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Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Onyx Storms starts off right, where Iron flame ended. I do highly recommend a full reread, as I did myself. I did not got confused as much at the beginning, as many others who did not reread or have read this Series a long time ago. Rebecca Yarrows throws us right back to the story in FULL impact. It's fast paced and the story turns and twists in an addicting kind of way. If you do not do a reread you will have a hard time at the beginning BUT it'll all add up along with the story- so don't worry if you do not want to reread.
The main Themes are definitely Love & Redemption, Personal Growth & Healing, Sacrifice & Loyalty, Power & Control, Consequences of the Past. The whole story is just very emotional and engaging in every way !
There are some people saying, the middle part of this book tends to be more slow and might feel like a gap filler but I strongly disagree and by the time you get to the end you will realize how important the middle part of this book is. There are soooo many clues, hints and given Information that will be needed for the upcoming Plot. Also we learn so much more about our characters: background information, growth and it's getting emotional and intense. This Book will answer many questions you had after the first two books but it will also leave you with many more after you finish !
BTW: the Banter and tension in this Book is 10/10.
Again I am struck with awe at how incredibly thought-through this whole Series is. Everything fits so well together and the Plot and Twists just got so muh bigger than I ever could have imagined !
I am invested, obsessed and totally in love with the empyrean Series and can't wait for the next book.
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Death of parent
Minor: Addiction
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, War
Graphic: War
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
This book lost some of the juice of the first two. It seems so close to realizing that the militancy and violence of Navarre and the chaos it reeks on people is irredeemably evil, but never quite gets there. I have to admit I’m getting tired of the Violet and Xaden show: almost every character is slowly becoming more interesting than Xaden is and his “grumpy and dark romantasy love interest” personality is more entrenched than ever in toxicity.
Much of the book was also cyclic in a way that didn’t do any favors for the story arc, particularly the lingering cycle of visiting an aisle, having their attributes tested by its rulers, being sneakily betrayed, near death battle, Violet gets them all out of trouble, repeat on next aisle. If the first book introduced readers to the world and the war college and its politics, and the second book introduced readers to the rebellion and Navarre’s false history…what did this book do? There also wasn’t enough reckoning with the complicity of returning to Navarre after all they’ve done, beyond some bitter jabs. Just a throw away lines about how it was necessary given their larger enemy (venin).
The reader gains some interesting info about Violet, her parents, and a certain god, but the interesting developments are few overall and interesting side characters from previous books like Cat and Rhi and Jesinia are largely left by the wayside. (With the exception of Ridoc who gets the most development out of anyone in this book.)
I’ll be continuing to read, but largely the promising premise of the series is underdelivered by its execution.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail
The romance storyline become even more unbearable than in Iron Flame, with very little character development. I did appreciate that multiple characters pointed out the relationship as being toxic.
I did however like the battle scenes. I did cry at some of the loss and grief and I will read the rest of the books.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail