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 just… sour. But thank you for your wise words, Panchek.

“Fuck, I’m in sparring gear and lack armor, but it will have to do. At least my boots are on.”

For once, I wish Violet would take her life more seriously. It would only take her another two minutes to gear up. Surely…

“If they outflew two dragons, they have to be greenfire wyvern.”

Also, wait. So we know that we have different wyvern. But we didn’t know some wyvern were that much faster than dragons. That’s terrifying. Good to know here also that Suri and Ulices are generals of Xaden’s army. Interesting.

Well, a bit of an Easter egg here:

“The weight of that responsibility would buckle my knees.”

I cannot help but think just how much of an Easter egg this is:

“Wards are still up here, or we would feel it.” Brennan tilts his head.

Is it just me, or was there more to this comment? He tilts his head. It almost feels like Brennan is saying, “We, as venin, would feel it.” I don’t know. Just something that strikes me as odd.

“I love you more than this city. Do not die defending it.”

Is this… foreshadowing again?

“You have to protect Dunne’s temple.”

Tell me honestly, are you picking up on Aaric’s weird things here? Why is he so vehement about it? That was strange at first read. But on a second read, it all makes sense. Mark it as a fab Easter egg.

And look, look! Again, biggest, baddest foreshadowing here:

“You must get faster at reacting to attacks like these.”
“I can’t tell leadership to make decisions faster.” I settle into the wet saddle, then buckle the water-laden strap with quickly cramping hands.
“Then perhaps we need to make our own decisions.”

I trust Tairn. He is right.

“Either they’ve traded the security of formation in hopes smaller pairings will get through,” Tairn muses, “or they know you’re here and formations make a bigger target.”

The little things that we tend to skim over when we read the book the first time. But read it again. Or they know they are there. They really do have spies among them.

“That would require one of the dark wielders to have escaped Basgiath.” I glance downward and see Sliseag and Aotrom land at the gates, a row of gryphons manning the walls above them.
“It would.”

Two things here. One of the dark wielders did escape Basgiath. The Sage. Two, they have traitors in the ranks.

The next part of the chapter is interesting. Rhi hesitates. It’s the second time. She hesitates a lot. I cannot believe I am saying this, but she doesn’t seem to be a good… leader. She’s an exceptional fighter, no doubt. She deserves her dragon, and she is very powerful. But Rhi is not the leader they need—Vi is.

And knowing from Rebecca’s Q&A that someone we love will die… I can’t help but wonder: will it be Rhi? With sadness, I say this, but she’s not… great at what she does. It almost feels like she hinders the squad rather than making it better.

“It’s too dark ahead. I can’t see,” I warn Tairn.

And there…

“We are the dark. Drop the conduit,” he orders.

We are the dark. Malek. There has to be symbolism here. I will accept nothing else.

“Xaden. My feelings get the best of me, and I reach down the bond. Instead of warm, shimmering shadow, I’m met with a wall of onyx ice so cold it burns to the touch.”

Ugh. Not ideal.

“But how can it be too much when I am the very thing I wield?”

Pay attention to this. Is this a little hint that Violet cannot burn out? Is this what we understand from this sentence?

Then, Violet does that thing where it almost feels like she’s slowing down time to check what is happening. You cannot convince me otherwise. I’m honestly sure she can still slow down time.

“Zero. […] Tairn bellows, and his pain replaces mine.”

And with that, we stopped breathing…

Onyx Storm Read Along

• Onyx Storm Read Along: Prologue
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 1
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 2
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 3
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 4
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 5
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 6
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 7
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 8
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 9
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 10
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 11
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 12
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 13
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 14
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 15
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 16
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 17
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 18
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 19
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 20
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 21
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 22
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 23
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 24
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 25
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 26
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 27
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 28
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 29
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 30
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 31
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 32
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 33
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 34
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 35
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 36
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 37
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 38
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 39
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 40
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 41
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 42
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 43
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 44
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 45
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 46
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 47
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 48
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 49
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 50
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 51
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 52
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 53
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 54
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 55
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 56
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 57
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 58
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 59
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 60
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 61
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 62
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 63
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 64
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 65
• Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 66