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A review by nanastradamus
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
initial thoughts, stream of consciousness style:
captivating and action-packed. i am glad this came out in time for me to read while on holiday rather than giving up sleep to read while i’ve got work the next day.
i think what makes me mad about this series is the knowledge of how good it could be if yarros and the publishing house prioritised quality and sharpening the way things are written over getting the books out ASAP. was onyx storm a page turner? yes. have i given it a high rating regardless of my feelings about the quality of the writing? yes. it is a personal preference of mine to separate how enjoyable a story is from how good the writing is, and so that’s exactly what i’m doing here.
there’s no denying rebecca yarros can tell a damn good story. but if the empyrean series is anything to go by, i’m not convinced she has the writing chops to back up the quality of her ideas. don’t let this be confused with criticism for using plain, simple english. it’s not. adult fantasy as a genre is, quite frankly, inaccessible and non-inclusive, and i appreciate what yarros brings to the genre in intentionally making the empyrean books an easy read. however, that does not put it above reproach. for example, this may be a personal preference, but i hate how often ‘online’ (tiktok) jargon is included (‘core memory’, ‘shit’s about to
get real’, etc.). it feels like a cheap bone that potentially was intended to be a nod to booktok but falls flat and takes you out of the universe. you can use modern day language without utilising language that will place your book so clearly at a moment in time that will not be relatable or understood by readers in five years’ time.
i also think it’s a failing of her editors that the writing is not cleaned up. sentences are rambling and filled with unnecessary details that do not drive plot, setting, or character. you get one chapter in and you realise why these books are so fucking long and it’s only half because of the amount of plot that’s squeezed into them.
to me, onyx storm feels like a response to criticism about iron flame that yarros tried to put too much into one book. imo, this was better balanced and easier to follow. i also feel as if there was less repetitive disagreements between violet and xaden which was a relief, as the first two books felt like we were continuously on the same ride, over and over.
i loved that we got insight into other characters’ perspectives but simultaneously feel disappointed that yarros missed the opportunity to play / experiment with her prose and create unique voices for each of the characters through stylistic choices. also, the characters aren’t super complex nor do i think there is a lot of character development which could provide a richer reading experience (and perhaps more memorable characters so i don’t keep forgetting the laundry list of names and then stumbling when someone is mentioned for the first time in 200 pages and i’m stuck trying to remember who they are…who the fuck is panchek and when / how was trager introduced lmao ), but i am motivated to read primarily through plot-driven storytelling so it’s not a hill i’m going to die on. i am, however, interested to see how characters develop over the last two books, considering what’s ahead of them. and perhaps expecting development is not fair considering all of this happens in quite a short amount of time (i think?).
i love where the story is going and love the hints at what’s to come through the book excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. i have always loved epistolary storytelling and i like to make a game of trying to guess what’s ahead based off them. most of the fun to be had is going along for the ride and seeing where we end up. while some of the plot beats can be a bit trope-y, i have never once felt things were too predictable.
all in all, this was yet another fun read and is very promising for the last two books of the series. i’m so intrigued about where things will go and am interested to see how yarros handles what she has set up.
okay one last thing though: put me on a fucking stake for this or call me a prude but was every one of those sex scenes necessary……. 1) how are you guys fucking at a time like this 😭 2) the sex scenes aren’t even hot and so if they aren’t gonna be hot what’s the point of including them? ao3 fic writers really need to teach some workshops. i think they’d make bank, and 3) please……. how am i meant to read in public…… my font size is increased so i don’t lose my place on the page when i inevitably get distracted but that means it’s so eazy for someone to glance over and see a huge ‘COCK’ on the page………
captivating and action-packed. i am glad this came out in time for me to read while on holiday rather than giving up sleep to read while i’ve got work the next day.
i think what makes me mad about this series is the knowledge of how good it could be if yarros and the publishing house prioritised quality and sharpening the way things are written over getting the books out ASAP. was onyx storm a page turner? yes. have i given it a high rating regardless of my feelings about the quality of the writing? yes. it is a personal preference of mine to separate how enjoyable a story is from how good the writing is, and so that’s exactly what i’m doing here.
there’s no denying rebecca yarros can tell a damn good story. but if the empyrean series is anything to go by, i’m not convinced she has the writing chops to back up the quality of her ideas. don’t let this be confused with criticism for using plain, simple english. it’s not. adult fantasy as a genre is, quite frankly, inaccessible and non-inclusive, and i appreciate what yarros brings to the genre in intentionally making the empyrean books an easy read. however, that does not put it above reproach. for example, this may be a personal preference, but i hate how often ‘online’ (tiktok) jargon is included (‘core memory’, ‘shit’s about to
get real’, etc.). it feels like a cheap bone that potentially was intended to be a nod to booktok but falls flat and takes you out of the universe. you can use modern day language without utilising language that will place your book so clearly at a moment in time that will not be relatable or understood by readers in five years’ time.
i also think it’s a failing of her editors that the writing is not cleaned up. sentences are rambling and filled with unnecessary details that do not drive plot, setting, or character. you get one chapter in and you realise why these books are so fucking long and it’s only half because of the amount of plot that’s squeezed into them.
to me, onyx storm feels like a response to criticism about iron flame that yarros tried to put too much into one book. imo, this was better balanced and easier to follow. i also feel as if there was less repetitive disagreements between violet and xaden which was a relief, as the first two books felt like we were continuously on the same ride, over and over.
i loved that we got insight into other characters’ perspectives but simultaneously feel disappointed that yarros missed the opportunity to play / experiment with her prose and create unique voices for each of the characters through stylistic choices. also, the characters aren’t super complex nor do i think there is a lot of character development which could provide a richer reading experience (and perhaps more memorable characters so i don’t keep forgetting the laundry list of names and then stumbling when someone is mentioned for the first time in 200 pages and i’m stuck trying to remember who they are…
i love where the story is going and love the hints at what’s to come through the book excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. i have always loved epistolary storytelling and i like to make a game of trying to guess what’s ahead based off them. most of the fun to be had is going along for the ride and seeing where we end up. while some of the plot beats can be a bit trope-y, i have never once felt things were too predictable.
all in all, this was yet another fun read and is very promising for the last two books of the series. i’m so intrigued about where things will go and am interested to see how yarros handles what she has set up.
okay one last thing though: put me on a fucking stake for this or call me a prude but was every one of those sex scenes necessary……. 1) how are you guys fucking at a time like this 😭 2) the sex scenes aren’t even hot and so if they aren’t gonna be hot what’s the point of including them? ao3 fic writers really need to teach some workshops. i think they’d make bank, and 3) please……. how am i meant to read in public…… my font size is increased so i don’t lose my place on the page when i inevitably get distracted but that means it’s so eazy for someone to glance over and see a huge ‘COCK’ on the page………
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol
Minor: Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping