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 ofIron 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. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The third in an expected five-book series, Yarros's latest romantasy picks up the action right after the events of Iron Flame. The plot is focused on the ongoing battle with the Venin, the plan to rescue Xaden from the full repercussions of his actions during the battle to save Navarre, and a quest to find the home grounds of Andarna's long-departed dragon family. Complicating all of this, a specific Venin is hunting Violet, and royal politics have elevated Xaden's position beyond a lieutenant rider, separating the couple frequently. Yarros excels at crafting snappy and fun dialogue, explicating the deep connections between her characters, and deftly merging action with heady romance. Book three leans more heavily on action than the previous installments, which changes the reading experience, shifting it into the realm of fantasy warfare and road trip, with less focus on romance. VERDICT While Yarros's legion of fans will still thrill over each new development for Violet and Xaden, this entry is not as swoony as the first two books in the "Empyrean" series, and the precipitous cliffhanger ending wears thin.—Neal Wyatt