Warning: This contains spoilers
For those not acquainted, “Romantasy” (romance and fantasy) is a genre that seems to have exploded on BookTok, a subsection of TikTok where people gather to discuss all things book-related. Rebecca Yarros has done it again with Onyx Storm, the third book of her Empyrean series, featuring all things ‘romantasy’ including dragons, action, romance, and politics.
Onyx Storm is the fastest selling adult novel in twenty years: over 2.7 million copies sold within the first week of the book being released.
Readers beware, the first 100 pages will have you reeling with “who,” “what,” “where,” and “huh”?
A reread of the first two books, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, is not required but certainly will be helpful for readers to brush up on their knowledge if, like me, the last time they read the books was when they binge read them after their respective releases. If you don’t want to wait that long, here is a comprehensive summary for both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame.
Onyx Storm picks up two weeks from where Iron Flame left off. Xaden is Venin (a creature that channels magic from the ground (directly from the source), rather than from a dragon. He returns back to Basigaith War College as a professor, meaning he can no longer be in a relationship with Violet Sorrengail. It adds a bit more intensity to their relationship, at least until they can leave the college.
There is drama, a little bit of forbidden romance (again), and angst. Sawyer is in the hospital after losing part of his leg, depressed that he might have to retire from being a rider. Aaric, who is secretly the prince and second-in-line after his older brother Halden (also Violet’s ex), plays a much larger role in this book, with comedic and touching moments, quickly moving him to becoming one of my new favorite characters. The wards are failing again after the sacrifices made to recreate them in Iron Flame and Violet must create a “Quest Squad” (name courtesy of Ridoc who is perhaps the best comedic relief in the books and I will riot if anything bad ever happens to him) in order to find a solution.
Unsure who to trust, Violet agrees to only let those in charge know the details if she can choose who comes with her on her quest to find the seventh species of dragons and a cure for Xaden. This is where so much world building and politics come into play.
This book might be considered different from the first two, with less action and more travel, discovering new islands, and engaging in political decisions. There is still romance but Xaden is trying to hold back from making any physical moves to resist the urge to channel more power and become a stronger venin.
The first 100 pages of this book feels like pure chaos of trying to figure out what is happening. It mirrors the internal whiplash that Violet is feeling, struggling to stay informed and know what is being decided behind closed doors. Violet is still young and growing into becoming a soldier, commander, and a rider worthy of Tairn, her dragon she is bonded to who is the second largest dragon in active service.
Violet takes her Quest Squad to the various islands surrounding the continent in search of both a cure for Xaden but also the seventh breed of dragons. Going to the various islands allows Yarros to show off the world she is building and the various peoples, politics, and lands she has created. After a shock death, the squad ends up on an island that wasn’t part of their travel plan where they discover the seventh breed of dragon: irids. We also learn more about Violet’s dad and her own past, such as more information on why her hair is silver no matter how short she cuts it.
Andarna, Violet’s second dragon she is bonded to and who the readers were introduced to as an adolescent dragon, is thrilled to meet her kind but is devastated when they decide they don’t want her. Andarna is viewed as too violent and the irids dislike that Violet is bonded to her as Andarna is young with a weak wing.
The book gears up to a large battle against the venin, one that has shocks and high stakes. The battle also features the first time we see POV shifts, showcasing the different characters and where they are during the battle. It contains easter eggs as to who could have turned venin at the end, as readers are left on the cliff-hanger that someone Violet and Xaden trust and is close to them has become Xaden’s “new brother” and a venin. The readers are left on the cliff-hanger of what happened in the twelve hours following the battle; who turned venin, and the details of Violet’s and Xaden’s wedding as Violet wakes up from sleep with a ring on her finger and no memory of the last twelve hours thanks to Imogen’s signet: erasure of recent memories.
The revelations throughout the book have been laid out throughout the series with twists and turns that are satisfying to go back and see the hints in previous scenes and books. There is far too much to put into just one review without spoiling the entire book. This book is a must if you plan to continue on with the series. It has its ups and downs, but in true Yarros fashion, mostly ups.