Summary
The Empyreanseries is building to a redemption arc for Dain Aetos, butI wishFourth Wingdid a better job of setting this up. Dain is introduced early inFourth Wing,and Rebecca Yarros establishes that he and Violet have been close friends for years. Dain joins the Riders Quadrant earlier than Violet, and the experience changes him — and not necessarily for the better. Violet spends much of the firstEmpyreanbook grappling with the new dynamics of their relationship. AsFourth Wingcontinues, their bond deteriorates until he betrays her at the very end.
Dain and Violet’s relationship remains tensethroughoutIron Flame,butthe second installment suggests that Violet’s childhood friend will get the chance to redeem himself. I fully expectOnyx Stormand otherEmpyreansequelsto dig deeper into Dain’s character, challenging him to become a better person. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I do wishFourth Winglaid a more solid foundation for Dain’s redemption. As it stands, I think that Yarros will struggle to win readers over.
10 Books To Read If You Love Fourth Wing
Fourth Wing is hard to follow because of its well-balanced fantasy and romance elements, but there are a few great books that share similar themes.
How Iron Flame Set The Stage For Dain’s Redemption Arc In Later Empyrean Books
Dain Realizes What Violet’s Been Through & Helps Her
Violet is rightfully angry at Dain whenIron Flameopens, butit becomes increasingly clear that he isn’t privy to what happened at Resson— even if he’s still in the wrong for looking at Violet’s memories. With this knowledge,Iron Flamereiterates something Yarros tries to get across inFourth Wing: that Dain’s intentions are good, even if his actions aren’t always up to par. And from the moment I realized Dain didn’t know the extent of his betrayal, I knew thatThe Empyreanwas building toa redemption storyline for his character.
Iron Flamereiterates something Yarros tries to get across inFourth Wing: that Dain’s intentions are good, even if his actions aren’t always up to par.
Iron Flameconfirms this, as it sees him turning on his father and joining the rebellion. When Major Varrish tortures Violet in theFourth Wingsequel, she shows Dain what really happened during the War Games. Realizing what his father has done, Dain turns on Varrish and helps Violet get free. It’s a big turning point for his character, andit promises more redeeming moments from him inOnyx Storm.Unfortunately, it’s still hard to get on board with a redemption arc for Dain. I wishFourth Winggave readers more reasons to root for him prior to his betrayal.
I Wish Fourth Wing’s Portrayal Of Dain Did A Better Job Setting Up His Redemption
The First Empyrean Book Makes Dain Really Unlikable
It’s great that Dain comes to his senses inIron Flame,butI still dislike him after everything he does inFourth Wing.It isn’t just the betrayal of Violet’s trust that makes him so hard to appreciate, though that’s a huge reason he’s difficult to redeem. It’s also the fact that Dain spends so much ofFourth Wingdoubting Violet’s abilities and questioning everything she goes through. He doesn’t even stand by her when Amber Mavis tries to have her killed, and he barely shows any remorse for all the things he gets wrong.
Fourth Wingdoes very little to establish why Violet and Dain are even friends, and his treatment of her doesn’t solidify their bond. So, while Violet may feel like Dain is a different person throughout the book,readers merely know him as a character who puts his own interests and ambitions ahead of the people he cares about. He doesn’t seem like a good friend or partner, and his actions inIron Flamedon’t do enough to make up for this. I think if readers saw more of the Dain that Violet knows and loves, they’d be willing to forgive him.
How The Empyrean Series Can Still Sell Readers On Dain’s Story
Rebecca Yarros Needs To Show Us Why Dain Is Worth Redeeming
Onyx Stormis fighting an uphill battle when it comes to selling readers on Dain’s character, and it seems like Violet has a ways to go before she forgives him as well. Of course,there is still hope of making Dain’s redemption work in futureEmpyreannovels. For one,Onyx Stormand its sequels can show us why Dain is worth redeeming by depicting the side of him Violet knew before Basgiath. It would be helpful to see flashbacks of them as children, as this would better establish their bond and why it might be worth salvaging.
Onyx Stormand its sequels can show us why Dain is worth redeeming by depicting the side of him Violet knew before Basgiath
More redeeming moments from Dain will have a similar effect. And Dain needs to properly apologize to Violet for all the ways he’s wronged herandprove that he’s changed through his actions. This doesn’t guarantee that Violet will forgive him, but it will help him come back fromFourth Wing.Dain has a lot of work to do to get readers on his side. I hope he’s up for the challenge.
