A Conversation on Disability in Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Considered to be one of the most popular Adult Fiction novels trending in the book community right now, Fourth Wing is the first book of the romantasy (romance-fantasy) Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. Set in the fictional country of Navarre, the story follows Violet Sorrengail, a rising cadet in Navarre’s Basgiath War College. Here, Violet joins the Riders Quadrant, in which she learns to bond to her two dragons, Tairn and Andarna, and control her signet (power) of lightning. Upon surviving the Parapet (a long thin bridge that juts hundreds of meters in the air) on Conscription Day, she is taken under the wing of third-year Rider and Wingleader Xaden Riorson. From that day onward, the book follows Violet’s journey in becoming a dragon rider and discovering the truth about her country, amidst political intrigue and turmoil. Throughout this process, Violet transforms herself from an insecure cadet to a courageous, determined leader. 

 Violet has an invisible disability, which Rebecca Yarros confirms to be based on her own disability, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). According to Cleveland Clinic, Ehler-Danlos Syndrome is a genetic “condition that affects the connective tissues in your body” and common symptoms include “overly flexible (hypermobile) joints,” “soft skin,” “bruising,” “unusual scarring,” “joint and muscle pain,” “fatigue,” and “difficulty concentrating” (Cleveland Clinic). 

Disability is a critical theme in the story, affecting both characters and the plot. As a result, we (Hannah and Elisa) will be further analyzing the role of disability in this novel. We will be doing so in an interview based format, where we have developed a series of questions and both share our thoughts on them.

What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Elisa: 

One theme that I really loved in this book was how, in the words of Xaden, “‘The right way isn’t the only way’” (Yarros 140). Violet has a condition in which her bones and joints are sensitive, and she lives with chronic pain, so there are certain activities that impact her more than they might a character without her condition. This theme brings me to my favorite disability-adjacent moment, which was when Violet was going through the Gauntlet (a deadly obstacle course) and had to get through the last section, a vertical ramp. 

This one section of the Gauntlet proved especially difficult because Violet is both short (and the ramp is very much not) and it would put her joints and body in extreme strain trying to reach the top. Violet, however, did not just give up, but instead used her ingenuity to find a way to get through this section. She ran as far as she could up the ramp, but then inserted a dagger into the ramp, using it to fling herself over the edge. 

This scene sticks with me because Yarros did not suddenly cure Violet of her disability, but really showcased how powerful accommodations could be. Violet created an accommodation for herself, and it propelled her (literally and figuratively) to the other side. The “right” way of simply gaining enough inertia by running to get up the ramp might be the typical way to solve the issue, but it is not the only one. We see access hacks in other places in the books too, like how Violet uses a type of harness to connect herself to her dragon when flying in order not to fall off. It’s an accommodation, but it doesn’t make her any less of a dragon rider, even though her doing so is not commonplace!

One of my favorite quotes relates to this, where Violet tries to refuse the accommodations Xaden has prepared for her for her dragon, Tairn. Tairn tells her, “‘There is no rule that says a dragon cannot modify their seat to serve their rider. You have worked just as hard– if not harder– than every rider in this quadrant. Just because your body is built differently than the others doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to keep your seat. It takes more than a few strips of leather and a pommel to define a rider’” (Yarros 353). 

Anyone who has accommodations anywhere can probably relate to feeling like you don’t deserve  them, or that somehow having an accommodation may make you “less” at what you are doing (been there, done that). This quote however, I think puts in perfect perspective what accommodations actually are: they are a tool of adaptation, and don’t make you ‘less than.’

Hannah:

One of my favorite moments related to disability in the story is the way Rebecca Yarros writes scenes depicting Violet’s experience at Basgiath’s Healer Quadrant Infirmary as well as her interactions with the healers. Oftentimes in fantasy stories, authors tend to use magic as a plot device to “erase” a character’s disability in the form of “healing” or “removing” the disability. This creates an unrealistic representation of people with disabilities and contributes to the misconception that disabled people want their disabilities, a major part of their identity, to be erased to be considered normal or happy, but Yarros decides to venture down another route when it comes to her magic system. 
In Navarre, there are several kinds of signet users, and some users have an ability known as “mending.” Known as “mendors,” riders who possess this signet have the ability to “rebuild,” which includes inanimate objects and living bodies, and are considered to be one of Navarre’s most invaluable soldiers. On the other hand, there is also a position known as “healers,” who reside at Basgiath War College’s Healer Quadrant. Unlike mendors, healers have never unlocked any signet or magical ability. Instead, healers use traditional methods of aiding the wounded in the form of medical training, performing surgeries, and concocting remedies. Other than mendors being deployed into the Riders Quadrant, the main divide between healers and mendors is the fact that healers are sworn to offer aid to anyone in need, but mendors are sworn to the Dragon Rider’s Codex. According to Major Frederick’s Modern Guide for Healers, a Navarrian text, “It is my opinion that of all the signet powers riders provide, mending is the most precious, but we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent when in the company of such a signet. For menders are rare, and the wounded are not” (Yarros 69). I explained the former to show that Yarros intentionally wrote mendors with the magical capacity to heal, but who never use their abilities to “fix” Violet’s condition, which signifies the magical limitations in the worldbuilding, but more importantly, that Violet’s disability is a part of who she is rather than something to be cured of. This choice allows for magic and disability to coexist in Rebecca Yarros’s world, a refreshing take on the genre.

Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Hannah:

I definitely believe Violet’s disability was kept unnamed intentionally. For one, Fourth Wing takes place in a fictional setting. At the beginning of the book, before the start of the story, Yarros writes: “The following text has been faithfully transcribed from Navarrian into the modern language by Jesinia Neilwart, Curator of the Scribe Quadrant at Basgiath War College. All events are true, and names have been preserved to honor the courage of the fallen. May their souls be commended to Malek,” exhibiting the story doesn’t take place in the modern, real world. As such, it wouldn’t make sense for an actual disability in the real world to have the same name in a fictional world. 

Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a condition named after two doctors in the modern world, Dr. Edvard Lauritz Ehlers and Dr. Henri-Alexandre Danlos, who described the condition in the early twentieth century (“What Is EDS? – the Ehlers Danlos Society”). Since Ehlers and Danlos don’t “exist” in Navarre, we can’t expect Navarre to name Violet’s disability as “EDS.” Even if Yarros were to create a fictional name for the disability and state the disability was based on EDS, there would be backlash from the disability community for not sticking to the original name and non-disabled readers may not care for Violet’s disability as much because it’s not real. 

Some readers have expressed that the choice is a “cop-out” because by not directly naming Violet’s disability, Yarros can avoid having to make sure Violet’s experience with EDS is fully representative of all people with EDS. I understand people’s frustration considering the level of erasure people with disabilities have experienced throughout the past several centuries. 

For some people, not naming the disability also breaks the immersion, and for others, not explicitly canonizing the name of who or what something is, is akin to disrespecting someone’s identity. For example, Xaden is confirmed to be a person of color, but Rebecca Yarros doesn’t portray Xaden to be a part of a specific ethnicity because race is viewed differently in Navarre. This caused some confusion among members of the fandom after a fanart of a Caucasian Xaden was circulated, and people blamed it on Yarros for not explicitly naming his race and ethnicity.

 Just as EDS can only be called EDS in the real world, racial, sexual orientation, or gender terminology on Earth isn’t applicable to Fourth Wing. The characters are described as having features alluding to a certain race or ethnicity, but Yarros can’t canonize one of her characters as being a specific race, other than stating she drew inspiration, since Navarre is a separate country, culture, and world from Earth. Xaden also isn’t the only person of color in Navarre. Other characters of color include Rhiannon, Tara, Heaton, and Ridoc. Fourth Wing is a translated work, Navarrian to English, and as such, Navarre may not have words for race, gender identity, or sexual orientation the way we do. Therefore, this same type of logic applies to names for disabilities and medical conditions. 

In our world, we need to understand there are times we generalize disability, especially if we weren’t professionally diagnosed or have the words to explain our feelings surrounding our physical or mental state. To add on, the way we describe our feelings varies and is dependent on the person. For example, there are a lot of people who experience anxiety or symptoms of anxiety, and there was a time when we didn’t have a word for “anxiety” until now. As Navarre mirrors the sociopolitical climate of our world, we can interpret the way Navarrians see disability is also similar-–the characters have lived experiences of having disabilities, but the Navarrians don’t have any names for it. Unfortunately, there aren’t a bunch of disabled characters in Fourth Wing to analyze in-depth, and as such, we have to speculate Yarros’s thinking for now. In the end, Yarros can only do her best to repeatedly and vividly describe Violet’s disability in the physical sense (symptoms of EDS) and in the societal sense (the way people see Violet and discriminate against her for her appearance and body) as well as through explicitly stating that Violet’s disability is based on her own experience with EDS. 

Elisa: 

What we are told about Violet’s condition is that her mother was sick when she was pregnant with her and that a fever had taken Violet’s strength (Yarros 17). Violet describes her condition: “It’s not just my muscles that are weak. My ligaments that hold my joints together don’t work for shit, either” (Yarros 49). However, there’s no explicit name to the condition, just that it has to do with her bones, joints, and ligaments. I think there’s a slew of reasons why Yarros didn’t include a name for the condition and kept it fairly obscure/up to interpretation. As Hannah has written, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which Yarros and many of her family members have, inspired Violet’s condition. However, EDS is named after doctors who exist in our world, which is not the fictional world. So, in terms of world building, I think this is a matter of trying to stick to the fictional world that has been created. 

I do also think that this might have been an artistic choice by Yarros because a name has representational power. Had Yarros attached EDS or some other medical condition’s name to Violet’s condition, we as readers would then categorize that real life medical condition as being prototypical to what Violet is going through. Prior to reading this series, I honestly had never heard of EDS before. I learned about it when I was doing more research on Yarros and learned that she had the condition and her own experiences helped inspire Violet. I think by making Violet’s condition vague by name, readers are almost unconsciously encouraged (by curiosity) to do more research about what Violet may have, in which they will learn about EDS through Yarros’s experience. By not naming Violet’s condition, readers who are curious can do their own research into EDS rather than purely relying on just one case study (Violet) to represent an entire condition. 
There’s the struggle too with representation, where it’s a double edged sword. Had Yarros mentioned a specific name, it could have been powerful by giving explicit representation. However, it also creates the burden of trying to represent a condition that can be so diverse in the people who have it. In this way, by making Violet a character with a disability but one in which we don’t have a name for, we still have disability representation but without the dilemma of acting as if the way Violet has EDS is how everyone has EDS (because in real life that is not true, either).

Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Hannah:

One of my gripes in romantasy and in books with romance in general are love triangles, a plot device used to drive the drama in the story, but Rebecca Yarros puts a clever spin on the overused trope in Fourth Wing in the form of Xaden and Dain, Violet’s “love interests.”

We first have Dain Aetos, Violet’s childhood best friend and her first love. He is the son of Colonel Aetos, Commander Lilith Sorrengail’s closest advisor, and became a Squad Leader as a second-year at Basgiath. Violet and Dain have known each other since childhood, and everytime, their parents were stationed at the same posts, Violet and Dain always played together. Since Dain is two years older than Violet, he left to join Basgiath, and Violet didn’t see him again until she crossed the parapet. At first, Violet is excited to see Dain and potentially start a relationship with him, but as the book goes on, she starts to understand that Dain was no longer the Dain she knew. 

During his introduction, we think of rooting for Dain as he wants to protect Violet and help her join the Scribe Quadrant, but as the story goes on, we realize Dain doesn’t complement Violet in the way we expect. Given he grew up with Violet, Dain had misconceptions Violet was still the same fragile girl due to her disability and “meek” personality, but after Violet moves on from him, he slowly realizes Violet is her own person, and he has to separate the girl he knew to who she actually is now. Their relationship becomes strained as Violet grows closer to Xaden, who encourages Violet to make her own decisions, in contrast to Dain, who makes attempts to control Violet because he thinks he knows what’s best for her. Their breaking point happens after Dain secretly uses his signet ability, mind-reading, to read Violet’s memories without her consent, which unintentionally causes another character— Liam’s— death towards the end of the book. 

Violet and Dain’s love story isn’t a love story but a story of relearning. Because Dain was at Basgiath longer than her, the moment Dain and Violet reconnect, both characters were already at different stages of their lives, and consequently, their feelings for each other changed. Dain is already a full-fledged soldier and dragon rider while Violet was settling into her new role as a dragon rider. Although we grew to understand why Dain became the way he is due to the threat of impending war, Dain needed to learn to support Violet as a person and prioritize his autonomy separately from his role as a rider. As such, Violet and Dain’s relationship needed to fall apart to meet back in the middle in order to become friends again as different versions of themselves. 

As for my personal favorite character in Fourth Wing, Xaden Riorson is Violet’s main love interest, her superior officer, as well as her worst enemy. He is the son of Fen Riorson, the Great Betrayer who attempted to overthrow the Basgiath Council, and by chapter two, we learn Xaden’s father was executed by Violet’s mother, and the children of the traitors led by Fen were forced into the Riders Quadrant as punishment. 

From the get-go, Xaden and Violet have the typical set-up of an enemies-to-lovers plotline. Instant attraction and instant hatred. The parapet is where Violet first encounters Xaden, and while the two characters have a stare-down, Xaden goads her with a challenge: ““Why would I waste my energy killing you when the parapet will do it for me?” A wicked smile curves his lips. “Your turn”” (Yarros 25). By the time Violet reaches the other side, earning the title of cadet, she is placed in Xaden’s wing, to which she and Xaden’s relationship develops to something deeper. As the book continues, we get to watch as Xaden, Dain’s polar opposite, becomes Violet’s anchor and eventually, the love of her life. 

In comparison to Dain’s forward attempts to put Violet out of harm’s way, we see, when push comes to shove, Xaden’s actions are the ones which speak louder than words. As Xaden is the Wingleader of Fourth Wing, Violet’s wing, as well as the leader of the Marked Ones, he is forced to keep secrets from Violet, but unlike Dain, he never allows his secrets to place Violet in harm’s way. Instead, he does his best to mentor and prepare Violet on being a better dragon rider and fighter. Not only that, Xaden repeatedly demonstrates, time and time again, the amount of respect for Violet as a cadet and as a romantic interest. Although he makes his feelings obvious, Xaden always waits for Violet to make the first move as shown during their first kiss. During Threshing, the event in which cadets have a chance to bond with a dragon, three other cadets attempt to ambush and kill Violet, but thanks to Xaden’s interference, Violet is spared. 

Afterwards, when asked if he would’ve intervened if he was in Xaden’s position, Dain admitted to not being willing to step in even if his best friend was about to be killed because it is against the Codex. While Violet understood Dain’s answer, this causes a shift in their relationship. As the book continues, we see Dain constantly try to undermine Violet because his impression of her is still of someone in need of protection. As for Xaden, he doesn’t look out for Violet by reminding her of her weaknesses but by reminding her of her strengths. While Dain stands in the way of Violet’s bodily autonomy, Xaden challenges Violet to reclaim her body and mental autonomy.

Elisa: 

I really liked the dichotomy Yarros made when it came to Dain and Xaden as potential love interests for Violet. Dain is described as her childhood best friend and someone who is hellbent on following and enforcing rules. Xaden is a character who is introduced as a sort of enemy, because of the relationship her mother and his father had, where his father was killed due to her mother’s role in the military when his father rebelled against the government.

When Violet goes into the Riders Quadrant in order to become a dragon rider, which is the most dangerous quadrant of the school, Dain continuously, like a broken clock, tries to discourage her. He is convinced that she will not live and that she should give up and go be a scribe instead, where it’s much safer in the libraries. Xaden, however, in many ways encourages and helps Violet as she trains to become a dragon rider. We see him help her learn better fighting maneuvers, he gives her weapons that are better suited to her stature (an accommodation), and helps make her a harness so she can better ride a dragon (another accommodation). He doesn’t discourage her, but works with her at the level where she’s at to keep her both alive and strengthen her.

Xaden tells Dain, “‘She could use a little less protection and a little more instruction’” (Yarros 120).

I loved this dichotomy because it encourages readers who can relate to Violet to not accept individuals’ discouragement and not believing in them, even if they claim it’s because of love that they do so. Control and discouragement isn’t love, but acceptance and accommodation is.

Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Hannah:

As Violet’s father, Asher Sorrengail, and older brother, Brennan Sorrengail, died, Violet’s closest living family members are her older sister, Mira Sorrengail, and her mother, Lilith Sorrengail. To Violet, Mira is the picturesque image of who the children of the commander of Basgiath should be: “She’s tall, with strong, powerful muscles toned from years of sparring and hundreds of hours spent on the back of her dragon. Her skin practically glows with health, and her golden-brown hair is sheared short for combat in the same style as Mom’s. But more than looks, she carries the same arrogance, the unwavering conviction that she belongs in the sky. She’s a rider through and through. She’s everything I’m not, and the disapproving shake of Mom’s head says she agrees” (Yarros 3). In addition to having a strong bond with Teine, her dragon, Mira is known as a respected lietenant and war hero among the other riders. On the surface, Violet resents her pale skin and brown-silver hair, which give her a sickly appearance as Lilith puts it, and herself for not being brave enough to stand up to her mother; however, Violet and Mira do have a close relationship as Violet expresses she can always rely on her sister.

Their relationship is apparent in the first chapter. On Conscription Day, Lilith orders Violet to join the Riders Quadrant instead of the Scribe Quadrant for unknown reasons other than wanting Violet to live up to their family’s legacy of riders. Knowing Violet’s condition and fearing for her sister’s life, Mira argues with Lilith, believing Violet will die immediately. Some people may interpret Mira’s words to be dismissive of Violet’s abilities, but while Mira believes Violet is mentally strong and intelligent, Violet is physically weak. In the end, as Lilith doesn’t budge on her decision, but Mira doesn’t accept their mother’s cruelty and decides to bend the rules to help Violet. She repacks her sister’s bag, suits her into a dragon scale corset forged from the scales of her dragon, braids her hair, and provides tips on surviving the parapet as well as people to avoid in the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath. As described, Violet is insecure of her appearance and disability, but Mira makes it clear to Violet that her body doesn’t define her, and in Mira’s eyes, Violet will always be her younger sister no matter what anyone else says. 

When it comes to Violet’s relationship with her mother, things are a bit more complicated. Considering Lilith did lose her husband and son, it makes sense for her to cope by distracting herself by working more and distancing herself from her daughters even if it’s hurting their family. At the dialogue, ““Get. Out. Lieutenant.” Mom’s words are soft puffs of steam in the frigid office. “Before I report you absent from your unit without leave,”” we see Lilith treat Mira, her “favorite” daughter, as another nameless soldier, but if we read in-between the lines, we know Lilith is hurting. Some people may interpret Lilith to be harsher on Violet considering her words earlier, but Lilith is just as harsh on Mira. I believe Lilith sees herself in both her daughters and keeps them at arms’ length away to protect them. Although Lilith makes remarks on Violet’s appearance, I don’t believe Lilith thinks lesser of Violet as she is convinced Violet can survive the parapet and become a dragon rider, stating Violet experiences more pain in a day than Mira did in a week. 

Elisa: 

Mira is concerned about Violet’s survival chances in trying to become a rider, but still tries her best to help her by giving her advice and resources. It was actually Violet’s mother who had pushed Violet to go into the Rider’s Quadrant, even though Violet herself had aimed to be a scribe. As Hannah details, in the first chapter we see the dynamic between the three, where Mira says, “‘She’s not strong enough, Mom!’”  and then calls her fragile (Yarros 18). It’s Violet’s mom who defends Violet though, saying, “Violet deals with more pain before lunch than you do in an entire week. If any of my children is capable of surviving the Riders Quadrant, it’s her” (Yarros 18).

Disability isn’t always an individual condition, but in many ways, it becomes a family affair, even in real life. I think this scene was pretty striking because it shows how disability impacts family dynamics and how even within a family, there’s not always a complete support system towards the person with a disability. There’s tension here between Violet’s family members on how they view her and her condition in relation to how she will make it as a dragon rider.

How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Hannah:

The way Violet and Jesinia, one of Violet’s friends who studies and works in the Scribe Quadrant, reflect each other is one of the most interesting parts of Fourth Wing, and I wish it was delved into and explored a tiny bit more, but there is a parallel I would like to address here. Violet and Jesinia, being the only two characters in Fourth Wing who are confirmed to have disabilities, are compared and contrasted often by the fandom, but I think it can easily be summed up as such–Jesina is who Violet could’ve become if she joined the Scribe Quadrant as she originally planned (Entertainment Weekly). 

Violet is insecure about her body and appearance, but she is also insecure about her inability to control her signets–wielding her lightning and time control. There are times characters with disabilities are portrayed to have to conquer their conflicts on their own in order to truly bypass the drawbacks of their bodies, but Violet is constantly reminded she isn’t alon nor does she have to take on the burden by herself. Instead, she learns to accept Tairn and Andarna as her pillars of support. As nearly everyone sought to bring Violet down, her dragons were her wings. Other than Xaden, Violet’s dragons played an important role in her becoming the person she is by the end of the book. 

Although Violet’s disability is an important part of her identity, there is more to her character. She is established to be a compassionate and studious student. On more than one occasion, Yarros showcases Violet’s intelligence in an academic setting as well as moments Violet would helps her friends with their homework, and in return, her friends would help become a better fighter. Her intelligence is nothing to scoff at, and it’s not only applicable in a classroom. Her knowledge of poisons came in handy when she secretly poisoned her opponents before stepping into the ring to even the playing field. As violets are actually a poisonous flower, I like the juxtaposition of Violet being beautiful but also deadly to the touch. In hand-to-hand combat, Violet has to use her strengths to her advantage as she is oftentimes matched up against opponents double her size. For instance, Xaden makes it known to Violet she’s fast and skilled at wielding daggers, demonstrating Violet didn’t slack off living in the shadow of her older sister and under her mother. Hence Xaden’s nickname for her, “Violence.” The name is a play on words with her name, the name of a soft and fragile flower, but in actuality, Violet isn’t a flower planted to the ground. She’s the petals soaring to the beat of the winds (Entertainment Weekly). 

Elisa: 

Even though Violet is described as fragile time and time again, we see that just because someone is fragile physically does not mean they don’t have their own strengths. In fantasy worlds where physical endurance is important, we usually don’t see much disability (I’m thinking of series like Divergent or The Hunger Games, which remind me of Fourth Wing, for example). However, we have in this book a main character who is disabled and is able to bond with not only an extremely strong dragon, but a second dragon, which has never been done before. This isn’t because she is physically the strongest, but because of her courage and fortitude. Her dragons bonded her because she was willing to defend a dragon who was categorized as weak and small, like she has been, against another three powerful individuals. Yarros didn’t simply make Violet have an out-of-character moment and become extremely physically strong, thus attracting the dragons, but had her personality and determination do it for her.

I worried about Violet falling into a “supercrip” stereotype, which “highlights their [an individual’s with a disability] accomplishments as inspirational stories of defying or overcoming their disability to succeed” (Sterba et al. 185), and I struggle with categorizing if she does or does not. We see Violet pushing herself over and over again in her training and in the battles that she is in, which pushes to this “supercrip” stereotype, where even with her disabilities, she is able to surpass and overcome them with her powers. I hesitate to categorize Violet as one though, because we never forget that she is still chronically ill. Violet may have two dragons, but she has an accommodation to ride one of them. Violet has a signet (power) of lightning, but it doesn’t cure her of chronic illness. We never are made to forget Violet has some type of muscle disorder, when she is constantly wrapping her knees even with all of her training and newfound powers. “Supercrips” also usually succeed through an immense sense of individualism, where the disabled person strives so hard, being so hyper-independent, that they surpass their obstacles. We see Violet always with a community though. Her powers hinge on her dragons and also on the aid of those around her like her friends, who also fight in battles alongside her. So, I think there may be some parts of the story that point to a “supercrip” stereotype, but I don’t think it’s fair to categorize her as one. In many ways, Violet subverts stereotypes and brings positive representation to disabled individuals.

Yarros also tries showing in the books how strength is not just physical, and that we can’t rely on physical strength to be pointers to our abilities to survive and excel. We see this most vividly with how Liam, who is described as the top student physically, dies in battle. Many students die throughout the book, many of whom are physically great fighters. Violet, however, does not. Violet may not be physically the strongest, but she has determination, ingenuity, courage, and is clever. Strength is not just physical!

Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

Hannah:

Definitely! I believe it’s uplifting to see a book featuring a disabled main character and other disabled cast members in the mainstream. Off the top of my head, I can only name Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Marissa Meyer’s Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles, and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, all of which are popular books who feature a disabled main character. While Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing isn’t the first book series to have a disabled main character, a key takeaway from Fourth Wing’s success which I wish to emphasize is it redefined disability representation going forward, especially in a book marketed as a romantasy. 

Seeing as Rebecca Yarros has EDS herself, I believe her contribution to the Romantasy genre has opened doors not only for representation in books but for other disabled authors in the mainstream as well. Since Yarros is open about Violet’s disability  being based on her own disability, I believe, in the near future and in the next generation of book releases, other authors will be encouraged to share their disability stories. Other authors of various communities will be influenced to write more inclusive characters. Yes, Yarros’s representation of EDS isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. It only has to read as real to the readers. 

Elisa: 

I think it’s awesome to see the reception this book has gotten. So many people have read the series and this book has sold millions. To have a powerful disabled lead character and to still have this book reach the level of success it has points to a really positive step forward, I think, in the publishing realm. 

I feel like in the genre of fantasy, too, where we see fighting and battles so often, disability doesn’t always show itself except for if a character becomes disabled in battle and then it’s glossed over, or it makes the character slowly descend into madness (I think of Star Wars here). That’s not the case in this series though. Violet has always been disabled and we have disability shown in characters like Jesinia, too, where we see her communicating with sign language. What was also really interesting was seeing how Violet, Liam, Imogen, and Xaden knew sign language, too. Sign language was not a rare language but seemed to be common for individuals both who used it as their native language and those who used it to communicate with others who signed. 

I recently saw Yarros at The Town Hall in New York on January 24th, 2025 as part of Rebecca Yarros’s Onyx Storm book tour. Yarros was asked a question along the lines of it being great that in this fantasy world, many characters seem to know how to sign. Could Rebecca tell us more about that? (I am paraphrasing as I unfortunately could not record the question).

We heard Yarros respond with, “So I would say that there are certain things in fantasy that we criticize our own society on, and I wanted to make this society as inclusive as possible, right? So, I wanted to make it so it was accessible so it wasn’t an issue, so naturally everyone would learn to sign as a sign of accessibility and making room for other people. Like, it’s just a natural thing to do!”

This is just another indicator of the choices that went into the series on how representation should take place and symbolism behind those choices. While in our own reality, sign language is not taught in many K-12 public schools, for example, as a second language students can take, but in this fantasy world, many people do learn to sign in order to promote a more accessible environment for everyone. As readers, this makes us think deeper about our own society and the way we function– why is it that sign language is not being more readily taught to all individuals? Sign language is a mode to connect with even more people, both in the Deaf community and outside of it, yet is not a language that is promoted as being important to learn by society as a whole. When we see in this fantasy world a flip on this script, with sign language being a commonplace second language to be taught and one that is expected to be learned (with characters who do not know how to sign being rarer), we are able to critique our own reality more readily. 

I look forward to seeing the future of the “Romantasy” genre. I hope that people can get inspired by this story and realize that disability can exist in fantasy, and not just as a disabling force or as only a “weakness.” As someone with a disability that may not be exactly like Violet’s but is also a chronic illness, I loved being able to read this book and related to many experiences Violet had.

As I was writing and researching for this post, I want to also include some amazing comments I’ve come across from readers when it comes to disability in this series, gathered from the Fourth Wing fandom discussion subreddit on Reddit:

“I like how it is so normal in universe, that it took me a while to understand that Jesenia is deaf. Characters know sign language and that’s it.” (Reddit)

“As somebody with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, I cannot explain how it feels to read these books, to have a character like Violet, even to have a character like Xaden who understands her differences and doesn’t see her as weak or incapable. It’s an indescribable feeling, it had me in tears (and not because of the major plot points) its in thinks like the conversation with Dain about keeping her seat, and the conversation with Mira, and the General at the begining noting that Violet endures a ridiculous amount of pain. It’s amazing.” (Reddit)

“It’s a great read for that for sure. I don’t have EDS (what RY has and what Violet supposedly has), but I recognized it off the bat because one of my best friends has it. We both ride horses and Violet’s journey to strengthen her body but also step back and accept accommodations when necessary reminds me of my friend so much. They both defied the odds to do what people believed they couldn’t, or shouldn’t, do.” (Reddit)

“While I haven’t been diagnosed with EDS nor do I meet the diagnostic criteria for it, I do have hypermobility in my joints, very specifically my hips and lower body. So often in fantasy books there are magical cures for disabilities and I love that that isn’t the case here.” (Reddit)

“One of the biggest quotes that have stuck with me was, “The right way isn’t the only way.” This is so true for kids and adults with disabilities who have teachers and professionals telling them that they are doing things wrong. When most of what we do is accommodating for ourselves without anyone giving us guidance or accommodations.” (Reddit)

References

Table of Contents

1. What is Fourth Wing about and how is the book connected to disability?
2. What is your favorite disability-adjacent moment in the story?
3. Violet’s bone disability is never “name-dropped” in the books even though Rebecca Yarros has expressed that Violet’s disability is based on her own disability. Was it accidental or on purpose? Should Yarros name Violet’s condition?  How should disability representation pan out in a genre like fantasy that is not necessarily the “real world?”
4. Compare/contrast Dain and Xaden in retrospect of their relationships and view of Violet
5. Compare/contrast Violet’s sister Mira’s treatment of Violet and their mother’s treatment between both daughters.
6. How does Violet, as a character, and other characters with disabilities (ex. Jesinia) subvert stereotypes/break boundaries of disabled characters, and how do they adhere to the stereotypes?
7. Do you think the rise and popularity of a book like Fourth Wing with a powerful disabled lead might impact disability representation going forward? How?
8. References

“Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.” Cleveland Clinic, 1 May 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17813-ehlers-danlos-syndrome.

Entertainment Weekly. “Author Rebecca Yarros on ‘Iron Flame,’ ‘Fourth Wing’ and the Empyrean Series | Book Club.” YouTube, 22 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Lm56IVaNw. 

Reddit. “The Gauntlet Diagram (mild spoilers FW ch 11).” Reddit, 2024, https://www.reddit.com/r/fourthwing/comments/1c22v2d/the_gauntlet_diagram_mild_spoilers_fw_ch_11/?rdt=46439.

Reddit. “The way disability is portrayed in this book is something I haven’t seen much in literature. : r/fourthwing.” Reddit, 13 January 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/fourthwing/comments/1i0lno1/the_way_disability_is_portrayed_in_this_book_is/. Accessed 20 January 2025.

Sterba, Danielle, et al. “The Supercrip Athlete in Media: Model of Inspiration or Able-Bodied Hegemony?” International Journal of Sport Communication, vol. 15, no. 3, 2022, pp. 185-189. Human Kinetics Journals, https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsc/15/3/article-p185.xml.

“What Is EDS? – the Ehlers Danlos Society.” The Ehlers Danlos Society, 23 July 2024, www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/#:~:text=Danlos%20syndromes%20named%3F-,The%20Ehlers%2DDanlos%20syndromes%20(EDS)%20are,in%20the%20early%20twentieth%20century.

Yarros, Rebecca, et al. Fourth Wing. First edition. Shrewsbury, PA, Red Tower Books, 2023.