Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Narrated by Rebecca Soler, with Teddy Hamilton, Jasmin Walker and Justis Bolding

Romantasy, Book 3 of 5

I’m not a regular fantasy reader, but when I requested the ALC for Fourth Wing, I had a feeling it would be something special—even though I didn’t realize it was about dragons! At first, I thought it wasn’t for me, but I gave it a chance and LOVED it. Iron Flame didn’t hit quite the same; it felt like it was written with the TV series in mind, with each “battle” playing out like a different episode. Still, I enjoyed it. Before Onyx Storm released, I re-listened to the first two books. That might have been my mistake. By the time I started Onyx Storm, I was burned out on the narrator and the story. I found myself zoning out and hitting that back-30-seconds button more than usual. With everything going on in the world, Onyx Storm just didn’t hold my attention.

The first two-thirds of the book felt like more of Iron Flame—episodic battles and travel sequences. I started to get lost. There were so many characters, dragons, and places that my menopausal brain couldn’t keep up. I think I might have followed the story better if I had read it instead of listened, but reading has been harder for me lately.

I knew this was the middle book in a five-book series, so my expectations weren’t sky-high. But it’s becoming clear that this series was meant to be a trilogy, and its massive popularity stretched it to five books. There’s a lot of filler, and while we learned more about the world, the plot didn’t advance much. I could sum up the important events in one paragraph.

There was an emotional death scene, but I wasn’t even sure who the character was—the name sounded familiar, but that’s about it. Interestingly, Onyx Storm felt more immature than the previous books, not in plot but in the romance. Every time Xaden was around Violet, all she could think about was how hot he was—forget saving the world. And Xaden…the whole book was about how he might lose control with Violet.

“All I want is to lose myself in you, and I can’t. You are the only person in the world with the power to strip me of every ounce of my control, and the only person I can’t fathom losing that control with.” He lifts his head. “And yet here I am, unable to keep three fucking feet away from you.”

I’ll have to re-read this before the next book, but I won’t make the mistake of re-reading the first two again. That said, I still enjoyed Fourth Wing on my third read.

It’s hard to review this without spoilers (though not much happened except in the last 10%), but one of the biggest plot twists felt like the TikTok ban—you think it’s gone for good, but it’s back 12 hours later.

Likes:

The cake scene. Violet’s cleverness was back, and her ability to outsmart enemies when she couldn’t physically overpower them is what made me love these books to begin with. I wish there had been more of that.
The banter, especially with Tairn.
The travel was interesting, but it felt episodic, and we never stayed in one place long enough for it to matter.
I enjoyed learning more about the other riders’ relationships with their dragons, even though I couldn’t keep it all straight.
Ridoc. Need I say more?

Dislikes:

Onyx Storm felt like Iron Flame Part 2. It seemed written for TV, with each battle or island visit feeling like a new episode. Since the TV show was announced after Fourth Wing, it’s changed the pacing of the story.
The plot didn’t advance much.
Xaden gave me Twilight vibes, trying to stay away from Violet for her own good.
Andarna’s story arc.
Too many characters, dragons, and riders—I couldn’t keep up.

The Narration:

I was thrown by the other POV chapters and wish it had been clearer whose perspective we were in. The main narrator was fabulous, keeping me engaged during all the battles.

The Down & Dirty:

I’m not a big fantasy reader, and I’m not one of those Fourth Wing-obsessed fans with theories galore. I don’t usually overanalyze books; I just try to enjoy the story. I’m sure there were Easter eggs I missed. I can’t say I loved Onyx Storm; I liked parts, but I felt lost at times, and the episodic storytelling got on my nerves. The constant lusting between the main characters felt immature—save the world first, people! Onyx Storm was just okay for me. I reserve the right to change my rating when I re-read it before the next release because part of my frustration might be burnout from listening to all three books back-to-back. I’ll definitely finish the series, but I hope the next one isn’t just more filler.