Onyx Storm

Basgiath, The Continent, Violet, Xaden, and Second Squad of Flame Section in Fourth Wing have come to the tipping point. With the sudden alliance between the formerly warring kingdoms of Navarre and Poromiel as the threat of Dark Wielders becomes even more widespread, tensions have never been higher at Basgiath War College. Violet finishes her second year living a life full of secrets once more as Xaden has been turned into a venin, who is quickly losing himself by the day. Whenever she can, Violet looks for a cure to this sudden curse. She must also deal with the recent discovery of the sixth dragon breed, irids, and the expedition to the isles to find Andarna's family. None of this is made any easier with the constant meddling of the show more Continent's politicians, request to seek alliances while searching for the irids, and the looming threat of when and where the venin will strike next. This war for human and dragonkind is far from over, just as the war for saving Xaden is. Oh my gods, was this the most intense book in the series yet. Like, stuff literally starts going down in the SECOND CHAPTER. From page 1 to 527, it is a nonstop thrilling ride. I felt so many things while reading this. I was tense, depressed, scared, excited, and shamelessly crying in public. This book could not have been written any better, and it is definitely my favorite in The Empyrean so far. To anyone about to read this: buckle up and brace yourselves, because there will be tears. show less

2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
|Dragons, War, Found Family, Forbidden Love, Epic Stakes, Gut-wrenching Twists|

THIS BOOK.🙌🤯🙌
Absolutely unputdownable. Rebecca Yarros has mastered the art of cliffhangers and chaos—in the best way. With Onyx Storm, she delivers even more intensity, heartbreak, and jaw-dropping reveals than in the first two books.

Spoiler-filled Summary (because I know I’ll need this later):

Onyx Storm picks up with Xaden having turned venin after the last battle, and the threat to Aretia is growing as the wardstone there is close to failing. Violet is assigned to a mission to find allies and uncover the lost seventh breed of dragons. Secretly, she’s determined to find a way to save Xaden before he fully show more loses himself. Their journey takes them to the southern isles where magic doesn’t exist. While they secure an alliance on one island, the seventh breed—irid dragons—refuse to help and claim there’s no cure for turning venin.

Back in Aretia, Violet is pursued by Theophanie, a powerful dark wielder who wants her to embrace the venin path. During this time, Violet discovers her second signet: she’s a dreamwalker, able to enter others’ dreams. As the venin launch a full attack on Aretia, one of the irid dragons steps in to recharge the failing wardstone. However, that same dragon convinces Andarna to break her bond with Violet and return to the irids to learn their ways. 💔

Meanwhile, Xaden defies Navarre by allowing Poromish refugees into Aretia. Theophanie grows impatient and kidnaps Violet’s sister, demanding Violet and Jack be handed over. In the final battle, Xaden is forced to channel deeply to save Sgaeyl, turning fully venin in the process. Violet ultimately kills Theophanie—with help from Prince Aaric (a precog) and Andarna.

When Violet wakes up after the battle, her memory of the last few hours is gone—wiped by Imogen, apparently at Violet’s own request. She finds out she and Xaden were legally married at some point, giving her a rightful claim to Aretia. But now Xaden is gone. 🤯🤯🤯

Characters:
* Violet continues to be one of my favorite FMC’s—she’s vulnerable but so strong, sharp-tongued, clever, and fiercely loyal. Watching her evolve into a more hardened but still deeply empathetic version of herself felt natural and earned.
* Xaden…the emotionally tormented dragon boy. Still protective, still secretive, still carrying the weight of everyone’s survival on his shoulders. His arc gets a lot darker, but it makes sense, and honestly? I still love him. ♥️
* Andarna is growing so fast—literally and emotionally. She’s becoming a force, and I love her bond with Violet more with each book. But there were some moments with her and Violet that were heart wrenching, y’all seriously heart wrenching. 💔💔💔
* Imogen, Rhiannon, and the rest of Violet’s squad remain loyal, and the stakes feel even more dangerous with every chapter.
* I also really liked the development of Sgaeyl (can we just say dragon MVP?) and what we’re starting to learn about the other riders and dragons outside Navarre.

Favorite Quotes:
“You don’t survive what we have without changing.”
“It’s not the storm that makes you. It’s what you become in it.”

Major Twists & Spoilers:
* Xaden's mom! ugh 😡
* Violet's second signet.....dreamwalker
* Xaden being more connected to the venin than we thought?? Heartbreak.💔
* Violet’s growth, her relationship with her dragon, and her willingness to lead = everything.

Theories & Thoughts for Book 4:
* Is Violet pregnant? There were a lot of mentions about timing—after their spicy scene, we get specific day counts: 60 days, then 76 days. Violet also experiences dizziness and exhaustion. There’s a conversation about how Basgiath isn’t a place to raise children, and Sgaeyl even says that Tairn won’t let Violet near him because she’s in a vulnerable state… which may be alluding to more than just Violet being unconscious.
* Xaden mentions he’s owed a favor by the high priestess. I think he orchestrated their marriage as part of a plan to keep his soul tethered. Because of the binding magic in their marriage, Violet may hold a part of his soul that the venin can’t touch. She’ll likely use the broken compass to track him down, and since she’s now a dreamwalker, she’ll probably reach him in his dreams before anything else.
* Bodhi is Xaden’s venin brother. This one feels likely—the foreshadowing is too intentional.
* Andarna is going to play a MAJOR role. She might even be the key to the entire magic system. Her connection to both old magic and Violet is unlike anything else we’ve seen.
* Xaden’s fate feels tragic… but I’m still holding out hope that his love for Violet will be his redemption.
* A full-blown dragon war might be coming. The tension between the dragons, riders, and leadership is building, and it feels like we’re heading toward a massive conflict.

Final Thoughts:
The action, the heartbreak, the plot twists—I was completely hooked. While some threads are still unraveling, Onyx Storm raised the stakes and reminded me why I love this series so much. If you love fantasy with dragons, found family, forbidden romance, and gut-wrenching plot twists—you already know you need this on your shelf.

Now begins the long, painful wait for the next one… show less

Honestly, I wasn’t too much of a fan of this book. As someone who absolutely devoured Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, I was ready for Onyx Storm to knock me off my feet. In fact, it took me three months to force myself to finish it. I feel like I just tripped over a loose cobblestone, landed face-first in predictability, and now I’m sitting here wondering where the hell all the intensity went.
I spent 75% of this book confused. Events happened that were important to the characters but I couldn’t figure out why, and it was never explained. Most characters, even peripheral, are referred to by first name, last name, and nickname. This wasn’t so much a story as a very long battle with some sex, some dragons, and POV’s at the end from show more characters that were barely mentioned throughout the book.
The book could have been half as long if the extraneous content that brings little to no value had been better edited. The descriptions of places, people, and things are too detailed at times for things that have no real impact on the plot or are never revisited. Like what was the point of the cat Broccoli? In other instances, there is not enough information to help the reader retain characters, places, and events. I found myself wading through so many characters, and I needed a navigation chart to follow a plot line that made no sense!
The sex scenes were pretty much copied and pasted for 3 books. They were gratuitous, repetitive, tedious and excruciating to read. I understand it's hard to find the right balance when writing love scenes so they are titillating, but not pornographic. The author definitely does not have this skill.
And the main characters don’t evolve much. They rampage around the landscape being heroic, violent, and wisecracking, but they don’t fundamentally change. Every so often, there’s a big reveal and everyone is sad for five minutes, then they go back to exactly how they were before. Far too much bad stuff happens to them and far too little good stuff - if this were real, they’d all have had nervous breakdowns long ago.
Also, endless new quests and characters are introduced for a few chapters, then dropped. So many characters could have been amalgamated, and most of them are referred to by more than one name. The author assumes the readers remember who each one is, even if the character hasn’t made an appearance since the first or previous book, and there are no clues as to who they are when they are brought back in.
It's the same with the dragons. For example, dragons are mentioned (sometimes by more than one name) and we're meant to know who their riders are without clues.
And it is no longer a trilogy. Five books now? Really? And Onyx Storm makes it so obvious why - because this book is mostly filler. The pacing drags in places that should be pivotal, and there are entire sections that feel like they’re here just to stretch the story out.
I’ll keep reading, because I’m too deep in now to stop. But my expectations? Let’s just say they’ve been adjusted. show less

I gave this one 6 stars because it was that good. Like, next-level, edge-of-your-seat, emotionally destroyed in the best way kind of good. RY seriously outdid herself with this one. The stakes were higher, the emotions were deeper, and the plot had me turning pages like a maniac. This book came for my heart and did not hold back.
The character growth in this one?? Chef’s kiss. Violet continues to be such a strong, layered, and complex main character. She’s not perfect, she’s real. And watching her navigate everything thrown at her in this book was both inspiring and heartbreaking. And yes, Xaden is still Xaden. That’s all I’ll say. Their dynamic just keeps getting more intense, more raw, and more everything.
There were twists I show more did not see coming, moments that had me holding my breath, and scenes I had to reread just to fully take in. The worldbuilding just keeps expanding in such a cool, seamless way, and I’m obsessed with the way this story keeps unfolding. This series owns me. If you’ve been following since Fourth Wing, you’re not ready, but you’re gonna love every second of it. show less

The third book in the Empyrean series has Violet and her picked companions leaving the Basgiath War College to search for allies. a cure for Zaden, and for Andarna's lost kin. The enemy is getting ever closer, and all of her quests are urgent.

The story was packed with adventure and intense emotions. Now that Xaden has declared his love for Violet, she has no intention of allowing him to set her aside because he fears that he will become the enemy that they are all fighting. So, they travel outside of their continent to see if answers and allies can be found.

The story had excellent world building. The island kingdoms were fascinating. Secrets were revealed about Violet's past which her parents had kept from her. Andarna's kin are found show more but prove not to have the answers they need.

Unfortunately, this volume also ends on a cliffhanger. And the next book isn't yet in sight! show less

Onyx Storm delivers an emotionally charged continuation to Violet Sorrengail’s dragon-ridden journey, rich with romantic tension, high-stakes battles, and expanding lore. Fans of the series will appreciate the character growth and intense cliffhanger, though pacing lags and repetitive arcs weigh down the middle sections. Mixed reactions highlight it either as an addictive romantasy ride or a filler-heavy installment.

”To the ones who don’t run with the popular crowd, the ones who get caught reading under their desks, the ones who feel like they never get invited, included, or represented. Get your leathers. We have dragons to ride.”

Rebecca Yarros did what she does best…she played my emotions like a fiddle. Way more tears were shed over this book than I was expecting. No one is safe!

While this book was a massive information and character dump, it was SO good. The first 40% was chocked full of information and new people, but from then on the story was moving and unpredictable! I had so many moments I gasped and where I was shocked to find an answer, only find a new question! And can we talk about Ridoc? He was the comedic relief and the heart show more of this book! Protect him at all costs!

“I’m either completely in love with your boyfriend or utterly terrified of him,” Ridoc says under his breath. “Not sure at the moment.” “Both,” Cat answers from his left. “You can be both. Trust me.”

By far my favorite book in the Empyrean series. If an author and tug my emotions so much I’m crying over people AND dragons, I’ve got some serious respect for her writing.

”I. Can’t. Kill. Him. I could no more raise a blade to his throat than I could Violet. The bond between Violence and me is the kind of magic that has no explanation.”

How are we going to survive the wait till the next book!? show less