Warrior Word

By Lavinia Griffith

Onyx Storm is the third installment of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series. Since the series is projected to be five books, this novel marks the midpoint of the epic fantasy saga. After the events of Iron Flame (Empyrean #2) and the tense battle at the end, this book was heavily anticipated by dedicated fans.

The story remains centered around Violet Sorrengail and her dragons, but Onyx Storm provides even more from fan favorites like Imogen, Garrick, and Dain – in addition to the crew of Second Squad, Flame Section, Fourth Wing. Readers also meet a few new characters who play crucial parts in both the story’s past and present. Yarros expands on the dynamics between Violet and those around her beautifully, particularly in her relationship with Xaden. Because of how Iron Flame ended, the two of them have many issues to address and not much time to do so. Despite this, their chemistry is still lightning. Be prepared for banter and fights alongside sweet, touching moments.

The previous two books in this series have illustrated Yarros’ talent in developing the story’s world, from the magic system to the politics of human and dragon kind alike. Onyx Storm only expands upon her genius. It’s time for Violet to go beyond the borders of Navarre and meet new people, get new insight into Navarre’s politics, learn secrets of dragon kind, and learn more about her gods.

For readers not as interested in the complex lore, don’t fret. Onyx Storm, while a touch episodic at times, is packed full of plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Yarros knows how to write cliffhanger endings, as demonstrated with both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm is no different. While slightly optimistic in tone, there are many questions left unanswered and the fates of many characters are still unknown.

And for the theorizers and detectives amongst the fans, rereads reveal Yarros foreshadowed events in Onyx Storm as far back as Fourth Wing, and there’s countless new material that allows readers to try and guess how the rest of the series will unfold. Who’s going to make it out of the series, or more importantly, who isn’t? Will the main cast even make it to the finale? Theories are plentiful, but the only way to know for sure is to wait.

At the end of the day, the latest installment of the Empyrean saga is nail-biting, hilarious, and not a disappointment. Readers will laugh, cry, and be unable to put it down. The next book is highly anticipated already.