A review by mikasana
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Okay uh… so I LOVED Fourth Wing and Iron Flame to death. Loved them.

This one felt like the first few chapters were trying to jump to the finish line before it was even developed. There were so many times I had to flip back and reread prior pages because suddenly someone did something and I didn’t get the context. It felt like I was trying to read a draft of someone in full ADHD mode and I could not figure out just what the hell was going on. Where was a proper edit for this? 

But it got easier later… felt less rushed and you could follow along. 

Until it felt like maybe it should have been rushed because the whole first 500 pages stuff is *happening* but it’s a whole lot of running around with not much success. And then rinse and repeat. Honestly I struggled just trying to get through these parts because even though they had highlights, everything again, just felt lackluster… you’re in a new area surrounded by new cultures, why is it so dull?

Then things finally start getting interesting the last 200ish pages or so where I was fully invested.

This was purely a setup book to get us to this ending and you can tell. The ending and the first 60% are not the same. I actually ended up with MORE unanswered questions than answered questions. We don’t even find out her signet until waaaay the heck towards the last 30% of the book. And with THAT ending I understand why she has that signet because she will probably need it for the remaining 2 books, but still.

I feel like too much of the book felt like more filler than necessary. I may try to reread this again to do a plot analysis/theory for later books but this was definitely my least favorite of the 3 because it felt too messy and repetitive for far too long.