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Summary
Chapters 9-12
Chapter 9
Xaden challenges Violet in a mat session, taunting her that he knows about her reliance on poisoning opponents to weaken them before they spar. He spars briefly and easily with her, giving her some much-needed if patronizing advice on how to keep opponents away from her more vulnerable points. As they fight, she gets more and more distracted by how attractive Xaden is and how clear the sexual tension between them is to everyone around them. Violet prepares to die, but Xaden lets her go without killing her. Dain takes her to her room, massages her sore muscles, and reveals that he’s asked the Dean of the Scribe Quadrant if they would still accept her behind her mother Lilith’s back. Upset, Violet feels he doubts her ability to survive, but reluctantly agrees to consider rejoining the Scribes.
Chapter 10
During a practice session, Violet and the other rider candidates navigate a grueling obstacle course called the Gauntlet designed to weed out weaker candidates before Threshing. They will have nine sessions to train before their final performance determines their ranking for Presentation, the ceremony where they meet the dragons and hope to be chosen by one as a bonded rider. Violet pushes through the course, mentally reeling off dragon facts to focus her mind and distract her from fear. A green dragon passes overhead, causing a girl named Aurelie to fall to her death. Violet decides to deliver Aurelie’s belongings to her family, as she was the last to see her alive. That night, Violet notices Xaden with Garrick and Xaden’s cousin, Bodhi, and eavesdrops on their conversation. Xaden detects her presence, dismisses the others, and speaks with her. He tells her that riders have to be resilient, and that each day he doesn’t kill her helps him feel like a decent person. Violet admits that her physical limitations are keeping her from completing one of the Gauntlet’s trickier obstacles, and Xaden reminds her that, like in the sparring ring, she can always use her mind rather than her muscles to win.
Chapter 11
When Presentation Day arrives, Violet and her companions have to complete the Gauntlet to reach the flight field where the dragons wait. She takes Xaden’s advice and puzzles her way through the course, using a rope to overcome the chimney she talked to Xaden about, and then her daggers to make it up the final few feet of the last barrier to the field. The trial isn’t over, however. A Wingleader named Amber Mavis accuses her of cheating, but Violet defends herself by citing the rule that any item carried across the Parapet by a cadet is considered part of the cadet, making her daggers allowable. Although she gets penalized thirty seconds for using the ropes, Violet passes.
Chapter 12
After completing the trials, 169 cadets remain, with Violet’s squad ranked 11th of 36. The candidates nervously crowd onto the field to meet the dragons. To help the dragons learn about them, cadets are encouraged to talk among themselves as they walk past a long line of enormous potential mounts. All the cadets are curious about the dragons but have been told they must avoid eye contact for safety until they bond with one. A small golden “feathertail” dragon at the end of the line catches everyone’s attention, as feathertails are rarely seen and typically lack the physical power to fight or fly with a human on their back. A cadet named Luca jokes that the golden dragon is too young and weak to be taken seriously. The conversation turns to wyverns, mythical creatures that resemble dragons but are larger and more dangerous. Discussing them is frowned upon. As they walk, six cadets are gruesomely killed by the fiery breath of the waiting dragons.
Analysis
When Xaden confronts Violet during a mat session, it seems undeniable that he’s getting ready to kill her. Instead, he taunts her, directly challenging her reliance on her tactic of poisoning her opponents, which he views as underhanded. His criticism forces Violet to briefly question her approach, but she fights back against his criticisms both verbally and physically. His taunts are, oddly, also mixed with genuinely useful advice. Suggesting she focus on simpler, more strategic moves and stop using a bo staff is the beginning of Xaden’s role in pushing Violet beyond her comfort zone. Meanwhile, Dain’s continued attempts to convince Violet to transfer to the Scribe Quadrant sit poorly with Violet when compared to Xaden’s lenient and confident approach. Dain’s protectiveness, though well-intentioned, directly undermines Violet’s autonomy and growth as a rider. Even though Xaden’s advice is more dangerous and his lessons harder to absorb, Dain’s commentary only makes Violet question herself and lose confidence in her choices. By this point in the novel, Violet is beginning to directly compare Xaden and Dain in her head, and Xaden wins those battles most of the time.
Ignoring Dain’s “helpful” comments is the least of Violet’s worries in this section of the novel. Having survived the Parapet challenge and all of the other death-defying situations Basgiath has so far forced on its young victims, Violet is faced with the Gauntlet. This test is an obstacle course designed to test the candidates’ physical abilities. If they can’t successfully run the Gauntlet, it’s unlikely that they will be able to keep up physically with the rigors of dragonriding. Violet, who has always struggled with the physical demands of rider training due to her size and stature, has to find a way to get through the Gauntlet using her wits. Her perseverance pays off, as despite the deaths around her—including Auriele’s tragic fall—she succeeds in making it over the top of the final obstacle. On Presentation Day, Violet’s use of a rope and daggers to complete the final task demonstrates how ingenious she’s capable of being, even if it leads to accusations of cheating from Amber Mavis. This episode reflects Violet’s commitment to surviving by any means necessary. It also reinforces the idea that adhering to rules may not always align with survival in the brutal world of Basgiath; just like fate, rules can be bent with a little help from intelligence and quick wit. Even more challenging than this test of physical prowess, however, is Violet’s decision to deliver Aurelie’s belongings to her grieving family after the other cadet dies. The emotional weight of this task is a reminder of the human cost behind every challenge faced at Basgiath. Aurelie died because she couldn’t complete a task that Violet barely finished herself. Seeing the results of failure with her own eyes makes Violet even more determined to improve.
Although the first-year cadets know they will meet Basgiath’s dragons on Presentation Day, almost none of them are prepared for how terrifying dragons actually are in the flesh. This tense moment, when the cadets have to walk by these colossal monsters without showing fear, is a turning point in Violet’s journey. It’s a new kind of test where the cadets must demonstrate grace under pressure, trying not to show fear or run as the dragons sniff and paw at them. Just as riders can die in battle from strategic mistakes as well as physical weakness, having a strong body is not enough to make a person worthy of riding a dragon. It’s actually Violet who has the upper hand over the rest of the cadets here, although she isn’t yet aware of it. The fact that six cadets die by dragon-fire after having survived the Gauntlet is yet another reminder that becoming a rider requires constant sacrifices—including the sacrifice of one's peers.
