Onyx Stormadmitted that one perplexing part ofFourth Wing’s world-building made no sense, but rectified it too late for it to matter. The third book inThe Empyrean Serieswas able to both add onto and reveal quite a bit within the world of Navarre, with manyOnyx Stormtheoriesemerging among audiences who are eager to know how the story will progress. That being said, the third installment also brought to light a few details from previous books that made no sense, rectifying those aspects with varying degrees of success.
Some of those details were deliberately left vague, allowingOnyx Stormthe chance to reveal information that was not previously relevant, such asOnyx Storm’sexpansion on the magic system. However, some of those details were confusing or contradictory from the beginning, making the book’s acknowledgment of them even more so as the characters quickly attempted to rectify them. One huge piece ofFourth Wing’s worldbuilding, that being the rules of the mat during combat training, is a major example of this, as it made little to no sense given the aims of Basgiath’s higher-ups.
Onyx Storm Finally Admits 1 Detail Of Fourth Wing’s World-Building Makes No Sense
The Mat Killing Policy Limited The Number Of Possible Riders
Onyx Stormfinally admitted thatFourth Wing’s policy within the Riders Quadrant when it comes to mat combat made little to no sense, considering how wasteful it was even before the venin became common knowledge.InFourth Wing,it is established that the riders are allowed to kill each other on the mats to settle any disagreements and during combat exams, citing that their ruthlessness would make them worthy of a dragon and stronger fighters.Onyx Stormdid away with this policy, as they now need every rider and flier to combat the venin.
All Empyrean Series Books, Ranked (Including Onyx Storm)
All three books in The Empyrean Series bring action, romance, and political intrigue, but some are stronger than others when it comes to storytelling.
While this shift was a smart tactic on the part ofFourth Wing’smilitary, it makes no sense that this was ever enacted. Allowing cadets to kill each other was hurting them even before the venin threat arose, as they should have been keeping every cadet alive to maximize dragon bonds.Fewer dragons were bonding each year, so they should have been keeping cadets alive to make sure each willing dragon had a riderfor their war against Poromiel. Even with that policy removed inOnyx Storm,this new desire to maximize may have come too late considering Basgiath’s losses.
Basgiath’s Rule Change Comes A Little Too Late To Help In Onyx Storm
The Riders Quadrant’s Already Suffered Too Many Losses
This new rule change inOnyx Stormmay have come too late forFourth Wing’sBasgiath War Collegeas the deaths they suffered over the years are already too great. As mentioned, changing this policy in order to keep every rider and flier is a sound strategy, especially as it is revealed some of the venin can use similar signets to riders.Even so, the Riders Quadrant has already suffered so many losses in their quest to make stronger riders that it may not matter, especially considering how many riders they could have had.
By limiting themselves, the Riders Quadrant has fewer fighters who can truly combat the venin, something the characters inOnyx Stormhave only just thought of as their enemy’s plans unfold.
The Riders Quadrant is meant to be the deadliest at Basgiath. Though some of those deaths are unavoidable, such as by dragon fire during Presentation, having cadets kill each other on the mat limited both the number of riders with signet access as well as general fighterswho are still able to cover ground defense alongside the Infantry Quadrant in the form of the unbonded. By limiting themselves, the Riders Quadrant has fewer fighters who can truly combat the venin, something the characters inOnyx Stormhave only just thought of as their enemy’s plans unfold.
Onyx Storm
Violet Sorrengail faces new political intrigue and battles old enemies while uncovering the secrets of her second signet. As she strives to save Xaden from venin corruption, her relationships with allies and dragons are tested, leading to intense confrontations and unexpected revelations in a world of dragons and magic.
