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Onyx Storm is the third book in Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series and was an event even before release. In German it was published as Onyx Storm: Flammengeküsst and, according to an analysis by the trade magazine Börsenblatt, was the best-selling new adult novel in Germany in 2025. We analysed reviews online and summarise what readers love and what they criticize. Note: this article contains light spoilers for the first two books.

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At a glance

  • Author: Rebecca Yarros
  • Published: 2025 by Red Tower Books
  • German title: Onyx Storm: Flammengeküsst
  • Series: The Empyrean, book 3 after Fourth Wing and Iron Flame
  • Genre: Romantasy, new adult

What is it about?

The story picks up right after book two. Violet desperately searches for a way to save Xaden and sets out with her friends beyond the borders of the Continent to find allies.

What readers love about Onyx Storm

  • The world grows: Several reviews praise how much the world and its history are expanded.
  • The dragons: The banter between the dragons is once again a highlight.
  • Pace: Many readers describe the book as action-packed from the first chapters.
  • Characters: The relationship between Violet and Xaden and the side characters go down well with many.
  • The best book for many: Some reviews consider Onyx Storm the strongest part of the series.

What readers criticize

  • Too long and too complicated: One review criticizes many plotlines, open questions and overly convenient solutions.
  • A hard start: Without the earlier books fresh in mind, the opening is difficult, and a recap is missing.
  • Many names and terms: Readers have to remember numerous characters and magic terms.
  • The romance: A critic at The Times found the love story embarrassing, while others wish for more fantasy and less romance.
  • Unused characters: According to reviews, some side characters and arcs deserved more room.

Content notes

According to reviews, Onyx Storm is darker than its predecessors, with brutal fights, grief, chronic pain and some explicit scenes.

Success

According to Wikipedia, around 2.7 million copies were sold in the first week. The book won the 2025 Goodreads Choice Award in Romantasy. Read more about the first book in our overview of Fourth Wing.

What writers can learn from it

  • Sequels need a way in. Help readers find their footing after a long break without falling into repetition.
  • More is not always better. Every new plotline has to carry through to the end.
  • Series planning pays off. Knowing early where the series is heading avoids convenient solutions. More in Romantasy Editing.

Conclusion

For fans of the series, Onyx Storm is a must-read with a bigger world, lots of action and the relationship everyone was waiting for. Readers who expect a tight, clear plot will struggle with its length and complexity.

Sources

For this overview we analysed the following reviews and articles:

Ratings as of November 2026.

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