Review: Onyx Storm.

 

Title: Onyx Storm

Series: The Empyrean series

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Release Date: January 21, 2025

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.

Goodreads | Purchase 

So I preordered Onyx Storm back in March 2024 because I love these books & it was a late bday present this year (my birthday is January 3rd). But between barely getting by week to week, & between the stress of the holidays & planning my daughter's bday & husband's trip for a pool tournamant I stresses about us having to cancel the book. 

I am sooo glad we were able to pull it off - but this week was was a bit hectic & it took me longer to read the book than it normally would have. But I stayed up last night to finish the last couple hundred or so pages. After spending the day baking for daughter's party & having her bday party today - seriously who lets me make adult decisions?! (So if this doesn't make sense, it's all bc of lack of sleep 😂😂) 

So I reread Fourth Wing & Iron Flame this month in preparation for Onyx Storm. And with how IF ended I was more than ready for answers. I loved being back in the world & reading more of these characters again. 

In the middle of the war - Violet is left trying to find answers. She is trying to find info on Andarna's kind, trying to figure out how to defeat the Venin, and trying to find a cure. But Violet won't be able to save everyone & doesn't know who to trust. 

Onyx Storm started off a bit slow - with how Iron Flame ended I figured we would jump right into it. But it would be like it was building to something but then plateau off with information, new characters and war talk. It was a few chapters or so before it started to pick up. 

We got to see more of the world, more of some of the characters and of course more of the dragons. We had some questions answered but besides some questions left unanswered, we had new questions pop up. 

Some parts made me giddy, and squeal in joy. Some made me scream out WTF?! Some made me curse the author, & some left me grieving. This book was a behemoth - not only in size but info. It was a feat to get through, and I'm sure I missed stuff along the way (definitely will have to reread it at some point), It did feel a little lacking or drawn out at times. And the ending had me reeling a bit. But over all I loved it. I love the world and dragons and characters. 

4⭐ out of 5⭐

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event, with multiple starred Publishers Weekly reviews and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years.

She’s the mother of six children, and is currently surviving the teenage years with two of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time while guzzling coffee. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a Maine Coon cat named Artemis, who rules them all.

Website | Facebook | Facebook group | Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest |

Reread: Iron Flame

 

Title: Iron Flame

Series: The Empyrean 

Author: Rebecca Yarros 

Release Date: November 2023

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Goodreads | Purchase 

Gaahhhhh!! 

So I planned to reread Fourth Wing & Iron Flame before the release of Onyx Storm. Annndddd I just finished Iron Flame and what the fffffff- 

I mean, I KNEW it was coming - bc it was a reread- but that still got me! I will now be left in a ball of anxiety & anticipation waiting to get my hands on Onyx Storm because I need to know what happens next!! 

But Iron Flame picks up right where Fourth Wing left off - Violet starts her second year of the the war college which faces all new challenges for not only Violet as second-year, but her relationship with Xaden as well. 

Between the long distance relationship once Xaden is stationed away and then trying to work out communication and trust again, to the new Camander who is trying to prove how powerless Violet truly is, and betray the man who broke her trust - Xaden. But that is only the beginning. 

While I still absolutely love the world & the characters from Violet, to Xaden, to Rhi, Ridoc, & Sawyer and of course the dragons- I stand by what I said previously and how the conflict between Xaden and Violet lasted longer than it should have resulting in too much of nothing. I get the build up, and the miscommunication between them. I get the tension, and angst and then trying to work through everything. But I still think it could have been condensed some. 

Overall I love the story & the world, the characters, and I cannot wait to find out what happens next. 

4⭐ out of 5⭐ 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. 

Previous Review | 

Reread: Fourth Wing

 

Title: Fourth Wing 

Series: the Empyrean series

Author: Rebecca Yarros 

Release Date: May 2023

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die

Goodreads | Purchase 

So in preparation for Onyx Storm I decided to reread both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. 

And even though I have read this book multiple times, I still absolutely love it & still am emotionally effected by it every single time. 

This book follows Violet in her first year at college, where she spent her whole life training to be a scribe - the ones who record the war and history- but had instead been thrown into becoming a Rider- the ones who battle on the front lines. 

It doesn't matter that she didn't have the training. It doesn't matter that her body may be weaker. It doesn't matter that her wingleader is the very son of the man who rebelled against the kingdom- and wants to seek revenge for his death. And he isn't the only one who wants her dead. 

But despite the odds stacked against her, she still manages to find a way to overcome every single one of them. 

And I absolutely love her. She is stronger than anyone gave her credit for- willing to hold her own. 

And loved Xaden too. He is ruthless and Cunning, holding secrets. He is powerful & determined. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. 

Not to mention I love the side characters, world and dragons! 

I cannot wait to dive into Iron Flame again, and cannot wait to see what Onyx Storm has for us! 

4.5 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. 

First read review | Second read review 

Review: Iron Flame

 

Title: Iron Flame

Series: The Empyrean

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Release Date: Nov 7, 2023

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

What the ffff-!! 

Ok, so I am still processing, trying to figure out what I just read and how I am feeling about it 😂😂. 

Iron Flame follows the events of Fourth Wing. 

Everyone including Violet expected Violet to die during her first year at Basgaith- but it turns out that Threshing was just the first test to weed out the weak-willed and unlucky.

Now the real training begins. But it's not that it is malicious and brutal, or that it is designed to stretch a riders pain capacity beyond endurance. No it is the new Code Commandment who has made it his personal mission to teach Violet how powerless she is and to betray the man she loves. The man who broke her trust. 

Even though Violet's body might be frailer than everyone else's, her will is iron. 

But determination to survive won't be enough. 

Soooo, where do I begin? 

Let's start with the issues- I feel like the release was somewhat rushed. It seems sooo many people have had issues- from businesses that were promised the black pages for preorders, having those cancelled, to the wrong title being on the covers, to the missing dragons on chapter 17 (which include my copy I got from Indigo/Coles in Canada, to the lone copy I found in NYS- but I will take the missing dragon over any other issues), but I've even heard missing pages/chapters. Honestly, I don't know where the problem was, it shouldn't have en this big of an issue to begin with. 

Now that that is out of the way, let's continue onto the story within the book.

I still love this world, and these characters. 

I get the conflict between Xaden & Violet, but felt like it dragged on a bit longer than it should have. The biggest issue being trust & communication after the events of Fourth Wing continued on through the whole of Iron Flame. 

I also feel like the book was longer than it needed to be- I get that it was building up the story & the ending conflict/battle, but there is also a whole lot of nothing happening too. So it could have been condensed some. 

But besides those, like I said, I LOVED the world, and the characters. 

Even despite Violet's weaknesses she is still strong. And I absolutely love that strength about her. 

And I still love Xaden- for everything he has been through and everything he is. All his lies and secrets. He is still my favorite character. 

I still love Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, and all the other characters too. 

And WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! I am going to lose my mind until I get the next book, because well, as always, I need answers, i need conclusion, and i need more 😂😂. I loved this book, and cannot wait for more from this story. 

4⭐ out of 5⭐. 

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - Multiple scenes throughout in detail. 

Tropes: 

→ fantasy romance /romantasy

→ enemies to lovers 

→ forced Proximity 

→ academy (war college)

→ New Adult romance 

→ chronic illness (h) representation 

→ morally gray H 

→found family 

→ slow burn 

→ overcoming adversity/underdog 

→ dysfunctional family

Trigger Warnings