Onyx Storm

Onyx Storm
Author	Rebecca Yarros
Published on	21st January 2025
Publisher	Entangled: Red Tower Books
Publication order
Previous	Iron Flame
Next	Unannounced fourth book

Onyx Storm is the third book in The Empyrean series by author Rebecca Yarros.

Synopsis

Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros. Red Tower has confirmed the book will have limited edition sprayed edges.

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons.

No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun; and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre.

The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army.

They need power.

They need magic.

And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming... and not everyone can survive its wrath.

Teasers

"She needs to prepare herself. And so do you. There's every chance this mission will kill us." -Tairn

"First he was her enemy, then her lover, now...she must save his soul"

During interviews, Rebecca Yarros has stated that the following topics will be explored in book three:

• The identifying signs that someone is Venin
• Details on Jack Barlowe turning Venin
• How turning Venin affects Xaden's connection to Sgaeyl
• Further details of Xaden's inntinsic abilities

I will save him.

-Violet Sorrengail's personal addendum to the Book Of Brennan

Power rises, humming through me with insistent demand, and I lift my right hand, aiming my palm toward the sky of the open amphitheatre.

Xaden vanishes from behind me a second before I release the strike.

"You're astounding," he says. "But you need to learn to find me." Shadows rushing against my skin, and less than a breath later they're gone, leaving me staring at Xaden's retreating back as he climbs the stairs. "This session is over, I expect you all to come prepared next session," he says over his shoulder.

"Why me?" I ask, more than aware of the other cadets staring as I find my balance. "Xaden!"

He doesn't so much as pause his ascent. "Because you're the only one capable of killing me."

Detailed Plot Summary

The novel picks up recapping the final chapter of Iron Flame but from Violet's point of view as she follows Xaden to question Jack Barlowe. Violet ensures Jack's memory is wiped, thanks to Imogen Cardulo's signet.

“	I will save him.	”
–Violet Sorrengail, Onyx Storm, Chapter 1

The Senarium convenes at Basgiath War College in unprecedented peace talks between Navarre and Poromiel. In these uncertain days cadets run patrols looking for Wyvern and Venin, while Violet awaits the official order to lead a group to search for more of Andarrna's kind. With the secret additional goal of finding a cure for Xaden who doesn't trust himself not to channel. There is growing hostility between the riders that stayed in Navarre, and the riders that chose to go to Aretia with the revolution (during the events of Iron Flame). The Navarre riders call the Aretian riders "deserters" and make working together difficult, giving little hope to the Poromish fliers being accepted at Basgiath. In an effort to protect Xaden from channeling from the source anymore and from being discovered, Violet, Garrick, Bhodi, and Imogen work in shifts to make sure he is never alone. The others on "Xaden duty" advise Violet that it may be best if she find new sleeping arrangements to keep some distance between her and Xaden because of his new status as Venin. Violet declines, and says that she trusts Xaden would never hurt her.

Violet and her squad are in the infirmary with Sawyer, who is still recovering from the loss of his leg, when they hear screaming from outside and realize that the reason they haven't found any Venin on patrol lately is because they have infiltrated Basgiath. Ridoc, Rhiannon, and Violet head out of the infirmary to help, and find that the Venin have disguised themselves as scribes. They continue to kill and pursue the Venin until they come to the door of Jack Barlowe's cell, where they see a Venin woman with a ruby hilted sword, silver hair, and a faded forehead tattoo who suddenly disappears. As they continue to fight with the remaining Venin, the team is surprised to hear them say not to kill Violet because they need her, which Violet assumes is to control Xaden. As the fight continues they find themselves in a difficult spot until Xaden and Garrick appear and end the fight. after the team debriefs with Colonel Panchek, they note how odd it is that the Venin went for Jack, instead of trying to take down the wards. Xaden and Violet discuss what happened and how he channeled from Sgaeyl, but she still won't speak to him since he turned venin. Xaden also reveals that he can sense when other venin are nearby.

Shortly after, General Melgren informs Violet that the Senarium is ready to receive her to speak about her mission to find the rest of Andarna's kind. Violet hopes to have more control over the mission, such as choosing who is on the team, but finds that the Senarium is not on her side. They assign Captain Grady to lead the force. Despite the majority of leadership dismissing Violet and Andarna’s demands, Lewellan takes their list and promises to work on them.

The next morning during an intimate encounter between Violet and Xaden they realize that Xaden has accidentally siphoned, leaving faint marks on the headboard where his hands had been. This realization only solidifies Xadens’s fears, and causes him so put up more walls between him and Violet.

Negotiations and peace talks continue, and Xaden is tasked with representing Aretia. Mira arrives back at Basgiath from her mission in Aretia bringing back a new conduit for Violet from Felix, as well as important information. While she was away Mira worked with Kylynn to find a way to alter the material a rune is tempered into, and it worked. This allowed them to nullify one of many runes without impacting the remaining runes. Mira and Violet give this information to Brennan and ask him to take it to the Senarium to proposed altering the ward stone to allow griffon fliers to wield their magic under the wards.

Meanwhile tensions continue to rise between the Navarrean and Aretian riders, culminating in the wingleader from First Wing, Aura Beinhsven, holding one of the first year fliers at knife point. Violet and the others try their best to deescalate with Dain taking the lead as their wing leader, but Aura makes it clear that she and the others still view all the Aretian group as traitors, and that they will never accept the Poromish fliers into their ranks. Aura ends up challenging Dain with an ultimatum, that he fight her or she and the other Navarreans will attack the Aretians.

“	What do you say? Their strongest against our strongest?	”
–Aura Beinhaven, Onyx Storm, Chapter 5

Andarna reminds Violet that Dain't the strongest, prompting her to step in and accept the fight herself. Violet uses this opportunity to remind everyone listening that there is a much bigger threat out there and that their only chance of survival is together. This seems to quiet down the outrage that had permeated the room just as Professors Devera, Emetterio, and Kaori enter and question the dishonorable behavior of the cadets. Emmetterio tells the cadets he thinks they should choose to fight their common enemy, and reveals that the last time there was a shadow wielder and a lightning wielder fighting together was during the Great War when they defeated the venin. The professors then announce that classes will resume the next day instead of waiting for the peace talks to be over.

Once the cadets start clearing out, Violet notices Brennan, Mira, and Xaden waiting nearby and they ask to speak with her and Aaric. Xaden tells Violet that they have reached terms for the riot to stay, but it's clear from everyone's grim faces that there is more to tell. Halden, Aaric's older brother and heir apparent to the Navarrian throne, has arrived and is complicating the negotiations. He is revealed to be a part of the team to find Andarna's kind alongside Violet, who is outraged by this news. In addition, the Senarium also made several decisions about Violet and Andarna's demands. The Aretian riders will be pardoned for their 'treason', but they will not allow the altering of the wards to allow the fliers to wield because of the risk to the wards stability meaning that the proposed alliance with Poromiel has failed. During negotiations Xaden was also given back the Tyrrendor title and seat in the Senarium that his family once held, making him the Duke of Tyrrendor, though Xaden feels a lot of apprehension about accepting the title, because of the possibility he will lose himself due to turning venin.

Knowing that the next morning the accords with Aretia will be signed, including a clause pardoning the Aretian riders of treason, Violet works with Ridoc, Rhiannon, Bodhi, Quinn, Imogen, Sawyer, Maren, and eventually Mira and Brennan to alter the wards at Basgiath so the gryphon fliers can use their magic under the wards. Their plan works, though it takes two tries, and Ridoc mentions that he wonders what protection they accidentally removed. This action does push the nobles back into talks of an alliance with Poromiel, but also causes Colonel Aetos to interrupt battle brief to charge Violet with high treason. Colonel Aetos then escorts Violet to the Senarium for her trial where she admits to altering the wardstone the night before and tells the Senarium ‘you’re welcome’ for giving them a clear path towards an alliance. Violet is thus found to be pardoned for her actions because they happened before the accord was signed. It is at this moment that Queen Maraya walks in and complements Violet on her bravery and tenacity, and offers her access to her royal library, the best collection on the continent. Colonel Aetos again shows up to threaten Violet and inform her that he has take her mother’s former position as commanding general of Basgiath. However, Violet stands up for herself showing that she is not afraid of his threats.

“	You can’t afford to kill me.	”
–Violet Sorrengail, Onyx Storm, Chapter 8

As punishment for Violet’s actions, Colonel Aetos attempts to hurt her by sending all of the second years on her squad to the front lines for two days of duty at Samara. When the team of six arrive, they find that the fighting at the base has mostly subsided and Lieutenant Colonel Derensi tells them to get some rest and then make themselves useful somewhere. While they rest, Violet has an odd nightmare featuring Cat. After everyone wakes up they hear the news that a nearby Poromish village is under attack by the venin, but the outpost doesn’t have the resources to help. Maren is distraught because it’s the village where her family lives, the squad decides the best way to be helpful, as ordered, is to try and evacuate as many civilians as possible. Once there, they find that the attack was a trap to get them to come when they see the silver haired woman who tried to free Jack back at Basgiath waving at them. As the group fights the venin and wyvern, a storm begins to move in. Suddenly Garrick and his dragon appear right before Violet and Tairn get sucked into a tornado causing both pairs to crash, and the dragons fall unconscious, but alive. Garrick’s sudden appearance causes Violet to question how he got to her so quickly when he was presumably still at Basgiath, and she asks if he has a second signet, specifically distance wielding. Garrick tries to avoid the question, but doesn’t have to for long because the silver haired venin appears along with lightning strikes she appears to have wielded. She reveals her name to be Theophanie, and asks Violet about her dragons.

“	Now tell me, which chose you first? The one who gifted you the power of the sky? Or the irid?	”
–Theophanie, Onyx Storm, Chapter 10

In the end, Theophanie leaves without attacking them, saying she will see Violet again soon. Garrick leaves before the others can see him, and the rest of the squad, also injured, travel back to Basgiath early with permission from Degerensi. Their early return leads to another stand off with Colonel Aetos, but the team stands strong together. Garrick and Xaden are told by the now General Aetos to follow orders to join their station with the eastern wing and leave the quadrant, and that they won’t be welcomed back any time soon. Afterwards, Xaden and Violet have a difficult conversation about what the future holds as he continues to struggle with becoming venin, and the danger he faces being stationed on the border of the wards.

“	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	”
–Xaden Riorson, Onyx Storm, Chapter 12

Xaden’s fears start to come to fruition when he writes a letter to Violet about a difficult battle he had on the border. In his letter he talks about burning out, but Violet knows he is writing in code and that he channeled from the source again, though he claims to have a plan to prevent future issues. Violet goes with Imogen to visit Jack Barlowe in his cell. Violet offers him an exchange, the power stored in alloy medallion in her conduit in return for some answers to her questions. During their conversation he gives her some interesting information, and insinuates that there may be venin who have been hiding among them for years. He also tells her that there is no cure. Imogen wipes his memory when Violet is done questioning him.

Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, and Violet go to the archives to meet with Jesinia to discuss her research in the mission to find the rest of the Irid dragons. Sawyer reveals the Jesinia is being punished for deserting the quadrant by being kicked out of the adept training path and assigned to only researching for Violet’s project. Jesinia expresses her frustration that she keeps hitting road blocks in the research because of the information that is missing, which leads them to the need to find Violet’s father’s research on the second Krovlan Uprising. This is a problem because the research is still in the generals office, which Aetos has taken over.

Back in class, the professor start preparing the cadets to fight venin by giving them an anthology of texts about them, and informs them all that venin actually do weird signant just like they do. They will all need to learn how to fight against others with signant, including their own signant. This leads to Xaden coming on board as a professor, which means that he and Violet cannot be together as a couple due to the regulations in the codex. When Xaden formally requests an exemption to the rule, Colonel Aetos denies the request with alacrity, stating it will give him a reason to kick Xaden off of "his campus." While Xaden and Violet agree to sneak around, it is impossible to do so since a member of the army is always following Xaden, Aura Beinhaven patrols the cadet's hallways' sleeping quarters late into the night, and Caroline stalks Violet whenever she goes to visit Sawyer while Ewan Faber follows her to the archives.

-Meeting with Professor Grady and the squad to find Andarna's kind

-Signet Sparring in "the pit" with Xaden as professor and the arrival of Halden during the second lesson. Tecarus agrees with Violet's plan not to go north. The king of Deverelli agrees to one meeting with him in exchange for the Amelian Citrine, a gem of lesser magic. Quen Maraya is willing to gift it to Quest Squad. Unfortunately, the Amelian Citrine is in Anca, which is a venin ocupied territory. Meanwhile, Halden hits on Violet, once hearing they are not officially together, and Xaden answers by attacking the crowned prince with shadows. Dain is able to retrieve Violet's father's book from Colonel Aetos' office, but it is password protected. After Halden mentions that for a rider, a dragon is the first love and after that no man is a challenge, Violet realizes that the password is AIMSIR.

-Disastrous first mission of the squad

-Reforming a squad

-Visit to tecarus and then the isle of Deverelli

Foreign Publishers & Titles

• Spanish: Planeta Publishing - Spanish title: Alas de ónix
• Czechia: Fragment-Albatrosmedia (April 24, 2025) - Czech title: Onyxová bouře

Gallery

Covers

CZ cover

Exclusive Editions

Czech version with fanart

External Links

• Goodreads
• Entagled Publishing