“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” ―Xaden Riorson
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College―Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits―and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College―and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
My Thoughts:
I braced myself for the emotional toll of this book, already reeling from the loss of Liem in the last installment. But nothing could have prepared me for the gut-wrenching heartbreak that unfolded within these pages. The sheer magnitude of sacrifice he made for her was both expected and unfathomable, leaving me shattered and hollow inside. No amount of mental preparation could have lessened the impact of his selfless act, making it all the more devastating to bear witness to.
As we embark on yet another book, I can't help but feel a sense of trepidation. The challenges ahead seem insurmountable and the answers to our many burning questions only leading us down a never-ending maze of uncertainty. How can any of us move on from the sacrifice Xaden made for Violet? Who will be the next casualty in this battle against the venin? And why are they so determined to consume all power around them? It feels like there is so much more we don't know, so much that has been kept from us. How can we trust anyone when everything seems shrouded in secrecy?