Well, I did it. I finally finished Onyx Storm (it only took me a month lol). Fourth Wing was one of my favorite books that I read in 2023, so while I wasn’t mega impressed by the second book, I was still highly anticipating Onyx Storm as the third book in the Fourth Wing series. It’s a big book, over 750 pages according to my Kindle, but it took me an extra long time to read it because I was writing a very extensive summary for you all!
P.S. if you are looking for the audiobook version of Onyx Storm, you can get 2 free audiobooks with Audible Premium Plus here!
I learned my lesson with Onyx Storm, because I didn’t write an extensive thorough summary for Iron Flame, and I (among with MANY others) was pretty lost the first half of this book. So along with a review, my predictions, etc. I have a very complete summary of everything that happened in Onyx Storm to help you put together wtf you just read, but also to serve as a refresher when book 4 comes out.
This chart was on page 10 of Onyx Storm and I found it to be super helpful while I was reading to refresh myself on everyone’s name and what their signet is.
Refresher from Iron Flame
This is the book review I did of Iron Flame that can give you an idea of what happened in book 2, but the gist of Iron Flame is Xaden and Violet fighting about not trusting each other and then it ends with a big battle and Xaden is venin.
COMPLETE Onyx Storm Recap
I apologize for how long this is (but it is a long book). I wanted to include as much as I thought might be necessary just so that the next book makes more sense. I refuse to be confused the enitre first half of the book again!!!!
Onyx Storm starts off with Violet sneakily following Xaden after he sneaks out of their bedroom. Xaden goes to talk to Jack Barlowe (who is being kept prisoner after the battle in Iron Flame) in hopes of getting some answers about how to cure himself from becoming venin. Jack knows that Xaden has channeled and so Violet worries about how he will tell someone and get Xaden arrested. Andarna and Tairn both think that Xaden is now irredeemable after turning venin and that Violet is foolish to continue trusting him, but Violet believes there is a way to save Xaden.
“If he’d completely lost himself, he would have drained me at any number of points tonight, especially while I slept. Instead, he ensured our safety and risked exposure to sit at my side for hours. He channeled from the earth once. Surely we can repair wherever his soul may have… cracked.”
Onyx Storm, Page 15
Xaden is mine. My heart, my soul, my everything. He channeled from the earth to save me, and I’ll scour the world until I find a way to save him right back. Even if it takes bargaining with Tecarus for access to every book on the damned Continent or capturing dark wielders one by one to question, I’ll find a cure.
“We’ll find a cure,” Andarna promises. “We will exhaust every closer resource first, but if I’m right and I somehow altered that venin inadvertently while changing my scales, then the rest of my kind should know how to master the tactic. How to change him. Cure him.”
Onyx Storm, Page 17
Violet and her squad mates have adopted the gryphon fliers into their squad; however, there is a lot of tension between the fliers and the rest of the school. Other riders within Basgiath see the fliers as the enemy even though they fought to save Basgiath. They are threatening to kill some of the fliers, so Dain stands up to some of the other squads who are threatening them and then Violet stands up for Dain.
“And then you bring home the very enemy we’ve spent centuries fighting, the enemy that killed my own cousin in one of their raids! And you thing we should welcome them into the heart of the kingdom they’ve been trained to destroy?”
Aura to Dain, Onyx Storm, Page 80
There lot of negotiations and peace talks going on behind the scenes regarding the fliers within the Senarium. Because Violet’s bonded dragon, Andarna, is a rare type of dragon, they are hoping that Violet and Andarna can go find more of Andarna’s species to help solve the problem of venin and firing the wardstones. Violet’s squad is also on edge hoping that the Senarium will grant a pardon for their actions in book 2 since they technically abandoned Basgiath.
Sawyer is still in the infirmary (recall that he lost a leg in the battle in Iron Flame) and some venin are able to get in (disguised as scribes) and attack the infirmary in an attack to rescue Jack Barlowe while Violet and the squad are visiting Sawyer. Xaden is able to detect the venin (since he is now one of them) and helps fight them off.
“… I can feel them calling to me, just like I can feel the source pulsing beneath my feet with its incomparable power… because I’m one of them.”
Onyx Storm, Page 45
“Barlowe can’t hear or see a thing outside that chamber unless someone opens the door, so it’s not like he’s gathering new intel. From the look of the stones he’s drained within the cell, he’ll be dead within the week.”
Onyx Storm, Page 41
Meanwhile, between Xaden and Violet, things are complicated. Xaden feels like he cannot get too close to Violet or else he will lose control and draw power from the Earth. They both forget at one point and Xaden begins to lose himself a little and channels, but stops himself before it goes too far.
“I could reach the rank of Maven, lead armies of dark wielders against everyone we care for, and watch every vein in my body turn red as I channel all the power in the Continent, and I would still love you. What I did doesn’t change that. I’m not sure anything can.”
Onyx Storm, Page 45
Mira returns and brings a new conduit for Violet so that she can better utilize her ability to wield lightning. She also brings a wooden runed practice disk, which we later see utilized as proof to Violet that the wardstones could be altered to allow the fliers to use their magic within the wards. The squad does a secret mission by breaking Sawyer out of the infirmary (his signet being metallurgy) to alter the wardstones and when Mira and Brennan find out, they are upset with Violet because of the risk that it could destroy the wards all together, but help her anyway. They are successful and the fliers are then able to wield within the wards while still warding out/weakening venin.
The next day, Violet is arrested for treason for orchestrating the altering of the wardstones (even though it didn’t hurt the wards in anyway) by the new general Aetos (Dain’s dad); however, the Senarium had just passed a pardon for Violet and her squad that morning, so they couldn’t charge Violet with any crime before the pardon had passed. They also gave Xaden his title as Duke back giving him membership to the Senarium and making him commander of Tyrrish forces. General Aetos decides to punish Violet’s squad in whatever way he can though which is by deploying them to 2 days of duty at the outpost of Samara.
While they are at the outpost, they hear of a venin attack of a small town called Newhall, which is where Maren’s family had fled to. The squad decides to go to the town and try to extract Maren’s family and help anyway they can, but when Violet gets there, she realizes it was a trap to get her there. Garrick shows up out of nowhere to help which reveals that he has a second signet as a “walker/distance wielder” (his other signet being air wielding), which allows him to travel thousands of miles in just a few minutes. A dark wielder named Theophanie throws a tornado at Violet and Garrick which causes them to crash into the side of a mountain. Tairn is seriously hurt and while he is knocked out, Violet has no power to draw upon and has a conversation with Theophanie who reveals that Andarna is an irid scorpiontail. Theophanie lets them go and when they return, Xaden gets sent away to the Eastern Wing and general Aetos make it clear that he will not be extending leniency toward Xaden and Violet about their relationship. Xaden writes Violet a letter some time later from the Eastern Wing and reveals that he slipped and channeled power from the earth again.
Imogen and Violet interrogate Jack about venin and in exchange for information, give him small amounts of alloy to let him channel from just to keep him alive. We learn this about venin from Jack: newer venin are not as good at hiding themselves from other venin, so that they can be found and raised by an elder like a Sage or Maven (levels in order of venin being: initiates, asims, sages, and mavens). In general though, lower levels of venin can be hiding among the war college without anyone knowing. You don’t need to be taught to channel, if you’re already experienced with the flow of magic. Once they interrogate Jack, Imogen wipes his memory.
“Makes you wonder who’s been channeling here for years, doesn’t it? Who’s been trading information for power?”
Onyx Storm, Page 161
The whole squad works together with Jesinia to dig through the library and try to find any information about venin and irid scorpiontails. Jesinia was punished for choosing Aretia by expelling her from the adept scribe program by forcing her to take some insane test that they knew she would fail.
Through their research, they find missing pages surrounding the topic of the second Krovlan uprising, and through their research they deduct that one of the island kingdoms helped support the second Krovlan uprising. The Continent since severed communication with most of the isles after they sided with Poromiel years and years ago.
Violet also realizes that some of her father’s journals were left in their old quarters and hidden away; however, their old quarters are now occupied by general Aetos. She convinces Dain to help since the quarters are warded that only blood relatives can enter and he is able to retrieve the journal for her. When she gets the journal, it is locked with a hint that says “First love is irreplaceable.“. Violet can only make one 6-letter guess or else the journal is runed in a way that the contents will be destroyed. Violet initially thinks the answer must be Lilith (her mother’s name), but then realizes it is Aimsir (her mother’s dragon’s name).
“Anyone who’s dated a rider knows their first priority– their first love– is their dragon.”
Onyx Storm, Page 224
Inside the journal is a note to Violet from her father and his research about the History of the Second Krovlan Uprising.
Dear Violet,
It’s my most sincere hope that you are reading this by my side, laughing at the glorious mess that is a first draft, but I fear that may not be the case. If I now walk alongside Malek with your brother, then guard this manuscript carefully. But if the worst has happened and you mother has joined us, then you must protect this knowledge with your very life.
Within these pages, you’ll find my careful study of the second Krovlan uprising, but my daughter– remember what I taught you about history: it is simply a collection of stories, each influence by those that happened before and steering the ones to come. I wrote this study so it could be read by others but understood by you. If time is sweet, peruse at leisure; you’ll find the connection between the uprising and the pursuit of feathertails to be both alarming and enlightening. But if time has indeed run out and you seek the weapon to defeat those you’ve only learned about through lore, then abandon your robes and ride for Cordyn. You have always struggled with Krovlish, but I made sure Dain would be capable should you need him… should he not choose to cross the parapet this summer. If he follows in the footsteps of his father, you must find the strength to let go of your affection for him. From Cordyn, book passage to Deverelli– you will be safe beyond the reach of magic there– and quietly seek the merchant Narelle Anselm. Take her the rarest item you posses– be sure it’s truly exceptional to be given what you need. Do not send another in your stead. Should you travel under the banner of Navarre, beware of their king– he bears grudges and speaks only in profit. I’m so sorry this falls to you my brightest light.
Trust only Mira.
Love,
Dad
Onyx Storm, Pages 228-229
Meanwhile it is confirmed that high-level venin (Sages and Mavens) can and do wield signets. Venin are all along the ward-lines seemingly waiting for the wards to fall to attack. Because they learn that venin can wield, they add a new class for cadets to train them in signet-against-signet combat and they put Xaden as a professor. So while it gives Violet and Xaden to be closer to each other, they also cannot be in a relationship due to the rules of the Basgiath Code of Conduct.
Meanwhile, Halden Tauri (1st in line for the Navarrian throne and Aaric’s older brother) shows up and it is revealed that he and Violet dated years ago, but broke up when he cheated on Violet. Xaden gets jealous and hits Halden with shadows to crash him backwards into a wall. Halden brings Violet a missive from Viscount Tecarus which says that King Courtlyn of Deverelli (one of the island kingdoms) has agreed to a meeting with someone of royal blood in exchange for the Amelian Citrine. Queen Maraya (Queen of Poromiel) agreed to gift it to him, but requires Violet and squad to pick it up in Anca. Anca is beyond the wards and was occupied and drained by the venin.
Violet has a group assigned to go to Anca with her. Andarna stays behind so they make it a very quick mission so not to test the limits of feeling the pain of distance between Violet and Andarna. Anca is pretty much completely drained of magic from the venin, so it makes it hard to wield within a drained area, but also trying to wield can draw in venin. Cat created a map and directions for them to retrieve the citrine stone, but many of the riders she is not used to working with (especially Aura) don’t trust fliers and are very jumpy. Especially since this is a group that Violet didn’t create and they have never worked together before, the mission goes sideways. They retrieve the citrine, but then Aura hears a noise and reacts and wields fire and accidentally catches Captain Grady on fire. Doing so attracts wyvern and kills Aura in their escape from Anca.
When they return they change Violet’s mission to instead go to Deverelli. They let her name her squad this time, but tell her that if she fails, they will assign another commander, and refusing to continue will negate the terms of the Second Aretia Accord (the one that gave Xaden back his title). Prince Halden inserts himself into the mission since King Courtlyn of Deverelli would only agree to a meeting with someone of royal blood. They head to Cordyn and meet with the Viscount. They also start to notice that occasionally, Violet will think things not through their bond, and Xaden will hear them, like more of an true inntinnsic than he already was. This causes them to suspect that his signet is growing (keep in mind that a signet of being a inntinnsic will get you punished by death because it is too dangerous). Then they head to Deverelli where they will have no magic while crossing the ocean, and suspect that they may not have magic on the isles either. While Halden goes to talk to the king, Violet and gang go find the book shop owner who tells her that she has books that Violet’s father wrote for her. The shop owner asks Violet questions that she must answer correctly to obtain the books, which she does. It is revealed that the Krovlan uprising fell apart because they did not keep their end of a deal with Deverelli and an unnamed isle of promising them dragons, so the deal fell apart and Deverelli told the Poromish king where to find the rebels, the Midnight Massacre happened, and Krovla remained a part of Poromiel.
Because there is no magic in Deverelli, Xaden is able to relax because there is no magic for him to channel. They talk about staying in Deverelli permanently, because that would let them be together without allowing Xaden to progress with venin/channeling, but being without magic cuts their dragons off from their power and strength which they need.
They get a message that King Courtlyn has decided to keep Prince Halden and that Viscount Tecarus needs Xaden and he is the only aristocrat they will let in. Halden pissed off Courtlyn, so he killed Halden’s personal guard (Captain Anna Winshire) and starts feeding her to his pet panthers. They try to reason with Courtlyn, but he tells the guards to kill them. The guards shatter Violet’s conduit and Violet gets hurt which makes Xaden lose his mind. He grabs the alloy within Violet’s broken conduit and is able to channel with it (since it came from a place with magic) and kills all of the guards. He keeps his head down so that no one notices the red once again around his eyes and Violet brokers a deal with the collateral of Andarna about to kill one of Courtlyn’s pet panthers. They open diplomatic channels and secure permission to use Viscount Tecarus’s manor in Deverelli as a stopping point for their riot for the purposes of the search party to find the irids.
They return to Basgiath to regroup and then head out again, but this time with Aaric instead of Halden (since he is now banned from Deverelli), who has now revealed himself to Halden and is no longer “missing”. They head to the isle of Dunne (the favored island of Dunne who is the goddess of strength and war– which is also what the isle prioritizes). In order to speak with the queen, they have to show their strength in a fight. They have temple attendants there who have silver hair just like Violet and one priestess makes a passing comment to Violet about how it is a good thing they did not complete Violet’s dedication. Dain, Xaden, and Violet all partake in the battle and they win, and are able to ask to search the island but find nothing.
Next, they go to Vidirys, the capital of Hedotis, where they prioritize wisdom and encounter Xaden’s mom who left him when he was an adolescent. She was in a contract marriage with Xaden’s father to produce an heir for him and once her contract was fulfilled, she left and subsequently breaking Xaden’s heart. In explaining to Violet, Xaden describes what it is like feeling the pull of channeling from the earth, and that in exchange for the power, it is like giving up a piece of his soul and emotions. And that it’s not just the power that is addicting, it is the freedom to not feel.
“I’m aware in the moments I lack emotion. You and Garrick don’t need to share little oh no glances. I already feel it. It’s like sliding over a frozen lake while a shrinking part of me screams that I’m supposed to be swimming in those pieces I’ve bartered away, and those feelings are right beneath the surface, but fuck is skating faster and a hell of a lot less messy. This shit?” He swings his finger back toward the house. “It’s messy and painful and infuriating, and if I could choose to give this portion of myself away, so help me, Malek, I would. I get it now. It’s not just the power that’s addicting; it’s the freedom to not feel this.”
Onyx Storm, Page 422
It’s also revealed that Xaden has a couple of half-brothers, so not only did his mother (Talia) abandon him, she went and started a new family without him. Talia wants to talk to Xaden and begs him to join dinner. Xaden finally agrees because it grants them an opportunity to talk with those in power (the triumvirate) there. Violet schemes and serves everyone an arinmint drink at dinner, but Violet and squad have taken the antidote before dinner. When Violet realizes that their hosts have poisoned dessert, Violet gets everyone to stop eating, but Garrick had already consumed a lot. Her and Ridoc figure out what they poisoned the cake with and she looks in her father’s field guides for the cure, saving him. When the triumvirate start to get sick from the arinmint drink that Violet gave them, she makes a deal with them to give them the antidote if they let her group leave without a fight.
Next they arrive in Zehyllna which has some magic. There are crowds awaiting and expecting them when they arrive, but not in an overtly malicious way. Zehyllna values luck, so the leaders of Zehyllna make each person of the squad draw a card. The card represents a gift that Zihnal (the god of luck) presents them with. Most of them are pretty benign, but Trager gets gifted an arrow to the heart and he and his gryphon die. Despite this, Aaric is able to negotiate an alliance and they promise to send troops for the war against venin. They look across the isle, but none of Andarna’s irid kin are there.
They fly to some nearby uninhabited isles to burn Trager’s body and do quick searches for the irids. Ridoc and Violet are staying behind while the fire burns down when a group of irid’s approach them. Andarna, excited to meet her kin, tells them her whole story, and they become disapproving of Violet and Andarna. Irids are pacifists and feel like Violet and the humans are using Andarna as a weapon to kill instead of for peace. They had left Andarna’s egg in the hatching grounds as a test to see if humans had “evolved” with the wardstones and choose tranquility and harmony and no longer used magic as a weapon. The irids refuse to help them fire the wardstones and they tell them that there is no cure for the venin.
“It is not a trade,” the female lectures. “The soul is not kept by the earth as dark wielders steal its magic. The power exchange kills the soul one piece at a time, and death has no cure.”
Onyx Storm, Page 500
While one irid (Leothan) stays behind to ask a few more questions, the majority of the irids essentially disown Andarna. But when the remaining irid sees Xaden approaching, Xaden’s eyes randomly turn red and that is enough for the irid to leave too. Ridoc sees Xaden’s eyes too and so he finally finds out that Xaden is venin.
Everyone returns and upon their return, they find out that Suniva fell to the dark wielders and Queen Maraya is dead. King Tauri is so relived that Aaric is no longer “missing” that they are all pardoned for going against orders of where they searched and explored. Xaden opens up Tyrrendor’s borders for Poromish civilians under attack since they estimate that Drathius has little time before the venin make it there next. The squad heads to Aretia to do a rotation there. Xaden seems seemingly stable like maybe he can truly slow the progression of venin. They also figure out that some of the nightmares that Violet has been “having” were not truly her own, but Xaden’s and Maren’s dreams, because the signet Violet has manifested from Andarna is as a dream-walker. Signets are based on the bond between rider and dragon and what they need most. Violet likely developed the “need” to know what was going on in Andarna’s head while she was in the dreamless sleep. Xaden tells Violet to keep it quiet though because it is an inntinnsic type signet and that she could be killed for that. Then there is a venin attack nearby, so they all head out to fight. Aaric warns Violet that she has to protect Dunne’s temple, which she doesn’t understand because it is outside of the city walls, and there is an entire city to protect, but Aaric tells her it is how she will save Tyrrendor.
While fighting, Violet ends up at Dunne’s temple and encounters Theophanie again where she realizes that the faded forehead tattoo she has marks her as a former priestess of Dunne. Some of the temple gets damaged, but Theophanie runs off because the irids show up and end up firing their wardstone which keeps Aretia and most of Tyrrendor safe. Leothan came to bring Andarna back to the other irids– now that the wards are fired, he feel like that gives her an out that she should come home to the irids to learn about their ways. But because she cannot be apart from Violet, Leothan tells her that she needs to break her bond with Violet. That technically humans should only be able to bond 1 dragon, but Andarna was able to bond to Violet after Tairn because “Bonds are merely magical ties. You are irid. You are magic. Bend it, shape it, break it as you see fit.” (Page 630). Therefore, she should be able to break it and the magic from Tairn’s bond should sustain Violet. Leothan breaks their bond and Andarna leaves Violet. Violet is so empty with Andarna that she is bed-bound with grief for days until Mira shows up. Mira, Brennan, Xaden, and Violet get to talking and Mira reveals that she spoke to a priestess/oracle about Violet who told her that “the heart that beat for you— or within you— would do the wrong thing for the right reason, reach for unspeakable power, and turn dark.”. Because of this Mira had been distant from Violet thinking Violet would turn venin at any moment, but once Mira tells them this, Xaden confesses to Mira that he is the one the oracle spoke of— because his heart beats for Violet and that he turned venin. Mira is pissed that Violet hid this from her and storms off. Not much longer after, Garrick arrives in the night from battle and tells them that Theophanie has Mira and Teine captive and sends Garrick with a message to Xaden that she wants him to bring Violet and his “brother” and they’ll let Draithus stand. Xaden and Violet figure out that they are talking about Jack in reference to his brother (this part confused me but makes sense at the end).
When they go to work out strategy, Brennan makes Violet pick one objective because he knows that she will try to Kill Theophanie, save Mira, and also save everyone in the city of Drathius— which isn’t realistic. Violet picks killing Theophanie. They get to Drathius and Garrick brings Jack unconscious and suspended in a trunk. But when they get there Theophanie says…
“I said we’d let Draithus stand, not that your sister would live. … First thing to learn about us is that we’re careful with our words. The second? We also lie.”
Onyx Storm, Page 678
…and then she slits Mira’s throat. Brennan works to heal her but reaches near-burnout. Sloane arrives (against orders) and Dain follows her. She is able to pull some of Dain’s power to transfer to Brennan so that Mira can be saved. Sloane also brings a package from Aaric for Violet. Tarin carries Teine to safety and Brennan takes Mira to safety. Bodhi and Violet are up against Theophanie and Violet is without power due to Tairn being temporarily out of range. Bodhi tries to use his ability to counter with Theophanie’s signet, but then they realize that Theophanie’s signet is not lightning, but weather wielding and that she is the magic balance to Violet’s mom, not Violet.
At this point the POV switches a few times between characters like Rhiannon, Imogen, Xaden. Ground troops from Zehyllna show up as reinforcements. You find out that Imogen has a second signet of seemingly turning things to stone. Quinn dies in battle.
Violet realizes that Aaric’s signet is precognition because he gave her a dagger made of stone from Dunne’s broken temple in Aretia. Andarna shows back up while Violet is battling Theophanie and Violet kills Theophanie with the stone dagger and then blacks out.
“Stone doesn’t kill venin.”
“You were never just venin,” I reply. “Dunne is a wrathful goddess to high priestesses who turn their backs on Her.”
Onyx Storm, Page 740
The second to last chapter is from Xaden’s POV while Violet is battling Theophanie. It is revealed that Panchek has been a traitor and leaking information to Berwyn (one of the venin Sages who I thought died in the last book?). But Xaden admits that he cannot kill Berwyn because Berwyn is his Sage. Panchek begins arguing with Berwyn for trapping his dragon (Sgaeyl is also trapped by a net). Berwyn responds by killing Panchek’s dragon with a dagger which subsequently kills Panchek. It seems like someone else has been turned venin (Xaden keeps referring to this unnamed person as his “new brother” [meaning a fellow venin of the same Sage, I THINK]). Berwyn then goes to kill Sgaeyl too and tells Xaden that he will have to channel deep to replace the loss of her power, but before he can stab her, Xaden channels deep to save Sgaeyl and knocks Berwyn and his “new brother” unconcious and sends out his shadows to kill all of the wyveryn in the city, untangle Sgaeyl from the net, and shove Theophanie to the ground. Once he is done channeling, Xaden knows he still has not killed Berwyn because he is physically unable to do so, but also because Berwyn “has something I need” [Page 746] (whatever that means!). Xaden is no longer an initiate. He and Sgaeyl have a very vague conversation where she obviously reprimands him for channeling and she asks him if “she (I am assuming Violet) will help” and he says that she loves him and that she promised.
In the last chapter it returns to Violet’s POV where she returns to consciousness in Riorson House in Aretia next to Imogen. Andarna vows to Violet “I will not let them burn you” (Page 749) and Violet immediately knows something is very off. There are 4 riders (one of them being Garrick) and 6 dragon eggs from the hatching ground missing. Brennan seems to believe that Xaden is behind it. Violet looks down at her arm and her arm is splinted and she has a gold ring with a huge emerald (from the Blade of Aretia) on her ring finger. Additionally, she has a piece of paper with the official blessing of her legal, binding marriage to Xaden by the head priestess of Dunne’s temple. On the other side is a note in Xaden’s handwriting that says “Don’t look for me. It’s yours now.” (Page 752). Finally it ends with Violet realizing that Imogen has wiped her memories and Imogen tells her that it is what Violet asked her to do.
Onyx Storm Review
Wow. Similar to Iron Flame, the last part of Onyx Storm is great and action packed and so much happens and we are left on such a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, the first part was so hard to understand and get into, that it didn’t quite redeem it in my mind! I give this book a 3.5/5 stars. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to read book 4 whenever that happens though!
I loved how this book was self-aware enough to call out the silly things about this series like…
… that Violet and Xaden have the same fight over and over again in Iron Flame…
“… you and Riorson bicker like you’ve been married fifty years and neither of you wants to do the dishes.” [Rhiannon]
…
“Agreed,” Ridoc says. “And it’s always the same fight.” He lifts his hand to his chest. “I’ll trust you if you stop keeping secrets!” He drops the hand and scowls. “It’s my secretive nature that attracted you, and why can’t you just stay out of harm’s way for five fucking minutes?”
Onyx Storm, Page 166
… or like what in the world is everyone else thinking when Violet and Xaden are silently mind talking to each other?…
“Don’t mind them.” Ridoc’s tone sings. “They’re back to doing… whatever it is they do when they ignore everyone around them and pretend they’re the only people in existence.”
Onyx Storm, Page 461
… or that Violet literally never listens to anything and is kind of the worst cadet in that respect…
“And above all else, we need you to understand that you cannot save everyone and you cannot stray from your orders.”
Onyx Storm, Page 671
Second thought: did anyone else feel like Xaden is losing some of the charm about him? Obviously he is venin now and so that plays into it, but Xaden was so passionate about the revolution in book 1, and yeah yeah he was crazy about Violet too, but now he is so possessive about her and ONLY cares about her, but is also so emotionally distant.
“The man you love no longer fully belongs to himself.”
Onyx Storm, Page 560
Sure, there was some good steamy scenes and some lines from Xaden that made me giggle and kick my feet.
“I’m jealous of the armor that holds you when I can’t, the sheets on your bed that caress your skin every night, and the blades that feel your hands. So, when the prince of our realm walks into my classroom and starts talking to the woman I love with what can only be considered intense familiarity, and then has the audacity to ask her out right in front of me, naturally, I’m going to get jealous.”
Onyx Storm, Page 231
“Even when I’m not entirely… me, whatever I am still craves you, needs you, only wants you.”
Onyx Storm, Page 580
But truthfully, I found myself rooting for Dain more than once and lowkey wishing there was a love triangle or something with Dain. Like something to add a little more tension or drama to their relationship idk
Predictions for Book 4
One happening in Onyx Storm is that Lynx (one of the first-years in their squad) manifests his signet as shadows like Xaden.
“I don’t understand. You’re our generation’s shadow wielder.”
Onyx Storm, Page 588
“Not anymore. Magic knows.” Xaden’s shoulders dip as he slowly turns to face me, his brow scrunching in apology before he schools his features. “He’s the balance.”
This “balance of magic” is a theme in Onyx Storm that we understand later on between Theophanie and Violet’s mom as Violet’s mom was the “balance” for Theophanie as they were both weather wielders. So Lynx also manifesting shadows like Xaden feels pretty important for the next book!
“Magic requires balance, right?”
“It’s the oldest rule there is.”
Onyx Storm, Page 690
I’m suspecting that Xaden is going to abandon Tyrrendor and now that Violet is his legal wife, she will be leading it in book 4 since there seems to be a lot of foreshadowing for that.
“What they never tell us in the quadrant is that rank is well and good, but you and I both know that the moment we fly onto the battlefield, it isn’t the humans giving commands. I hate to break it to you, but you were selected by a general among dragons. You can choose to step into leadership or he can drag you. Either way, you’re going to end up in front.”
Onyx Storm, Page 477 (Xaden to Violet)
“Imagine who you’ll become when you finally learn to not just embrace that confidence but live it.”
Onyx Storm, Page 478
“You?” I force a smile.
“Better than me.” His thumb grazes my lower lip. “You have to be. You promised to help me protect Tyrrendor, remember?”
“I remember.” I nod. “I meant it. I’ll stand by your side.” Exhaustion slows my breath and weights my eyelids. “And between Andarna’s kind and the research we’re compiling about dark wielders, we’ll cure you.” My eyes give in sliding shut.
“There is no cure for me.” He presses a Kidd to my forehead. “That’s why you have to become better than me. There’s only you.”
In Onyx Storm, Rebecca Yarros made a big deal about “the Continent” actually being called Amaralys (after Queen of the gods, Amari) but it was agreed to call it the Continent after the Great War. This fact seemed kind of trivial, but I have to suspect that the god Amari will play some role in saving Xaden.
Why was the Krovlan uprising important? I honestly still don’t know. That whole history lesson was a lot, but I guess it (and the books the Violet’s dad wrote) will play an additional role in the next book!
After Sloan siphons power from Dain to Brennan, Violet thinks: “I…watch as Brennan walks away. Weird. There’s no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm. There hadn’t been one on Dain’s wrist, either.” (Page 686). Don’t know what that means, but seems important!!!
Other points that I suspect will play a big role in the next book:
-Who Xaden’s “new brother” is– my guess is Garrick or Bodhi
-Xaden’s growing signet that appears to be truly inntinnsic rather than just reading intentions
-Aaric’s signet of precognition
-Violet’s new signet of being a dream walker
-Violet’s father trying to dedicate Violet to Dunne as a child
What did you think of Onyx Storm? Have any fun theories? Share them below!
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