Onyx Storm

Onyx StormThe EmpyreanRebecca Yarros

Mar 19

Written By Ally Talley

The Empyrean #3

By Rebecca Yarros

TheStory

Although Violet and her friends have returned to Basgiath, war has officially broken out across the Continent. Enemies abound around them - enemies they know, enemies they don’t, and enemies they think are friends. Without anyone to trust, the group ventures beyond the wards to seek allies across other lands.

TheReview

That’s the shortest possible synopsis in order to get to the actual review… because I have a LOT to say.

That is the synopsis based on the story the book thinks it’s telling. What’s actually happening?

Violet and her friends run around all over the place looking for allies in territories and with dragonkind. Xaden is suffering. Everything is terrible. And almost nothing gets resolved. And there is a surprise at the end. The end.

This whole entire book was a cluster of ridiculousness. I absolutely loved Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, therefore I was very excited for this third installment. I don’t expect one banger after another across an entire five book series, but I do expect not to be given a complete dud when I’ve invested time and money and support into a series.

Two words that come to mind for this one are boring and mindless. There was zero plot development throughout the entire thing. It was a lot of strategizing and war and Xaden and Violet declaring their love for each other while suffering the consequences of Xaden’s choice in Iron Flame.

From the beginning, a barrage of characters and supposed mysteries are thrown out but it is beyond confusing. Keeping everyone and everything straight was nearly impossible. I only had a two week gap between the end of Iron Flame and the beginning of Onyx Storm, so it shouldn’t have been so wildly different that I don’t understand anything that’s going on.

And it didn’t get better.

Even as I kept reading, I just kept being confused. Apart from the main characters that have been central to the series, I wound up just ignoring everyone else unless they were constant throughout the book. There didn’t need to be 56 side characters - a few well-rounded ones would have done the trick.

So many things were completely unnecessary to the plot of the book. And things that would have been necessary weren’t even mentioned. Needless information was provided and the lack of necessary information created plot holes all over the place.

Now, I know the series was originally set to be three books and then Yarros changed it to five (reasons vary depending on who you ask). This book had zero reason to be included. Even if you took the drama, action, and surprises, it could have all been part of a different book. My theory is that this was a filler book to make the series hit the five book contract, but that’s just my opinion (and some rumors I heard).

The ending should have been the beginning and then just included in what I’m assuming will be the plot in book four. Anything actually revealed or surprising in this book was actually just obscure writing masking more questions and a lack of thought in the writing process.

The only reason this book doesn’t get one star is because there were a few interesting parts - mostly shocks that came out of nowhere, so again, terrible writing, but I still found those to be interesting. And the last five chapters drive that point home.

That being said, the only reason I finished the book without DNFing is because I plan to continue the series and I have some grace since the first two books were so fire. Do yourself a favor, read an in-depth review with all the spoilers and save yourself the time of reading this one if you want to continue on with the series.