Riders, Scribes, Resilience, and the Danger of Forgotten History

Our story starts with Violet Sorrengail. By the age of 20, all young people are expected to join one of the four military branches at the college in their country: Infantry, Healer, Scribe, or Rider, and train there for three years. Violet has been training for years to be a scribe just like her father. She loves reading and recording history just like him. However, her mother, General Lillith Sorrengail, has different plans for her. Despite her deceased father’s wishes for Violet to become a scribe, Lillith forces Violet to become a dragon rider, a profession that has the strongest military personnel but also the highest mortality rate.

However, Violet is not the best candidate. She is short, weak, and prone to broken bones because of her constitution. Violet doesn’t want to go, but her mother is adamant that their family is one of riders like her older brother and sister. Violet accepts her faith, knowing that if she tries to go into the Scribe section of the military, her mother would just drag her back. Before Violet goes to register with the riders, her sister, Mira, warns Violet of forming alliances and to watch out for the children of executed rebellion leaders since their mom was responsible for their executions. Their children would have no qualms about making Violet suffer for their tragic loss. With a weak constitution and an automatic target on her back, will Violet be able to become a rider and rise through the ranks?

What is Violet to do in her precarious situation? I liked how the novel illustrates how Violet has to pivot in the face of adversity. Violet had always wanted to be a scribe. She studied countless hours for it. She thought it best suited her because it didn’t involve her using her physicality. She didn’t think that she could compare to the accomplishments that her mother, older brother, and sister had as riders. Instead of complaining about the forced situation, Violet decided to embrace it. She focused instead on how she could be a rider like everyone else by finding training partners to spar with her, lifting weights to increase her strength, and using her knowledge to outsmart her opponents. As she grows stronger, she realizes that she can be a good rider despite others’ expectations.

Defying expectations worked in Violet’s favor. All riders think that physical strength and ruthlessness are the only ways to attract a dragon to bond with you. Violet is told constantly by her bullies that she will never attract a dragon because they consider her weak. However, Violet is chosen by two dragons, Tarin and Andarna. The former is one of the biggest dragons in the area, and the latter is a rare dragon. Violet became the first person to bond with two dragons at once. The dragons chose her not only because of her bravery, but also because of her willingness to protect Andarna from riders intent on hurting her, despite Violet being outnumbered. It shows that people can have all types of qualities to attract others to them.

Sometimes, not all bonds are meant to stick. Violet was excited that her best friend, Dain, was a rider whom she could learn from. They have always looked out for each other, and she expected things wouldn’t change. However, Violet realizes that Dain and she don’t have the same values. Dain believes in following things by the book because he eventually wants to be a leader in the rider division. His main focus is on things being done in a certain way. However, Violet realizes that things can’t always be by the book and that you need flexibility to survive. The scenarios their teachers showed them at school are not going to always pan out. They have to learn how to think outside the box. The thought of that causes Violet and Dain to distrust each other.

One of the things the book touches upon is the keepers of history. Violet had a book of fables about venin and wyverns. Violet found it odd that her father had the book when she was little, but she could find no record of it in the library archives, which is supposed to record everything, even regular books. Violet discovers that the scribes made sure that the book was not found because they didn’t want people to realize that not only venin and wyerns are real, but they are a current real threat against the country. It illustrates how the people who write history can control the narrative in any way they want, which can lead to harmful results. In the book case, the village people are not prepared for monster attacks.

History being altered in Violet’s country makes me think about the historical changes that are currently happening in the United States. The government is removing classes about diversity and different cultures, and trying to rewrite the history of slavery as something that is not bad. It ranges from politicians saying that slavery provided slaves with work skills they could utilize to schools having children pretend they are in a slave auction. It is frightening that they are trying to make slavery seem positive, even though it had horrendous results that are still affecting us today.

I thought that the above themes were a lot stronger than the romance aspect of the book. I did think the forced enemy-to-lovers thing was interesting. Xaden, a powerful rider, is not fond of Violet at first because Violet’s mother executed his father. However, they are forced to co-exist because their dragons are lovers. Because dragon bonds are strong, Xaden is forced to care about Violet and protect her. If she dies, it would cause him to die. They do get a chance to know each other, which lightens their opinion of one another. However, throughout the story, I had doubts about their love. Their first kiss between the characters was influenced by their dragons mating. It makes you wonder if Violet and Xaden are more in lust rather than love. I know that there are sequel books, so their relationship could change, but it wasn’t the epic romance that I heard people praising it for.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book despite the romance. Important lessons can be learned from this book. Being adaptable to change can lead to new and better things. Some friendships are not meant to last forever. People grow into their own person, which sets them on different paths. It is not necessarily a bad thing. We then learn to connect with others who are on the same wavelength. It is also important to keep the gatekeepers of history honest and responsible. Not knowing our history can lead to disastrous results if we are not careful. In the spirit of the book, I have the following question: Do you think it is important to know our history?