Iron Flame Ending Explained: What That Huge Xaden Twist Means

The Iron Flame explained a shocking twist regarding Xaden that has huge implications for the upcoming third book, Onyx Storm. The first book in the Empyrean Series, Fourth Wing, saw Violet Sorrengail be thrown into the Riders Quadrant of Basgiath War College, forced to undergo the grueling and deadly challenge of becoming a dragon rider rather than the safer and more mundane role of a scribe as she’d trained. She meets and falls in love with the man she thought was her enemy, Xaden Riorson.

The second book, Iron Flame, finds Violet, Xaden, their dragons and their friends up against the threat of the venin. No longer mythical creatures in children’s books or theoretical adversaries, venin are very real and have opened the first front in their war against the people of Navarre and Poromiel, defended only by the dragon riders of the former and the gryphon riders of the latter. The ending of Iron Flame introduced a shocking (but not altogether surprising) twist that has enormous ramifications for everyone moving forward.

How & Why Xaden Turned Venin At The End Of Iron Flame

Pulling Directly From The Source Is Forbidden

In the world of the Empyrean Series, magic is all around, coming directly from the earth itself. There are two ways to channel it – one permissible and one forbidden. The permissible way is how the dragon riders do it: bonding with a dragon and then tapping into that dragon’s power. In that way, the dragon acts as a dampener, as they can pull much more massive quantities of power than humans but still allow humans to channel that power through them.

The other way – drawing directly from the earth itself – is forbidden. A dragon rider who channels too much power through their dragon can burn out, even die. But a user who pulls straight from the source of magic does something even worse to themselves, eventually becoming twisted and warped, or venin. The lure of feeling the pure, unadulterated rush of power again turns a human venin as they seek only to gain more and more power. In doing so, it warps them into an evil, perverted form of a dragon rider.

But a user who pulls straight from the source of magic does something even worse to themselves, eventually becoming twisted and warped, or venin.

When Xaden draws power directly from the earth in the climactic battle of Iron Flame in his desperation to save Violet, he corrupts himself and starts the turn to become venin. What’s not entirely clear in the Empyrean Series is if drawing from the source one time turns someone completely venin, or if the process requires a person to tap into the source a few times to complete the transition. Xaden’s eyes now have a tinge of the lurid red glow that is a trademark of the venin, but he otherwise looks human.

What Xaden Being Venin Means For The Next Fourth Wing Book

The Venin Could Be Portrayed Differently

The third book, Onyx Storm, will surely explain some of those questions about the venin and how they work. Thus far in the books, they’ve been painted as little more than magical boogeymen, a tale parents tell their children to frighten them into respecting magic and those who keep them safe. However, now that Xaden is turning venin, and with the reveal that Jack Barlowe is also venin but has been hiding it, it’s likely that Onyx Storm will dive more deeply into the nature of venin.

Xaden is torn between his love for Violet and loyalty to the cause and his pull toward the venin.

It’s also entirely possible that the venin will be portrayed in a more sympathetic light as Xaden is torn between his love for Violet and loyalty to the cause and his pull toward the venin – especially now that they have a cause, as Jack implied at the end of Iron Flame.

Either way, the title Onyx Storm almost certainly relates to the tug-of-war that will happen in Xaden. That internal battle won’t just be confined to him, but will spill out to affect Violet, Sgaeyl, Tairn, and Andarna, as well, since they’re all interconnected. Xaden’s venin nature will almost certainly cause friction between mates Tairn and Sgaeyl in Onyx Storm, with Sgaeyl wanting to remain loyal to her rider and Tairn wanting to protect his. The relationship dynamics of the third book will be messier and more tension-filled than ever.

Andarna Being A Seventh Type Of Dragon Explained

She Is Unique Among Dragons

Andarna was already unique among dragons for being the only young dragon to ask to be part of the Presentation bonding, even though it is generally frowned upon for dragons not yet fully grown to bond to a rider. After an expenditure of too much magic forces her to quickly become a teenage dragon, her subsequent underdeveloped wing makes her unique in her determination and toughness to succeed despite her physical limitations – very similar to her rider, Violet.

Unfortunately, Andarna’s rarity puts a target on her back, so she disguises herself as a black dragon to be more like Tairn, whom she idolizes.

However, it’s the fact that her teenage form reveals her to be a unique seventh type of dragon, this one with scales that change color, that makes her so utterly unique among dragonkind in Iron Flame. At first, she merely appeared as a black dragon, but there were moments in Iron Flame where Violet could have sworn Andarna flickered and momentarily seemed to be a different color.

Andarna finally revealed that she was a rare kind of dragon not seen in ages, a seventh breed, and the last piece of the puzzle needed to resurrect the wardstones. Unfortunately, Andarna’s rarity puts a target on her back, so she disguises herself as a black dragon to be more like Tairn, whom she idolizes.

General Sorrengail’s Death: Why Violet’s Mom Sacrifices Herself

General Sorrengail Proved She Was Blameless In The Cover-Up

For most of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, General Lilith Sorrengail treated her children less like her children and more like her loyal soldiers. As maternal instincts go, the general had few, preferring the tough love approach to raising her children. It made her a character who wasn’t exactly sympathetic, but it was pretty clear from the hints laid out in the book that General Sorrengail didn’t know of the cover-up by other high-up Basgiath officials, or of General Aetos’ plot to send Xaden and Violet into a trap because they found out the truth.

In the end, General Sorrengail proved just how much she loved Violet and all her children by sacrificing herself for her daughter. The wardstones around Basgiath could only be powered back up by a rider channeling every bit of magic they could, burning out and dying in the process. Like her daughter, the general was exceptionally powerful and able to channel enormous amounts of magic.

When she recognized Violet was determined to burn herself out to save everyone, the general pushed her daughter aside and became the conduit for the magic, agreeing to let Sloane siphon her, knowing full well it would mean her life. Lilith Sorrengail may not have been loving, but her love for her children burned fiercely behind her tough exterior, and her death proved it.

What Will Happen Next With The Venin Now The Wards Are Reinstated?

The Venin Clearly Have A Larger Plan

The venin may have been temporarily thwarted by Violet and her mother and the dragons resurrecting the wards, but it’s not clear that it ultimately matters. When the venin Jack Barlowe speaks to Xaden at the end of Iron Flame, he mentions that Xaden is now part of their “f***ed-up family.” The venin had previously been described as boogeymen, somewhat mindless and feral.

However, the venin are organized like an army – and in far larger numbers than most people in Navarre know. Their attacks aren’t random, as Violet and the others figured out. Clearly, the venin have a plan. The wardstones being repowered may temporarily slow the venin down, but they clearly have a larger plan, and it’s not likely to stop them forever.

What We Know About The Empyrean Series Book 3

It Will Almost Certainly Revolve Around Xaden’s Internal Fight

Right now, not much is known about the third book in the Empyrean Series, Onyx Storm. It will be released on January 21, 2025, so there isn’t much time left before it hits bookshelves. Nothing has been revealed about the plot, but there are some obvious threads that Onyx Storm will need to explore further. The main one, of course, is Xaden now being venin. What that means for him, for his relationship with Violet and the dragons, and the security of Navarre in general remains to be seen.

The other major plotline that has to be explored is Andarna, her new powers, and Violet’s second signet through Andarna manifesting. Author Rebecca Yarros has said that she planted plenty of hints about Violet’s second signet throughout Iron Flame, so it shouldn’t be too surprising when it’s revealed in Onyx Storm to those who have been paying attention. Whatever her secondary signet is, it will hopefully be useful in the fight against the venin – including her soulmate, Xaden. Clearly, she’ll need it.

How The Iron Flame Ending Was Received

Fans Were Mad At The Cliffhanger, But Still Want More

When it comes to the Iron Flame ending, readers mostly asked questions about the final moments and what they meant for the future. One Reddit thread asked about the “tether” that was snapped, with the OP asking what that meant. One of the Redditors, Alert_Illustrator484, wrote:

“Xaden turns to save Violet’s life because the venin is threatening to kill her. It’s the moment Xaden reaches for the power in the ground- he chooses to become venin to protect Violet because the venin are after both him and Violet for their power. They have both been tethered since the first time they met which is why they’ve been having nightmares.”

Some fans rallied against the cliffhanger, not because they didn’t like it, but because they have to wait for an answer. With that said, it also provides many fans with something to speculate about until the third book (and possibly those beyond). Redditor LetMeDoTheKonga wrote, “Yeah that plot twist was unexpected. I predicted they would like kidnap Xaden or something and then Violet has to go on a rescue mission… I still think that this is their plan to make Violet seek them out so she can cure Xaden.“

Not everyone was happy with the ending, though. There was one Reddit thread where the OP showed anger at the Iron Flame ending, and many commenters agreed with this sentiment. Redditor hereandthere200 wrote, “I was so satisfied after all the obstacles they had overcome and then bam. Just seems like a hopeless cliffhanger. Not what I wanted but I’m just going to try to forget about that part till the next book comes out.” That book comes out on January 21, 2025.