Onyx Storm’s legacy is as tumultuous as its title.
Following the explosive popularity of the series’ first instalment, ‘Fourth Wing’, and its sophomore addition, ‘Iron Flame’, ‘Onyx Storm’ easily became one of the most anticipated book releases of 2025. Despite attempting to achieve new heights the novel falls short of the hype that precedes it.
Classified under the recently coined genre, romantasy (a portmanteau of romance and fantasy) ‘Onyx Storm’ revisits the mystical elements of the Empyrean Series while further exploring the alluring relationship between characters Xaden and Violet. Like other novels categorised solely under romance or fantasy, one of the largest selling points of this book is its accessibility and obsessive readability. Having never read the series, I began my venture into The Empyrean series through the audiobooks and though they were not short (ranging from 21-28 hours long), I refused to press the pause button.
The disability representation was welcomed, as I find the fantasy genre especially egregious for neglecting voices that should be amplified. Violet’s intelligence and perseverance are her most salient qualities and her deep understanding of her body’s limits and long-standing liaison with pain only adds strength to her character.
‘Power fills my veins like hot water poured over a sunburn, and I breathe in slowly, accepting the pain and setting my new baseline.’
Similarly, Jesinia’s deafness isn’t positioned as a deficiency, but normalised as simply another part of her characterisation. Her respected station as a scribe is integral to the plot, particularly when seeking to prevent Xaden’s unwitting transformation into a venin. Like her friends, Jesinia is not afraid to remain steadfast in her beliefs, even when it dispossesses her of her title:
‘Jesinia glances back at the cadets who are gathering to start their day. “I have seen enough bloodshed,” she signs. “And I can handle the punishment meted out for my desertion of the quadrant.’
Despite these advantages, the poor writing, lack of worldbuilding and incontrovertible nonsensicality in the rest of the story forces me to question whether I’m reading the same book as everyone else.
Starting with the most glaring issue, I understand their country is at war, but it is astonishing that they consider allowing or causing so many student deaths an efficient way to run an educational institution. While there are significantly fewer “academic” related deaths in the third book, as they have left Basgiath War College, the premise itself is so implausible it shrouds the entire story with incredulity. This is most evident by the tonal shifts that occur when Violet & co. return to school after a death-defying expedition only for the story to do a one-eighty and have them attend physics class?? I understand that one of the school’s tenets is to cut off weak links, however it feels like such a waste of life and resources when they’re actively engaging in combat. To not only be negligent about protecting your students’ lives but also actively encouraging cadets to kill each other seems bizarre.
Moreover, I find the worldbuilding extremely wanting. While ‘Onyx Storm’ expands through Violet’s search for other Irids and a cure for Xaden, the cultures and locations are introduced so simply and explored so shallowly that the world is only marginally more complex. While it could be argued a simpler backdrop adds to the story’s accessibility, compromising quality is not a necessary sacrifice.
On top of this, the technical foundations of the story itself are exceptionally shaky. While I didn’t expect the writing to be the most elaborate, lyrical prose in existence, I did expect it to be immersive enough to adequately suspend my disbelief. Unfortunately, Yarros did not deliver on this front as the language choices made her characters feel anachronistic and, for lack of a better word, cringy.
“Oh gods, just stop flirting and fuck already,” Ridoc says. Every head slowly turns in his direction.
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” he asks me in a hushed whisper.
“Oh yeah, you did,” I reply, patting him on his back. “Garrick’s going to blow you off the mat.”
“Now that I might enjoy, depending on the method he chooses—” Ridoc winces. “I’m going to stop talking now.”
Circling back to the characters, while a lot of readers consider this a convention of the romance/romantasy genre, the gendered language and skewed relationship dynamics are not tropes I subscribe to. I think it’s amazing how Violet proves that strength isn’t the only thing you need to be powerful; but continuous juxtapositions of how “small” and “frail” she is against how “strong” and “big” Xaden is, unravels all the messaging Yarros is otherwise trying to communicate.
Despite my particular criticisms of the story, I will always be happy to see reading, literature and the publishing industry as a whole grow in popularity. Even if this book wasn’t my cup of tea, ‘Onyx Storm’ and The Empyrean series in general has brought so many people back into reading as a hobby. I hope that as more people take a critical lens towards the media they consume, and through polishing her skills more, Yarros will deliver better quality in future.
