«At my age, Mira had already been training for this type of combat for twelve years. I’ve been here for a whopping six months, which wouldn’t be anything serious if it weren’t as delicate as a porcelain cup, but here we are. The speaker is Violet Sorrengail, the protagonist heroine of the saga. Empyreal. Violet suffers from a chronic disease that affects the mobility of her joints, causing frequent breaks and dislocations (hence the metaphor with the porcelain cup). Although at no point in the novel is the disease named, everything indicates that it is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), the same one suffered by the author of this saga, the American Rebecca Yarros. .
This condition imbues Violet with a special heroism and her daring actions are more stimulating for readers when they learn what problems she has and what risks she faces in learning to be a dragon rider at the Basgiath War College. How do people who suffer from this syndrome live on a daily basis? What exactly happens to your joints? Could a young woman with this disease be a rider? Many doubts arise among fans of this youth saga of fantastic literature that is sweeping half the world and, therefore, we have asked a specialist in rare diseases all these questions. We are assisted by Irene Sanz Gallego, a neurologist at the Río Ortega University Hospital in Valladolid.
The first thing that Sanz clarifies is that this disease is hereditary, it has a genetic basis. Also that you can have the disease and not realize it, since it can go unnoticed. It varies depending on the person. Some have more discomfort and others less; Some never have a brain hemorrhage and others, however, are diagnosed because they suffer one when they were young. But it is true that they are people who have some peculiarities, especially laxity in the skin and joints. Sometimes, they may make hyperextension movements of their limbs that could attract other people’s attention. The problem is that this hypermobility also affects the vessels of the arteries, with the danger of rupture that entails.
At 20 years old, Violet suffers from frequent pain, her body is constantly bandaged, and breaks and dislocations are no stranger to her. «It is not my first repair. When you’re as brittle as I have been since birth, the pain of repairs is only surpassed by that of the wound itself. “It’s basically just any day,” Violet says in another passage from Blood wings. Asked about chronic pain and these other consequences of the disease, Sanz explains that joint dislocations are common in these people. As for pain, Sanz tells us that at first it can even seem funny to be the person who can stretch the most in the class, but over the years muscle pain appears, and it is even documented that headaches are also more common.
Iron Wings (Empyrean 2) – Spanish Edition
Iron Wings (Empyrean 2) – Spanish Edition
“That’s the good thing about having weak joints,” I comment, grabbing another dagger. “I know the right spots to attack,” Violet says at another point in the novel. This leads us to the question of the possible advantages or disadvantages that a person with this disease may have when it comes to being a rider (be it a dragon or a horse). As a rider, Sanz responds, this flexibility may be of some help to you, such as in moments of struggle or to maintain balance. By falling, they can also better avoid fracture, but it promotes dislocation more easily, and that is very painful.
With many doubts clarified about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and the day-to-day reality of Violet Sorrengail and her creator, Rebecca Yarros, we look forward to the next novels in the saga to discover what more information appears about this disease and how it affects it. favors or disfavors your efforts as a rider.
Wings of Blood (Empyrean 1), Spanish version
