Q&A: Rebecca Yarros on Chronic Illness Representation in Fourth Wing

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Rebecca Yarros is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 20 books, including In The Likely Event, The Last Letter, and Great and Precious Things. Her newly published book, Fourth Wing, is part of the Empyrean series. Her upcoming book, Iron Flame, will be released November 2023.

If you've spent any time on BookTok (the side of TikTok for avid readers and writers) you've probably heard of Fourth Wing, a new fantasy romance by Rebecca Yarros. The novel follows Violet Sorrengail, a history-obsessed scribe who is forced to compete in a brutal war college to earn her place as a dragon rider.

Although Fourth Wing never explicitly names it, Violet has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a chronic condition that affects the body's connective tissue. Violet constantly battles with her limitations and the accommodations she's willing to accept—a risky game when her school's motto is literally "ride or die." Throughout the book, Violet learns more about herself, her condition, and how to wield all the tools at her disposal—something Yarros, who also lives with a chronic illness, relates to as well.

Health spoke to Yarros about writing a character with a chronic illness, the importance of accommodations, and why the book industry benefits from disability and chronic condition representation.

Health: Why was it important to you to write a character with a chronic illness?

Yarros: Violet having EDS is not explicitly named in the book because knowledge of it wouldn’t have fit with the level of medical advancement of the society in the book. It was important to me to represent this chronic illness because my four sons and I all have the hypermobile type of Ehlers-Danlos. Growing up, I never saw that kind of representation in the fantasy genre or a character in the type of chronic pain I live with.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome 101

EDS is the result of a gene mutation that causes issues with the production and processing of collagen, a type of protein found within your body's connective tissue. Most people with EDS experience symptoms that affect their skin, muscles, joints, and blood vessels. These symptoms may include:

• Hypermobility, a larger range of joint movement than average

• Unstable joints and joint dislocation

• Hypotonia or weak muscles

• Chronic pain

• Soft, velvety, skin that is fragile, translucent, and feels elasticated

• Loose skin that sags or wrinkles

• Abnormal bruising and scarring

Health: Are there certain parts of Violet's journey that you relate most to?

Yarros: I’ll never compete for a dragon in a war college, but I definitely relate to how much pain Violet endures daily, and how easily her joints slip. Among other injuries, I had to have my shoulder reconstructed at the age of eighteen, limiting a lot of my activities. After my diagnosis, I struggled for years to recognize and accept my limitations and accept accommodations, just like Violet.

Health: Xaden, Violet's love interest, considers her condition to be her biggest asset. Why was this important for you to include?

Yarros: Xaden believes it’s Violet’s intelligence and tenacity that are her greatest assets, both of which are developed because Violet can’t depend on her physical body. In their brutal environment, it was exceptionally important that Violet’s love interest treats her as capable and encourages her to become her best self instead of infantilizing or holding her back.

Health: Throughout the book, Violet both rejects and accepts accommodations for her condition. Why was it important to you to present this balance?

Yarros: I wrote the balance that I think naturally exists within some of us with chronic illnesses. There’s not a single decision we make without taking our illness into account first because it affects everything about how our bodies function.

I can only speak for myself here, but there are plenty of times I don’t want to accept accommodations. I want to be capable of accomplishing the same feats as my peers—like signing thousands of books a day when necessary—without complaint or injury. But I also recognize that it’s not possible. My wrist simply won’t hold out and there’s every chance my hip will slide out when I sit incorrectly, or I’ll pass out when my heart races due to POTS.

Violet accepts the accommodations she absolutely has to in order to be a dragon rider. She can definitely get in her own way and put her body through too much at times because of her stubbornness, which I’ve found to be a personal theme in my life. Accepting and asking for appropriate accommodations is a very personal journey, and it was important for me to show that in Fourth Wing for readers who may or may not struggle with the same choices.

"There’s not a single decision we make without taking our illness into account first because it affects everything about how our bodies function."

Rebecca Yarros, author of Fourth Wing

Health: Recently, there has been a significant, much-needed movement to ensure disabilities and chronic conditions are accurately portrayed in media and popular culture. How do you think Fourth Wing contributes to that conversation?

Yarros: I definitely hope Fourth Wing contributes positively to the conversation. While I’m the first to say that neither myself nor my sons are monoliths for how EDS presents, especially with all the different subtypes, I wrote Fourth Wing from an own-voices perspective (minus the dragons, of course). It’s been absolutely incredible to not only receive messages from others with the condition who can see themselves represented in Violet but also watch a main character with chronic illness climb to the top of the bestseller charts. It proves that there is room and readership for our stories.

I hope readers see that people with EDS and other chronic conditions can do incredible things when we receive the accommodations we need and deserve.

Health: Public figures don't often open up about their experience with chronic illness. What advice would you give to those with chronic illnesses pursuing creative endeavors?

Yarros: I don’t think having a chronic illness is anything to be hidden or ashamed of. It’s part of what makes me, me, and I’m not the only one. Halsey, Jameela Jamil, and Sia are just a few artists who are open about their own EDS diagnosis.

The only advice I would give others with chronic illness is to give yourself grace on the days you need it, work within your limits, and never give up because our perspective on life is not only valid but needed, especially in creative spaces.

Health: What are your hopes for disability and chronic condition representation going forward?

Yarros: I hope that publishers and authors alike see that there is space for main characters with chronic illness and disability. We have an audience. Our stories are not only worth telling but needed, and I hope Fourth Wing’s success opens the door for wider representation and diversity.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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