Rebecca Yarros’Empyrean Series is full of shocking plot twists and unforeseen turns, but Xaden’s second signet reveal inIron Flametops them all. Theending ofIron Flameleft fans with much to dissect, but the fact that Xaden had a secret second signet was a huge surprise. Once Violet makes this discovery, it all feels so obvious—and looking back, there are several timesXaden secretly used his signet duringFourth WingandIron Flame. However, without the context ofIron Flame’s ending, it would be incredibly hard to catch his Inntinnsic ability upon the first read.
AsIron Flameprogresses, Yarros makes sure to become more intentional in how she drops clues toXaden’s second signetthroughout the narrative—but she does so in a manner that doesn’t give up the surprise too soon.These subtle clues leave behind a clear breadcrumb trail fans can follow during a series re-read, and on several occasions it’s made known to the reader that Xaden is utilizing his Inntinnsic ability. And while there are several well-placed clues, Yarros' cleverest hint actually comes from Violet and Xaden’s conversation about the scribe, Jessinia.
Xaden & Violet’s Conversation About Jessinia Perfectly Sets Up Iron Flame’s Xaden Twist
This Moment Is Subtle But Helps Support The Later Xaden Reveal
During this scene, Xaden learns Violet is researching forbidden texts in the archives with the help of her friend Jessinia. And because Xaden claims the archives are the “beating heart of the enemy”, he is worried Violet’s research will somehow cause her harm. While Violet clearly protests this, Xaden requests to meet Jessinia and determine for himself whether she can be trusted. In response, Violet jokingly teases that even Xaden isn’t powerful enough to assume anything just by looking at her,to which Xaden replies “I’ll know. I’m an incredible judge of character”.
The subtlety in which Yarros includes this dialogue acts as the perfect hint to later support Xaden’s second signet reveal inIron Flame.
This is definitely one of Yarros' more clever hints to Xaden’s second signet. The interaction itself doesn’t reveal anything about Xaden’s laterIron Flametwistand simply reinforces the idea in the readers' mind that he has exemplary observation skills.However, knowing he can in fact read a person’s intentions makes this scene much more impactful, and proves his snap judgements hold a lot of weight throughout the series. The subtlety in which Yarros includes this dialogue acts as the perfect hint to later support Xaden’s second signet reveal inIron Flame.
Rebecca Yarros' Xaden Hint Means Violet’s Second Signet Is Hiding In Plain Sight Too
Yarros Confirmed Violet’s Second-Signet Is In Iron Flame
Given Xaden’s second signet reveal inIron Flamewas such a shock for readers, it’s likely Yarros will continue the pattern—and her upcoming reveal ofViolet’s second signetcould invoke a similar response inOnyx Storm.Yarros has admitted that she’s surprised fans have not yet figured it out, and has confirmed on several occasions that Violet’s second signet is clearly alluded to throughoutIron Flame.However, there are so many theories as to what Violet’s new abilities may prove to be, it’s almost impossible to come to an exact conclusion.
New Onyx Storm Reveal Gives A Major Clue To Violet’s Second Signet, Supports Huge Fourth Wing Theory
The latest Onyx Storm reveal may have hinted at Violet’s second signet, supporting a popular Fourth Wing theory about her power from Andarna.
Thankfully, Yarros has seemingly set up Violet to discover her second signet inOnyx Storm. Knowing Yarros so cleverly placed clues for Xaden’s signet, it’s likely that after Violet’s signet reveal it will become incredibly obvious when re-readingIron Flame. Violet’s second signet will be closely tied to Andarna, and Yarros teaches inFourth Wingthat a signet ability manifests based on the rider’s most-innate needs. With these two elements combined, Violet’s new signet ability is sure to be an exciting addition to theEmpyrean Series' complex magic system.
