Rebecca Yarros has been touring for Onyx Storm, and she’s been kind enough to answer some of our most burning questions. I’m trying to collect as many of the questions and answers as I can and have them all in one space for you to muse over.

Obviously, Rebecca Yarros is wonderful, and she’s been awesome about answering some of our questions, but of course, she’s usually very careful not to give too many spoilers.

However, lucky for us, we do have some things to go by!

When Mrs. Yarros was asked which other character she would pick to be, aside from Violet, she said Imogen. She mentioned that there are two more books coming, and we’ll probably understand why. First, if I had to pick another character, I’d also choose Imogen. Second, I think Imogen is pretty incredible. Knowing that she also has an incredible second signet will make her even more important. Plus, she feels very loyal to me seeing as she did what was asked of her.

She was asked again about Liam. Guys, Liam is dead. He’s dead, dead, and he’s not coming back. That doesn’t mean we won’t hear more from Liam, but there goes my theory about Liam’s items not being burned for Malek. On the other hand, I hope this clarifies that Liam is not the one who turned at the end of Onyx Storm.

When asked about Lilith and Asher, Rebecca Yarros reiterated that both Lilith and Asher have an incredible love story and that they sacrificed a lot to prepare their children for what was to come. I think this is very beautiful, and we will soon uncover what Lilith did for Mira! We’re already learning just how Asher prepared Violet, right? And if you remember, on Deverelli, Narelle even made a remark about this to Mira.

We have confirmation that Broccoli is safe. She did not confirm anything between Drake and Mira, but I mean, come on. We all know it’s bound to happen, right? Also, Broccoli is based on her actual cat, Boots. Boots and Broccoli—HA!

The song that best represents Violet is – Nightmare. Because of her mind. But also, I think because of the nightmares she shares with others.

Her favorite character? Violet. But Imogen and Ridoc are a great follow-up. And I’m so grateful for it. Because I love both.

She confirmed (again) that she has an ending. It’s all plotted, and she’s not aimlessly wandering. She knows how it ends. We just need to hang in there.

Prequel to be written? She could consider it, but she’s not sure if it would be too sad. UGH! Well that is ominous.

Tairn is based on her late dog, as we know… The story is very sad, and I really hope it didn’t fully inspire her writing. We know that her bulldog was called Diesel. During the pandemic, she went to Scotland and bought a dog named Scotland. And Scotland was the bane of Diesel’s existence. But when Diesel passed, Scotland went into doggy depression. So they got London for Scotland. But London, while very cute, is apparently a nightmare. I swear to the Gods, if she does this to us, I will rebel. I’m telling you right now—EVERYONE but Tairn.

The big spoiler: Ridoc gets to live! I pray to the Gods that Rebecca Yarros didn’t just do this to play with our emotions but instead let it slip by mistake. She basically said that his sense of humor will evolve over the next two books. Does this mean we don’t kill Ridoc? Because everyone loves Ridoc. To be fair, we kind of love Ridoc more than Sawyer and even Rhi, right? Or have I gone too far?

She was asked if Amari will play a bigger role in the books to come, and she said maybe. I’m not 100% certain that the gods are among us and will come into play. Besides, do you remember my pantheon similarity theory?

Her favorite Fourth Wing Easter egg that is 100% confirmed: the prickling her Violet’s scalp. I mean, you do remember that we caught up on it and said that Xaden is inntinnsic even before Iron Flame.

Why did Xaden not feel Jack? There is a reason for it. They can shield, but there’s another reason. It’s all in Onyx Storm.

Did Asher and Andarna know each other somehow? No.

When asked what she loved most about writing Violet in Onyx Storm, Yarros confirmed that Violet is much more confident in this book. She’s realized that they can’t punish her—she’s strong now.

When asked about General Aetos’s signet, she told us there will be no information.

When asked if there are any signets we haven’t seen yet, she simply refused to talk to us about it.

When discussing why certain signets haven’t been revealed, she reminded us that we only see through Violet’s perspective—we only know what she knows.

When asked about the way the map expands, she explained that it grows as Violet’s knowledge expands. It’s not fully revealed yet because it would be too much of a spoiler.

When asked whether we can know anything about the First Six, she told us there’s nothing we can possibly know yet because she doesn’t want to tell us—but maybe we’ll get more about them in the future.

When the topic of Jack’s knowledge about Feathertails came up, she clarified that Jack was not part of a horde of Venin before coming to Basgiath. Do we know who came up with that theory before? This is the first I heard of it?

When discussing how signets manifest, she explained that they emerge when needed—when nature recognizes something is about to happen. This is why we haven’t seen the most powerful six in centuries.

When asked to clarify how magic works on the continent versus elsewhere, she simply stated that there is magic on the continent. Fun, huh? Haha, so many questions.

When asked about Ridoc and Aotrom’s Threshing story, she said she couldn’t tell us but would consider doing a bonus scene. As for whether it was love at first sight between Ridoc and his dragon, Aotrom—her answer was a firm no. As a litrle fun she did say that Aotrom is like a frat boy and that Ridoc would download Tinder if he had access to today’s technology.

When asked about the most satisfying kill in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, she confirmed that it was Varrish. YES!

When fans asked if she could guarantee another character’s safety beyond Jesinia, she absolutely refused. However, she did say Broccoli is safe—because she’s not going to kill a cat.

She also told us that we need to pay extreme attention to the epigraphs. They always relate to the chapter, but they usually have a double meaning.

When discussing Zihnal’s gifts, she acknowledged that we already know they’re very important but refused to tell us why.

When the conversation turned to the new brother who turned, she said we need to pay attention to who is missing at the end—someone who feels like what they’ve given isn’t enough. She emphasized that it’s always about power.

When asked why dragon and rider bonds seem to be recorded incorrectly, she revealed that the names aren’t always accurate—because dragons have secrets. It’s actually the rider who says the name of the dragon, not the other way around. Which means, do we even know the real names of any dragon? So Sgaeyl. What is her real name then?

When talking about Aaric’s signet, she confirmed that it manifested in Onyx Storm, but he doesn’t yet understand what’s happening.

She also told us that Violet’s second signet is currently at about 10% capacity. It’s going to evolve—and it’s going to be glorious. She confirmed that there is one person alive who can train her.

As for Xaden’s second signet, she revealed that we’ve seen about 50% of it so far. Which is fair, assuming just how powerful he really is. Also…errr, terrifying?!

She reminded us that Violet doesn’t wield lightning—she wields power. She’s just more comfortable using it in the form of lightning. Right now, we’ve seen about 85% of that signet, and she just needs to gain better control.

When asked about Basgiath being infiltrated, she confirmed that this is not the first time scribes have done so.

When asked what Taylor Swift song best represents Violet at the beginning of Book 4, she said Look What You Made Me Do.

She also confirmed that Bodhi is the “spare”—for for just about everything. This makes us wonder if that ties into his feelings of inadequacy. Could he actually be the one who turned?

When asked if Xaden really intended to propose, she emphatically confirmed—yes, he did. At least we got one theory right!

When discussing her favorite god, she said it’s Malek—because when you meet him, you’re done. She added that everyone kind of fears him, and she finds that a little hot.

She also shared an interesting perspective on the references to ice and mental health, explaining that her kids play hockey. She reflected on the number of times she watched them on the ice and thought about what’s beneath it—the worst-case scenarios.

She told us that we need to obsess over the last 100 pages, because they all have secret meanings.

When krakens, pirates, and Heaton’s ability to breathe underwater came up, she teased us—saying we need to give her a chance and wait for Book 4. She also mentioned that some things she wrote earlier may or may not be used. We just don’t know yet.

When discussing the timeline for the next book, she reassured us that she’s not disappearing—she just wants to work eight-hour days instead of fifteen. Given that she wrote a contemporary book between Iron Flame and Onyx Storm, and we had to wait about 15 months between those releases, I think it’s fair to assume we might have to wait more like 18-24 months for the next book. Of course, this is just my guess.

And finally, she confirmed that Theo James is not going to be our Xaden (thank the gods). Sorry, beautiful souls, but he was not our Xaden—too white and too old!

Are any of the characters inspired by people in her life? She said no, although sometimes her husband bleeds into her heroes because she finds him attractive.

OMG! Rebecca Yarros confirmed that Sgaeyl and Tairn do not have baby dragons. There goes my theory about them having hatchlings. Things are unstable, and the Empyrean has been divided for a long time. They’re not going to have kids in an environment that’s not stable. Which, I sincerely hope, puts an end to the theory that Violet is pregnant. I DO NOT love that idea, and I really do not want that for her. So I am very grateful that this has been confirmed!

Someone asked a question about Dain’s mother, and Rebecca Yarros did not say a bleep. But speaking of Dain, she did tell us that she will make us come around and love Dain again. And damn, don’t we all swoon for Aetos right now? Alright, Mrs. Yarros… alright. You may proceed. “Eyes here“. You have our full and sincere apologies. We do love Dain now, mkay?

The part that shocked me the most from her interviews was when someone asked her what her favorite line is, and she said, “Then let us be menaces.“ That was Rhi’s line. Does my theory that she resembles the rendering of Amari still stand? Is she more than just our Rhi?

Her least favorite character? She said she loves them all. But then she admitted that she has difficulties with Varrish and with people who want power for power’s sake. But she doesn’t hate Jack. He still plays a role.

Has she mentioned the Sage’s real name in the first two books? She means Berwyn. But no, we don’t learn his name before Onyx Storm. But is it his real name? I still think he is Naolin.

Will there be a love triangle? She said no, she does not like love triangles. She’s never found one she liked. (thank the Gods, I don’t like them either)

Are Violet’s parents really her parents? YES! So we have confirmation that Violet and Xaden might not be gods. But, as we know, at least Violet is definitely touched by the gods. But overall—Violet is the daughter of Lilith and Asher! She was not adopted, she has no actual relation with the Gods (or Malek) as initially predicted.

I will continue to update this as I listen to more of her interviews. If meanwhile you see another question that I missed, please let me know in the comments below.

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 Theories

• Onyx Storm Theory: Berwyn and Xaden are both from Tyrrendor
• Onyx Storm Theory: Tyrrendor always had dragon riders
• Onyx Storm Theory: Why was Violet touched by Dunne
• Onyx Storm Theory: How to get Xaden’s soul back
• Onyx Storm Theory: Are the dragons evil?
• Onyx Storm Theory: Who exactly is Berwyn
• Q&A with Rebecca Yarros – Answering our Onyx Storm questions
• Onyx Storm Theory – Violet will find Xaden (he taught her how)
• Onyx Storm Theory: Who turned venin at the end?
• Onyx Storm Theory: Love is all we need (well, at least what Xaden needs)
• Onyx Storm Theory: Sloane is life, Naolin was…not
• Onyx Storm Theory: Could Violet be pregnant
• Onyx Storm Theory: Imogen has a second signet
• Onyx Storm Ending Explained
• Onyx Storm – Recap and What do we know so far
• The Last Teaser Is Here: Rebecca Yarros’ Onyx Storm Begins with a Bang!
• Rebecca Yarros’ clue: Violet’s second signet has to do with truth
• Onyx Storm Theory: We know the herbal remedy for venin. It’s in every single book
• Onyx Storm Theory: Liam is dead, but he isn’t actually gone
• Onyx Storm Theory: Markham is venin
• Onyx Storm Official Excerpt: What does it all mean?
• Onyx Storm snippet: Plus new theories
• Onyx Storm Theory: Violet knows the herbal remedy for…venin?
• Onyx Storm Theory: The Colors of Bonds is super relevant
• Iron Flame Unhinged Theory: Those who do not burn for Malek, get their loved ones back
• Iron Flame Theory: Violet’s second signet could be storm wielder