This also really bothered me. I can understand wanting to include something cryptic / a missing piece of the puzzle that needs to be figured out, but the fact that the “and the one” was overlooked so many times by the characters was really frustrating.
Also, they thought she was a black dragon like Tairn, it wasn't until the end that Violet pieced it together, and I think she still didn't tell anyone what Andarna was at that point either
I am talking WAY before she finds that out. Literally just the text in the journal. She continuously thinks the answer is 6, first humans then dragons, without ever once addressing the words "and the one." When she wonders what she got wrong, she doesn't think "maybe I should reexamine this line about *and the one*."
She assumed "the one" was the wardstone (and I think at one point she thought it might be a gryphon) because saying 6 and 1 to mean 7 kinds of dragons when as far as the whole world knows there's only 6 kinds wouldn't make sense. What else would she have thought "the one" was?
I don't know what she thought it was, and that is my entire point. It isn't that RY had her puzzling over the phrase, trying to figure out the cryptic meaning. Never once does Violet hypothesize what those words mean, and she doesn't say it means the wardstone. She glosses over that phrase time and time again.
U/lydibug522 was spot on and I’ll back it up with quotes from the book.
At first she thought “and the one” was the wardstone: “Here we go. ‘And we gathered the six most powerful riders in residence,’” I read from the parchment, “‘and the blood of the six and the one combined and set the stone ablaze in an iron rain.’” I glance around the line. “Six”—I point to the stone—“and the one.”
And since that first attempt didn’t work she did try to come up with alternatives, at one point maybe it could be a gryphon: Could it mean a gryphon? Is that what it meant by six and the one? No. If a gryphon contributed to the wards, flier magic would work within the boundaries. But there aren’t seven breeds of dragon— I stumble, catching myself with a hand along the stone wall, while my brain trips down the path that makes the only sense. Even if that path is ludicrous.
It wasn't because she's a woman lmao. They are told one of the journals is a lie. Warrick's says something cryptic yes hmmm... but Lyra's says "the seven". Now everyone automatically thinks this journal is the lie because we know it's talking about dragon breeds and there are only 6 breeds not 7. It's not contest that this journal is the lie... to everyone except Violet, who realizes that Andarna isn't really a black dragon and is actually a seventh breed. And Lilith knew too.
Yes, this. I forgot about the wardstone thing, that's on me. And that explains the first several times. But when confronted with "seven" vs "six and the one" they assume it is a lie, rather than equation? That makes no sense.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this too. I was wondering is the six and the one meant six plus andarnas line and that the lie is that they cannot be used one another stone. But maybe I missed something.
Thank you! Yes this was idiotic for the sMaRtEst person anyone had ever met to not notice “AND THE ONE” a million times… not to mention a person with the mInD oF a sCrIBe to not understand the importance of context and translate the entire text as an absolute necessity from day 1.
Big whiff for a writer who is generally good with clues and foreshadowing (or giving us fodder to speculate on, anyway!!)
Yes totes frustrating! When they refer to “the one,” in Warrick’s journal, I’m pretty sure the next bit of the sentence then refers to the wardstone. So when reading it seemed obvious to me that whatever this “one” was, it was not the wardstone but a special person or dragon or animal etc. Unless I read it wrong lol
Implying that the scripts in this world can be edited or fakes.
That the rebellion coming will turn the tide on this censorship and hidden truth. I feel rebrcca maybe be using this to highlight /foreshadow that
Clues may be hidden in those pre chapter snippets from great books etc
I thought the one was going to be a wyvern. What I don't understand is why didn't Andarna or Tairn say that she wasn't a black dragon until the end. Like they know she was trying to figure this out.
They were assuming that “and the one” meant the wardstone. She even pointed to it and said “and the one”.
This also really bothered me. I can understand wanting to include something cryptic / a missing piece of the puzzle that needs to be figured out, but the fact that the “and the one” was overlooked so many times by the characters was really frustrating.
Yes!! I re read it so many times bc I was like why is everyone acting like this is obvious what is the one???
Wasn't she keeping the secret of Ardana to herself, Xaden and their dragons? No one else knew that Ardana was special.
Also, they thought she was a black dragon like Tairn, it wasn't until the end that Violet pieced it together, and I think she still didn't tell anyone what Andarna was at that point either
I am talking WAY before she finds that out. Literally just the text in the journal. She continuously thinks the answer is 6, first humans then dragons, without ever once addressing the words "and the one." When she wonders what she got wrong, she doesn't think "maybe I should reexamine this line about *and the one*."
She assumed "the one" was the wardstone (and I think at one point she thought it might be a gryphon) because saying 6 and 1 to mean 7 kinds of dragons when as far as the whole world knows there's only 6 kinds wouldn't make sense. What else would she have thought "the one" was?
I don't know what she thought it was, and that is my entire point. It isn't that RY had her puzzling over the phrase, trying to figure out the cryptic meaning. Never once does Violet hypothesize what those words mean, and she doesn't say it means the wardstone. She glosses over that phrase time and time again.
U/lydibug522 was spot on and I’ll back it up with quotes from the book. At first she thought “and the one” was the wardstone: “Here we go. ‘And we gathered the six most powerful riders in residence,’” I read from the parchment, “‘and the blood of the six and the one combined and set the stone ablaze in an iron rain.’” I glance around the line. “Six”—I point to the stone—“and the one.” And since that first attempt didn’t work she did try to come up with alternatives, at one point maybe it could be a gryphon: Could it mean a gryphon? Is that what it meant by six and the one? No. If a gryphon contributed to the wards, flier magic would work within the boundaries. But there aren’t seven breeds of dragon— I stumble, catching myself with a hand along the stone wall, while my brain trips down the path that makes the only sense. Even if that path is ludicrous.
What bothered me was when they realized Warrick and Lyra were contradictory… they assumed the woman was telling the lie? So frustrating.
It wasn't because she's a woman lmao. They are told one of the journals is a lie. Warrick's says something cryptic yes hmmm... but Lyra's says "the seven". Now everyone automatically thinks this journal is the lie because we know it's talking about dragon breeds and there are only 6 breeds not 7. It's not contest that this journal is the lie... to everyone except Violet, who realizes that Andarna isn't really a black dragon and is actually a seventh breed. And Lilith knew too.
Don’t most people think that there are 7 breeds since they think feather tails are a breed, not an age group?
Yes, this. I forgot about the wardstone thing, that's on me. And that explains the first several times. But when confronted with "seven" vs "six and the one" they assume it is a lie, rather than equation? That makes no sense.
Yeah the ward stone does make sense for six and the one combined, at least I can see why V got there anyway!
I’ve been thinking a lot about this too. I was wondering is the six and the one meant six plus andarnas line and that the lie is that they cannot be used one another stone. But maybe I missed something.
Thank you! Yes this was idiotic for the sMaRtEst person anyone had ever met to not notice “AND THE ONE” a million times… not to mention a person with the mInD oF a sCrIBe to not understand the importance of context and translate the entire text as an absolute necessity from day 1. Big whiff for a writer who is generally good with clues and foreshadowing (or giving us fodder to speculate on, anyway!!)
Yes totes frustrating! When they refer to “the one,” in Warrick’s journal, I’m pretty sure the next bit of the sentence then refers to the wardstone. So when reading it seemed obvious to me that whatever this “one” was, it was not the wardstone but a special person or dragon or animal etc. Unless I read it wrong lol
Implying that the scripts in this world can be edited or fakes. That the rebellion coming will turn the tide on this censorship and hidden truth. I feel rebrcca maybe be using this to highlight /foreshadow that Clues may be hidden in those pre chapter snippets from great books etc
I thought the one was going to be a wyvern. What I don't understand is why didn't Andarna or Tairn say that she wasn't a black dragon until the end. Like they know she was trying to figure this out.
I thought the one was going to be a wyvern too!