This is probably the boldest and craziest Iron Flame theory I’ve come up with so far. It took me several days to put it all together and gather all the data. Basically, imagine me with tin foil on, scribbling on napkins and staying up until 1 in the morning to make sense of it all.
Are you ready? Because this is going to be WILD. Alright, so I basically think the following: Mr Sorrengail is General Venin and General Venin is Violet’s dad. But there’s more. I think Violet does have some venin in her. How does it all make sense?
We’ve been going back and forth, even in comments on the Iron Flame review post here and the latest Iron Flame theory about Andarna, that Violet’s dad is somehow the General, maybe Brennan and Mira are just her half-siblings, how does it make sense that Lilith might have been pregnant with someone else, etc. I think I managed to piece it all together. And I’ve never been more excited than to share this with you.
So allow me to explain my chain of thoughts please to understand where I’m coming from.
The Timeline
We don’t know much about Lilith Sorrengail and Mr Sorrengail together. But we do know that they had three kids together. We know that Lilith Sorrengail is a General stationed at Basgiath, and we know that her half was the father of her three children, supposedly a Scribe.
Let’s go back in time a little. Lilith and her (I assume) spouse had Brennan. Then they had Mira. So far, so good. So what if the dad got attacked by venin while being stationed somewhere at the border? They found a way to keep the turning into venin under control (beginning of chapter 66), and they had Violet. So Lilith got pregnant with Violet while the dad essentially had venin in him. Alternatively, she was already pregnant with Violet and then the dad got attacked, he somehow attacked Lilith before finding a way to keep his whole venin turning under control. This is super hypothetical, but either way, both would make sense.
This would explain the “fever” that almost killed Lilith during her pregnancy. It would also explain why Violet has her hair with the silver tips (essentially grey, as the venin wyvern and the mark they leave on everything they touch and drain). It would also explain why she’s well…weaker than the rest, physically that is.
Alright, Lilith and her whole family live with what’s essentially a venin dad that’s found a way to keep everything under control. He’s either turning super slowly or not turning at all. This would also explain why Lilith had a special alloy dagger inside her desk and not well…on her. I mean the whole leadership knows about venin, so why not have it on her at all times just in case? I think she kept it in her drawer because that was their fail-safe. In case dad has a flare-up or he’s turning, or something. Basically, keeping it close to home, to protect herself and her children.
Fen Riorson goes all rebellion on Navarre and Lilith wants to protect her family AND Dad and keeps the secret, doesn’t say a word to Brennan but believes he will just come back alive. Brennan goes to war, “dies” and dad can’t freaking take it anymore. He starts feeling awful because his own child died in a war meant to keep his kind secret. He goes out of control and well his “heart gives out”. Trick is, venin don’t just die of a little heart issue, don’t they? I mean Jack Barlowe had a whole mountain on him and nothing happened. Lilith doesn’t want to kill him because well…DAD, she loves the guy. Dad runs away from the family before he can do more harm than good, and he turns full venin. He starts turning bad, and he has access to a wealth of information from Navarre since the dude was a scribe, right? So he’s working up the ranks and eventually becomes THE GENERAL.
Is this a mad theory? Yes, yes it is. But hear me out. I have some supporting documents here (it’s just paragraphs, but I’m very excited).
From Fourth Wing
“So much like your father.” (She never talks about the other kids this way. It’s just specifically Violet)
“His chest pain started after Brennan died.” (coincidence, I think not)
“You are not like them Violet, that’s not your path” (Hmmm…this was mentioned not once, but twice in FW. I feel there’s more to this.)
“He got a little cryptic after Brennan died. Losing Brennan made my father even more reclusive.” (Because he would rather not be seen turning? Being a scribe means keeping that hood on and not interacting with people. Maybe he was just hiding those eyes.)
“A general can recognise another general, and that’s their leader.” (gosh, we had it already in Fourth Wing, during Resson.)
From Iron Flame
“Brennan has our father’s nose.” (It was made clear that the scribe we know of, Violet’s dad, is definitely Brennan’s dad.)
“My father loved this place […] he’d have full resources of the Archive.” (He wanted access to teach Violet everything as well so she knows where to find the right info to fight!)
“Your father made sure you’d know everything you needed or where to find it. You’re all that.” (There’s more to this, I just know it)
“Let us watch our heart’s heart give out because your death broke him?” (I think this is true, just not in the literal sense Mira’s thinking…)
“My father taught me.” (Why would Dad teach Violet all these languages that are super useful for reading incredibly old and unaltered books? Because he knows a lot more.)
“Your father told me once that his research showed that Warrick never wanted anyone else to hold the power of the wards […].” (Clearly the dad knew so so much about wards, venin and everything. Which means he would, as General Venin, know exactly how to breach them and survive inside Basgiath)
“You are all that’s left of him.” (This one to me, is like she’s talking about dad turning all venin and Violet is the only thing left of him, once he turned. He was still him when they had Brennan and Mira, but Violet? She survived it, so she really is all that’s left of him.)
Chapter 66 – “We tried every method we know of, as you requested. There is no cure. There is only control.” (Alright, but when was this missive sent? At what point? Was dad still alive when trying these methods or?)
The Sage – The General
Chapter 47, the very beginning – Sages’ – those responsible for initiates. Mavens – their generals […]. Interesting choice of words there… Their generals.
“I waited 650 years to hatch. Waited until your eighteenth summer when I heard our elders talk of the weakling daughter of their general, the girl forecasted to become the head of the scribes and I knew. You would have the mind of a scribe and the heart of a rider. You would be mine.” (This one is my favourite. I already talked about it in another theory but to me, this really screams that dad is General venin. THEIR general, not a general. So unless she’s Melgren’s daughter, which I doubt, dad is General venin)
“So disappointing.” he lectures, as if he’s my Sage and not the teacher of the dark wielder I killed on Tairn’s back. (errr, probably, Violet, but he was your teacher, your own dad.)
“Oh how I will be rewarded when I return with you.” (It feels like the General venin really is invested in having Violet. Also, interestingly enough, when asked “By your sage”, the venin replies “Which Sage”)
Where does the theory doesn’t add up
There are some issues with my theory and I want to be honest about it. I am hoping that you can help me with it too, to figure this out together.
“I’ve waited centuries for someone with your power.” (ok, so it sounds like this General really is centuries old. This part throws my theory a little. If he’s centuries old, can he also be Violet’s dad? We’re missing something…)
“You are everything we dreamed you would be.[…] All three of you. And I’ll get to see him soon.” (this is another one I’m really not sure of. We assume she is talking about dad, obviously. But does this mean Dad is actually dead? Or does she think that he will also die soon at the hand of Violet, so she will see him soon, once he’s also dead? Please let me know your thoughts)
“All Sorrengails are riders” (This is the only other thing in FW that is confusing to me. Dad was not a rider. He was a scribe. And all the children and Lilith are called Sorrengail, assuming taking the dad’s surname as everyone else has in the book – eg Aetos, Riorson etc. So, was the dad also secretly a rider? Is that how he had access to the feather tail research? It feels impossible and really too extraordinary and complicated now. Was it that Lilith was talking about it after he died that all that’s left of Sorrengail family are riders? Or is it that dad rides wyvern now so he’s also a rider?)
Other thoughts
Some suggested that Brennan and Mira are Violet’s half siblings. And Lilith had Violet with someone else. This feels crazy because she did say that a scribe was the love of her life. So why would she go around having kids with other men? Unless she was attacked? This is getting grim tho, and I’m not sure if this is the direction this book is going. But then we had death, torture and so much gore, it would be unsurprising.
Hmmm, I still feel like I’m so, so close to cracking this, but there are some pieces of the puzzle missing. Writing it all down does help.
Conclusion
As I said, this is a wild, wild theory. It’s just that usually, Rebecca Yarros does not put so much emphasis on things without a huge reveal. And I feel like we went through this when we discussed the theory that Xaden is inntrinsic. Could it be that dad really is the general? There are a couple of points which make me doubt this theory, but overall, I don’t have another explanation for why Lilith Sorrengail made so many remarks about dad in respect to Violet only.
I’m really curious about what you think about this one. Is it possible that dad turned venin, learnt to control it, had Violet, and decided to teach her everything in preparation for what’s to come? Does Violet have venin in her too then?
I feel like we are left with so many questions and a whole while to wait until book 3 is out. Sigh…
- Fourth Wing and Iron Flame Theory: Dain is neurodivergent
- Fan Iron Flame Theory: Xaden’s mother is venin
- Iron Flame Theory – Violet’s second signet is dream-sight
- Iron Flame Theory: Violet and Xaden are mates
- Iron Flame Theory: Does Violet have venin in her? Or is she immune to venin?
- Iron Flame Theory: Violet can predict the future
- Iron Flame Theory: Thoughts about Violet’s box
- Iron Flame Theory: Parallel between Iron Flame characters and the Pantheon
- Iron Flame Theory: How come that Violet and Xaden share dreams?
- Iron Flame Theory: Bodhi is Xaden’s brother
- Iron Flame Theory: Violet and Xaden are Gods
- Empyrean Series Theory: Xaden Riorson is a morally grey character.
- Iron Flame Theory: The physics of Violet’s signet (and why gravity is not her second signet)
- Iron Flame Theory: General Daramor is more important than we think
- Iron Flame Theory: Venin live forever
- Iron Flame Theory: The Isle Kingdoms’ Rift and the Unseen Alliances
- Iron Flame Theory: Are the Gods among us?
- Empyrean Series Theory: Did Liam master more signets than we initially thought?
- Iron Flame Theory: There is something off with the Sorrengail family dynamic
- Iron Flame Theory: The elixir developed by the leadership is not new
- Iron Flame Theory: We will have a new General in Book 3
- Iron Flame Theory: Smells are crucial clues (eyes too!)
- Iron Flame Theory: Tairn and Sgaeyl might have had hatchlings
- Iron Flame Theory: Why are dragons so afraid of hatchlings being discovered by humans?
- Iron Flame Theory: Varrish was venin
- Iron Flame Theory: The Barrens will be restored with Sloane’s help
- Iron Flame Theory: We will unite the continent and have a modern language
- Iron Flame Theory: Did Naolin really die saving Brennan?
- Iron Flame Questions and Answers – What do we know so far?
- Iron Flame Theory: Aaric’s blue clubtail to become Andarna’s mate
- Iron Flame Theory: Violet’s second signet
- Iron Flame Theory: Mr Sorrengail is General Venin
- Iron Flame Theories – A complete collection
- Iron Flame Theory: Andarna knows how to kill venin
Leave a Reply