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105 reviews

Mel Bec

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Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)

by Rebecca Yarros (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in March 2025

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Mel Bec said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" I don’t know about this one… Fourth Wing felt like it had so much potential, but now I feel like I’m forcing myself to keep reading.

Let’s dive in:

While I appreciate the political aspects and how they contribute to the worldbuilding, do I really need I don’t know about this one… Fourth Wing felt like it had so much potential, but now I feel like I’m forcing myself to keep reading.

Let’s dive in:

While I appreciate the political aspects and how they contribute to the worldbuilding, do I really need an entire book dedicated to it? Especially when so many of these negotiations feel superficial at best?

Then there’s the storytelling—or lack thereof. Things just conveniently happen, only to be explained away with “Oh, this exact thing happened 600 years ago too.” If the whole plot is just a repetition of that war, why not write that story instead? (Though I fear a prequel is inevitable…)

And let’s talk about the length—this book is just too long. A great story can be 1,000 pages if the pacing and substance justify it. But here? It feels like it was barely edited, dragging out scenes that didn’t need to be there. In fact, for about two-thirds of the book, nothing really happens. And then, after all those pages, it still ends on a cliffhanger? That’s just wild.

Also, even though I understand the role of a heroine in these kinds of stories, does it always have to be Violet? Other characters are strong and smart too, but somehow, she’s always the one saving the world. Doing this for three books in a row makes it incredibly repetitive. Why even have other characters if they barely get to contribute while Violet miraculously does everything? It’s exhausting at this point.

At this point, I see two possible outcomes for this series:
1. Everything will come together in books 4 and 5 in a way that (probably very conveniently) makes sense. I won’t love it, but at least it will feel like an intentional buildup.
2. This will be a slow, bloated series where nothing truly pays off—just endless setup, surface-level political maneuvering, and convenient plot devices.

The first three books have felt like reading history textbooks—almost 3,000 pages of buildup! So either we get an explosive and satisfying payoff in the final books, or we’re in for more dragged-out plotlines and forced resolutions.

Unfortunately for me, I’m an educated hater, so I have to see this series through to the end to make up my mind. ...more "

Mar 10, 2025 10:41AM · see review