ONYX STORM Joint Review

Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) by Rebecca Yarros
Published by Red Tower Books on January 21, 2025
Length: 23 hours and 52 minutes
Pages: 758
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

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.

As Julie says, we can’t be a book blog without talking about one of the biggest books in the ‘verse right now. Spoilers, obviously for Onyx Storm: Empyrean, Book 3

via GIPHY

 

Julie’s Review:

Going to preface this with saying: I am a fantasy *lite* girly. I am not a high fantasy girlie. I am not a journey book girlie.
Onyx Storm is a middle book – it is very much a middle book. It expands the world building – a lot. A lot of information is dumped on us and it’s not like sipping through a straw. Some of it was very interesting, but also overwhelming. The writing is great, but the massiveness of it, is difficult.

I enjoyed visiting the Isles and learning about how differently people lived and perceived their world. I enjoyed the search for the 7th breed of dragons, and solving riddles to open Papa Sorrengail’s journals. I wish there was more of that in fact. I like the riddles and solving thing a lot.

There were a lot of characters, but getting to know them a bit more was great. I love dragons and getting to know more of the dragons was fun. I really want to find an illustrated collection of these beasties and their riders.

The middleness of the book also contains the middleness of the romance. Xaden and Violet are established, solid. There is an honest exchange with them, fewer secrets. They’re a constant. They’re also, scared for Venin-ism. So their romance is kind of on the back burner and it’s mostly search, find, gotta find those answers, travel, not here either, keep searching. Not that I am here for the spicy but it helps to have happy moments. This book had few and far between happy moments. But it did have a cat named Broccoli so that made my day.

I did love Violet’s badassery and rising to every challenge. The way she handled the dinner situation was top notch shrewdness. But her brilliance and planning make the ending so confusing. Why would she do what she did? Perhaps to keep a secret to protect someone. IYKYK.

Overall, I found this book tedious. I found it heavy. And the fecking cliff we are thrown off at the end of the book, leaving us holding on by our pinkies for dear life, was… a lot. This book left me exhausted. And that’s not how I like my fiction.

This is not a single read type of series or book, and that is where it doesn’t fit with me. I’m not one of those fantasy reading girlies with no job or family, with all the free time in the world to re-read books with a ton of pages and do the necessary to retain all the information and follow all the hints and clues. This book requires a crime solving bulletin board with string. I don’t have time for that.

I also listened to it while working, multitasking for the win. Because when else am I going to find time to read something this monstrous? But that meant I wasn’t 100% paying attention. And this is probably the type of book you have to read with your eyes to get the most out of. So, I’m left feeling like I missed a lot. Oh well, what’re you going to do. But the audiobook is very well done and I really like this narrator. I did the regular audio, not the graphic audio. I bet that’s even a more immersive read.

Then there’s the aforementioned cliffhanger – with no date for the next book. The time between books 2 and 3 was fairly minimal. Some people are saying it could be up to two years for the next book? Um, I won’t remember a thing!

 

Lynn’s Review:

My attempt at a spoiler free review:

Plot – Good – lots of revelations. Or potential revelations. Difficult to tell at this point.

Pace – good – could use less journey, Visiting the islands and learning more about the wider world was fascinating. Especially given that Papa Sorrengail has left a trail for Violet to follow. It just took a really long time without magic to get there.

Characters – good. Loved Ridoc! And Broccoli! The few chapters from different POV’s at the end only make me want more of those chapters. I totally get it, we are seeing most everything from Violet’s POV. But I’d love more of the story from anyone else’s POV. The dragons, especially!

Romance – glad that Xaden and Violet are finally doing more talking rather than keeping all the secrets to themselves. Lots of delayed romance in these books with Xaden trying to keep it together. And Violet not wanting to keep it in her pants. Some good quotes as well from Xaden.

More dragons! Andarna’s irritating teen years are still with us. Enjoyed Tairn’s kicking venin butt scenes!

Of course there are some emotional scenes. That’s to be expected. But I didn’t expect to get a twig or something in my eye on more than one occasion.

I kind of get the complaints. It’s long. There’s a lot going on. A lot of characters to keep track of. And a reader needs to pay attention to catch everything. And obviously audio books are not the best for that. It’s a middle book of a large fantasy series. More open questions then resolutions.

I definitely loved seeing all the Ridoc memes. He was the comic relief that we needed in a rather downer of a book.  I don’t know where it started, but this one is one of my favs. He’s a character that I need to stay safe!

@outofoffice_things

Stay away if you haven’t finished Onyx Storm🚨 I love that we got to see some of the other rider’s relationships with their dragons. It was one of my favorite parts of Onyx Storm❤️ #booktok #onyxstorm #bookaddict #books #fourthwing #ridoc #dragons #ironflame #fantasy #fantasybooktok #romantasy #empyreanseries #bookish #bookishhumor

♬ original sound – outofoffice_things

 

Overall, I liked it. But not sure that I loved it. Not really anything I can specifically say was bad. But I’m still irritated by the whole Xaden strigoi/venin situation. (Plus who’s the other new venin at the end?!?) I don’t know what other direction the story could have gone. But that one is the sand in the oyster. Probably will create a pearl. I’m just not there yet.

 

Our other reviews in the series:

Book Review – FOURTH WING

Book Review – IRON FLAME

 

Read the full series?

 

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