Book Review: ‘‘Onyx Storm’ by Rebecca Yarros
February is the month of love, so naturally we had to fit in a Romantasy series for our book club! Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros was out BONUS BOOK of the month.
After reading Fourth Wing in September 2023 with our wonderful community, it was very fitting that we would read the sequel in October, the month of release. Many of our community members struggled with the length and how much lore was involved. The one thing that can be said about Iron Flame is that the characters are so well-written that they have become timeless. These characters will become familiar to everyone instantly, and that’s the magic of Yarros’s writing.
Rebecca Yarros surprised everyone with the release of Onyx Storm and January 21st, 2025 couldn’t come fast enough!
Many have said the same thing about the third installment. It was hard to get into at first. It became a fast-paced adventure once Violet and her squad searched the Isles for irids.
If you haven’t finished Onyx Storm, SPOILERS ARE BELOW.
Remember to go at your own pace because it is jam-packed with action and politics. Reading isn’t a race or a competition. It’s meant for you to get lost in another world.
Synopsis:
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Quotes
“Your wings won't hold the weight of this ice,” Andarna blatantly mocks him. “And yet yours miraculously carry the burden of your ego.”
“You might be angry when you realize I didn't wake you to say goodbye. But it's only because I no longer fully trust my ability to walk away.” Xaden Riorsen’s corespondents to Violet Sorrengail.
“Remember what I taught you about history; it is simply a collection of stones, each influenced by those that happened before and steering the ones to come." Asher Sorrengail.
“And yet... If all of it hadn't happened, would we still be us? Or is the miracle of our relationship the result of a precise combination of tragedies that broke us both so completely that when we collided, we became something entirely new?” Violet Sorrengail.
“ I'm aware in the moments I lack emotion. You and Garrick don't need to share little "oh no" glances. I already feel it. It's like sliding over a frozen lake while a shrinking part of me screams that I'm supposed to be swimming in those pieces I've bartered away, and those feelings are right beneath the surface, but f*** is skating faster and a hell of a lot messy this shit?” Xaden Riorson.
“Because you’re the only one capable of killing me.” - Xaden Riorson
“Andarna chose Violet, and though there are four superiorly ranked officers with us, it’s VIolet’s mission. She’s in command. And with the exception of her rather questionable taste in men, I’ve trusted Violet’s wisdom since childhood.” - Aaric
“You will not help us achieve the peace you worship?” - Andarna
“You have to protect Dunne’s temple.” - Aaric
“She’d [Violet] be a great politician,” Aaric continues. “Or a general, maybe? Definitely nobility.”
“With that speech? At least a duchess.” Xaden shifts his weight, brushing his elbow against my shoulder.“Oh good because books will keep her safe." Mira shoots Brennan an icy look. "The right ones will.”
“Every possible path may require breaking a few laws.” “Dragons do not answer to the laws of humans,” she counters in a tone that reminds me of Tairn. “And as my bonded, as Tairn’s rider, you no longer answer to them, either.”
“The last time a shadow and lightning wielder fought side by side, they managed to drive the venin back into the Barrens for a few hundred years.”
“There's no magic here." He tugs me against him. "No power. No lure. No taunting reminder that I can save everyone if I just reach for it and take what's offered. It's only... peace.”
“Now that the Duke of Angst is gone,” Bodhi says, his voice rising, “we have a problem.”
Themes
Addiction
Addiction to power and how we speak to those we love who are addicted.
Mental Health
Dealing with processing guilt and loss.
Relying on a support system.
Trust and Betrayal
Feels like a 180 flip from Iron Flame, we have more faith in each other in this book, less secrets lurking between our main couple, Xaden/his mom?
Resilience and Perseverance
Violet’s disability, learning to become a leader.
Politics, War, and Peace
Standing up for what’s right, taking in refugees: " It takes one generation to rewrite history, one generation to teach it,” Irids says of Peace.
Characters
Violet Sorrengail in her second year, has to navigate the aftermath at Resson, her relationship with Xaden, and attempt to keep her shields up in case there are intrinsic around her. She is tested by Commandant Varrish, who tortures her because he knows she has her shields up. She does not want to put her friends in danger, but everything falls apart when Rhiannon, Sawyer, Ridoc and Jesinia all figure out there’s something out there. The outposts have been attacked, and wyverns are found all over. She flies from Aretia to Basgiath to see Xaden and finds out more than she bargained for while searching through his secrets.
Xaden Riorson is sent to the front lines and away from Violet under Commandant Varrish’s orders. He tries to keep them both apart, but Tairn and Sgaeyl can’t have that. While Xaden regroups in Aretia, the Assembly finds ways to get the luminary from Tecarus without risking Violet. Xaden is more outspoken about his feelings towards Violet in this second instalment, but it’s almost not enough because he asks her to ask him questions to get information. With Violet’s growing frustration, Xaden begins writing letters to Violet telling her about his past. Towards the end of the novel, we find out that Xaden is linked to another dragon because of his grandfather and is an Inntinnsic. He can foresee intent but not memories.
Dain Aetos has now become wingleader for Violet and her squad, and because of his special gift, Violet yells at him to stay away from her. Dain has maintained his distance and is constantly used against Violet because of Commandant Varrish. Fortunately, when Dain sees Violet brutally tortured by Varrish, he takes a stance and helps her kill him with Xaden by their side. The secrets of the Wyverns and Venin have been revealed to Dain through Violet showing him what she thought was safe enough to show him. In doing so, Dain was upset because he wouldn’t have gone against her and would have tried to help her. Dain is now in his redemptive era with Violet and Xaden.
Rhiannon Matthias is now squad leader, and rightfully so. She is meant to lead and to help others achieve their goals. Rhiannon and Violet have a very strained relationship in this second book of the series. For Violet to protect her friends, she stays away from them and remains quiet. The silent treatment doesn’t work for Rhiannon, so she continues to press, and when she does figure things out during a faux torture session, Rhiannon vows to help her best friend along with Sawyer and Ridoc.
Sloane Mairi: Sloane is Liam Mairi’s younger sister. She enters Basgiath War College on Conscription Day, where she meets Violet after crossing the parapet. After losing her brother, Sloane has kept her anger bottled up because she believes that he died because of Violet. Violet wants to look after Sloane and help her through her first year, but she refuses any help from her. Violet makes it her mission to watch and protect her, even if Sloane hates her. Violet tries to stay away, but her promise to Liam keeps her from moving forward. We find out that Sloane is a siphon, and she helps General Sorrengail temper the ward to get the others back up to save everyone from the Wyverns attack at Basgiath.
Aaric Graycastle: His actual name is Cam, and Violet knows him. He lies to his father, who believes his son is on a tour across the kingdom to celebrate his 20th birthday. Instead, Cam joins Basgiath War College by crossing the parapet, where he meets Violet. She recognizes him because of his eyes, a recognizable feature for everyone who knows him. During Threshing, he manages to bond to a Blue Clubtail.
Jack Barlowe has returned thanks to Professor Nolon, who is a Healer. Throughout the book we find Nolan to be exhausted every single day. Not many first years had been harmed during Threshing or the Gauntlet, so Violet didn’t understand why he was so drained. It isn’t until Jack returns to class that everyone is in shock. And this time, he’s nice to Violet. He even saves her. However, once we get to the end of book two, Barlowe reveals himself as a Venin and as Violet was helping Xaden smuggle out weapons for Aretia, Barlowe was bringing them into Basgiath and planned to take down the wards.
Bodhi Durran - Xaden’s cousin (next in his bloodline) and a Fourth Wing rider turned section leader. He is also the most reasonable of the group. He likes to lighten the mood and is always the most neutral in situations in comparison to Xaden.
Brennan Sorrengail - Violet’s older brother, and a former rider who works with the Assembly. He is a healer, brilliant strategist and levelheaded. Brennan values loyalty to the cause over moral duty.
Catriona (“Cat”) Cordella - A flier, Tecarus’s niece (third in line for the Poromish throne), and Xaden’s ex. She is ambitious and power-hungry. Even though she’s had moments with Violet, she is still loyal and collaborative out on the field.
Garrick Tavis - Xaden’s best friend and a former Fourth Wing rider turned lieutenant
Imogen Cardulo - A Fourth Wing rider and Violet’s friend, known for her pink hair
Maren Zina - Cat’s best friend; has twin 7-year-old brothers.
Mira Sorrengail - Violet’s older sister, a former rider turned captain. Mira is fiercely loyal and protective of her siblings. She is fearless and will lay her life on the line at any moment.
Ridoc Gamlyn - A Fourth Wing rider known to be the comedic relief within Violet’s squad. He gives the wise-cracking commentary for the group and the known hothead. Ridoc is always by Violet’s side and adds levity during the darker moments.
Sawyer Henrick - A Fourth Wing rider and Executive Officer who recently lost his leg.
Asher Sorrengail - Father to Violet, Mira, and Brennan. Was a scribe. Died of heart failure/chest pains shortly after hearing of Brennan’s “death.”
The Sage - A blue-robed venin appearing in Violet’s nightmares.
Theophanie - Violet’s “stalker” of an enemy in this book, constantly baiting her. She dedicated her early life to Dunne. She was a priestess of the Temple of Dunne on Unnbriel. She turned Venin and left the temple. She is a powerful venin known as a Maven.
bOOK cHAT: Onyx Storm
Review
How is the pacing in Onyx Storm?
If you didn’t re-read Iron Flame or Fourth Wing ahead of Onyx Storm, it could have been jarring for you in the first nine chapters. It was for me. It was difficult to remember particular names of provinces or even riders with their dragons. Multiple characters were added in Iron Flame, so the beginning of Onyx Storm was jam-packed with information. The beginning has plenty of commotion as Violet deals with a changing Xaden as he slowly turns to Venin, a mission to find the seventh breed of dragons and find allies with the incoming Venin threat. Violet is also in search of a Venin cure and is frantically trying everything in secret.
The first half of Onyx Storm has pacing issues but so does Iron Flame, and the reason for that is how Yarros chooses to end the book. The setup is slow and a bit repetitive. The action picks up halfway through the book travelling to each isles and the politics within the Continent start revealing the corrupt history of our characters. The second half was emotional for Violet as she almost lost Tairn and Mira. She knows she fully lost Xaden because she felt it, but the most painful moment for her was losing Andarna. She chose to leave her and detach from the bond, which in turn is more heartbreaking than the death of a dragon.
Did the adventure to each of the isles for the irids work?
It was nice to explore the beauty and the culture of each Isle because it was getting stuffy to focus on Basgiath. Violet chose her crew and had more than one mission to accomplish. Heading to Deverelli to retrieve the books from her father was helpful and then heading to Hedotis was the ultimate test with Xaden’s mother. There had to be a way to place the characters in danger and having them challenge a new obstacle on each Isle was perfect. It also helped to have a different mix of characters present. Especially having Dain and Xaden alongside Violet. The banter and tension worked well in the middle of the book after a sluggish beginning.
Do you think Violet is still leaning too much on Xaden for support?
I think this third entry focused heavily on Xaden without even meaning to. Violet still has her agency, especially when training and her connection with her dragons. However, much of her character is centred on what Xaden does which can get frustrating. Even though Violet is the main character the focus is on Xaden in this installment. Not that it wasn’t interesting to read, but it felt that Violet lost a bit of herself here. Sure the journey was to find the rest of Andarna’s kind, but it was also heavily on keeping Xaden stable and finding a cure.
It’s an odd balance between Violet leading but still caring so much about what Xaden thinks of her that she has become an extension of him rather than her person. She leans on him for support, especially with the mental bond they share, it’s effective for their romantic relationship. But on her own, it feels like she’s lacking now. It’ll be interesting to see how the loss of contact affects her in the fourth book because of what Xaden has set in motion. Imogen wiped her memory and Violet now has the ring of Tyrrendor on her finger with a proposal in her pocket.
How do you think Xaden handled his further descent into a venin?
I believe he handled it fairly well. He tries not to channel, but naturally saving Violet triggers him. His change was inevitable and keeping them separate in this final battle made it worse. Even though he did pull power to save Sgaeyl and the civilians, he lost his humanity. He wanted to save everyone desperately, which is why Xaden is such a complex troubled character. He channels to do the right thing, and not for the sake of gaining power for evil. His POV towards the end of the novel is beneficial to understanding his values and why readers are so interested in what he will do next.
Is Onyx Storm better than Iron Flame?
I would argue that Onyx Storm is less frustrating than Iron Flame but both have the same pacing issues. Granted Iron Flame was longer and more dense than Onyx Storm and it felt like a lighter read for the most part. Onyx Storm has a stronger second half and a shocking ending leading into the next book. It feels like everything has fallen apart and becomes more devastating for Violet.
This feels more of a cliffhanger as well given there are another two years to wait for the fourth book with no title in sight. The character interactions are also stronger in Onyx Storm because the squad begins to trust each other more and become comfortable with one another. They realize that what’s happening on the Continent is bigger than their petty issues. This is also a more emotional book for Violet who hasn’t been able to acknowledge her grief two-fold now with Andarna also leaving her. Even though she returned, that week deeply affected her mental state.
Key points and questions to think about heading into Book 4:
Violet’s second signet…. Dreamwalking? What does this mean with Andarna returning?
THAT ENDING - Different POVs: Imogen, Rhiannon, Xaden.
Imogen wiped her memory. How does that affect ties with Tairn?
An oracle said that Violet had multiple paths and could not be completely dedicated (to Dunne). What do you think is in store for Violet?
Do you think Theophanie is really dead? Could she be a projection of a god? Maybe one we have yet to meet?
Theophany (Ancient Greek: θεοφάνεια, romanized: theopháneia, lit. 'appearance of a deity'[1]) is an encounter with a deity that manifests in an observable and tangible form.
We find out Aaric’s signet in this book. How long do we think he’s had it? How long has he been plotting and did he tell anyone in particular before we (Violet) found out?
Balance is mentioned quite a bit in this book. Between Theophanie/Lilith, Xaden/Lynx… Could Violet be the balance to anyone?
WHO IS THE THIRD BROTHER?!
It’s unbelievable what happened in those last chapters of Onyx Storm. Things were left vague in that final chapter and many questions have been left unanswered. However, it makes this one of the best cliffhangers I’ve read in a long time. We were so blessed with Fourth Wing and Iron Flame released in the same year. And now with no release date for the fourth installment, we need something to fill the void. There is a television series in development and we will have plenty of theories to share over the next year!
What did you think about Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros? Is it better than Iron Flame? Let us know in the comments below, or join our discord today!
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