The Empyrean Series follows Violet Sorrengail forced to enter the Rider’s Quadrant at Basgiath War College and hone her signet to protect Navarre against dark magic wielders called Venin. Onyx Storm takes place within hours of the finale of the second book Iron Flame and the aftermath of Xaden turning Venin to save everyone from destruction.
*This post does contains spoilers!*
Review
After the devastating ending of Iron Flame I finally plucked up the courage to start Onyx Storm, the third book in The Empyrean Series. I’ve listened to all three books as Graphic Audio’s dramatised adaptations and they are elite. The immersive experience and voice actors are brilliant and I couldn’t think of a better way to experience this world. Part 1 was definitely tighter that part 2 in terms of the plot focus. What I really enjoy is the well rounded characters and how lovable they have become as well as the political intrigue and tensions that permeate the books. I think this was well executed by the voice actors and I can’t comment if I was just reading the book if I would feel as attached. The emotion from the dramatised version takes the words off the page. After rereading both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame I had high expectations that the third book would deliver on all fronts with world building, emotional stakes and tension. I did have to read Iron Flame again and my opinion did change and I appreciated the details but I did feel the pacing was still a little off.
The first half of Onyx Storm was really good, although I did feel it lacked a sense of urgency in the same way Iron Flame had in particular to Xaden turning venin and how that changed his control or immediate consequences aside from his eye colour. I can’t help but wonder if this series would have been incredible as a trilogy instead of five books. I think after the ending of Iron Flame, it really set up Onyx Storm to be really tense and emotional but I felt like those elements took a step back. The pacing was a little all over the place or overly drawn out without any direction. Yes, there were emotional scenes that were perfect and really showcased how Xaden and Violet’s relationship had changed and I loved the deep connection they’ve developed especially during the quest to find Andarna’s kind. I loved the new locations, but at times it did feel all over the place with the characters moving from place to place without letting the story breath. This issue is emphasised towards the end of the book where the story loses its way with a lot of storylines tangling together like Andarna, dream walking, Aaric, the isles and these all seemed to muddle together as if they were unrelated scenes. Even members of Violet’s squad appeared to move at a different pace to her. What felt like months had past was only weeks and Violet had travelled the continent or engaged in a massive battle. But then back at Basgiath, nothing has changed – Sawyer was still recovering etc.
The other issue I found was the killing off characters but not really explaining why – like Trager or Quinn. I think these points will probably be brought up in future books, but I didn’t really see any point in killing off side characters. I also didn’t have much interest in the other squads and the name dropping like Lynx or Baylor. In my opinion, Onyx Storm is a build up book with little pieces of foreshadowing that the reader doesn’t understand the value of yet – this is seen a lot in the other books. The first time is to read and follow the story and a second read is to actually understand. I think Rebecca Yarros is a really clever plotter and knows how to weave plot twists and make the reader second guess. That’s what I really admire about these books is the level detail in regards to characters, speech or general world building that twist the reader’s initial perception. But I didn’t have the same level of urgency to continue reading or excitement when reading about the isles or even finding Andarna’s kind. Even though the events in the opening chapters take place fairly quickly after the battle at Basgiath, I didn’t really understand the connection to suddenly leaving to find the irids. I think some context or a conversation was missed in between.
Furthermore, I wasn’t as annoyed at the ending of Onyx Storm as I was after reading Iron Flame because it was almost obvious. Something about Xaden turning venin at the end of the last book was soul destroying and I really liked how he battles with control and that need to always protect the ones he cares about. The ending of Iron Flame was fantastically written but also annoyed me so much – why can’t he just be happy?! In regards to the ending of Only Storm, it was pretty inevitable that Xaden would turn full venin and marriage to Violet was heavily hinted at and he needed someone to look after Tyrendor in his absence. I think Bodhi is the new brother because of all the issues of him not wanting to take control of Tyrendor and if he turns venin then Tyrendor is left defenceless. Some theories I’ve seen look at Brennan as the new brother, although he is suspicious I don’t think he’s venin. Garrick is a red herring but he is helping Xaden take the venin down from the inside because Mira mentions earlier in the book that Garrick always stays by his side no matter what so I think the next book will see that happen. I can’t see him just forsaking Xaden at the last hurdle when he hasn’t deserted him before. I didn’t understand the point of Theophanie as the main villain that stalks Violet and I thought she was pointless especially when Violet kills her in the woods. There was a lot of build up to her having information that was valuable to Violet but never materialised. Now, I’m thinking about it, I think it was probably regarding Violet’s link to Dunne and her dedication. I don’t think we get enough information about Theophanie’s motives to fully understand what’s going on and her relevance. And the references to Dunne’s Temple has a lot more to play but again this felt like a build up to another book rather than one that stands alone in giving the reader more answers. This book read like an in between one that needed to set a lot of plot points up for future action. I still really enjoyed the addition to the series and there were so many great moments that drew me into the story. A lot of this is due to the audio version rather than the writing itself as I found that I had to replay certain sections as I didn’t actually understand the meaning of some sentences or dialogue in relation to the plot.
Overall, I really enjoyed Onyx Storm the expansion of the world building and the deeper dive into the characters. I particularly loved the moments between Ridoc and Violet and Violet and Xaden. It was also great to see other characters in Violet’s squad have their own storylines or development. I’m interested in seeing where things go next because I can’t picture how this story will span across another two substantially sized books. I really hope Xaden is cured and he and Violet have a happy ending. Now, to fill the dragon shaped hole in my heart and listen to Fourth Wing again!
Stay updated
Amy is a writer and reviewer and is currently working on a YA fantasy novel. For more content click here to read book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey. Her debut novel CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is set to be published in 2026!
Don’t forget to follow Amy on TikTok, X and Instagram.
