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.

Right away, Chapter 19 gives us Easter eggs.

“I’m struck with the oddest urge to try and pluck strands from the very sky and weave runes.”

An odd thing to say, indeed. Not from Tairn, not from the ground—from the sky. And yet, the conversation with Tairn is… intriguing, to say the least.

“It feels like there’s more power out here than usual,” I tell Tairn as we dive along a ridgeline.
“There’s actually less—the venin saw to that,” he replies. “But you grow more powerful every day, more capable of recognizing what once was entirely invisible to you.”

Tairn tells Violet there is less power than usual—or at least, that’s what he perceives. Which is precisely the opposite of what Violet feels. For someone as cunning as Tairn, I have to say, he sometimes misses the mark, assuming only the most obvious explanations.

“I could recognize it,” Andarna chimes in. “If you ever let me come with you.” Andarna isn’t there to clarify this for us.

This is such an important Easter egg because of the theory questioning whether dragons are evil. Do they draw power from the ground, much like the venin? Is that why Violet can command the sky? Can she somehow pull magic from the sky itself?

Another Easter egg: “I can burn venin.”

We already know this about Andarna from Iron Flame. But can she burn all venin—or just certain ones? This is a useful piece of information to store for later.

“We have about twelve hours before you’ll start to feel the pain of distance from Andarna.”

Riders and dragons cannot be physically separated for long. I cannot help but wonder if this will come in handy when Xaden inevitably loses control. And let’s be real—this isn’t even a spoiler. We all know it’s going to happen.

“I have no desire to test the three-to-four-day limit that riders and their dragons can be apart, nor to suffer the fatal consequences.” So many questions about this statement. This feels very relevant for what’s coming. We know so little about what happens to dragons once riders turn venin. As far as we know, there are no dragons amongst venin. Just wyvern.

Chapter 19 also gives us a look at what happens in occupied (or drained) territory. We’ve all wondered why the Barrens became a wasteland, and it’s fascinating to see the same effect in Anca. Even Violet notes how it all reminds her of a sandcastle—one strong breeze away from collapsing entirely. To me, this reinforces the idea that the Barrens were once occupied by humans. And maybe, there is hope to restore them.

If we didn’t despise Aura Beinhaven enough at the start of the book, this chapter gives us yet another reason to wish her out of the picture. Sure, she’s afraid, but that doesn’t justify her actions. It’s not that we have to hate her, but we can definitely root for her swift exit. And while we’re on the subject—what the hell is wrong with Basgiath? They always pick the worst wingleaders.

“We’re not the only wings in the sky,” Tairn warns, and ice prickles the back of my neck.

See? This again. That ice-prickling sensation. She can sense darkness. And I refuse to believe it’s just because she’s scared. She feels it with Xaden. She feels it with other darkness. There has to be more to this.

Once we get past the dramatic escape from the wyvern, we at least get to somewhat celebrate that Mira managed to retrieve the citrine. The mission wasn’t in vain, though it came at a cost—and the citrine itself seems… drained. And then, of course, we learn that Theo has her eyes on Violet.

Is it just me, or is the chaos that is Theo giving major Bellatrix Lestrange energy?

We really have to appreciate just how confident Theo is in her ability to take Violet down whenever she wants. But then there’s this:

“Why do you not ask me for the answers you so desperately seek?”

How is it that the venin are always a step ahead? How does Theo know Violet is searching for Andarna’s kind? Or a cure?

Someone—someone who knew about their mission—gave up this information. There is a serious traitor within Basgiath.

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