After Fourth Wing became my favorite read of 2023 and reignited my love for books, I had high expectations for Iron Flame. While I still loved it, the pacing felt off—it was too long, packed with info dumps, and needed tighter editing. I rated Iron Flame 4 stars, whereas Fourth Wing was a solid 5-star read. Find my full review of Fourth Wing here and my full review of Iron Flame here.
Going into Onyx Storm, I had BIG expectations, especially after the Iron Flame cliffhanger. To be honest, I hadn’t been this excited for a book release since Twilight and Harry Potter. And let me tell you—I devoured it within a week, and it’s an easy five-star read for me. It may not be high literature, but it was addictive and might just be my favorite book in the Empyrean series so far.
Spoiler Warning: This review contains spoilers for Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. However, the first part of the review remains spoiler-free for Onyx Storm. Toward the end, I’ll discuss specific plot points and theories, but don’t worry—you’ll get a clear warning before I dive into any spoilers.
Onyx Storm book review : A Great World-Building
One of the standout aspects of Onyx Storm is its expansive world-building. This book takes us far beyond Basgiath, introducing new islands, diverse populations with their own languages and customs, and a deeper exploration of the magic system. But what I loved most was learning more about dragons and their history. Now that leadership finally acknowledges Andarna as a seventh breed of dragon, Violet demands a search for her kind. At the same time, she’s on a desperate mission to cure Xaden, who is now Venin, all while trying to survive relentless Venin attacks. We also learn more about Violet’s past and we realise there is so much we don’t know about her and her real identity.
The plotline surrounding the search for the Irids dragons was one of my favorite parts, taking Violet and her crew on an adventure across uncharted territories. It had the classic fantasy quest feel that I absolutely love. That said, the structure of hopping from island to island felt a bit repetitive at times. I wish each location had been more fleshed out rather than being introduced and then quickly skipped over within a few pages. The book throws a lot of new names at you—places, characters, histories, and dragon lore—which can be overwhelming, especially if you haven’t reread the first two books recently. I definitely struggled to keep track of everything, and in hindsight, a reread of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame would have been a huge help before diving into Onyx Storm.
Onyx Storm Side Characters Finally Shine
One of my biggest complaints about Iron Flame was that the side characters felt underdeveloped. That’s not the case in Onyx Storm. This time around, the side characters are well-fleshed out, navigating their own relationships, moral dilemmas, and personal growth arcs.
Ridoc absolutely steals the show. His humor, loyalty, and emotional depth make him a standout character. I LOVED having more of him in this book.
Arrick was an incredible addition. He quickly became one of my favorite characters and, honestly, kind of saved everyone at certain points.
Dain actually redeems himself. I was not expecting this after how much I disliked him in the first two books, but I have to admit—I warmed up to him here and I kinda see an enemies to lovers romance coming up with him . I am excited about this for book 4.
Andarna and Tairn remain the absolute best part of the book. Their dialogues are always a highlight, and I loved the subplot of Andarna searching for her family. She was still acting like the perfect teenager in this book and that was hilarious. I also got absolutely heartbroken when she finally met her family. I truly hope she gets the chance to build a relationship with them because I think what she learns will play a crucial role in the next books.
Xaden and Violet: Onyx Storm Felt Like a Giant Love Letter
Ok hear me out. My favourite thing about Fourth Wing was the ennemies-to-lovers trope. In Iron Flame, there was a lot of miscommunication between Violet and Xaden which made their relationship really annoying to read. But in Onyx Storm, we finally have a healthy love and the entire book feels like a huge love letter from Xaden to Violet.
Confident in their love: No more unnecessary bickering or miscommunication. Xaden and Violet are solid and scream their love for each other loud and secure.
The ex-drama was minimal: I was worried about the whole ex-trope, but it was done subtly and didn’t overshadow their relationship. Jealous Xaden was actually fun to read ! Unlike the annoying tension with Cat in Iron Flame, this jealousy was well-balanced and added a little extra spice to their dynamic. The “touch her and you die” plot never disappoints and this is why Xaden remains one of booktok favourite book boyfriend.
Xaden basically spends the entire book proving his love for Violet: He doesn’t just say he loves her—he shows it, over and over again. If Iron Flame had too much conflict between them, Onyx Storm is the opposite. It almost felt like a proposal book—Xaden shouting his love for Violet to anyone who would listen, and I loved it.
Non-Stop Action In The Final Half of Onyx Storm
The last half of Onyx Storm was absolutely relentless—packed with action, high-stakes battles, and heart-stopping moments that had me flying through the pages. The tension kept building, with major reveals, intense fight scenes, and emotional gut punches that didn’t let up. Every chapter felt like a new twist, and just when I thought I could breathe, something huge would happen again. The pacing in the second half was insanely fast, making it impossible to put the book down. If you love adrenaline-fueled fantasy with nonstop action, this part of the book delivers.
Onyx Storm Ending: A Cliffhanger Not as Shocking as Iron Flame, But Still So Many Questions
While the Onyx Storm ending isn’t as jaw-dropping as Iron Flame, it still leaves you turning the page only to find ‘Acknowledgments.’ (Pretty sure everyone had the same “WHAT???” reaction at that moment.). The ending just leaves you with sooooo many questions and I honestly had the worst book hungover since I finished the book. I honestly had to go to TikTok and read some theories from other readers to try to understand what the hell happened at the end of Onyx Storm.
I’ve heard rumors that book 4 might take longer to release—possibly up to two years. And honestly? That’s going to be torture because I have SO many questions.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
My Theories and Lingering Questions After Reading Onyx Storm
This is my last warning to you. the following paragraph contains MAJOR SPOILERS of Onyx Storm. Do not read if you haven’t read the book.
The Rune Magic Confusion: I need someone to explain how this works because I just could not picture it properly. I have been so confused about runes the entire book and this has affected my reading experience.
Violet’s Silver Hair Mystery: We finally learn it’s because her father tried to dedicate her to a temple or something, but I still don’t fully get what that means. What is a dedication exactly? Why would a dedication change her hair color? Why did he do it? How is this connected to everything else?
Her Dad’s Death Feels Suspicious: I don’t buy the ‘heart problem’ explanation. I think it’s all tied to the dedication somehow.
What does Violet’s grandmother know? Why was Mira fighting with Brennan about it? This part of the story is far from over, and I need answers.
Where does Violet’s magic actually come from? Why could she use it when others couldn’t? Why can she talk to other dragons than her own when others can not ?
What’s the full story with the Irids dragons? What did Andarna learn from them? How are they different?
Who stole the 12 dragon eggs?
Who else turned Venin? And who did Xaden consider a betrayal? My money is on Bodhi or Brennan.
- Are Tairn and Sgaeyl still mated? Since Xaden and Sgaeyl are gone and that Tairn and Sgaeyl can not be separated, I have the feeling that maybe Andarna used her Iris power to break their mating bond so that Sgaeyl could follow Xaden.
Final Thoughts: Onyx Storm book review
Even though Onyx Storm isn’t a perfectly written book, it’s everything I wanted—fast-paced, full of adventure, character-driven, and packed with a romance that felt more mature and stable. This series isn’t high literature, but it’s fun, emotional, and completely engrossing. Some people might struggle with all the information dump and all the new places/new people introduced which is why I highly suggest to do a re-read of both Fourth Wing and Iron Flame before.
If you loved Fourth Wing but found Iron Flame a bit frustrating, I think Onyx Storm will restore your faith in the series. Just be prepared for another long wait because the next book is going to take a while—and after this cliffhanger, that wait is going to be brutal.
