Onyx Storm: Chapter Summary and Spoilers (Chapters 1-10)

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Chapter Summary & Spoilers (Chapters 1-10)

The Bite-Sized Version

In the aftermath of a major battle that claimed Violet Sorrengail’s mother, Basgiath War College is dealing with some serious drama. Our girl Violet is juggling patrols in terrible weather, peace talks with Poromiel that are going about as well as a dragon in an etiquette class, and oh yeah – her boyfriend Xaden Riorson is slowly turning into a venin (think magical soul-sucker) after channeling earth magic to save everyone. Talk about relationship complications! Just when they think they’ve got their hands full, some venin disguised as scribes break into the college, specifically targeting Jack Barlowe’s cell to break him out and showing a suspicious interest in our silver-haired heroine.

Because apparently life wasn’t spicy enough, Violet decides to casually commit treason by modifying Basgiath’s ward stone to help the gryphon fliers wield magic. While this technically works (and she manages to avoid execution thanks to some conveniently timed royal pardons), it leads to General Aetos throwing a tantrum and sending her squad to Samara as punishment. Meanwhile, Xaden’s gets promoted to Duke of Tyrrendor, and him and Violet’s powers are causing some… interesting side effects during intimate moments (nothing kills the mood quite like accidentally channeling dark magic), and his best friend Garrick is basically appointed as their official chaperone.

The action really kicks into high gear at Samara when the squad defies orders to save Maren’s village, Newhall, from a dark wielder attack. This leads to a showdown with a mysterious silver-haired venin named Theophanie, who can somehow wield lightning (which should be impossible) and seems to know way too much about Violet’s unique bond with the seventh breed of dragons. The confrontation ends with Violet’s dragon Tairn knocked out, her knee busted, and Theophanie using Garrick as a human puppet while demanding to know which dragon chose Violet first. Just another day in the life of our favorite revolutionary dragon rider!

The Bit-Sized Version

Prologue

• So, our girl Violet Sorrengail is playing a late-night game of follow-the-brooding-boyfriend through Basgiath War College’s tunnels. Why? Because Xaden Riorson (being peak Xaden) has decided to sneak off somewhere in the dead of night. The timing couldn’t be worse – they’ve just survived a huge battle that nearly cost them Basgiath, Violet’s mother sacrificed herself (I’m not crying, you’re crying), and oh yeah, Xaden’s venin transformation started when he had to channel from the earth to save the day!
• The stakes? Xaden’s eyes with their red rings are basically a neon sign saying “arrest me!” And in this world, arrest usually comes with a complementary execution. Cool cool cool, no pressure.
• Through some A+ detective work (and their dragons’ bond), Violet figures out Xaden’s headed to the interrogation chambers. Because apparently a chat with Jack Barlowe is exactly what this night needs! She manages to sweet-talk her way past the guards using the “my mom just died saving everyone” card (oof, but effective).
• The real gut-punch comes when she overhears Jack taunting Xaden about his newfound situation. The cliff notes version? Channel from earth = potentially losing control and hurting Violet = big no-no. Jack’s basically dangling the threat that the higher-ups will want to use Violet to control Xaden, which goes over about as well as you’d expect (spoiler: not well).
• But our girl Violet? She’s not having ANY of this “lose Xaden” business. She’s ready to go full rebel mode, potentially break some laws, and work with her dragon Andarna (who might be the key to everything) to find a cure. The chapter ends with Violet deciding to loop in her newfound best friend Imogen – because sometimes you need your bestie when you’re planning to casually overthrow magical kingdoms.
• The real MVP of this chapter might be Andarna, who not only pledges her loyalty to Violet but also drops the casual bombshell that she managed to scorch a venin during battle – which could be a game-changer for their whole situation.
• It’s giving major “rules were made to be broken” energy, and honestly? I’m here for it. Nothing says true first love like being willing to commit potential treason to save your magically-compromised boyfriend, am I right?

Chapter 1

• Two weeks later we find Violet Sorrengail, dragon rider extraordinaire, flying patrol through what has to be the worst weather Basgiath War College has seen in ages. Quick mood killer before the action – we get a glimpse of some grief over Violet’s mother, who sacrificed herself in the last battle of the previous book. One can’t help but wonder if her mother had been keeping them nice and cozy with her signet this whole time. But there’s no time to process because, you know, those dark wielders are still a threat.
• The patrol itself is giving serious “flying blind” energy – literally – as Violet’s squad and the other riders can barely see through the storm. There’s a brief aerial near-collision with Ridoc Gamlyn and his dragon Aotrom that sends Tairn into full protector attack mode. The real stressor? Tairn’s super worried about Xaden Riorson (referred to not-so-nicely as “The Dark One”). Their bond is dimmed, and while Violet insists his eyes are back to normal, Tairn’s not buying what she’s selling.
• During patrol, we get some insight into the political conflict at Basgiath – there are peace talks happening with Poromiel (day 4 of 7, and it’s not looking great), and Violet’s got a fancy-schmancy meeting with the King Tauri’s council later.
• After patrol, we get some squad dynamics with Rhiannon, Quinn, and Ridoc, plus some tension with the Navarrians who are treating our main characters like they have dragon pox or something. There’s also some secret planning happening with Violet’s sister Mira that could be considered *checks notes* actual treason. Fun times!
• The chapter ends with a bang – or rather, a scream – after returning from patrol and catching up with the squad (including Sawyer, who’s recovering from losing a leg), they hear a blood-curdling scream from somewhere in the infirmary. Plot twist: turns out while everyone’s been searching for venin outside the college, they’ve somehow snuck inside! The chapter ends with a cadet stumbling in with a gray handprint on his neck (very not good) announcing “They’re all dead!”

Chapter 2

• So we’re in the middle of absolute CHAOS at Basgiath War College when some venin (who clearly got the “dress like scribes” memo but missed the “don’t be murdery” one) start wreaking havoc. Violet Sorrengail, Rhiannon Matthias, and Ridoc Gamlyn are handling business in the tunnels wading through desiccated bodies – we’re talking fake scribes and a silver-haired venin who pulls a disappearing act that would make David Copperfield jealous.
• Here’s where it gets SPICY – the venin are actually trying to break into Jack Barlowe’s cell (you know, the guy who Violet turned into a human pancake with a mountain in the first book?). They specifically want “the silver hair” (Violet) alive, which… rude. But before things can get too dicey, in swoops Xaden Riorson like Batman if Batman wielded shadows instead of batarangs.
• Now, about Xaden’s best friend Garrick – my man is taking his bestie duties to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. He and Imogen have apparently been trying to convince Violet that maybe, JUST MAYBE, she shouldn’t be sharing a bed with her boyfriend who’s slowly turning into a venin. You know, like reasonable people concerned about their friend potentially getting her soul sucked out in her sleep. TOTALLY NORMAL RELATIONSHIP CONCERNS!
• Garrick won’t leave them alone for more than five minutes (and honestly, can you blame him when your bestie is slowly turning into a soul-sucking dark wielder?). He and Bodhi would probably sleep at the foot of Violet and Xaden’s bed if they thought they could get away with it without Xaden murdering them. When Xaden asks for five minutes alone with Violet, Garrick looks like someone asked him to juggle nitroglycerin while riding a unicycle.
• The cherry on top of this angst sundae? Xaden drops the bomb that he can now sense other venin because he’s becoming one of them (thanks to that battle at the end of Iron Flame), and his dragon Sgaeyl is giving him the cold shoulder harder than a teenager who got their phone taken away. And Violet? She’s standing there like “Still not scared” because apparently, dating a guy who’s slowly turning into a dark wielder is just another Tuesday in the life of Violet Sorrengail. 
• I mean, the tension between these two could power Basgiath’s ward stone, but Xaden’s doing that push-pull thing where he wants her close but also thinks he should push her away for her own good (sir, have you MET Violet? Good luck with that!). 

Chapter 3

• We kick off right after Xaden Riorson’s dropped that venin-sensing bombshell, and Violet Sorrengail’s doing her best “this is fine” meme impression. True to brand, she’s all “Never scared” while Xaden’s best friend Garrick is taking his bestie duties to helicopter parent levels. When Xaden finds out about his sleeping arrangement suggestion through Violet, his response is an absolutely iconic “Get fucked” to match Violet’s earlier “told Imogen to get fucked.” We love a couple who shares the same communication style!  
• Then we get to the Big Important Meeting™ with the Senarium (aka Fancy Aristocrat Club), and oh boy, does it go sideways faster than a dragon with an inner ear infection! Instead of Violet leading her own mission to find the seventh dragon breed (which, hello, was the OBVIOUS choice), they’re putting Professor Grady in charge. You know, her RSC professor? Talk about awkward future class discussions! And just to add some spice to this already messy stew, she gets a cryptic three-day deadline note from King Tauri that’s giving us serious “ticking time bomb” vibes.
• But HOLD ONTO YOUR DRAGON SADDLES, because the next morning brings us some quality Xaden/Violet time that goes from “aww, he’s sleeping peacefully” to “OH MY” faster than you can say “rebellion relics.” We’re talking grade-A steam here, folks – Xaden’s bringing his dirty talk A-game (someone’s been reading Navarrian romance novels in his spare time, just saying), and everything’s heading toward Dragon Raiders After Dark territory…
• Until… PLOT TWIST! Sexy time screeches to a halt when their powers start doing the macarena – we’re talking crackling lightning and dancing shadows. Poor Xaden has to literally white-knuckle the headboard to keep control, leaving some suspicious marks that have our girl wondering if he just channeled. Because nothing kills the mood quite like accidentally tapping into dark powers, am I right? 
• The tension by the end is thicker than dragon hide, with our favorite couple discovering that “slowly turning venin” might put a slight damper on their… physical training sessions. 

Chapter 4

• So remember those marks Xaden Riorson left on the headboard? Our girl Violet Sorrengail is trying to play it cool like “It’s barely there, sandpaper does more damage!” but Xaden’s having NONE of it. He’s all “I promised myself I wouldn’t touch you” (a little late for that, buddy) and basically declares that sexy times are officially on pause because he’s not risking accidentally going venin while… ahem… otherwise occupied. Talk about a mood killer!
• But WAIT, because this chapter of the third book is about to turn into the world’s most awkward hallway party! Picture this: Violet and Xaden are just trying to get ready for the day when they open their door to find half of Basgiath War College hanging out like it’s a college dorm common room. We’ve got Brennan (doing his best overprotective older brother routine), Garrick (still on his bestie-watching duties), Lewellen, Bodhi, AND Imogen all just… chillin’. And Imogen’s point of view about and Garrick’s night with Nina Shrensour is absolutely DELICIOUS (we’re sensing jealousy).
• But the REAL tea gets spilled when Violet’s sister Mira shows up early with some game-changing news about failing Aretian defenses. First, she’s brought Violet a conduit (finally, our girl can aim her lightning strikes!), but more importantly, they’ve cracked the code on those runed disks! They can actually nullify specific runes while keeping others active.
• The chapter ends with some serious family drama when Mira absolutely DRAGS Brennan for letting Violet go on this potentially suicide mission to find more of Andarna’s kind. Oh, and by the way? Those wards they’re all relying on to protect Aretia? They’ve got about six months before total collapse (no pressure or anything). Mira throws a runed disk at Brennan like it’s a magical frisbee of disappointment and storms off after basically calling him their mom’s mini-me.

Chapter 5

• So we start with Violet’s squad hanging in the gathering hall of Basgiath War College, trying to act casual while waiting for news from Violet’s siblings Brennan and Mira (and by casual I mean Violet’s doing that thing where she peels an apple in one long strip because apparently even her fruit-peeling has to be extra). They’re chatting about that silver-haired venin from yesterday when suddenly the hall turns into a game of telephone on steroids, with news spreading faster than gossip at a dragon rider slumber party.
• And honey, this tea is HOT – First Wing has decided to go full Mean Girls on one of the flier first years. We’re talking Aura Beinhaven (giving major Regina George energy) holding a knife to this poor kid’s throat and demanding a challenge. Because nothing says “welcome to Basgiath” like threatening murder in the courtyard?
• Our girl Violet Sorrengail and the squad race out there fast with Dain Aetos in tow, and it’s like walking into the world’s most dangerous high school cafeteria fight. We’ve got:
  • Navarrians taking BETS (stay classy, Caroline Ashton)
  • Cat ready to throw hands (bless her heart)
  • Dain Aetos trying to lawyer his way out of this with his Codex knowledge
  • And dragons and gryphons watching from the walls like it’s dinner theater
• But here’s where it gets SPICY – Aura starts giving this whole “we don’t want your alliance anyway” speech, and suddenly everybody’s ready to turn this into the Hunger Games. Poor Dain’s trying to de-escalate but Aura’s out here playing with fire (literally – she’s about to go full flame-thrower on him).
• And just when you think it can’t get more dramatic, our girl Violet has her “hold my conduit” moment and steps in like the badass she is. She pins Aura’s glove to the dais with a dagger throw and delivers the most iconic line: “‘Rebel’ is so…outdated. We prefer the term ‘revolutionary.'”

Chapter 6

• So we start with Violet Sorrengail absolutely OWNING this confrontation with Aura. Our lightning weilder channels her inner Thor, splits the sky with lightning (casual flex), and delivers a speech that would make both Elizabeth Bennet AND Daenerys Targaryen proud. She’s out here spitting facts about how they need to trust each other and be the generation who unites against the dark wielders, and we’re just like “someone get this girl a TED talk stage!” 
• Then the professors show up (looking like they just crawled out of a dragon’s basement) to remind us that Violet and Xaden Riorson are the first place winners for most unique power couple since the Great War as the first lightning/shadow wielder combo in centuries. 
• But wait, because this chapter is about to go from “interesting” to “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” faster than Ridoc Gamlyn can make an inappropriate joke. We find out that:
  • Prince Halden (aka Violet’s least favorite royal pain) is joining her task force (cue internal screaming)
  • The alliance is falling apart because they can’t agree on flier safety (politics, am I right?)
  • And the BIGGEST bomb of all – Xaden just got handed back his title as Duke of Tyrrendor aka top dawg of the ENTIRE PROVINCE! 
• And our boy Xaden? He’s taking this promotion about as well as a dragon in a china shop. He’s so worried about going full venin that he makes Violet promise to basically put him down if he goes to the dark side. Talk about relationship goals – nothing says true love like “please stop me if I start sucking magic from the ground”! 
• The chapter ends with Xaden rushing off on orders from Colonel Aetos (rude timing!), and Violet deciding that a little light treason might be in order to save the alliance. 

Chapter 7

• So we start with our favorite main characters doing their best Mission Impossible impression, sneaking through Basgiath War College at midnight. Ridoc Gamlyn is still campaigning HARD to join what he insists on calling the “quest squad” (bless his optimistic little heart), while everyone else is trying not to get caught and, you know, executed. Just normal Tuesday night activities in author Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series!
  • The squad’s got a whole Ocean’s Eleven thing going, complete with:
  • A friendly inside man to help break Sawyer aka metalworking king out of the infirmary (thanks Dyre!)
  • Maren being brought along but kept in the dark for “plausible deniability” (smart!)
  • And some VERY conveniently knocked-out guards in the Red Tower
• But PLOT TWIST – they run into not one but TWO Sorrengails! First Violet’s sister Mira is there like “excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?” and then Brennan pops up like “surprise, it’s a family treason party!” 
• The whole gang is trying to modify the ward stone to let the fliers wield magic (casual act of treason, no biggie), and there’s this SUPER intense moment where everything almost goes terribly wrong – we’re talking melting metal and emergency ice-balls from Ridoc. But then Maren comes in clutch and suddenly they’ve done it! The fliers can wield! 
• Cut to the next morning in Battle Brief where everyone’s trying to act casual while Cat’s uncle, Viscount Tecarus, spreads the news about renewed alliance negotiations (sneaky, sneaky!). Professor Devera’s out here reorganizing wings and reinstating Dain Aetos as Fourth Wing’s leader when BAM! 
• Colonel Aetos bursts in like the Kool-Aid Man but with more murder vibes, charging Violet with high treason. Because apparently this chapter needed MORE drama! 

Chapter 8

• So our girl Violet Sorrengail has just pulled off something pretty major with the ward stone – we’re talking “mess with your kingdom’s magical defenses” level of major – and naturally, that’s landed her in some hot water with the king’s council. She gets hauled in front of the Senarium (think magical fantasy Supreme Court) where Colonel Aetos, who’s apparently having a real villain era moment, is ready to throw the book at her.
• The best part? Xaden Riorson, aka the Duke of Tyrrendor, is sitting there as part of the Senarium looking like a snack (albeit a tired one) and holding Violet’s signet patch that she strategically cut off her uniform. This is where Violet unleashes her galaxy-brain legal maneuver – instead of trying to deny anything, she goes full confession mode: “Yep, that’s my patch! I totally messed with the wardstone. I’m the reason the fliers can wield now. You’re welcome!”
• Here’s the brilliant part – since she (and whoever helped her) did the deed the night before, and King Tauri signed some fancy pardons that morning, she’s technically in the clear. It’s like getting a parking ticket, then finding out the city declared all parking tickets from yesterday invalid. Even the Duchess of Elsum is sitting there like “So she just… goes back to class?” And everyone’s forced to be like “…yeah, pretty much.”
• Enter the Queen Maraya (serving serious warrior queen realness in armor AND a tiara – we love a multitasking monarch) who’s pretty impressed with Violet’s whole “risk everything to help my gryphon riders” move. As a thank you, she offers Violet access to her library, which apparently puts all other libraries to shame.
• But wait, there’s more! Just when you think Violet’s in the clear, GENERAL Aetos (yep, he got promoted, because apparently bad guys always fail upward) decides to get petty. Since he can’t punish Violet directly – because let’s face it, she’s too valuable with her rare dragons and fancy signet powers – he’s going for the next best thing: her friends. He orders all the second-years in her squad to do a two-day stint at Samara, where the fighting is “rather intense” (translation: absolutely brutal).
• The kicker? They have to leave immediately for an 18+ hour flight that’ll leave them exhausted before they even get to the fighting. Talk about a power trip!

Chapter 9

• So, picture this: Violet’s squad of exhausted dragon riders and gryphon fliers show up at Samara looking like they just went through a dragon wash cycle. They’re reporting to Lieutenant Colonel Degrensi, who, by the way, is not having his best day either – sporting some lovely dried blood accessories from the latest huge battle.
• The fortress is looking rough – there’s a massive hole in the western wall courtesy of a wyvern (as dragon Andarna helpfully points out). It’s basically become a makeshift hospital with wounded everywhere. Degrensi’s like “Wait, they put General Aetos in charge of Basgiath War College? And he sent me cadets? Cute.” But then he’s like “whatever, the fighting’s over anyway, and I’m too busy for this drama.”
• Things get spicy when Violet has this absolutely WILD nightmare while napping in Xaden’s old room (which he thoughtfully warded so only they could enter – aww, relationship goals?). She’s dreaming about trying to save a family portrait while everything’s on fire, and dream-Cat’s there being all “you have to live because you’re the future queen of Tyrrendor” which even Violet admits is nightmare material.
• But the real drama kicks in when they overhear that Newhall (Maren’s family’s village) is about to be attacked by dark wielders. The higher-ups are basically like “Sorry, not sorry, too small to save!” Which goes over about as well as you’d expect with our squad. Maren’s understandably freaking out about her family potentially becoming venin snacks.
• In true main-character fashion, they decide to put it to a vote – should they go save Newhall? And surprise, surprise (not), everyone’s hand shoots up faster than a dragon during mating season. Even Rhi, their squad leader, is in.
• The chapter ends with them basically being like “Well, Degrensi DID tell us to make ourselves useful…” which is technically true, though I doubt “potentially getting killed saving a village” was what he had in mind for their afternoon activities!

Chapter 10

• So Violet Sorrengail and her dragon Tairn are zooming through a valley in a storm, ignoring orders to return because… well, when has Violet ever followed orders? They spot civilians fleeing from a smoke-filled village and – surprise, surprise – run into some wyverns (you know, those nasty dragon-like creatures that definitely don’t spark joy).
• Our girl goes full beast mode with her lightning powers and takes out the first wyvern like *snap* that, but then – plot twist! – they realize it’s a trap. The same silver-haired venin from Jack Barlowe’s cell is there, doing her best evil queen impression, complete with a theatrical wave hello. Talk about bad manners!
• Things get WILD from there. We’re talking tornado-level wild (literally – there’s an actual tornado). Tairn pulls some dragon acrobatics that would make Olympic gymnasts jealous, and poor Violet’s just hanging on for dear life. Then BAM! They crash into a mountainside, and Tairn gets knocked out cold. For a hot minute, Violet thinks he’s dead (don’t worry, he’s just taking a power nap).
• But wait, there’s more! Xaden’s best friend Garrick shows up out of nowhere riding Chradh (a brown scorpiontail dragon), which is weird because he’s supposed to be with Xaden Riorson like eight hours away. Something’s fishy here… 
• The chapter ends with our villain-of-the-week introducing herself as Theophanie (fancy name for a not-so-fancy person) and pulling some serious dark magic. She’s got Garrick floating in the air like a puppet and is super interested in Violet’s unique bond with the seventh breed of dragons. She’s giving off major “I know everything about you” vibes, which is never a good sign.
• Oh, and the cherry on top? This venin can somehow use lightning powers, which should be impossible. The whole thing ends on a cliffhanger with Theophanie asking which dragon chose Violet first – because apparently that’s what keeps evil villains up at night these days!
• P.S. Violet’s knee got totally messed up in the crash, but she’s being a trooper about it. You know, just another Tuesday in the life of our favorite dragon rider!