Iron Flame Chapters 1–4 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 1

Violet sits in the kitchen with Brennan and marvels that her brother is alive. She learns that Brennan faked his death when Violet was a teenager to join the resistance movement under the name “Aisereigh.” The resistance movement is based out of Riorson House in Aretia, the capital city of the Navarrian province of Tyrrendor until it was burned during the Tyrrish rebellion six years prior. Aretia is widely thought to be a pile of ruins but, unbeknownst to the Navarre government, the resistance movement has been secretly rebuilding their decimated city.

Read a full book summary of the previous book in the series, Fourth Wing.

Violet leaves the kitchen after Brennan and finds Imogen and Bodhi. The three of them stand in the hallway and listen in on an Assembly meeting—a meeting of the seven leaders who make decisions for Aretia, which began following the Tyrrish Rebellion. The Assembly thinks that they only have a year before they are overrun by the venin advance and are in need of a forging device called a luminary. Some want to steal the luminary from Basgiath, but Brennan says that Navarre will not be able to replenish their stores at the outposts and many civilians will die because the wards will fail.

Next, the Assembly members debate whether or not they should let Violet return to Basgiath; they do not trust her to keep their secrets, but Xaden and Brennan defend her. Xaden’s defense is confusing for Violet because she loves him but is simultaneously hurt that he kept so many secrets from her—especially the fact that he knew that her brother was alive. However, a small part of her does understand that he did what he thought was best to keep his people safe. The meeting ends and Violet remains behind to talk to Brennan.

Chapter 2

Brennan confirms that Mira, their other sibling, does not know that he is alive. He explains that Naolin (Tairn’s previous rider) was able to revive him by using his signet, but was killed in the process. Violet tells Brennan that venin come from the Barrens and move from city to city sucking the land dry of magic and creating wyvern—dangerous dragon-like creatures that they channel their power into. Brennan is grateful for Violet’s knowledge of folklore, and he estimates that Aretia only has six months until the venin army overpowers it because Aretia’s wardstone does not work. Violet thinks that there must be a way to fix it, but Brennan disagrees. He is focused on acquiring a luminary, a device that intensifies dragon fire until it is hot enough to smelt alloy into the only weapons that can defeat venin.

Brennan expresses concern about Violet’s decision to return to Basgiath, but she wants to leave before she learns too much information about the revolution in case Dain tries to read her memories again. Violet joins the rest of the cadets who fought the venin army at Resson, and is stunned to see that not only has Andarna doubled in size but her once golden scales are now black. She has also lost her time-stopping abilities because she is now an adolescent. Violet, Xaden, Imogen, Garrick, Bodhi, Ciaran, Eya, and Masen head back to Basgiath in a hurry—Xaden has a plan, but they need to leave immediately because graduation is in two days.

Chapter 3

The eight riders land at Basgiath. Violet and Xaden head to Liam’s room to find the letters that he wrote to his sister and give them to Rhiannon and Ridoc, who are thrilled that Violet is alive. Violet is still hurt and tells Xaden that she can only trust him if he promises to tell her everything from now on. Xaden is hesitant because he is leading a revolution and does not want to compromise it or Violet, but Violet is adamant. The eight riders reconvene and enter the rotunda just as Captain Fitzgibbon reads Xaden’s name out from the death roll.

Chapter 4

Despite their unresolved tension, Violet and Xaden work together to tell the lie that they concocted while flying back to Basgiath. They say that they were sent to Athebyne (a Navarre outpost) to form Fourth Wing’s War Games headquarters, where they were attacked by gryphons which killed Liam and Soleil’s dragons. They claim that Violet was gravely injured and that they had to quickly get her to safety, which delayed their return. Violet is relieved to realize that her mother did not know about Colonel Aetos’s plan to get them killed by venin as punishment for Xaden and the other marked students using Athebyne to supply gryphon fliers with stolen weapons to defeat venin. General Sorrengail is furious at Colonel Aetos for putting them at risk and impressed that Violet survived.

Colonel Aetos, meanwhile, is enraged, and Violet and Xaden taunt him, knowing that he cannot expose their lie without revealing the truth about venin. Next, Violet keeps Dain away from her by weaponizing his pride and throwing her relationship with Xaden in his face. Xaden reminds Dain that he can think of the word “Athebyne” if he ever forgets himself. Dain is visibly upset, realizing that Violet and Xaden know that he previously violated Violet’s trust and read her memories about Xaden’s operations in Athebyne. Violet and her friends become second-years. Xaden and the other third-years graduate and become lieutenants in the Navarre army. They are ordered to depart the next day, much to Violet’s distress.

Next section Chapters 5–8