Onyx Storm Book Review: The Empyrean Series Keeps Getting Bigger and I Keep Reading It

Rating: ★★★★★

"Onyx Storm" Book Review:

Let me be upfront: Onyx Storm sold 2.7 million copies in its first week, which means you probably already have an opinion about this series. If you loved Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, you're reading this regardless of what I say. If you think romantasy is not for you, this book won't change your mind. And if you're on the fence, here's my honest take.

Rebecca Yarros continues the story of Violet Sorrengail at Basgiath War College, and Book 3 expands the world significantly. The political stakes are higher, the dragon lore goes deeper, and the mythology Yarros has been building across the series starts to reveal its full architecture. There are genuine surprises here — things I didn't see coming that reframe events from the previous books in interesting ways.

The romance remains central, and Yarros writes it with a conviction that makes you invest even when the beats are familiar. The tension between duty and desire, the will-they-won't-they-survive dynamics, the moments of vulnerability between characters who are otherwise performing strength — she's good at this, and she knows it.

Where the book struggles is pacing. At this point in the series, there's a lot of mythology to service, a lot of political factions to track, and some middle sections feel like they're moving pieces into position for Books 4 and 5 rather than paying off in this installment. It's the classic middle-of-series problem, and Yarros handles it better than some but doesn't entirely escape it.

The writing itself is functional rather than literary, which is fine. Yarros is not trying to write Tolkien. She's trying to write a book you can't put down at midnight, and she succeeds at that. The dragons remain the best part — specific, dangerous, and written with an imagination that goes beyond "big lizard with attitude."

Four stars. If you're already in the Empyrean, this is a strong continuation. If you're starting here, go back to Fourth Wing first.

If You Liked Onyx Storm, Try:

• House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas — The Crescent City series shares the romantasy DNA, with multi-world mythology and complicated romantic dynamics.

• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon — Epic fantasy with dragons, queerness, and a scope that matches Yarros's ambition with a more literary approach.

• Eragon by Christopher Paolini — If the dragon-rider bond is what hooked you, Paolini built an entire world around it.

From Luke Stoffel's Bookshelf

If this book review resonated with you, check out The Stardust Pirates — a queer YA horror where, like Violet, the protagonist is thrown into an ancient system that demands everything and explains nothing, set on a Philippine island where the magic is siren lore and survival means choosing who you trust. thestardustpirates.com (https://thestardustpirates.com)

Learn More: The Stardust Pirates