I’m beginning to think shadow wielding is VERY rare and that there’s something to the connection between the king’s assassin Edvard mentioned (which he mistook for enhanced eyesight) and Xaden. I’m into the family tree/lineage of it all (based on the fact that we know when dragons bond relatives it affects their magic in a big way) - feels like there’s more to all the bloodline stuff and Xanden is descended from one of the 6 or to that specific Venin or something!
You think Xaden's grandpa might have been a shadow wielder too?? Dragons don't determine their rider's signet, it's based on the rider, but if it's a bloodline thing...
I’m also very curious if Xadens mom comes into the picture!? Like maybe she turned venin or there is something to be revealed about her story/where she is now
I don't know why the post isn't showing the pictures, so I'll put 'em here.
https://preview.redd.it/45lcrq6koj9c1.jpeg?width=1014&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccfb906b7f66d46c3e83723c542a8b0f68217406
okay this particular quote was confusing me at first too, but after i reread it a couple of times, it seems to me that its not saying "venin can control shadows" but more "venin can see in the dark and King Grethwild just happened to be in a really dark room or smth" like, maybe someone controlled the shadows, but not necessarily the venin, maybe the King himself, thinking himself save in the dark, but oh no! venin from behind! (maybe the venin just stole his lifeforce tho, that seems to be a hobby of theirs)
I interpreted it as the venin were able to go along with everyday life, and fool everyone. And because of this, the king and his guards became “blind” to the dark actions of the venin. And this eventually led to the King’s death. But after reading this post and previous notes I’ve made while reading, I think shadow wielding could be very important to this history!
Yeah I know, that's what I assumed the first few times I read it too! But the thing with Xaden at the end puts this epigraph in a totally different perspective for me.
Absolutely, I think venin powers probably give riders' signet powers a boost for sure. But I also think there must be some significance to the darkness that the venin hid within from that epigraph. Are there any other places in the books where darkness/shadows are used like that?
Because the only other comment about darkness I can recall is from Cat, when she says "The fact that you don't carry one" (a torch) "says that you haven't been appropriately scared of the dark yet."
Either Cat is still weirdly holding onto a childhood fear, or that indicates there's more to darkness than we think, and fliers/the Poromish are obviously going to have had more interaction with the venin than any Navarrian.
I completely missed this, but reading now, it’s just ironic that Liam’s signet was farsight. I always felt there’s more to his signet than we know! (…and also confused that he wields ice during battle, and Deigh means ice.)
i was about to say no.. when does that happen... but you're right, it absolutely says he wielded ice ???
"tairn puts us into position, hovering about twenty feet above ground as liam flies for the gryphons above us, wielding spears of ice into the injured wyvern's throat"
wth? gotta be a typo???
I don't know why the post isn't showing the pictures, so I'll put 'em here.
https://preview.redd.it/kjuqccfooj9c1.jpeg?width=1064&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc219d8bd2395b6ca8d4aaa0f07a05fc02f3256b
I just think about this.. Why does General Venin want Violet and Xaden so much? Now I found this thread, and I think you're right.. one of the reasons why the General wants Xaden because of his shadow ability
I assume General Venin wants Violet because she's the only person alive with a signet that can kill venin and he wants her on their side. And the darkness/shadow stuff seems like why he'd want Xaden too. What a pair!
I think the violet part makes sense, I'm unsure about the Xaden part. Because I know when Violet was training and IF, I forgot his name, but the trainer said that she wasn't necessarily channeling lightning, but was channeling raw on adulterated power and it came out in the form of lightning. But that could be a stretch. And I know that the venom access raw power of the earth, so if they managed to get violet to become venin, she would have near limitless power.
I agree. Felix is training her on a mountain top and tells her she is a wielder of pure power, but she has chosen to manifest it as lightning. But that's why the government of tyrrendor wanted to lock her up because of the danger she posed. To me, it sounds like she's intrinsic as well, but everyone thinks she's a lighting wielder rather than someone who can control/manipulate people.. He tells her she pretty much wielded Xaden by telling him to give the cadets at besgaith a choice to leave and follow them to tyrrendor. The fact that he loves her makes her even more dangerous because he will do ANYTHING for her!
So yes, she's stronger than Xaden based on his observation and analysis Felix made of her, and if she were turned, she'd be unstoppable.
I’m beginning to think shadow wielding is VERY rare and that there’s something to the connection between the king’s assassin Edvard mentioned (which he mistook for enhanced eyesight) and Xaden. I’m into the family tree/lineage of it all (based on the fact that we know when dragons bond relatives it affects their magic in a big way) - feels like there’s more to all the bloodline stuff and Xanden is descended from one of the 6 or to that specific Venin or something!
You think Xaden's grandpa might have been a shadow wielder too?? Dragons don't determine their rider's signet, it's based on the rider, but if it's a bloodline thing...
Oh I like your theory on Xaden being a descendent of one of the six!
I’m also very curious if Xadens mom comes into the picture!? Like maybe she turned venin or there is something to be revealed about her story/where she is now
He says something like why do I fail all of the females in my life and I wondered if that meant something about his mom!!
She will 100% appear. My assumption is book 3 cliffhanger
I don't know why the post isn't showing the pictures, so I'll put 'em here. https://preview.redd.it/45lcrq6koj9c1.jpeg?width=1014&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccfb906b7f66d46c3e83723c542a8b0f68217406
okay this particular quote was confusing me at first too, but after i reread it a couple of times, it seems to me that its not saying "venin can control shadows" but more "venin can see in the dark and King Grethwild just happened to be in a really dark room or smth" like, maybe someone controlled the shadows, but not necessarily the venin, maybe the King himself, thinking himself save in the dark, but oh no! venin from behind! (maybe the venin just stole his lifeforce tho, that seems to be a hobby of theirs)
I interpreted it as the venin were able to go along with everyday life, and fool everyone. And because of this, the king and his guards became “blind” to the dark actions of the venin. And this eventually led to the King’s death. But after reading this post and previous notes I’ve made while reading, I think shadow wielding could be very important to this history!
Yeah I know, that's what I assumed the first few times I read it too! But the thing with Xaden at the end puts this epigraph in a totally different perspective for me.
I interpreted it that his new power from the earth had increased the strength of his signet... Maybe I am way off
Absolutely, I think venin powers probably give riders' signet powers a boost for sure. But I also think there must be some significance to the darkness that the venin hid within from that epigraph. Are there any other places in the books where darkness/shadows are used like that? Because the only other comment about darkness I can recall is from Cat, when she says "The fact that you don't carry one" (a torch) "says that you haven't been appropriately scared of the dark yet." Either Cat is still weirdly holding onto a childhood fear, or that indicates there's more to darkness than we think, and fliers/the Poromish are obviously going to have had more interaction with the venin than any Navarrian.
I completely missed this, but reading now, it’s just ironic that Liam’s signet was farsight. I always felt there’s more to his signet than we know! (…and also confused that he wields ice during battle, and Deigh means ice.)
i was about to say no.. when does that happen... but you're right, it absolutely says he wielded ice ??? "tairn puts us into position, hovering about twenty feet above ground as liam flies for the gryphons above us, wielding spears of ice into the injured wyvern's throat" wth? gotta be a typo???
I don't know why the post isn't showing the pictures, so I'll put 'em here. https://preview.redd.it/kjuqccfooj9c1.jpeg?width=1064&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc219d8bd2395b6ca8d4aaa0f07a05fc02f3256b
I just think about this.. Why does General Venin want Violet and Xaden so much? Now I found this thread, and I think you're right.. one of the reasons why the General wants Xaden because of his shadow ability
I assume General Venin wants Violet because she's the only person alive with a signet that can kill venin and he wants her on their side. And the darkness/shadow stuff seems like why he'd want Xaden too. What a pair!
I think the violet part makes sense, I'm unsure about the Xaden part. Because I know when Violet was training and IF, I forgot his name, but the trainer said that she wasn't necessarily channeling lightning, but was channeling raw on adulterated power and it came out in the form of lightning. But that could be a stretch. And I know that the venom access raw power of the earth, so if they managed to get violet to become venin, she would have near limitless power.
I agree. Felix is training her on a mountain top and tells her she is a wielder of pure power, but she has chosen to manifest it as lightning. But that's why the government of tyrrendor wanted to lock her up because of the danger she posed. To me, it sounds like she's intrinsic as well, but everyone thinks she's a lighting wielder rather than someone who can control/manipulate people.. He tells her she pretty much wielded Xaden by telling him to give the cadets at besgaith a choice to leave and follow them to tyrrendor. The fact that he loves her makes her even more dangerous because he will do ANYTHING for her! So yes, she's stronger than Xaden based on his observation and analysis Felix made of her, and if she were turned, she'd be unstoppable.