The four paragraph version: When the book opens, Xaden has now turned venin (after being forced to channel in the last battle), the threat of venin is even greater, and it’s a matter of time before wardstone in Aretia will fail. Violet is assigned to a task force to seek out the seventh breed of dragons and to find allies. Privately, Violet is determined to find a cure to save Xaden before he fully loses his soul. Their research takes them to the southern isles beyond the main continent where there is no magic. Their travels secure them an alliance on one of the isles, and on an another isle they find the seventh breed (irids) though the irids disdain war and decline to help them. They’re also told there is no cure to venin.
Meanwhile, Violet is being courted by a very powerful Maven dark wielder named Theophanie who wants Violet to turn venin, and Violet discovers her second signet — she’s a dream walker, able to step into others’ dreams. As a major venin attack is launched on Aretia, one of the irids shows up to fire up the wardstone in Aretia, allowing it to be fully functional. However, the irid also convinces Ardana to break her bond with Violet and return to their homeland to learn the ways of the irids.
Against Navarre’s wishes, Xaden decides to allow all Poromish into Aretia. As civilians stream in Aretia, Theophanie gets impatient, so she captures Violet’s sister Mira and demands that Violet (and Jack) be turned over to her. The result is a major battle where Xaden, Violet and their dragons are captured. In order to save his dragon Sgael and turn the tide of the battle, Xaden channels deep and turns fully venin. In the darkness, Violet is able to kill Theophanie (with help from Prince Aaric who turns out to be a precog, as well as Andarna).
When Violet awakes, the battle has been won, but her memory of the past few hours are erased (which Imogen informs her was upon her request). In turns out that at some point she and Xaden were legally married (giving her a claim on Aretia), and Xaden is now gone.
In Chapters 1 – 8, following the battle at Basgiath and with the wardstone repaired, Navarre and Aretia negotiate to allow the Aretians to stay in Navarre and to give a full pardon to the Aretians. Xaden is now venin (after having channeled during the last battle) and Violet is determined to find a cure for him. Violet is assigned to a task force to find the rest of the seventh breed of dragon (which is what her dragon Andarna is, referred to as “irids”/”irridescents”), and she hopes those dragons will know how to defeat or cure venin.
Meanwhile, negotiations with Poromiel have stalled, so Violet and her allies secretly alter the wardstone to allow Poromiel’s gryphon fliers to be able to wield in order to clear the way for a potential alliance. They carry out this mission just before the full pardon is signed in order to avoid being prosecuted for treason. As a result of their actions, the Poromiel fliers are allowed to stay within their ranks as negotiations resume.
In Chapters 9 – 12, in retaliation for Violet’s actions to help Poromiel, General Aetos sends Violet and the rest of second squad to the Samara outpost, where there is fighting going on. While the fighting has died down when they arrive, an impending attack on Newhall (where Maren’s family is) compels them to plan a mission to Newhall to extract Maren’s family. However, it is a trap, resulting in an encounter with a dark wielder named Theophanie who wants Andarna. Theophanie wields lightning and it’s later confirmed that advanced dark wielders — Sages and Mavens — also have signets. Despite having the opportunity to kill her, she leaves Violet alive, cryptically advising her to choose her as her teacher when the time comes.
The encounter also reveals that Garret has a second signet giving him the ability to travel large distances very quickly. Later, Xaden admits that a disproportionate number of the kids with rebellion relics were later chosen by dragons who imbued them with second signets.
In Chapters 13 – 18, Violet’s research hints that the seventh breed may be found in the southern isles, one of which once aided in an uprising. Violet believes her father’s research (which was confiscated and is now in General Aetos’s possession) may have information about this. Meanwhile, Violet previously secured access to Viscount Tecarus’s library and was given access to Queen Maraya’s library in thanks for her assistance to Poromiel. She has now also been granted a meeting with King Courtlyn of Deverelli, the southernmost isle, in exchange for a gem, the Amelian Citrine, which Queen Maraya has agreed to provide. However, the gem is located in Anca, which is beyond the wards and potentially in enemy-occupied territory.
Dain Aetos assists in stealing Violet’s father’s journal, and the journal confirms that the key to defeating venin lies in Deverelli. It also says that she’ll need to go to Cordyn (where Tecarus’s palace is) and that in Deverelli she needs to seek out a certain merchant.
In Chapters 19 – 27, Violet and a riot of seven others — chosen by the Senarium (Navarre leadership) — head for Anca to procure the gem. They are able to get it, but there are two deaths, including that of their leader Captain Grady, due to an unnecessary fire that breaks out. When they return, Violet demands to lead the squad and choose her team, which they reluctantly agree to.
Violet’s chosen squad then goes to see Tecarus and then heads southward to the isle of Deverelli. Tecarus warns them that once they leave the continent and pass over the ocean, they will no longer have access to magic, since it only exists on the continent. In Deverelli, Halden meets with King Courtlyn while Violet and the others seek out the merchant, Narelle Anselm. Narelle gives Violet a set of six books that Violet’s father wrote and left specifically for Violet.
Meanwhile, Halden has gotten into trouble by trying to steal from King Courtlyn, leading to a breakdown in negotiations. Violet and Xaden go to retrieve him, but the situation turns violent. Xaden is forced to channel via the energy in Violet’s conduit in order to kill the guards attacking them. Still, Violet does manage to broker an alliance with Deverelli and an agreement to use Tecarus’s manor on the isle as a stopping point for the dragons and gryphons while they search for irids.
In Chapters 28 – 43, after regrouping in Basigath and unlocking her father’s journals, Violet and her squad, along with a few additions, head south again to explore each of the main isles in search of the seventh breed and in hopes of brokering alliances. Aaric insists on going instead of Halden, since Halden is deemed a threat to the mission.
In Unnbriel, a militaristic society, three of them (Violet, Xaden and Dain) are asked to fight three Unnbriel champions in order to win an audience with a queen. They win, but no alliance is struck. On Hedotis, a society built on the idea of wisdom, they discover that Xaden’s mother Talia is there, and they are subject to a tests of their “wisdom”, one which involves seeing if they realize they’re being poisoned. The situation is tense, but Violet manages to navigate the situation and get them out of there intact. However, the third isle, Zehylla, worships the god of luck, and each member of the squad is required to accept a “gift”, with the item being decided by the luck of the draw. One of their squad, Trager, draws an arrow and is killed by an arrow, and his gryphon dies with him. Still, they manage to broker an alliance where Zehylla will provide 40,000 troops.
The squad then departs for an unnamed isle to burn their dead, and there they discover the seventh breed. However, the irid dragons question Andarna and determine that they have failed the test and refuse to help. The irids explain that Andarna was purposely left behind as the “centurion” who was meant to help them determine if humans had managed to develop a peaceful and harmonious society. Based on Andarna’s upbringing, they determine that Andarna is being used as a weapon and have no interest in their war. They reject Andarna as an irid, and they inform them that there is no cure to turning venin.
The group then heads home, where they learn that Queen Maraya has been killed by dark wielders, and Violet get a note from Theophanie reminding her that she has the information Violet seeks.
In Chapters 44 – 55, Violet and her squad eventually travel to Aretia to help on that front. There, Violet discovers that she’s a dream-walker, able to enter into others’ dreams (her second signet). Xaden has also decided that all Poromish should be allowed into Tyr, and civilians begin streaming in.
Soon after, there is a wyvern attack on Aretia where their defenses are nearly overwhelmed when the wards are suddenly raised. It turns out one of the irids, Leothan, has used his power to fire up their wardstone so it is fully functional. However, he still doesn’t intend to help fight their war and instead wants Andarna to return to her homeland with him to learn the ways of the irids. He explains to Andarna that their kind is able to break, mold and shape magical bonds which is why Andarna was able to bond with Violet in the first place. With Violet’s blessing, Andarna breaks their bond and departs.
In Chapters 56 – 65, Theophanie grows impatient for Violet to join her, and she captures Mira. She demands that Xaden bring her Violet and Jack. They realize it’s a trap, but they go anyway. A huge battle ensues where Xaden, Violet and their dragons are captured. In order to save his dragon Sgael and turn the tide of the battle, Xaden channels deep and turns fully venin. In the darkness, Violet is able to kill Theophanie (with help from Prince Aaric who turns out to be a precog, as well as Andarna).
When Violet awakes, the battle has been won, but her memory of the past few hours are erased (which Imogen informs her was upon her request). In turns out that at some point she and Xaden were legally married (giving her a claim on Aretia), and Xaden is now gone.
For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary.
If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon!
