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Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 31

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Written by: Cory

Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 31

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.

Oh, the beginning of this chapter is so delicious. At first, I honestly didn’t quite understand what was going on. But upon finishing the book, it’s revealed as a major Easter Egg.

We quickly learn that the gods do have a form of magic. They must—how else would all the temple attendants have hair that is “as uniform as their blue robes”? It feels unnatural. It feels…magic.

But just as we got excited about the blue in the previous chapter, we get the following: “a group of children in light-blue tunics” and “the woman at his side wears not only the long pale blue robes.” So perhaps, the blue is not an intense blue as we originally assumed.

I read the following over and over, and honestly, I’m not entirely sure what happened here.

“The captain reports, and the commander’s mouth flattens before he draws his dagger and slices through the shoulder straps of the captain’s leather armor. The green leather falls to the steps, and the captain lowers his head.
“I think that means demotion,” Cat whispers to Aaric’s right.
“In every language,” Aaric agrees.

Why would the captain be demoted? Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of colors—”green leather”: not blue, not silver.

And just as we were forgetting how much we love Aaric… we love Aaric. Maybe a little too much. He doesn’t seem to have flaws. He appears well-intended, well-educated, and loyal to justice and people—which is concerning, seeing as we had Liam Mairi, who was the same, and we all know where that ended.

We learn about the high priestess at Dunne’s temple, and of course, the tattoo of Dunne’s emblem inked into her forehead. Another Easter Egg right here, since we’ve seen one other venin with silver hair and a faded tattoo on her forehead.

There have been some theories about Violet getting what she always wants. It’s a fair moment to add this: “I want my fucking power back now.” She seems not only determined but also frustrated. She is riled.

The priestess has dilated pupils, but Violet mocks her: “Only Dunne herself knows what they’re ingesting beyond those pillars.” Something tells me we will learn more about this in the books to come—it might seem like a trivial detail for now. The only other time when someone showed up with dilated pupils was Liam, when using his signet of farsight. Is the high priestess using “her signet” by communicating what Dunne is telling her?

Ladies and gents, I present to you THE first Easter Egg about Aaric’s signet. We believed he might not have manifested it yet, but then again, the more we read:

“You are the prince of your people, honorable yet foolish to think you could survive our finest. Do you not know what would happen to those pretty green eyes should you step foot on this battlefield? Even if you accepted your death, Dunne has not chosen you to prove your skill this day.”

I think perhaps Aaric knows exactly what would happen.

I find it most interesting that we learn about Violet’s possible paths. And YES, we’re getting to the “dedication” part.

“Ah, then it is good we did not complete your dedication.” The beginning of the chapter epigraph—and yet, her dedication was not completed. What does that mean? Does it imply that, much like the little girl with silver tips, they (as in Lilith and Asher) were waiting for Violet to come of age to decide for herself whether she wants to complete her dedication?

Then things become hazy. The priestess asks if Violet yearns for the temple. She explains that the touch creates such a longing that you can’t help but return. Do you know what this reminds me of? Venin. Once you reach for power, you cannot help but reach for more. Interesting choice of words here.

Or perhaps you now favor another god.” She glances up at Tairn, ignoring my outburst, and then her eyes slide to Xaden. “I still see us among your potential paths, should you decide to take it. Dunne will accept you. It is not too late to choose Her.”

Beautiful. Two things here: we indeed learn that Violet did not complete her dedication, and yet, should Violet dedicate herself to Dunne, Dunne will still accept her. Dunne: one of Violet’s paths.

The other thing is that the priestess glances at Tairn and suggests that perhaps she now favors another, further reiterating that Tairn is connected to another god: Malek. And we all know just how many times Violet has screamed at Malek to NOT take loved ones from her. To me, this is another one of Violet’s paths: Malek.

And yet we know how important paths are—from the very beginning of the book, in her conversation with Andarna: every possible path…to find Andarna’s kind. To cure Xaden.

And every possible path is right here: “I choose him.” Whether she’s talking about Xaden or Tairn, my answer is the same.”

HIM. Tairn. Xaden… Malek!

And I think the fact that she said that, angered Dunne. The high priestess cuts Violet and challenges her, too, to test loyalties. Remember the beginning of the previous chapter? Gods are jealous. Maybe, in this very moment, Dunne became jealous that Violet didn’t choose Her. Violet chose him.

The chapter and leaves me with one question: will Malek claim Violet, or be on her side yet again?

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.

2 responses to “Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 31”

  1. Mirja Avatar
    Mirja

    Hi Cory, reading your read along to this chapter I remembered something. We should talk about the meaning of blood in the books. In IF Violet thought blood magic would be needed to raise up the wards in Aretia. In OS we learned from Jack that only initiates blood. Now we see the high priestess take blood as a price for the challenges in Unnbriel. It is like a contract for the challenge. As if something bad could happen when you were chosen for the challenge and you deny to take it. To take someones blood also means to weak the person a little bit before the combat. And in literature blood is the ink for negotiating with your soul, mostly with the devil. Bloodlines are sometimes a subject in the books, too. What do you think about my observation?

    Reply
    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      I have one sentence: work sucks sometimes 🙁 I’m so behind again…

      OH. I love your observation. Do we think we can offer Malek something then? Because Malek is the dark God, right?

      Reply

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