Onyx Storm Review

by Rebecca Yarros (Empyrean #3)

What the what? I’m so tired of redundant romantasy writing and using the idea of world-building as an excuse for 527 pages/of filler book! I know that’s harsh but let me explain.

It all comes down to three fatal flaws:

Redundant sexploits.

I had a bookmobile patron put words to my feelings perfectly: “Not even teenagers want to hear about teenagers when they are fumbling through a sex scene!” Xadan and Violet are so childish in every aspect of their relationship that I felt like a creeper reading about them.

I DO NOT WANT to read about another person’s “eyes going dark with need” or a “groan escaping” from someone’s somewhere. The “you’re mine” trope feels played out. In a world with signets and dragons and quests, is toxic ownership really all they have to keep things exciting? Their relationship arc reads like one big red flag and it’s not in a lustful “I’m right there with you” kind of way.

Rebecca Yarros – write like you’ve had sex before… please.

A million plot lines without warning.

I’m a tool for quests HOWEVER, if I have to get out the red string to follow your characters for more than a chapter or two then I start to get lit fic flashbacks. It gets to feeling like too much of a slog.

I understand that world-building is more high fantasy and I’m glad that RY is leaning that way but there has to be a middle ground. I got dragged around The Continent against my will and I’m tired, boss.

All that said, I’ll happily stand up and dust myself off for a deep dive into Ridoc. Wry humor and a good heart all wrapped up in a devil-may-care playboy? Sign me up.

All grow and no show.

Theophanie. That’s it.

Is there hope for the series?

Depends… is it out of the question to have an entire book wherein we find out that RY intended to make Xadan and Violet’s relationship childish because it turns out that RIDOC is the main character of the series?

Not holding my breath.

Undercover Librarian