Onyx Stormis returning readers to the world ofThe Empyrean Series,and the book’s Goodreads rating is a great sign afterIron Flame’s biggest complaints.Onyx Stormis easily one of the biggestfantasy books coming out in 2025, especially afterIron Flame’s endingleft readers reeling and desperate for answers. ThenewFourth Wingsequeldelivers on that front, and it seems likeOnyx Stormis resonating with readers. Its 4.56 averageGoodreadsconfirms as much, placing just underFourth Wing’s4.58in terms of response.
The Empyrean Seriesbooks all have impressive ratings onGoodreads, with none of them falling below 4.3 stars on the platform. Perhaps this is no surprise, as Rebecca Yarros' novels are among themost popular books on BookTok. But even ifIron Flame’s 4.37 score is generally positive, it does indicate a dip from its predecessor. This makes sense, asIron Flamereceived a few key criticisms upon its October 2023 release. Fortunately, things appear to be turning around withOnyx Storm.
4.58
4.37
4.56
Onyx Storm’s Goodreads Score Is A Good Sign For The Empyrean Series After Iron Flame’s Dip
Iron Flame Was Slightly Less Well-Received Than Fourth Wing
Onyx Storm’s Goodreads rating returns to the heights ofFourth Wing’s reception, offering hope thatThe Empyrean Serieswill continue on an upward trajectory from here on out. WhileIron Flame’s reviews were far from negative, they indicated a dip from the first book — and it would have been disheartening to see the series continue down that road. Fortunately,readers seem to findOnyx Storma step up from the previous book, which received criticism for several aspects of its story. The pacing was chief among them, with some reviewers finding it slow and others simply feeling it was uneven.
Fortunately,Onyx Stormresolves a lot of the storylines fromIron Flame,and it addresses several other complaints about the prior book.
The communication issues between Violet and Xaden were amongIron Flame’s biggest complaints, and the portrayal of Violet in general grated on some readers. There were also a lot of questions left unanswered, and while that’s standard for the second book in a series, it left reviewers feeling dissatisfied. Fortunately,Onyx Stormresolves a lot of the storylines fromIron Flame,and it addresses several other complaints about the prior book. This may be why readers rated it more favorably, and that bodes well for thefourthEmpyrean Seriesbook.
Onyx Storm Fixes Some Of The Biggest Iron Flame Complaints
The Book Is Fast-Paced &
Onyx Stormfixes a lot of issues readers had withIron Flame,namely the pacing and the portrayal of Violet and Xaden’s relationship.The pacing picks up in the newest addition toThe Empyrean Series,which hardly gives readers a break from all the action and twists packed into its 500+ pages. It also answers many of the questions raised inFourth WingandIron Flame,leading to more satisfying reveals. And finally, Violet and Xaden’s communication is far better in this installment. All of this likely contributes toOnyx Storm’s higher Goodreads rating, setting its sequel up for success.
Onyx Storm
Violet Sorrengail faces new political intrigue and battles old enemies while uncovering the secrets of her second signet. As she strives to save Xaden from venin corruption, her relationships with allies and dragons are tested, leading to intense confrontations and unexpected revelations in a world of dragons and magic.
