Onyx Storm [English]

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.

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This review is about the third book in the Empyrean series. There will be spoilers if you haven't read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame.

In full transparency... We waited. We hoped. We were served. This third book let me sigh a "fucking hell" when I finished it. I was on the edge of my seat since the beginning. This book isn't completely about the story we can read on the pages, but also the links we can do, the theories we make and the story between the lines that tell us a lot about the characters. Especially Violet, since we get her POV.

One of the criticism that appeared the most about Onyx Storm was how the beginning was hard to follow, because we "met" so many new characters we had no idea existed. But... we did met them before. We just didn't know who they were. Violet, in Iron Flame, said that she didn't want to learn the first year's names for them only to drop dead. She wants to wait after the threshold. Then, she goes to Riorson's house and she discovers more about the wards and Andarna. She's deep in her own shit. Since we have her POV, we focus on what she sees and what she wants. Then, in Onyx Storm, when things get a little less bloody (for about 20 pages), Violet has her attention on the first years and what is happening at Basgiath, meaning that when we "learned" the name of the first years, it's because Violet acknowledge them for the first time. We met them, we just didn't know their name. As for Lewellen, well, yes, it's confusing with the town, but we met him... just before the Throne Scene. Some people got a selective memory... however, I can't judge, because the "my house, my chair, my woman" is deep down in our head and will forever be.

Anyways, we then dive into the Onyx Storm story which is mostly Violet trying to find a cure for Xaden who became a venin at the end of Iron Flame. The whole journey was interresting because we learned a lot about the world they live in. The isles, even if they aren't on the map at the beginning of the book, make us learn about the different custom, especially those who don't have a "link" or know much about dragons. I really like that dept in the worldbuilding.

Nevertheless, what really was the highlight of the book was mostly the characters. We get a Dain redemption ark, we learn more about Bodhi and Garrick. Aaric finally take his place. Holden can suck my ass. But... Ridoc. Ridoc was THE highlight. He was funny and, most important, there for Violet. The last words Liam said to Ridoc were "guard her like you're me" and that's what he did. Every scene that made me laugh or made me emotional, Ridoc was there (except the "Dain/Xaden scene, IYKYK). It's terrifying because Rebecca will probably kill him and I will never forgave her for it, if she does that, but, Onyx Storm is worth it just for Ridoc, even if the rest is pretty amazing too.

I have to say, the book moves fast on the story. There's a lot going on with the wards, the search for Andarna's race, the venin getting closer, the threats, Xaden's mental state deterioring, wars... It's so much to deal in a few weeks. I don't understand how people can find this book empty, because I was personnaly overwhelmed with how much informations we got, how many things were happening at the same time. Near the end, when the battle was at it's paroxysm, I didn't know what was happening. I had to re-read pages, chapters even. My brain was melting and I didn't want to miss a single thing. I'm glad I did, because it lead to me harassing my friend about theories for the next two weeks, because I was shocked to my core.

The ending is as bad as Iron Flame in term of cliffhanger. Knowing we won't have the fourth book before mid-2026, maybe beginning of 2027, it's an awful feeling because there's so many things I want to know NOW. I want to know who's the brother, what Aaric can do, where Garrick went, what happened to Xaden. And I want to know how the new trope will turn out. Because I can't forgive Imogen if she took that from us in the next book.

In general, Onyx Storm, like Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, must be read to feel the story. There's so many readers and reviews, it will never scratch the surface of what you might feel during the reading of this series. You might not like it and that's okay. But if you do... you're in for the ride of your life and by that, I'm not talking about Xaden Riorson.