Onyx Wings Summary (with spoilers): Everything You Need to Remember Before the Next Book in The Empyrean Series

⚠️ Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for Onyx Storm.

If you've made it this far, you've already survived Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. Or, at least, the heart attacks Rebecca Yarros gave us at the end of both books.

Because if the ending of Iron Flame left us with an impossible-to-ignore question—what's going to happen to Xaden?—Onyx Storm quickly proves that this is just one of many problems threatening Navarre's future.

The war has already begun. The venin are more powerful than ever. Dragons continue to hide secrets. And Violet will have to make decisions that could change the fate of the entire continent.

Save the world... and save Xaden

The book begins right after the events of Iron Flame.

Xaden has begun to transform into venin after resorting to that power to save Violet during the final battle. Although he is still himself, they both know that the corruption is advancing and that no one knows a way to stop it.

While the rest prepare for an open war, Violet has a very clear objective: to find any clue that can help save Xaden without endangering those around her.

And that means doing what she does best again.

Finding answers.

A quest full of secrets

Instead of merely fighting, Violet embarks on an investigation that leads her to ancient archives, forgotten manuscripts, and knowledge that had been hidden for centuries.

The more she learns about the continent's history, the more apparent it becomes that almost everything they knew was incomplete.

The venin, the dragons, magic, and even the creation of the wards hide far more secrets than anyone imagined.

Rebecca Yarros greatly expands the saga's universe and shows that the true conflict began long before any of the protagonists were born.

The world is much bigger than it seemed

If in the first two books most of the story took place between Basgiath and Aretia, in Onyx Storm we travel much further.

Violet and her companions traverse new territories, negotiate with different peoples, and discover that there are cultures that have remained outside the conflict for generations.

Each journey brings new answers... but also makes it clear that defeating the venin will be much more complicated than anyone expected.

The irids change many answers

One of the book's great discoveries comes with the irids, an ancient, almost extinct lineage of dragons.

It is then that many pieces begin to fall into place.

Andarna was no ordinary dragon.

Her strange growth, her color, her behavior, and the patience with which she waited to bond with Violet all had an explanation.

Her existence is exceptional and deeply related to the balance of magic and the future of the continent.

What seemed like a curiosity in Fourth Wing ends up becoming one of the most important elements of the entire saga.

Violet is already a true leader

Violet's evolution is impossible to ignore.

That young woman who arrived at Basgiath convinced she wouldn't survive a week is gone.

Now she leads expeditions, negotiates alliances, makes difficult decisions, and carries an enormous responsibility on her shoulders.

She still uses her intelligence as her main weapon, but she also learns that leading means accepting that it's not always possible to save everyone.

And that is probably one of the hardest lessons in the book.

Xaden fights a war against himself

While Violet searches for answers, Xaden fights a much quieter enemy.

The corruption of the venin continues to advance.

It becomes increasingly difficult for him to control that power, and the fear of losing himself is present throughout the novel.

His greatest concern is no longer dying.

It's ceasing to be the person Violet fell in love with.

Their relationship once again becomes one of the emotional pillars of the story and demonstrates that love, by itself, is not always enough to solve all problems.

The war reaches a new dimension

Clashes with the venin intensify, and it becomes clear that the entire continent is in danger.

The alliances built in previous books begin to bear fruit, but new enemies and new threats also emerge.

Rebecca Yarros constantly raises the tension, alternating moments of action with discoveries that completely change the way the story is understood.

And, as is customary, no character seems guaranteed to reach the end safe and sound.

The outcome changes the rules again

Just when Violet seems to be understanding the true origin of the conflict, the book takes another turn.

Some questions are answered, especially those related to dragons, magic, and Andarna's role.

However, others remain completely open.

Xaden's situation continues to be one of the saga's biggest unanswered questions.

The venin threat is far from over.

And Violet understands that the decisive battle is yet to come.

Rebecca Yarros once again closes the story, leaving the feeling that what has been experienced so far was only the beginning.

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