My little fangirl heart couldn’t take it when my shiny pre-order copy of Onyx Storm arrived in the mail last Monday (and, boy, is it shiny!!!!!!!). My heart still couldn’t take it halfway through the read. Now? I think I’m dead because my heart stopped after whatever the hell that was.

How, in the name of all things good, am I supposed to wait a year (PLEASE let it not be longer than a year) for Book 4 of the Empyrean?

If you haven’t read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, this might not be the post for you. Luckily, I have reviews on them to prepare you for the bookish devastation Rebecca Yarros will inflict on you once you’re good and hooked on this series. Did that sound like a warning? Oh. Oops. *Dries tears* You’ll be fine after reading Onyx Storm. Promise.

Before we get to the official review, a disclaimer. All the opinions shared in this post are my own, are honest, and I’m not compensated in any way for expressing them.

This post contains major spoilers.

Content Warnings

From the book:

Onyx Storm is a nonstop-thrilling adventure fantasy set in the brutal and competitive world of a military college for dragon riders, which includes elements regarding war, battle, hand-to-hand combat, perilous situations, blood, intense violence, brutal injuries, death, poisoning, graphic language, and sexual activities that are shown on the page. Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note, and prepare to enter Basgiath War College…

My two cents:

As with FW and IF, expect f-bombs and instances of s**t, as well as derogatory terms around the same intensity level.

The book features sexual encounters and conversations/banter about sex.

Spice level:

As always, major character death is a thing in this series—characters will die, so be ready.

The Blurb

THE STORM IS COMING . . .

Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

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

Characters

The gang is back!

Violet is dealing with, well, everything. I really felt her uncertainty in OS, especially in working through the complex emotions after losing her mother. She doesn’t just shrug off her trauma and we see her having to work at locking up her pain (both physical and emotional) more often in this book than in the others. And you know it’s bad when our girl, who lives in constant pain, is forcing pain into her mental prison more often.

She’s still the smart, sassy Violet we’ve grown to know and love, but I feel like she’s becoming more real with each page (which is saying something, since I’ve loved her since page one). She isn’t okay, not by a long shot, but is showing up. All these complex emotions translate beautifully.

Of course, the ending of IF left her with a whole new set of secrets, so we see her navigating the guilt that comes from keeping another big thing from her friends. I love that she’s grown enough in the other books to not let her secrets cause a rift between her and her friends, though.

I also feel Xaden’s struggles with control, anger, and keeping up appearances while he’s freaking the hell out. Because he’s lost trust in himself, he’s back to broody in a BIG way. He’s kind of untethered in OS, especially since he’s lost a safe place in Sgaeyl (and who can blame her—he’s venin).

But unlike so many other characters in his trope, he doesn’t just revert to the guy he was in FW. I sincerely appreciate his efforts to keep Violet in the know, to respect Sgaeyl’s need for space, and to not make the same mistakes he did in the other books. His character growth remains intact—just for that, I love this book. It’s so rare to find the alpha male in the genre and see him actually evolve.

I wished so hard for communication in Onyx Storm, and I’m just a bucket of relief for having that wish fulfilled. Even while Violet’s actively keeping secrets, she’s trying her best to keep everyone in the inner circle aware of those things she can tell them. And when the moment arrives for her to spill the tea, she doesn’t hold back.

As always, Tairn and Andarna are life. Their dynamic still makes me squee, and I’ll still read thousands of pages from Tairn’s POV. I love that old curmudgeon!

I appreciated the fact that Xaden’s change spills over to the dragons and that their opinions on the matter are different. They don’t necessarily agree with Violet’s choice to save him and each handles the extra level of venin-ness in their inner circle differently. I really felt for Sgaeyl in this one. What must be going through her head during this mess?

Also, Andarna’s search for her place is wonderfully real. She’s come so far from our little golden feathertail, and watching her discover her worth tugged at my heartstrings. Then smashed my heart with a hammer, but that’s a story for another day.

Any scene is better with Ridoc in it, and I’m stoked that we see so much of him in this one. His one-liners and general goofiness lighten some pretty intense moments.

Aaric is fast becoming one of my favourite characters, too. For a quiet, sidelines kind of guy, he gets a whole lot done. And poor Sloane! She feels like a tiny munchkin who’s carrying the world on her shoulders. I hope she catches a break in Book 4.

Speaking of people who sincerely deserve a break—Dain. Here’s another character who is struggling but growing, and I don’t think he gets enough credit. The poor dude made mistakes, but he’s trying. I don’t want him to shatter under the pressure!

We’re introduced to a whole trove of new characters in OS, including a new antagonist, Theophanie (who is a freaking piece of work). But many of these newbies either feature only for a chapter or so or become canon fodder in true Yarros style. Don’t worry though, none of our old favourites are safe, either. Empyrean books are a bloodbath. I can’t tell you how many times I gripped the edges of the book, shaking, praying that *this* character wouldn’t be the next one on the death roll. We need to set up a support group for survivors of Yarros Books.

We also get to see some of the antagonists from previous books. I hoped we’d be done with Dain’s dad, but I’m SUPER relieved that he didn’t become a repeat of Varrish. Thank you Violet’s character growth for allowing her to stand up to this particular bully.

Plot

Like with Iron Flame, Onyx Storm starts right at the end of the last book. Also like IF, OS doesn’t span an entire school year and the overall plot is simpler than it was in the other two books. But good grief, does this shorter, simpler plot pack a punch!

Now that leadership knows Andarna is a seventh race, they sign off on Violet’s demands to search for said race. At the same time, she’s also searching for a cure for Xaden, and they’re trying to survive the ongoing attacks from venin and wyvern. See? Simple.

The search sends some of our crew on a journey to a set of new locations, allowing us deeper insight into the world, religion, and characters. Of course, the plot thickens with each new place they visit.

As I mentioned in my review of IF, I hated the ‘fighting over a man’ storyline between Violet and Cat. That bit of nastiness resolves itself… Aaand then comes Onyx Storm. This time, we get to see Xaden all macho over Violet’s first love. Fun times. But it didn’t annoy me as much as in IF because the boys growl and grumble a bit, but their jealousy isn’t as never-ending as the drama between Cat and Violet was. So, yay, growth. (But can we please be done with the nasty jealousy in Book 4?)

The pace slows a bit in the middle as our characters struggle with emotional stuff and a series of smaller setbacks.

But then, the final battle ensues, and everything explodes.

Holy.

Cow.

The plot twists. The heartache. The general nail-biting-ness of the final handful of chapters still gives me palpitations. I CANNOT BELIEVE the cliffhanger that is supposed to sustain us until this series continues.

As per my opening paragraph, I think I’m dead. Ruined. I have the mother of all book hangovers, so this review might be the last thing I write before I find a corner to rock in.

Look, love or hate this series, you have to give Ms Yarros props for the emotional impact of her writing. The struggles of her characters become so immediate, so real, that it lands on her adoring readers like a punch in the throat. And instead of us running from the pain, we want MOAR.

Onyx Storm is an easy 5 stars from me. This book is by far my favourite in the series, and I can’t wait to see where this story goes.

Until next time.

Yolandie