Onyx Storm: DISCOVER THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE GLOBAL PHENOMENONS, FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME! (The Empyrean) Hardcover – 21 Jan. 2025

Rebecca Yarros has done it again with Onyx Storm, the thrilling follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. This installment takes readers on an unforgettable journey that combines high-stakes action, emotional depth, and jaw-dropping revelations.The character development in this book is exceptional, particularly for Violet Sorrengail. She has grown into a fierce, determined protagonist, and her journey is as inspiring as it is heart-wrenching. Her strength, intelligence, and vulnerability shine in equal measure, making her one of my favorite characters in recent fantasy fiction.And then there’s Xaden. What can I say? He remains an irresistible force, a character so compelling that no twist or revelation could diminish my love for him. His dynamic with Violet continues to sizzle, adding layers of tension and tenderness to the story.Surprisingly, Dain’s arc also left me reflecting. While he’s made questionable choices, this book hints that he might deserve a second chance—a testament to Yarros’ ability to craft multi-dimensional characters.The plot is packed with new information, unveiling more about the world and its magic. However, just when I thought I had a grasp on things, Yarros dropped even more unanswered questions, leaving me desperate for the next book.And the ending—oh, the ending! While I had a feeling something big was coming, I was still left stunned. It was the perfect mix of heartbreak and exhilaration, bringing me to tears and making me eagerly turn the final page.In summary, Onyx Storm is a masterclass in epic fantasy storytelling. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats while delivering the emotional depth and character growth fans have come to expect from Rebecca Yarros. If you’re a fan of dragons, magic, and unforgettable characters, this series is a must-read.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have given this 5 stars even though there were a couple of things that irked me but the the tension and exhilaration when reading this story soon overcame them. Violet has to journey outside Aretia to find allies in the war against the venin and also find any of Andarna's family line. This did slow the story down a little but there were little revelations along the way and heartbreak again.My main criticism is with how Xaden is written. His emotional outpourings to Violet about his feelings for her is very 'flowery' and I'm not sure he would speak like that. I think he would be more direct and succinct in how he feels, as to me - less is always more. Just my opinion.This did feel like a 'bridge' book and I'm not sure there is enough story to carry on in another 2 books. But hopefully I will be proved wrong.A lot of secrets were revealed, especially signets, which left more questions unanswered. The battles were epic, heart in the mouth epic. Tairn was amazing, love that dragon. The world building in this is fantastic. So much to take in and I held my breath every time Violet and her squad took flight. The banter and camaraderie between them is second to none.Then there's that devastating ending. I wont spoil anything but it left me with even more questions than before, which is probably Rebecca Yarros' intention.To say this book kept me gripped from beginning to end is an understatement. Did I mention the tension?I look forward to the next in this series with eager anticipation.

— 4.25 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫"I choose you. I choose whatever risk this brings. I see every part of you, Xaden: The good. The bad. The unforgiveable. That's what you promised, and that's what I want—all of you."📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 779 pages👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Rebecca Yarros🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Piatkus, Little Brown UK📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 21 January 2025What you can expect:— Adult Fantasy Romance— First Person X Multi POV— Dragons X Dragon Riders— Worldbuilding & Lore— Found Family— Touch Him/Her & Die— Magic System X Dragon Bonds— Chronic Illness Rep (Ehler-Danlos Syndrome)— Obsessive X Brooding Shadow Wielding MMC— High Stakes Plot— Angst & Yearning— Open Door Spice𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: elements regarding war, hand-to-hand combat, sexually explicit content, blood, intense violence & gore, brutal injuries, murder, death, animal death, injury rehabilitation, grief, poisoning, burning, perilous situations and graphic adult language.𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:Onyx Storm is the third instalment in The Empyrean series by author Rebecca Yarros. To say that this book was a step up from its predecessor for me is a sheer understatement and I could not be all the more glad for it. Onyx Storm has reminded me why I fell in-love with Fourth Wing to begin with and I'm truly thrilled that the strength of this instalment has convinced me to continue with the remainder of the series. This book definitely took a step towards High Fantasy as opposed to solely being a Romantasy which took some time to adapt to but ultimately felt fitting for the story being built upon and developed. The pacing of this book felt consistent throughout as we are granted ample time to further explore our expansive cast of characters with the support of the ongoing plot. The stakes are higher than ever and I personally really enjoyed the greater sense of urgency in this instalment which heightened the emotional impact of the compelling journey that we follow these characters on. Yarros has done a wonderful job of evolving and expanding the world as this book takes on a journey towards new corners of the world that we had otherwise not been introduced to. The compelling dialogue and engaging character interactions left me unwilling to put this down if it wasn't for adult commitments and my body's demand for sleep. I adored how the vulnerable and intimate explorations of our two main characters was made to be a priority as I feel more connected to them than ever before. I loved seeing the return of our favourite side-characters within their seemingly unbreakable found family unit whilst leaving ample space for the introduction of new characters to be welcomed (or hated) and explored for the purpose of plot development. I'm almost a little mad at how good this was because now I have to willing wait several years before knowing what will happen next.𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:Onyx Storm picks up almost immediately where we left off in the previous instalment after the end of the Battle of Basgiath as the main characters are left scrambling trying to pick up what's left of their squad after their fight with the Venin which left many lost, and others forever changed. I feel like the main purpose of this book was to act as a build-up towards the ultimate fight that is looming against the Venin as boundaries are established and political alliances are arranged. The plot itself was fairly slow-moving in comparison to the previous books but I honestly didn't mind this as it enabled me to better focus on the character developments that were occurring in tandem. I didn't except much to happen when it comes to action and plot progression as a whole, but I was pleasantly surprised with the way things moved forward with enough emotional impact to leave me reeling and struggling to come to terms with everything that I read. There was a lot of new characters introduced and with that brings the need to come to terms with their purpose and the role are set to play within the story. It felt like there was a lot of moving pieces throughout the duration of the plot that are clearly building towards what will come next which makes sense as this is still only book three out of five. I never expected to be provided all of the answers at this time and I expect there are still many more questions to come in the fourth book. Some of it made sense and provided much-needed answers whilst others did not, and I'm definitely being kept in enough suspense to be anxiously awaiting news on book four when it's eventually ready to be revealed.𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:Violet Sorrengail can do no wrong and I will die on that hill. It has been an absolute joy to follow this young woman grow from strength to strength as she continues to challenge her own potential and evolve over time. I have always appreciated Violet as a character that refuses to allow the limits of her physical body to limit her potential as a whole, and this is yet again continuously displayed by her courage and willingness to sacrifice in defence of those she loves. My girl was on fire in this book. Her dialogue was so iconic and I completely lost in when she told a high-ranking individual that he had "the credibility of a drunkard and the integrity of a rat." I was wheezing with laughter so badly that I had to put my kindle down in an attempt to compose myself. I've loved getting to see Violet grow over the duration of the series with self-confidence and the self-assuredness of what she has to provide in the budding war. She has truly found her authoritative voice and I cannot wait to see this continue to evolve and be utilised within the role she will ultimately have to play in the next instalment. I've always respected Violet for her ability to compartmentalise her feelings and needs depending on ongoing priorities, however sometimes I wanted to reach through the pages and tell this wonderfully selfless girl that it's okay to prioritise yourself sometimes. Violet is still very young and has so many life skills left to learn, however I truly felt so bad for her when life continued to throw the worst circumstances her way whilst expecting her to bare it with strength as always. When a certain incident occurred which resulted in her feeling more broken and incomplete than ever before, well... my heart immediately shattered whilst I raged on her behalf. Violet has not been granted a single break throughout the entirety of the series and I fear what else she will be made to endure through to the end. She is so deserving of the happily ever after she could find at the end of all of this, and I truly hope that she finds it. I don't think I can take any other option as her ending.Xaden Riorson. Raw, next question. Because who was this man in Onyx Storm and where has he been all of my life? I was becoming concerned for my health with the audible panting and the noises that escaped my mouth during his many moments of swoon worthy dialogue. But at this point his love, adoration and commitment towards Violet is the least unsurprising attribute to his character as this is something that he has continually shown and grown from over the last three books. My favourite thing about Xaden in this book was how intimately vulnerable he presented himself to be which was such a refreshing change from the stoic and unwavering dragon rider who is known for his prestige on the battle field. We know that Xaden is powerful and ruthless. We know that his power is practically unmatched and is nearly unbeatable when paired alongside his bonded dragon who is equally powerful in her own right. I loved the journey that we follow him on as the events at the end of Iron Flame leave him largely changed and in fear of his newfound potential. Xaden is a protector through and through, and it truly broke my heart to see him so emotionally devastated at the thought of being the person to cause harm to innocents. He's carried the weight of too many lives upon his own shoulders for far too long and this clearly begins to weigh down as his hope begins to diminish. Xaden wants to feel whole and unafraid of what he will do next, but he falls so deeply into a pit of despair that it becomes difficult for him to feel hope for the future that he so desperately wanted. This wonderful man needed a hug and a reminder of his innate goodness so badly and I was thrilled to see Violet's unwavering love and support for him during this time. I was glad to see Xaden find the strength to pick himself back up during moments of doubt and continue forward for the sake of his loved ones. He loves fiercely for those who deserve it, so that ending was shocking with its contents whilst making so much sense in context. I have so many questions and a need to know what happens next, so I'll be anxiously awaiting book four after the author has taken a much-deserved hiatus.A special mention to my man Ridoc "I hate sewing" Gamlyn because my goodness did he shine in Onyx Storm. His loyalty to Violet and their squad? Unquestionable. His banter and wit? Top tier as always. His prank war with his dragon? Hilarious and also entirely unsurprising. It wouldn't surprise me if Aotrom chose to bond with him during Threshing just because he instinctively knew life would never again be boring with Ridoc as a bonded rider. Now hear me out! As much as I want Violet, Xaden and everybody else to to make it to the end... Ridoc is very much giving 'final girl' vibes and I'm okay with that. He deserves it. I will never recover if something happens to this sunshine personified existence of a man. Another special note: Dain "eyes on me" Aetos was not was I was expecting and I suddenly feel like I'm being made to like him against my will. Am I mad about it? I mean, not really because my eyes were well and truly on him during that moment. My jaw dropped. Becoming a Dain Aetos sympathiser was not on my 2025 bingo card but here I am. Unwillingly yet wholeheartedly. Carry on.𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:Violet and Xaden's relationship dynamic in Onyx Storm had me sighing relief after the mess of toxicity that existed between them in Iron Flame. Their toxic dynamic was the first and final straw for me that nearly led me to giving up on the series had it not been for their redemption in this book. Gone was the never-ending cycle of miscommunication and feelings of insecurity that Violet possessed with it came to Xaden's ex-girlfriend, Cat. Violet and Xaden were a significantly stronger couple which only served to benefit them in the long run as I was once again reminded of the moments of peace and joy that only they can find together in a world ravaged by war. The way they continue to fight on behalf of each other was everything I hoped and needed to see, and I'm just genuinely so happy to once again fall in love with Violet and Xaden as a couple. Now... hear me out. I wasn't a fan of jealous Violet due to what it represented and how it made her undermine her value as a woman and as a partner. However a jealous Xaden is entirely different and also completely acceptable since he's also apparently jealous of Violet's armour and bedsheets? This man was utterly feral for his woman and I loved how ride-or-die both Violet and Xaden are for each other. The way they can recognise that they've found their soulmate and that it's them or nobody? Swoon. The comfort in that finality was everything that they needed to feel secure within their relationship and move forward into more important priorities such as winning the war against the Venin. It was absolutely hilarious to see that their friends are practically sick of how in-love Violet and Xaden are which was clearly reflected with their banter-filled dialogue and ample amounts of teasing. But at the same time it's clear to see how supportive their friends are as found family is a trope that this story does represents really well. The dynamic between them as a couple is utterly addictive and I'm practically crawling at my wall for more crumbs of them. Preferably happier ones, but sometimes a woman doesn't get to be picky. So much happened at the end of Onyx Storm and so much is still left to be endured in the remainder of the series, so let us all please be nice to the author and entice her into giving Violet and Xaden the happy ending that they deserve.𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:I feel like the only comments Yarros pays attention to are the ones that proclaim circumstances can't get any worse for these characters and then goes "hold my pen" because what was this? Pain, pain and even more pain. I am thoroughly wrecked by the end of Onyx Storm and still find my mind to be reeling over a week after finishing the book. The stakes are higher than ever before and the cliff-hanger at the end has left my mind whirring with potential candidates for a certain key moment. There's so much still left to unpack and I'm genuinely terrified for the fate of every single character. I don't trust that anybody is safe, so if you need me I'll be rocking my knees on the floor whilst I try to process this book in its entirety. I'm beyond relieved that this book felt infinitely stronger than Iron Flame did as it has reignited my excitement for the series and a keenness to see what comes next. See you all in 2027... I presume?

OMG I loved this book, the 3rd in the series did not dissapoint and I am also on the 3rd re read of this. Love the author, the world and the characters.