Onyx Storm (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

Onyx Storm

Violet and Xaden Face Their Darkest Chapter

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌎
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration – Full Cast [Dramatized Adaptation]

Characters and Plot Summary

Onyx Storm picks up after the devastating events of Iron Flame, with Violet Sorrengail dealing with the fact that Xaden Riorson has begun turning venin. What I especially liked about this installment is that the story finally pushes Violet and the other riders beyond the familiar walls of Basgiath. Their mission becomes much larger as they search for allies, information, and a way to stop the venin threat while the wards continue to fail.

Violet is still determined to find a way to save Xaden, but she also has to confront how much the war is changing her. Xaden, meanwhile, is fighting a battle that is much more personal. His decision to draw from the earth to protect Violet has consequences that he cannot simply wish away. I found his struggle particularly compelling because he is still recognizably the fiercely protective Xaden from the earlier books, but there is now a frightening uncertainty underneath that confidence.

One of my favorite aspects was watching the characters travel outside the world we had become accustomed to. The political maneuvering, negotiations for alliances, dragon lore, and discoveries about the larger magical world give the story a much broader scope. There are also some genuinely funny character moments that keep the increasingly grim plot from becoming relentlessly heavy.

Highlights and Limitations

The biggest strength for me was the combination of character relationships and expanding world-building. Violet’s determination to find answers about the venin never feels like an abstract quest because everything is tied back to Xaden. Her refusal to simply accept that he is lost gave many of those scenes emotional weight.

The island storyline involving King Courtlyn was another standout. The situation becomes particularly tense when Halden’s actions sabotage their plans, and the danger escalates when Violet and the others are threatened. Xaden once again loses control of his emotions and channels from the earth, which is terrifying precisely because we know what that means for him.

I also appreciated the humor from characters like Ridoc and Mira. After so much death and betrayal, those moments gave me a chance to breathe.

My biggest frustration is that Onyx Storm sometimes feels like it is deliberately holding answers just out of reach. Violet spends so much time trying to understand the venin, the wards, the dragons, and Xaden’s condition that I occasionally wanted the story to stop circling the questions and actually give me some answers. I also thought some portions felt slower and more episodic than Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. That said, the major revelations kept me invested.

And I have to admit, I was absolutely not prepared for the ending of Part 1. Watching Xaden’s eyes remain flecked with amber after he has once again drawn from the earth was exactly the kind of cliffhanger that made me immediately want to start Part 2.

Narration

The full-cast dramatized adaptation is easily my preferred way to experience this series. Robb Moreira, Torian Brackett, k’Lai Rivera, Gabriel Michael, Megan Poppy, LaMont Ridgell, Rayner Gabriel, Troy Allan, Laura C. Harris, Khaya Fraites, Taylor Coan, and the rest of the cast make the story feel much more like a production than a traditional audiobook.

The sound effects, music, dragon sounds, battles, and shifting voices add a surprising amount of atmosphere. Ridoc’s comedic moments especially benefited from the performance, while the more emotional scenes between Violet and Xaden had considerably more impact when performed by different actors.

I did have a couple of minor complaints. Some of the music and sound effects occasionally competed with the dialogue, and I found some of the romantic sound effects more distracting than immersive. There have also been listener reports of a few apparent line-assignment glitches. None of that ruined the experience for me, but it did remind me that this is a dramatized production rather than simply a cast reading.

Final Thoughts

I had a great time with Onyx Storm Part 1, even when it frustrated me. This installment expands the world considerably, puts Violet and Xaden through an entirely different kind of emotional pressure, and gives the supporting characters plenty of opportunities to shine.

What really kept me listening was Xaden. I desperately want to know whether there is actually a way to save him, and the fact that Violet refuses to give up makes their storyline incredibly difficult to walk away from.

The ending is cruel, though. Watching Violet realize that Xaden’s eyes have not returned completely to normal, followed by the revelation of another rider drawing from the earth, left me staring at the imaginary pause button thinking, “You cannot possibly end Part 1 here.”

For me, the dramatized adaptation made an already addictive story even more immersive. It is not perfect, but if you are already invested in Violet, Xaden, Tairn, Andarna, and the rest of this chaotic dragon-rider world, I absolutely recommend experiencing this version.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest|BookBub



View all my reviews