Name: Onyx Storm
Series: The Empyrean #3
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Publisher: Red Tower Books
Format: Hardback
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Noted Tropes: Found Family, Dysfunctional Family, Dragons, Military Academy
Steam or Spice: Spice
Rating:
Synopsis: 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.
Review:
Onyx Storm is the third book in The Empyrean series with Fourth Wing as book 1 and Iron Flame as book 2. There will be spoiled for the first two books below, but any spoilers for Onyx Storm will be marked as normal. This was my most anticipated book of 2025 and so it completed a square on my BINGO board!
Where do I start with Onyx Storm? I am not one of the people who didn’t enjoy Iron Flame – despite the rushed publication of it. So, I was already excited for Onyx Storm! What I didn’t expect was to spend the majority of Onyx Storm NOT BREATHING! I was beyond tense while reading this, as the plot was plotting and began ramping up pretty early on and it just kept ramping up…
Let’s start talking about the beginning of Onyx Storm because after the reveal at the end of Iron Flame we knew the start of Onyx Flame was going to hit immediately. Of course, I’m talking about the fact that Xaden is turning Venin as a result of needing to draw on more power to save Violet. I was so scared with how that was going to go in Onyx Storm – but I was hoping and praying that Violet would pull through and protect our man Xaden.
Violet and Xaden for me are an end game couple, I love them and I needed them to work things out in Onyx Storm. And with the whole Venin thing, that of course meant I was beyond stressed out throughout the whole book… I had seen some clips of Rebecca Yarros talking about the fact that she loves Dain – and towards the end of Iron Flame my opinions of Dain had started changing… But to be clear – not to the point where I was comfortable with a love triangle opening up or anything like that. I still need Xaden and Violet to be end game – is this clear yet?
I do need to talk a bit about this ‘love triangle’ thing, but I don’t want to spoil anything that is revealed so please do not click this if you haven’t read Onyx Storm.
We find out in Onyx Storm about Violet’s ex! This was unexpected, but in reality it was sort of hinted at before when Aaric joined Basgiath Violet revealed that she knew the Prince(s). I’ll be honest that I never really thought anything of it. Finding out that she and Halden had a past and a not so great past at that was quite a shock to me! But I want to be clear that I’d be sooner open to a Dain / Violet / Xaden love triangle than a Halden / Violet / Xaden love triangle!! …. Not that I think a love triangle will happen after Onyx Storm.
One of the things I love so much about The Empyrean series is the found / dysfunctional family that Violet has at Basgiath… and I love that Rebecca isn’t shy about bringing these characters around because it means more page time with them! Does it mean I’m scared constantly about them dying? Yes. We all know Rebecca won’t hold back punches. But it does mean I get to love them more!
Oh no… more spoilers… Let’s talk about some of the secondary characters that I’m loving. These aren’t major spoilers, but it does reveal obviously who we get to see more of in Onyx Storm. So again, I’d recommend not reading this unless you’ve finished the book.
I’m of course talking about Ridoc – I absolutely love the little insights we got into Ridoc’s bond with his dragon Aotrom, as well as finding out more about his character. It just made me love him more. Let’s add another to that pile, Aaric / Cam. Just when I thought I couldn’t see myself loving this character as he was even less of a side character than the side characters… Rebecca said ‘hold my beer’ and gave us some excellent page time with him. Just know that it was appreciated, Rebecca!
Overall I loved it. I read I think 68% on release day, as I got home from work, changed out of my clothes and then grabbed a cup of tea, a blanket and my copy and got going. I’m grateful my partner really understood the whole ‘do not disturb me when Onyx Storm is in my hand’ TikTok I sent him!! I would have stayed up to finish it if I didn’t have work the next day. I know a reread of all 3 books are in my future. Especially since my personal bet is we won’t see book 4 till Jan 2027 – and I’m okay with Rebecca Yarros taking all the time she needs to rejuvinate as I’d rather this series not be ruined because she’s forced to rush it.
There is a lot more I could say about this book, and I won’t because it is obviously a very new, very antipcated release for a lot of people – including a lot of my friends. And not everyone reads at the same speed. Two spoiler tags – for things that aren’t bad spoilers in themselves – is too many already. But just know that I love it, it joins the 6 star club, and it has started my 2025 off brilliantly.
“To the ones who don’t run with the popular crowd, the ones who get caught reading under their desks, the ones who feel like they never get invited, included, or represented. Get your leathers. We have dragons to ride.” (Dedication from the start of the book)
Reading With Tyler 
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