Onyx Storm

This book will not be one of my top reads of the year but I wasn't dissapointed in it. It kept my interest but didnt make me go WOW at any point. Certain scenes got me feeling a bit more than others, but nothing brought me to tears or anything. Over all I'd say this was a solidly average read.

Things I did enjoy though were the wordbuilding aspects, learning more about the magic and religions and other regions. These parts kept me interested and wanting to read more.

The relationships that developed and grew in this book were great. Ridoc is hands down one of my favorite characters now.

The relationship between Violet and Xaden remains feeling shallow for me. I get they are in love but their love only seems to be as deep as their physical connection. There are no moments of tenderness for them, even when opportunities rise, they use it to just be physical, which fine but it leaves the relationship feeling cheap.

I will definitely be reading the next book just to get answers for the plethora of questions Yarros left behind in the wake of this book. Though Onyx Storm will not be a book I'm running to tell people to read.

This book was LONG. It was confusing. It was messy. Every few pages we get introduced to a new name, city, isle, or creature. The names kept getting caught up - who IS THAT? why does this person have a vendetta right now? oh they were briefly mentioned on page 67 that Violet's mother had tripped them in daycare?

This book could have been shortened and ended the series as intended. I don't think the plot was very exciting, it was quite predictable. It was not even that exciting. Honestly it was a bit more funny for a darker installment of the series i think I enjoyed the quips coming from all sides of Iron Squad. But not many new emotional developments in any character. Even if we get to see into some of the other friend's POV near the end.

I enjoyed it sure - but dont wanna wait for 2 more dragged out books

Onyx Storm was not bad, it was just sad. It's a sadly readable filler volume in a series built on hype and vibes. The Empyrean series had provocative debut that was a novelistic mess but had a hilariously distinctive voice, and a somewhat promising sequel. Now, it begins its decadence with a mediocre epic fantasy novel interspersed with about two moderately graphic sex scenes that wouldn't scrape 100 kudos on AO3.

The good: The book was well produced and seemed well planned, and not written on a rushed timetable. It's readable, and at a few times enjoyable. The continuity seems better. The line editing was better, although a few confusing sentences and missing dialogue tags slowed down my reading a bit. But there are far too many characters in this series, and I'm reminded of a comment where an author (Rosaria Munda, I think) said that they didn't write talking dragons because that was an automatic way to double a character count.

Onyx Storm turned into a heavy fantasy novel with all the mistakes of a fantasy debut. Instead of concrete, long plotlines that carried through character motivations, worldbuilding details, and large-scale conflicts, we got 10-15 quick stations of the plot. These were small-scale skits - in one case, literally several islands with different quests on them. While this is a easy and rudimentary way to keep a reader hooked, a Gothamesque level of scaffolding remained, and the inability to generate character tension in the first 60% of the book completely ruined any chance of payoff from the ending. The worldbuilding was better than expected for this series, but far below mainstream epic fantasy standards.

The tone of the writing was inconsistent and chaotic. I question how many cooks were in this book's kitchen, especially after the recent details about Entangled's publishing process. Sometimes, particularly in the intimate scenes we'd suddenly get Violet's brash voice from the first book, but more often a dull, repetitive generic fantasy narrative tone prevailed, especially out of place in first person narration.

The romantic stakes were unconvincing and increasingly and desperately contrived, in one case using the single worst plot point I have ever read in a novel in a desperate effort to try to create stakes between Violet and Xaden. The politics were more uninformed, dramatic, transactional, and petty than the Trump administration.

2 stars because I finished it. Add half a star because most of the problems are concentrated in the first half and ending, and a large chunk of the second half (ch 35-55) is actually pretty well sequenced and reads well. Minus a half star, of course for the ersatz Islingtonian ending. Do better.

4/10

Didn't really enjoy it from the start, pushed through to about ~50% but really wasn't vibing it. I felt confused the whole time. 

In the third book of the Fourth Wing **cough** trilogy we are recovering from the events of bringing up the wards and what it cost. Xaden is existing in a state of constant vigilance, and separating himself from Violet for fear of draining her. Not giving up on him, she is exhausting every idea and resource at her disposal to find a cure. With the dragon riders and the flyers trying to find common ground, the higher-ups of Basgiath seem determined to send the fliers back outside the wards. Ever the rebel, Violet and her squad are on the hunt to nullify the rune that is preventing the fliers from accessing their powers.

I have enjoyed this world so far, and want to love this book, and while I’m not as mad as some people seem to be about it, I am disappointed with certain aspects. The focus on Xaden’s problem and the side-quests was over the top, and I felt like certain parts of the story were not given the focus they deserved. Theophanie’s story being so heavily concentrated at the end was too quickly done, and didn’t get the backstory it deserved.

So many people thought this was going to be a trilogy and it’s not, but the information was so buried that people were shocked when they got to the end and BAM! I have so many questions about her approach and the implications of what happened with Violet and Xaden, but I want more backstory on the betrayal because it currently feels to simple. If you know you know.

All in all, Onyx Storm was awesome, but not 5-star spectacular, and if I had known it was going to end on a cliffhanger I would have waited on it a bit longer. Now I’m going to need to re-read the entire series right before the release of book four.

DNF 14% through and i couldn't do it anymore.... it's so boring and confusing. there's such an interesting plot point about xaden, but she goes off on random tangents about things that don't matter

… why does it get worse as we get more books. I’m calling quits it on anything else in this series and anything else by this author. It just wanted to see why it’s so popular with people.

I loved this. I'm suffering, but I loved this. 😭

I have to say I enjoyed this more than Iron Flame. I'm genuinely at a bit of a loss as to why so many people hated this installment or chose this moment to DNF the series. I respect opposing opinions, don't get me wrong... 😅 I just thought it was a really fun, likeable continuation of the series. It wasn't the best writing I've ever read or anything, but that's not really what I love this series for. I'm here for the characters and dragons I love and the fun battle scenes, and this one provided all of that in droves!

Buddy read with Misty! ♥️

Okay, I am stating in writing for perpetuity that I need to focus my energy on COMPLETE D series. It's not that I can't stand a cliffhanger, but it's gotta be a GOOD cliffhanger, and my primary beef with Onyx Storm (other than it's hard to maintain same spice intensity when the protagonists are in a committed long-term relationship hah) is I can't tell if there were lots of loose ends that we're going to get AMAZING plot cohesion on in the next books, or if there are loose ends because the editing should be tighter.

En general, este se me hizo un toque pesado, los otros dos fueron mucho mas llevaderos pero igualmente me gusto mucho, necesito que salga el proximo porque sinceramente estoy MAL con ese final. lit no puedo procesar no puede ser que tengo que esperar mass

This book is unnecessary (and really bad)

After a stunning debut with Fourth Wing, this series continues to disappoint. Onyx Storm relies on Xaden and Violet's romance to carry it but repeats scenes and dynamics without developing the plot or either character. Sadly, both characters are reduced by their relationship and it subsumes all the complexity we loved about both of them. Xaden's personality becomes entirely about his obsession with Violet; his prior motivations to the marked ones - all the things that made him an interesting independent character- are superseded.

Violet's inner monologue about their relationship is obvious and cringeworthy. It's all telling and no showing- with none of the subtlety that is intriguing for a reader. It also quickly devolves into the overprotective male trope so common in fantasy... I may be alone in this but I think we can do better. Is it too much to ask for some complex, mature, real-life relationships?

Violet and Xaden pull their ‘power card' again and again throughout the book and fail to demonstrate any real leadership, ingenuity, maturity, or coalition-building. The casual arrogance from Xaden especially feels childish and petulant. Violet plays the ‘reluctant leader' unconvincingly. Others in supposed positions of power act indignant but helpless.

In so many other areas, this book has potential but fails to deliver. I wanted more development for side characters like Jessina, Ridoc, Aaric, and Bodhi, but the side characters are almost completely neglected until Yaros abruptly changes to multiple POVs at the end of the book narrated by characters the reader can barely remember. The emotion in these scenes feels unnatural and flat without any character development to anchor it earlier in the book. I would have loved multiple POVs and expanded storylines earlier in the book, but it feels rushed and inconsistent dropped in at the end.

The plot has so much potential intrigue- we meet an order of priestesses with Violet's hair, fascinating second signets start to emerge, the Irids make an appearance, we learn more about the Venin's power, Aaric is clearly has a mysterious role to play, and Violet's dad leaves her a literary mystery and isn't who he seemed. And yet somehow none of these plot threads have any satisfying development or connection.

Will be rooting for Rebecca to recover this series in the remaining books with better character and plot development. Hopeful that we can move past dragging out Xaden and Violet's romance and give some other characters a chance to shine.

I don't even know where to start... I laughed, I cried, my heart races, and I was left speechless. What a fun ride, this book does take some dark turns. This is hands down my favorite book in the series so far, even though I have SO many questions! I expect the upcoming books to get even darker and my heart hurts for all these characters for what's to come. Violet really stepped up her game in this book. I can't believe I'm okay with Dain now. I loved getting POVs from Rhi and Imogen. The humor and banter is top-notch, there were several lines and interactions that had got me laughing! While there were moments that felt a bit repetitive, the overall experience was EPIC. 

I'm calling it. I am not finishing this stupid book. It's all on me that I placed a hold on Libby months ago and right when it came out, I was the first few people who got to loan this, and I was not excited. I hate it. I hate how I have to read about people walking, traveling, or riding from one place to another. Nothing was happening, and I just want it to end. I mean this was over 500 pages, and I swear, right at the point I started, Yarros could have had at least 50 pages for all of that. Seriously, there are so many more books to read and the time I spent getting halfway past this book was wasted.

Not to mention the discredit she's doing to the dragons– which was the first reason I ever liked Fourth Wing.

Fucking Xaden, what's so great about this bitch who is clearly so toxic, he should be in jail or better yet, die so we can move to a better plot.

Didn't like nearly as much Main characters are selfish. Friends are more interesting. And so so many times things would have been solved by the dragons being dragons and using fire. Endless chase scenes or landing scenes when a nice blast would have finished problem. Author uses friends to address selfish and toxic main characters so Yarros hopefully has a plan.

It’s basically all set up, but I enjoyed reading it and some of the extra world building was fun and interesting (that said, one of the island visits could have been cut). The first 100 pages were a bit painful to get through and this book overall doesn’t have the driving pace of the first two until the last handful of chapters

Bruh wth did i just read. Sm happened in this book, i need book 4 rn !!! I need to know what happens next with Xaden n Violet. Andarna is back but how n why? I need it!!

Seems like a filler book, not a lot of useful in the book.

golly

A stronger read than Iron Flame, with fewer Yarrosisms every few pages to distract you, but the story threatens to try and do too much at once and ultimately leads to an unsatisfying non-conclusion that feels mostly like we've just circled back around to where we were at the beginning of the book again.

Onyx Storm does a lot to fully open up and flesh out the world of The Empyrean, and “Quest Squad's” journey beyond the Continent is by far the strongest part of the story. Had it been the longer, fuller focus of Onyx Storm, the book probably would have been better for it. Instead, the ‘Quest' ends about two-thirds of the way through, and the story seems to stall out afterwards.

The climactic battle at the end is a welcome pick-up in pace and action. But, even though it shakes things up by expanding our perspectives to additional members of Second Squad, this constant switching around also throws the pacing entirely out of whack. The new villain, Theophanie, is somewhat lost in the chaos of it despite being built up so well otherwise as a potential direct rival and foil for Violet.

Theophanie's not the only character that gets a bit lost in the narrative, either. The world opening up also balloons out the cast of allies, enemies, and everyone in between, and it becomes clear that there isn't much room to fit all of them into the condensed timeline on which the story operates. Characters, including core cast members of Second Squad, will rush in and out of being useful to the narrative. Sometimes, with hundreds of pages between.

Overall, Onyx Storm is a more entertaining adventure than Iron Flame, and a more complete picture of the world, which fits nicely into Navarre's new status quo. It is, however, a less complete story than the previous two books and leaves almost every dangling thread from Iron Flame still dangling, barely any shorter than we left it. So, it's a good thing that a story is about the journey, not the destination. Hopefully at least, no one will be able to say the same of book #4 when it comes and, ideally, provides conclusion and closure.

listen...... i actually loved iron flame and even i can admit this was light years better. my emotions are shot, i am in shambles, thoughts&prayers needed pls. 6 ⭐️ read without a single doubt

Better than Iron Flame, but not as good as Fourth Wing in my opinion.

4.5⭐️

The first 3/4 of the book were kind of a slog. The pacing felt off and the dialog was making me cringe. It picked up at the end, but still just meh overall.

4.5 rounded up. Yarros does not disappoint in the 3rd installment, and it just keeps getting better.