Living With B

After eighteen months at Basgiath, Violet Sorrengail has no time left for doubt—the real war is here. With enemies closing in, she must leave Navarre to find unlikely allies, risking everything to save her dragons, family, and the boy she loves. But as secrets mount and danger rises, Violet learns the hardest truth of all: some won’t survive the coming storm.

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My Thoughts

I won’t lie: I took a very long break from reading this. I remember a good portion, but some of it… not so much. It wasn’t necessarily the writing that put me off; I just hit a reading slump. And honestly? I got a little bored with all the fluff Yarros included.

Lets start with the good things!

The world-building is great. It’s immersive, and Yarros skillfully introduces new isles, cultures, and draconic lore to the Empyrean world, it actually feels alive rather than distant. I loved that she included a map too! New lands, new dragons, new curses — it all feels so much bigger than book one.

The battles also feel higher stakes now, which made them more intense. There are real consequences where everyone’s life is at risk, and that adds a deeper sense of love and loss.

But it still has issues, sadly.

For one, I know this world is huge, but Yarros references so many people I have no memory of. The map helps, but I really wish she’d included a list of who everyone was.

And let’s talk about the dialogue: it’s still painfully corny. I know it’s YA, but that doesn’t mean it has to be cringey. Corny can be fun sometimes (shout out to Smallville), but when it’s a story about war— even a fantasy war — I want to actually care about the characters, not roll my eyes at them.

A big chunk of the book also feels like fluff just to pad the length, which comes off lazy. A lot could’ve been cut or at least made more interesting. It felt like I had to trudge through the middle just to get to the good parts. Plus, everything felt repetitive: we quest, we talk, we repeat. Rebecca, bestie, I am not in the dragon version of Stardew Valley. I’m here for plot. I want action!

I also wasn’t a fan of adding multiple POVs during the last 90%. Xaden, Imogen, and Rhiannon each get their own chapters—and for what? It felt unnecessary and again, like filler. Honestly, it made me almost DNF. I think it would’ve been better if she shared those POVs on her website as bonus content instead.

Say what you want, but Yarros knows how to leave an audience on a cliffhanger. The ending itself is kind of lazy, but it still has me in a chokehold. Violet and Xaden being married—and she doesn’t remember it? Obsessed. And that it was Imogen who erased her memories because Violet asked? Hook, line, and sinker, baby! I’m ready for book four.

Do I Recommend ‘Onyx Storm’?

If you’re already invested in the Empyrean world, sure—it still delivers something. But be prepared to slog through a slow, repetitive middle just to get to the payoff. It honestly took me almost five months to finish because… nothing was really happening for a while. But in the end? It’s a fine book.

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