Empyrean Riders

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Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 47

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Written by: Cory

Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 47

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. Please note that some mild spoilers from future chapters will be found here.

The epigraph is… dark. And yes, I do worry that this is foreshadowing something I cannot stop thinking about. Will Tairn eventually… fall? And leave us with Violet and Andarna? I will seriously die.

I do hope that one day we will get to read the full Codex. That would be amazing.

There is an odd exchange between Tairn and Violet:

“I will never understand the relationships other riders have with their dragons.”
“You’re not supposed to,” Tairn remarks.

Why not, I wonder? Why aren’t we supposed to understand the other bonds?

I pay close attention to Violet’s explanation of how Sawyer can mount his dragon. It’s interesting that for someone “bad” at physics, Violet is actually naturally good at it. And I still think that in Iron Flame we got some clues about how her signet is pure power. And because of it, she can do a lot more than just lightning.

Oh, and we now learn a little bit more about dragons. They do not change their posture for their riders. Tairn did so, despite being legendary. And the moment Violet mentions Naolin:

“We do not speak of the one who came before.” Agonizing pain floods the bond, and I immediately regret my choice of words.

Not the one who died. The one who came before. Agonizing pain. Why the pain, Tairn? Why the pain? Dragons rarely seem to care so much about a fallen rider. We’ve seen it over and over again. The dragons survive just fine.

Sliseag huffs, then extends his left leg, sliding his claw through the mud. Slowly, it lowers to a walkable degree of incline.

One must wonder what Sliseag said to Sawyer to make him shut up.

“You do not talk about your grief,” she counters. “Neither does he.”
Her tail flicks in Tairn’s direction.

It feels like an uplifting chapter. How Sawyer is riding again. How Violet is getting through to Andarna. And perhaps the mention of Naolin will make Tairn speak! Because we desperately need to know what actually happened… to avoid it happening again.

Not to be a broken record, but read this:

“But you couldn’t have made this happen any faster.” We walk toward the others. “Not you, or me, or Ridoc, or Jesinia. It was always down to the two of them. It was only ever going to be on their timeline.”

Do you remember? Xaden has to reach rock bottom before he can get himself to where he needs to be. It was always going to be on his timeline. Just like it is with everyone!

“I understand.” Kaori nods, then looks around the high-hanging valley with its lush green foliage and snow-tipped peaks. “Selfishly, I also wanted to see how this Empyrean functions. I suspect it’s why Panchek has tagged along as well.”

Well, we have an Easter egg here. The reason why Panchek had tagged along… and also, where is Kaori at the end of the book, by the way?

“Same reason I’m here.” Bodhi pops up on our left and lifts his face to the sun like he’s greeting an old friend. “This is the best squad.”

I honestly do not know if this is me reading too much into it, but I do imagine Bodhi being related to the Gods. The same way Violet and Xaden are. And probably the way he looks at the sun is like greeting an old friend. Because maybe the sun has something to do with Amari?

Pay attention to the fact that Aretia is hot now. As a hatching ground, it gets hot. Interesting observation. The isles were also hot. Well, some of them at least… I do wonder how dragons and magic influence temperatures. See?

“I flick the buttons open on my jacket, well aware I’ll be freezing the second we cross the magical barrier that defines this territory as the hatching grounds.”

“We’re home, Vi. Act like it.”

HOME. Well, that’s foreshadowing for sure.

“The only indication months have passed is the glass box from Zehyllna on his nightstand, and the emerald-hilted Blade of Aretia resting within. It’s missing a single stone near the top, but looks no worse for wear after having been in Navarrian possession for six hundred years.”

So much to unpack here. The glass box is here and will be so very needed, I have no doubt. The blade is missing an emerald. This is a super delicious Easter egg, which makes sense in the last chapter of the book. And finally, my money’s on the idea that Tyrrendor was the original royal province. And Riorson was the original crown and royal family. Also, this very area had dragons since the beginning.

And the big thing from this chapter!!!

Brennan’s face falls, and he stares at the ground. “I can’t mend him.”
“I have no idea who you’re talking about.” I lift my brows in utter confusion. “We’re all healthy. No one was hurt on the way here.”
“Xaden. I can’t mend him, Vi. I tried every day that he was here last week.”
I struggle to draw adequate breath. “You know.”
“I know.” He nods once.

Brennan knows. It’s April, right? But for how long has Brennan known? Because this little piece of information will be very, very useful in our analysis of who is missing at the end, the ending explained, and of course, our timeline.

The chapter ends on a sad note, in my opinion. They tried everything. Offerings in every local temple. Does this mean they tried Malek too? Amari, for sure… Dunne also. But is there a Malek temple here in Aretia?

Pushing magic back into the earth. Right. So that doesn’t work either. They want to mend the spot at Basgiath. Something tells me that maybe this is the point? Maybe Brennan needs to mend it, and then they need someone like Sloane to help imbue it with Xaden’s power? I know Xaden can imbue himself, but, you know, wondering if maybe she will come into play here?

Finally, as sad as we are that Xaden is not getting better, Violet seems to see it as a positive—not giving up. For now, that calls for celebration.

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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