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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Vomit, Murder
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first 300 pages of this were so bad. The story not only ground to a halt but started traveling in reverse. Iron flame ended with victory (albeit a tainted victory) and then, what? suddenly everyone is back in school having to play nice with all the same horrorable professors. It made no sense and the lameness of Violet and Xaden not being able to keep dating because he inexplicably became a "professor" was eye rollingly bad. Stop inventing stupid obstacles to keep the tension. It's not like the main obstacle isn't enough of a problem.
Once forward momentum was regained (but again I had to suffer through 300 pages of nonsensical filler to get there) it got better. but it seems clear that there is only enough plot for a trilogy,. There was a lot of padding and the writing seems to have gotten worse and more repetitive If I have to read one more time about how Xaden likes the sounds she makes before she comes, I think will barf.
I will probably read the next ones because I am invested in what happens but it was not a good book.
Once forward momentum was regained (but again I had to suffer through 300 pages of nonsensical filler to get there) it got better. but it seems clear that there is only enough plot for a trilogy,. There was a lot of padding and the writing seems to have gotten worse and more repetitive If I have to read one more time about how Xaden likes the sounds she makes before she comes, I think will barf.
I will probably read the next ones because I am invested in what happens but it was not a good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The trap of anxiety and OMG Yarros had me in with this book was A LOT but was SO GOOD. I loved all the adventure and exploration of the continent. Loved getting more info on the group of cadets. Violet was a bit repetitive with her obsession with Xaden. But gods what an adventure and time it was reading this!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, War
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood
Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Grief
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Death, Grief
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
… I don’t know what to say, this book was slow at the start but man did Rebecca make the last 200 pages fast!
Honestly, this book was better than I expected it to be and the ending? WTF but in a good way lol. Can’t wait to continue reading this amazing series!
hate Xaden’s mom, and couldn’t BELIEVE that we don’t find a cure for Xaden, and were left at such a awful cliffhanger, need the fourth book rn!
Honestly, this book was better than I expected it to be and the ending? WTF but in a good way lol. Can’t wait to continue reading this amazing series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: BookTok made me start the series, and Yarros' cliffhanger in 'Iron Flame' brought me back.
Overall rating: The Empyrean series continually reminds me that for every ten books recommended on BookTok, only one or two are going to be good. Did I like 'Onyx Storm'? Yes. Do I feel like it could have been...more/better/clearer/focused? Also yes. There's a lot of world-building (which I like) and character development (which I also like), but overall, it felt a bit drawn out. I'm struggling with the fact that this honker of a book said so much but also so little. I also don't understand how bringing up the wards with the 7th dragon kind was such a thing in 'Iron Flame' and then all the sudden, 'Ope, we got it guys, no big deal!' in 'Onyx Storm.' An entire book was literally based around the wards, people died, but don't worry, the Irids got you. Argh!
Here's my biggest issue, editing. We saw it in 'Fourth Wing' and 'Iron Flame,' and I absolutely hate that it's continuing with 'Oynx Storm.' Yarros desperately needed another pass from an editor on Onyx Storm. There are a few times when the writing just doesn't make sense, is repetitive, or is absolutely giving too much*, and this is just what I was able to pick up from the audiobook. I have a feeling that if I had a tangible copy, I would have been going absolutely bonkers. I recently read 'And then? And then? What else?' and there's a part in there where Handler talks about how one of his mentors would simply write 'DB' in certain sections. DB meaning 'do better.' As in the writing just doesn't feel right and needs a tweak. I just wanted to scrawl DB throughout Onyx Storm. For example, in chapter 12 when Yarros writes, "his eyes sparkle and red veins pulse at the corner of his eyes." This type of phrasing happens frequently throughout the book and drives me bonkers. If his eyes are sparkling, and we're already focused on the eyes, I don't need to be told again that the red veins are pulsing...at the eyes.
All that aside, 'Onyx Storm' continued to sink me deeper into the crazy world of dragon riders and venin. There were times when I audibly gasped and couldn't believe the turns the story was taking. There were times when my heart hurt because of the emotion and intimacy Yarros was able to convey between characters. And there were times I wanted to scream into the void because the book made me so incredibly angry at how the story was progressing. Overall, I would say that all of that makes it a good read. And (as if I wasn't before), I'm fully invested and will be anxiously awaiting #4.
Reader's Note: 'Onyx Storm' includes themes of war, death, dying, torture, injury content including blood, and sex. I'll also add, as a copy-paste from my review of 'Fourth Wing' and 'Iron Flame' since it also applies to 'Onyx Storm:' There's not a lack of sex. Descriptive, steamy, wall shattering sex. And I think what makes it so good in 'Onyx Storm' is the intimacy, specifically between Violet and Xaden, that makes it more than just physical.
<i>*I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't want authors to tell me how to feel. I want authors to write in a way that automatically makes me feel what they want me to feel. </i>
What made me pick it up: BookTok made me start the series, and Yarros' cliffhanger in 'Iron Flame' brought me back.
Overall rating: The Empyrean series continually reminds me that for every ten books recommended on BookTok, only one or two are going to be good. Did I like 'Onyx Storm'? Yes. Do I feel like it could have been...more/better/clearer/focused? Also yes. There's a lot of world-building (which I like) and character development (which I also like), but overall, it felt a bit drawn out. I'm struggling with the fact that this honker of a book said so much but also so little.
Here's my biggest issue, editing. We saw it in 'Fourth Wing' and 'Iron Flame,' and I absolutely hate that it's continuing with 'Oynx Storm.' Yarros desperately needed another pass from an editor on Onyx Storm. There are a few times when the writing just doesn't make sense, is repetitive, or is absolutely giving too much*, and this is just what I was able to pick up from the audiobook. I have a feeling that if I had a tangible copy, I would have been going absolutely bonkers. I recently read 'And then? And then? What else?' and there's a part in there where Handler talks about how one of his mentors would simply write 'DB' in certain sections. DB meaning 'do better.' As in the writing just doesn't feel right and needs a tweak. I just wanted to scrawl DB throughout Onyx Storm. For example, in chapter 12 when Yarros writes, "his eyes sparkle and red veins pulse at the corner of his eyes." This type of phrasing happens frequently throughout the book and drives me bonkers. If his eyes are sparkling, and we're already focused on the eyes, I don't need to be told again that the red veins are pulsing...at the eyes.
All that aside, 'Onyx Storm' continued to sink me deeper into the crazy world of dragon riders and venin. There were times when I audibly gasped and couldn't believe the turns the story was taking. There were times when my heart hurt because of the emotion and intimacy Yarros was able to convey between characters. And there were times I wanted to scream into the void because the book made me so incredibly angry at how the story was progressing. Overall, I would say that all of that makes it a good read. And (as if I wasn't before), I'm fully invested and will be anxiously awaiting #4.
Reader's Note: 'Onyx Storm' includes themes of war, death, dying, torture, injury content including blood, and sex. I'll also add, as a copy-paste from my review of 'Fourth Wing' and 'Iron Flame' since it also applies to 'Onyx Storm:' There's not a lack of sex. Descriptive, steamy, wall shattering sex. And I think what makes it so good in 'Onyx Storm' is the intimacy, specifically between Violet and Xaden, that makes it more than just physical.
<i>*I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't want authors to tell me how to feel. I want authors to write in a way that automatically makes me feel what they want me to feel. </i>
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This series is so ridiculous, and I just love it. Fourth Wing was a perfect fantasy romance book, Iron Flame was a slog that was wayyyy too confusing and slow, and this book doesn't quite find the pace and sparkle of Fourth Wing but is definitely addictive. It's extremely confusing -I truly cannot keep the characters straight, let alone the political dynamics (and the island-hopping really got away from me) - so I highly recommend just ignoring the stuff you don't understand (for me that was like 65% of the book lol). But this is just so much fun.
Violet gets a lot more fleshed out this book, which I appreciated - she feels a lot more nuanced, and her motivations make a lot of sense. I loved learning more about the dragons, and the world-building and lore, although confusing, feels real and the stakes feel high. Violet and Xaden's back and forth is definitely less annoying than in Iron Flame, and the plot developments are exciting and interesting. As many reviewers have pointed out, the last 20% or so is a wild ride, and I loved it. And of course, the book ends on a cliffhanger - which is honestly not a spoiler, considering the first two books ended on cliffhangers and the fantasy romance genre loveees a cliffhanger. I really can't wait for the next book!!!
Violet gets a lot more fleshed out this book, which I appreciated - she feels a lot more nuanced, and her motivations make a lot of sense. I loved learning more about the dragons, and the world-building and lore, although confusing, feels real and the stakes feel high. Violet and Xaden's back and forth is definitely less annoying than in Iron Flame, and the plot developments are exciting and interesting. As many reviewers have pointed out, the last 20% or so is a wild ride, and I loved it. And of course, the book ends on a cliffhanger - which is honestly not a spoiler, considering the first two books ended on cliffhangers and the fantasy romance genre loveees a cliffhanger. I really can't wait for the next book!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Grief, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, War
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence