Review: Onyx Storm

A brutal, breathless, politically charged continuation of the Empyrean saga where survival is never guaranteed.

If you thought Fourth Wing and Iron Flame were intense, Onyx Storm grabs you by the collar and drags you back into the chaos with even higher stakes, shifting alliances, and consequences that finally start to bite.

Rebecca Yarros is not here to let you relax. The third entry in The Empyrean is bigger, darker, and far more dangerous. The war escalates. The world fractures. Nobody is safe.

🚀 The Setup

 Violet Sorrengail has already survived more than most cadets at Basgiath would dare imagine. But survival has its price, and the war beyond the walls is starting to close in.

The lines between friend and enemy blur. Dragons remain fierce but fallible. Powers shift, and the fragile structures holding Violet’s world together begin to crack. Her relationships are tested. The politics get nastier. The betrayals cut deeper.

It is not just about staying alive anymore. It is about what you’re willing to do to win.

✨ What’s Good

 The scale keeps expanding without losing the personal stakes. Yarros balances military conflict with sharp emotional threads, keeping Violet’s internal struggles at the centre even as the war explodes around her.

The action scenes remain relentless. The worldbuilding deepens. The politics turn far more complex, adding a new layer of tension that makes every decision feel heavier.

Violet and Xaden’s relationship continues to evolve, staying messy and real as their responsibilities and loyalties collide.

For fans of the first two books, this is exactly what you hoped for. It refuses to play safe.

⚠️ What’s Slightly Less Good

 The pace is breakneck. Some readers may feel there is very little breathing room between crises.

The sheer number of characters and factions can be overwhelming if you are not fully invested in the lore.

Like its predecessors, it leans heavily on the emotional highs, which might feel repetitive for anyone hoping for quieter moments or more subtlety.

🧹 Final Thoughts

Onyx Storm delivers what Yarros fans crave. Big emotions. Big battles. Bigger heartbreak. It pushes the Empyrean world forward without losing sight of the characters who made it worth reading in the first place.

If you want comfort, look elsewhere. If you want an unflinching continuation that respects how much you already care, this is it.

Read Onyx Storm

Recommended if you like:

• Fourth Wing

• Iron Flame

• Crescent City

• A Court of Thorns and Roses