Violet faces off against Jack, Tynan, and Oren with the knowledge that Xaden can’t do anything to interfere. Well, he can, but doing so would be against the rules. She’s hindered by a sprained strained slightly tweaked ankle and a baby dragon who utterly lacks all sense of self-preservation.

So naturally she pretty much curb stomps the boys.

Since she’s going for wounding instead of killing, she takes some hits as well and ends up getting cut, but much like her ankle it’s only there for commentary and not consequence.

“Your arm is shot, Sorrengail,” Tynan hisses, his face pale and sweaty.

“I’m used to functioning in pain, asshole. Are you?”

Okay but what about blood loss? What about damaged muscles? Why is every injury in this book only remarked on in terms of pain instead of damage?

I was once told that when it comes to self defense it’s better to hit a guy in his knees than his balls, because there are people who can tolerate pain. But if your knee is fucked then it doesn’t work, like just straight up doesn’t function, pain notwithstanding, and then your opponent is down and you can get away. I don’t think it’s good advice because knees are smaller targets and harder to disable, but the reasoning stuck with me. If you’ve got a 2 x 4 or something, certainly go for it.

The narration attempts to convince us that Tynan is getting the upper hand despite nothing changing, and Xaden acts like he’s going to intervene. Violet is all super surprised by this because omg, why would he, he hates her, doesn’t he???? The whole act is beyond old at this point.

Before any of that can matter, however, a dragon appears. It’s the BIGGEST DRAGON EVERY YOU GUYS, OMG. A HUUUUUGE BLACK DRAGON, THE MOST SPECIALIST AND RAREST DRAGON.

The dragon talks telepathically with Violet, burns the fuck out of Tynan, and then suggests she go ahead and murder the unconscious Oren.

“He would kill you if given the same chance.”

[…] “Well, that’s a statement on his character. Not mine.”

I just really like that line. Good job, book.

Violet finally realizes that the dragon is picking her as it’s rider, and she tries to argue with it that she’s too small and not a good choice. Tairn is cranky and basically tells her to shut up, I know what I’m doing, get on with it. I kind of love him.

We are given the impression that it’s a big deal that Tairn deigns to lean down to help Violet mount, that it’s because she’s so small, but these dragons are routinely described as house-sized, with their hugeness emphasized every time they appear on page, so I’m not sure why this isn’t the norm? Once again Violet is only presented with obstacles that don’t appear to be due to her disability. It’s just problems that anyone would have.

Turns out Violet has trouble staying in place and falls off as soon as they start flying. It’s okay, we’re only one quarter through the book, of course Tairn catches her.

Tairn swings me upward and then releases me, sending me flying high above him, and I flail. My stomach drops at the height of his toss, and then I fall for two heartbeats before Tairn rushes up, catching me on his back between his wings.

And that doesn’t dislocate any joints? JFC, the toss alone should have done some shoulder harm. My spine is cringing just thinking about it.

Seems that dragon riders are supposed to sit between a couple of spikes on the dragon’s back and…just…hang on with their thighs.

No, really, that’s how everyone rides in this book. And Violet can’t because she’s ‘too weak.’

*confused Jackie Chan.gif*

I don’t even know how this one got into the book. I mean, I know the ultimate comeuppance of this situation and I get what the author was going for, but I don’t know how anyone thought this was a good scenario to make that point. Like, who would ever dream up “bareback dragon riding” in the first place? It’s so utterly absurd that I can’t fathom it entering someone’s brain in the first place. Bareback horse riding is hard enough, and hella painful, and then you add flying to the mix, and every character in this universe is just like “this is fine”???????

Tairn uses some magic to keep her in place so she doesn’t fall off again, then explains that he picked Violet because she was willing to save the little golden dragon.

“But…” I shake my head. “Dragons value strength and cunning and… ferocity in their riders.” None of which defines me.

“Please, do tell me more about what I should value.”

Tee-hee-hee. 🙂

They arrive at the…uh, parade field? where all the other bonded pairs and spectators are. The little golden dragon is also there waiting, and she can telepathically talk to Violet, too! Hands up, who here is surprised?

Everyone around is super shocked to see Tairn, the biggest and baddest and strongest and scariest and all of the other -est’s dragon around. No one can believe that he picked Violet, not even her mom, until she goes up to the roll-keeper and tells him Tairn’s full name. Since dragons only tell that to their rider, and the records are kept secret, if someone knows the full name it’s proof that the dragon is talking to them.

But then the golden dragon, Andarna, pipes up and insists on her name being added as well, and when Violet complies everyone is super upset about it.

Because of course Violet is too special to just have one super special dragon. She has to be the FIRST EVER to bond two dragons and also the FIRST EVER to bond a golden feathertail. Or a golden anything. Or a feathertail anything. OF COURSE that’s the only level of specialness that will do for our superest specialest main character.

Violet goes to get patched up, confront Jack again (though he’s too scared of her and big bad dragon now to actually fight), and be told how special she is. All of the brass is arguing about her two dragons, which is silly since the humans don’t really have a say in what dragons do. However, while the human leadership is having an utterly performative argument, the dragons are also meeting and arguing on their own.

Violet meets up with the rest of her squad friends, who all got dragons. Well, except for one that died FALLING OFF A DRAGON, but that character hasn’t had any lines so far so whatever.

Dain shows up and drags her off for private talking. He claims that they’re going to make her pick one dragon or the other and begs her to pick Andarna, since being smaller and unable to carry a rider she won’t ever be assigned to active combat. And also because of Xaden.

“They’re a bonded pair, Tairn and Sgaeyl [Xaden’s dragon]. The strongest bonded pair in centuries.”

Oh for fuck’s sake. Of course. More ‘est’s. Why does everything have to the ‘est’est in this book? Anyway, bonded dragons can’t be separated, so their riders always get assigned together.

And naturally Xaden is just soooo scary. I mean he’s just done so much…standing around. And looking mean. So clearly he’s dangerous.

Speak of the devil. Xaden shows up and Dain accuses him of manipulating the dragons somehow. Not sure why he would do that or how, but also he didn’t. But Xaden does admit that he almost intervened in the fight, then asks Dain if he would have done the same to save Violet. Xaden pushes until Dain admits that he wouldn’t have…because it’s against the rules.

The book has been trying to vilify Dain the whole time for trying to protect Violet, which is patronizing sure but hardly villain behavior. The tone of the narration acts like he’s horrible for acknowledging her disability, treating it as serious, and trying to accommodate it. It’s utterly maddening that it would bother with painting Dain in a bad light for that when THIS is also in his character and is ACTUALLY completely horrifying.

Violet, being swayed by a lifetime of friendship, gets mad at Xaden for being mean instead of Dain for his answer. Xaden gets furious that his life is now tied to such a reckless fool of a Took. Oh, right, also, now if Violet dies Xaden also dies.

“Tairn’s bonds are so powerful, both to mate and rider, because he’s so powerful. Losing his last rider nearly killed him, which in turn, nearly killed Sgaeyl. Mated pairs’ lives are-“

“Interdependent, I know that.” […]

“Each time a dragon chooses a rider, that bond is stronger than the last, which means that if you die, Violence, it sets off a chain of events that potentially ends with me dying, too.”

First, holy hell that last sentence has too many clauses.

Second, still not seeing what the upside for the dragons might be, to offset all these downsides.

Third, this would be a lot more fun if Xaden had actually been her enemy before this.

Except for one thing. Bonds take a while to solidify, so there’s a scramble in the few months afterwards where unbonded cadets will try out a murder or two hoping to steal someone’s dragon. So Violet is going to be rather hunted by people who want Tairn for themselves. Except, somehow, that is simultaneously possible and Xaden has to protect her or risk dying? If there’s a window where Violet can die without consequence to him, then why wouldn’t he take it? (I mean, we know why, because the author can’t bear to make her precious hottie do something bad, but still.)

All the dragons return and determine that Violet can keep both dragons. All of the new riders get magic tattoos from their new dragons. Everyone starts celebrating and hugging each other, and in the general hubbub, Dain kisses Violet.

It was everything I’ve ever wanted… except…

Shit. I don’t want it anymore.

Lskdfjlskdf okay I like this, too.