Onyx Storm: Empyrean, Book 3

Lindsey Davis

Onyx Storm

"Onyx Storm is an incredible addition to The Empyrean series and completely lived up to the hype. From the very first chapter, the story pulls you into a world filled with danger, emotion, political tension, and unforgettable twists. The pacing was intense, and I honestly had a hard time putting it down. The character development continues to shine in this book, especially with the emotional growth, relationships, and high-stakes decisions throughout the story. The bond between the characters felt authentic, and the action scenes were vivid and exciting without losing the emotional depth that makes this series so addictive. The world-building and dragon lore continue to expand in such an engaging way, and the ending left me desperate for the next installment. Fans of fantasy, romance, and action-packed storytelling will absolutely love this book. Definitely will be continuing this series! ["

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May 13, 2026 Verified Purchase

Precise Disarray

I personally enjoy this story, and greatly look forward to more.

"I dont want to give anything away. I dont write reviews to rehash what I read. I skip reviews that give too much synopsis or delves into book report style. Just going to gloss over. These books get a wide expanse of reviews. Great to terribad. Like it or dont, writers have a magical ability to weave worlds and create people like they are real. I'm thankful for writers, and if a story can make me feel something, can make me imagine something, then I am forever grateful. I am a fan of this series, and a book or story doesnt have to be perfect for me to enjoy it. No, this is not perfect, but I love hanging out in this world. If I' feeling it, then I read the book, if it isnt working for me, then I give myself permission to stop and turn to something else. I frankly found these books entertaining, and I look forward to the next installment. I think book 3 story line has gelled a lot, with much of that having to do with main characters having gone through some stuff. Some new names left it hard for me to keep track of, but not off putting. Some characters I would like to have seen more of, again not off putting. I definitely got the feels in this one, and I definitely wont say from what. But I will say I was blowing my nose as I read in bed. Not a devastating thing, just a bittersweet thing. Lots of humor, lots of WTF, and plenty of new areas explored. Of course, lots of low level (to me) spice. I like the diversity of characters. I love the dragons. I really got a greater understanding of degree of bond. It isnt that it was explicitly explained, I think something just clicked further. I like when I need to take a breather when I finish a book. That is when I have to read something entirely different, and with this one it is like that. Leaves me with feels and thoughts, and I dont want to jump into anything of same genre right away. ["

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May 9, 2025 Verified Purchase

Maria @readwithmariaxoxo

6 becoming 4 star Romantasy

"4 ⭐️ When I first finished this book, I was convinced it was a 6-star masterpiece. I was unhinged, emotional, and fully convinced Rebecca had changed literature forever. Now, almost a year later, rereading my notes with an actual functioning brain? It’s a good, solid 4-star read with a chaotic finale that temporarily blinded me to its flaws. What i liked: Violet finally acted like the Violet I wanted. She wasn’t insecure every five pages. She wasn’t waiting to be rescued. She finally stepped into her role instead of stumbling through it, and honestly that alone made this better than Iron Flame. Xaden. Still a complete simp. Still obsessed. Still delivering lines that would make a Victorian woman faint. I have no complaints there. Ridoc continues to carry the humor. Every series desperately needs someone whose only job is to make the chaos tolerable. That’s him. If Rebecca kills him, she hates happiness. The island quest actually had purpose. Unlike Iron Flame, which felt like running errands in an RPG game, this part of the book meaningfully expanded the world and gave space for character dynamics to develop. The ending. Absolutely unhinged. And yes, I loved it. It’s the sole reason my original rating temporarily left the realm of logic. What i didn't like: Too many names. If you aren’t Violet, Xaden, Ridoc, Tairn, or the missing Broccolli (yes, I’m still thinking about it), you barely exist in my memory. There were so many new people, places, and lore drops thrown around that it became noise. Violet’s selective obliviousness. There were multiple moments where any normal person would have stopped and connected the dots. She didn’t. Whether it was the silver-haired attendants, the priestess, or the nightmares — it felt like the plot needed her to ignore information so it could matter later. Attempted redemption arcs that didn’t land. Dain existed. That’s the kindest summary. I still don’t know if I’m supposed to like him now or simply tolerate him. The writing and pacing. There’s a lot of potential in this world — dragons, politics, gods — but the execution still feels scattered. Instead of layering information naturally through character or plot, it comes in bursts, name dumps, and abrupt reveals. It’s interesting, but not seamlessly built. Final thought: I enjoyed this book. It’s absolutely better than Iron Flame. The characters felt stronger, the story had purpose, and the ending was exactly the kind of chaotic drama I live for. But with distance, clarity, and less adrenaline, it’s not a perfect book. It’s not structurally clean, and it leans heavily on emotional chaos rather than consistent worldbuilding. So yes — I’ll be reading the next one. But next time, I’m waiting at least 48 hours post-ending before I declare it 6 star hahah. ["

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February 3, 2026 Verified Purchase

Amalie

a true masterpiece

"I would give this book ♾️⭐️ Onyx Storm, the third book in Rebecca Yarros’ The Empyrean series, is hands down not just the best book of the series—it’s the best book I’ve ever read. Yarros delivers everything we could have hoped for and more, with unparalleled character development, heart-stopping twists, and a world that grows richer with every page. Violet absolutely owns this book. My favorite FMC of all time has officially been crowned, and there is no competition. She was everything—unexpected, brilliant, and unstoppable. Watching her rise to every challenge and truly step into her own was awe-inspiring. Violet is that FMC, and I’ll defend her with every fiber of my being. She’s clever, strong, and endlessly complex—an inspiration from start to finish. And then there’s Xaden. Where do I even begin? No other fictional man will ever come close. He somehow managed to get even better in this book. Every time he opened his mouth, I folded. His devotion to Violet, his grit, his vulnerability—it’s all too much, in the best way. Violet and Xaden together? Perfection. They’re the standard, and no fictional couple will ever compare. It’s them or nothing. The plot was pure brilliance. It perfectly balances answering lingering questions from the previous books while introducing so many new mysteries that my head is still spinning. The banter? Immaculate. The twists? Devastating and perfect. The character development? A hundred out of ten. We got so much more of the OG friendships, heartwarming moments, and laugh-out-loud exchanges, even as the stakes skyrocketed. And the quest to uncover Andarna’s origins? Easily one of the most engaging and fun storylines yet. The world-building is, simply put, masterful. Exploring more of the isles and their unique cultures added so much depth to this already expansive world. The lore was positively delicious, and I devoured every bit of it. The shifting group dynamics, the tension between characters, and the constant sense of impending danger made this book impossible to put down. Now, let’s talk about that ending. Utterly criminal. It was devastating, brilliant, and downright outrageous all at once. I have so many questions, and the thought of waiting for answers feels unbearable. How am I supposed to function after this book? I’m absolutely undone. Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover it—I’m ruined in the best way possible. Onyx Storm is not just a book; it’s an experience. Rebecca Yarros has delivered a masterpiece that surpasses all expectations. It’s thrilling, emotional, and utterly unforgettable. If you thought Fourth Wing and Iron Flame was good, wait until you read this. Violet and Xaden’s story continues to be one of the best I’ve ever read, and I’m so ready to see where this journey takes us next. Book four cannot come soon enough. ["

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January 25, 2025 Verified Purchase

EntroArchives

A difficult to top book and the BEST in the series thus far

""Do not dehydrate yourself on my account." Just off the first half of Onyx Storm, I was already more invested than I was reading Iron Flame. There were a lot of issues with that book, and the community collectively agreed that it didn’t cook as well as Fourth Wing, which was surprising. The pacing in Onyx Storm is amazing. It’s a medium-fast pacing. It's not a snail’s pace but not rushing the story. We were given day-to-day detail when needed but then a lot of unnecessary travel time was skipped and we could get into the meat of the story right away. I appreciated that because it kept me hooked at every minute. The lore drops in this book??? God tier. literally, the ENTIRE world and story just opened up. We got confirmation on Andarna’s seventh species specifically that was mentioned in Iron Flame. We got more backstory on Violet’s family, Xaden’s family, and the Continent’s history as well. AND it was done in a way that didn’t involve two-page chunks of text just talking about the lore. It was very well woven into the story. The balance between politics and action was pretty good overall. Although there were obviously many points where the discussion was political, unsurprisingly, but there were just as many action scenes to balance out the dialogue. Many books can get caught up in all the politics and forget that, at their core, they are an action fantasy. The world-building and power system progressions just had my jaw dropped to the floor. We get to see whole new cultures, powers, upgraded powers, and a very specific cute caveat in the power systems of the rebellion relics. There were quite a few things that didn’t go as I’d predicted from Iron Flame, but there were a couple things that I requested that I did get. Dreamwalking, double signets, traitors, fractured relationships, additional growing relationships, fake out deaths and real meaningful deaths, so much amazing banter, I skipped every intimate scenes, and more POVs from other characters, and so much more. But I didn't love the ending. It felt too abrupt. All in all, I think it’s going to be really tough for Yarros to top this book with book four. It would have to get insane to top everything that happened in here. ["

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January 23, 2025 Verified Purchase