ONYX STORM

Violet Sorrengail and friends go on a quest to find allies in the war against the terrifying magic of the evil, soulless venin.

After the events of Iron Flame (2023), Violet’s lover, the brooding but romantic Xaden Riorson, is in danger. By channeling magic from the earth, Xaden has possibly compromised his very soul, but Violet refuses to give up on finding a cure and preventing Xaden from becoming a full venin. Meanwhile, Violet has another mystery to contend with: Andarna, her second bonded dragon, appears to be part of a lost dragon species. As the nobles of various nations negotiate the terms of an alliance to fight against the venin threat, Violet and her friends journey to the various island nations off the coast of their continent, hoping to enlist more allies in the war, locate Andarna’s long-lost dragon family, and find a solution to Xaden’s compromised soul. Somehow, Violet is kind of, sort of still a student at Basgiath War College. If that seems like a lot going on, even for the third book in a series, know that many plot points don’t serve much narrative purpose so much as provide opportunities for Violet and Xaden to romantically comfort each other, or for various interchangeable side-characters to exchange less-than-snappy dialogue. Given the hefty page count, it’s hard to understand why there wasn’t room for genuine character development or more than a gesture toward worldbuilding.

The Empyrean juggernaut rolls on.