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Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 30

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Written by: Cory

Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 30

It goes without saying that THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. If you haven’t read this chapter of Onyx Storm, please go read it first.

I think the epigraph is SO important for us.
“It is unwise to favor one god above another. Better to shun them all than show favoritism amongst a jealous, prodigious pantheon.”

This passage warns against giving preferential treatment to one deity over the others. In a pantheon where the gods are numerous, powerful, and prone to jealousy, showing favoritism to just one can provoke the ire of the rest. The advice is to remain neutral—or even avoid the gods altogether—rather than risk inciting jealousy and potential retribution from a whole group of divine beings. Do you agree that this is an Easter Egg?

Moving on, the discussion between “the captain” and Violet immediately reveals that the isle has never seen dragons. While this is relevant now, as they are trying to find Andarna’s kind, it is yet another Easter Egg for us. They have never seen dragons, and yet, without giving too many spoilers, there is an initial understanding that perhaps Asher come here with Lilith. Food for thought for later.

I cannot stress another important clue here: “And please be careful with your feelings. I can’t shield here.” She can use the bonds with her dragons but not with Xaden and Sgaeyl, and she cannot shield either. It’s perplexing. But it’s worth checking some of the comments related to how Andarna/Tairn might act as “batteries” for Violet.

Once again, consider the discussion between Mira and Violet, where Mira encourages her to make decisions. But here’s another thing: this book feels as though Violet just snaps out of her “finding her feet” era from Iron Flame and moves into her “I’m confident” era here in Onyx Storm. She is confident in front of authority but not yet confident in being the authority. It feels to me that every step of the way, Onyx Storm is paving the road for Violet to learn how to embrace leadership. This is mentioned throughout the book on many occasions. We just needed to read between the lines. Xaden even snaps at Violet for questioning leadership. He’s training her to lead and she doesn’t even realise it yet.

Going back to the theory about gods, dragons, and colors, this is the first time we learn that the rooftops here are blue—”but the roofs of its structures are a uniform pale blue color.“

What strikes me as odd is the colors of the soldiers’ attire. For so long, we assumed they wore only blue (based on the theory linked above), but upon closer inspection, the colors are not just blue.

“only a few of whom wear the muted green leathers. Soldiers in pale blue wear metal greaves along their legs, but the ones in silver stand in front of the next gate.”

And we finally get it: “I glance at their chest plates and find the etched symbol of two crossed swords gripped in the center by a claw—the emblem of Dunne.”

The claw—the emblem of Dunne! It’s confirmed for us. “It’s similar to ours,” I tell Tairn as we cross under the thick gate. “They have a claw in her symbol, suggesting a common origin.”

Going back to chapter 29 a second, we realise that the Captain, thus other soldiers carry a different emblem alltogether. And if not Dunne’s…then whose?

“An emblem of two crossed swords over a horseshoe is stamped across his chest plate.”

Also we need to have a closer look at the temple of Dunne here—the largest—is described as having a “gabled roof tiled in the same pale blue as the rest of the city.” Do you remember another city that had its roof colors mentioned? Aretia…with its uniform green rooftops…

The temple also has six pillars, each with a different symbol: Sword, Shield, Fire, Water, Claw, and Book.

She calls them tools of warfare; I call them emblems of all gods. What’s more, I believe all gods work together. The Goddess here holds a sword and shield, yet her symbol is the claw. I wonder how are the other Gods portrayed in their temples? Do they hold other Gods emblems in their hands?

“Blue-robed attendants rise on the temple steps”—this is the first time we see an actual color. Not pale blue, not pale green, as stated before but blue. There is color here. Could it be that there is a form of magic?

The chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger, with all the temple attendants having silver hair. We are finally closer to understanding Violet’s hair and her silver tips!

Onyx Storm Read Along

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Cory

Hello! I’m Cory, a devoted superfan of the Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and the Empyrean Series. My passion for these epic tales has led me to read and reread the books, each time uncovering new layers of information. I’ve created this site to share my insights and discoveries with fellow fans and anyone interested in exploring the rich world of Empyrean.

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Hello! This site is dedicated to the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve made this place to explore the rich world of Empyrean, full of characters, theories, and places. Each post is carefully researched and updated with the newest details from the series. This site is also a great spot for discussing theories about the Empyrean Series. 🐉
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