt by Jack Barlowe, who desperately needs to go to therapy or prison. We now have two sworn enemies three chapters in.

• Violet’s childhood friend Dain Aetos, who’s all grown up (also, of course, wildly attractive) and a big shot second-year rider, reunite after she survives. He tries to convince her to leave for the Scribe Quadrant before she can even catch her breath post-near death balance beam crossing to keep her safe.

• Violet admits she probably wouldn’t be at the top of her gym class, but due to undiagnosed mommy issues refuses to quit.

• Dain very reluctantly decides he can keep Violet safe by helping Violet join his squad. Her friend that didn’t fall off of the balance beam, Rhiannon, ends up in the squad as well and Violet feels positive for a second. The second is fleeting as they are later reassigned to the Fourth Wing, led by enemy #1 and ruthless wingleader Xaden Riorson.

• Eight dragons show up to immediately knock these newly cocky cadets down a peg, and torch three cadets who try to run. Quite the entrance. Motivational speaker Xaden takes this as a moment to let the remaining cadets know half of them won’t make it through their first year.

• Violet does her best at faking it till she makes it as she faces down both a stare contest with a dragon and another glass half empty speech from Xaden about the cadets being prey and doesn’t make a break for it.

Chapter 4

This bit kicks off with a pretty somber scene. The death toll of all the cadets names who didn’t make it through the parapet challenge is read aloud. It’s a real wake-up call for Violet about how dangerous this whole dragon rider gig is.

• The roll call of cadets who have died is read by Captain Fitzgibbons, who will often read aloud these “Death Roll” announcements throughout the book.

• They describe their riders’ uniform as rider black, with a single silver four-pointed star on the collarbone (the mark of a first year), and a Fourth Wing patch on their shoulder.

• We learn that Violet has this special armored corset that her sister Mira made for her. The corset is made out of dragon scales and is meant to be impenetrable. This is Mira’s way of being overprotective of Violet even when she is not there physically. 

• Violet also has a knee injury from crossing the Parapet. She is trying to keep it downlow in order to not look weak so she keeps it wrapped under her clothes, but today they have their first sparring match. 

• We learn about “The Gauntlet” – a vertical obstacle course that makes American Ninja Warrior look like a kiddie playground. Survive that, and you MIGHT just get to bond with a dragon. No pressure.

• Dain and Violet meet in the Rotunda so that he can check on her and warn her about potential dangers. He tells her that now that he is a Squad Leader he can’t favor her in public, but will do what he can privately to help her survive. 

• We get some juicy gossip during their chat. Dain reveals his signet power, which is a dragon-granted power that each Rider gains from bonding with a dragon. His dragon named Cath gave him the signet power to read recent memories just by touching another person. This could be dangerous for Violet who is currently carrying a lot of secrets.  

• But the big bombshell is that Xaden Riorson, the ruthless wingleader, apparently has it out for Violet. Violet learns that Xaden has a vicious blue dragon named Sgaeyl, and that he wants her dead. His thirst for murder stems from him wanting revenge on her mother who led a battle against his rebel hometown.

• The chapter wraps up with Xaden approaching them threateningly and basically accusing them of having a relationship. It’s getting tense, and Dain tells Violet to run.

Chapter 5

This bit throws us into Battle Brief class led by Professor Devera, where the cadets learn about the latest war happenings.

• Professor Devera, joined by Colonel Markham (head Scribe honcho who was supposed to be the Batman to Violet’s Robin in the Scribe Quadrant) takes the cadets through a recent attack on a Navarrian village by gryphon fliers (Gryphon? Think lion and eagle have a baby.) from Braevick, a province of Poromeil. 

• Violet shows off her scribe chops and asks all the right questions, leading Devera to reveal that the kingdom’s protective wards (invisible magic shield to keep enemies other than Jack Barlowe and Xaden Riorson out) protecting Navarre from their bad neighbor Poromiel out have been faltering. No bueno.

• After class, Violet and her fellow cadets get into combat training. Any confidence Violet built up during Battle Brief evaporates. Enemy #2, Jack, unsurprisingly shines during training as he *accidentally* kills another cadet during a sparring match.

• Violet gets paired to spar for the first time with Imogen, a second-year cadet and fellow “marked one” who also happens to despise Violet’s mom (needs to fire her publicist). Things get ugly as Imogen tries to kill Violet with a hidden dagger. Violet narrowly survives her second murder attempt thanks to her armor made of dragon scales. 

• She of course doesn’t walk away unscathed, adding a potential broken arm and bruised ego to her list of injuries since entering the Riders Quadrant. She quickly realizes life as a nepo baby isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.