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Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 20

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Written by: Cory

Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 20

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.

The beginning of Chapter 20 feels very much like an information dump—but in the best possible way. Jack is still alive, and Violet continues to question him. She also practices her signet, which is something important to note. She does it without Professor Carr, meaning signets can be perfected without external help. This feels like crucial information, especially considering Rebecca Yarros has told us we’ve only seen about 10% of Violet’s second signet ability. No spoilers here, but definitely something to keep in mind.

We also learn a little more about Asher’s research, though Rebecca Yarros still keeps us guessing. What could an uprising possibly have to do with feathertails?

And, interestingly enough—despite everything—Cat still isn’t over Xaden?

“[Cat] going to stop staring at Xaden constantly?”

On the bright side, we finally meet Cat’s cousin, Drake Cordella. We’ve been shipping him with Mira since, well, Iron Flame.

There are a few details in this chapter that are so interesting to note. First, what Ridoc says:

“One of us needs to go with you.”

Why? Is this some superstition Ridoc came up with?

“I just think bad things happen when we aren’t together.” […] Except the time you snuck out on your little siblings-only trip to Cordyn.”

See? Again, the use of the word siblings when it comes to Violet. Everyone else has brothers.

“It really pisses me off when you guys act like my sense of humor somehow lessens my ability to show up for our squad.”

Can we take a moment to truly appreciate Ridoc? Not only can he freeze the liquid inside objects, but he’s smart, loyal, and honestly pretty awesome. He’s very quickly becoming one of our top characters. Which scares me, because Rebecca Yarros has this tendency to kill the people we love!

“Bad things happen when we’re not together,” he says quietly.“Only go to war with those you trust implicitly.”

Again, same reiteration. Am I reading too much into it, or does it feel like Ridoc knows something more? Violet reiterates what the epigraph says, as written by Asher, that you must only go to war with those you trust implicitly. Members from Violet’s squad, it has always been this way, since the torture time in Iron Flame.

If we take nothing else from Chapter 20, we walk away proud of Violet. We love Violet. We applaud Violet. She lost her footing in Iron Flame—which was natural—but Onyx Storm? Absolute badass. The moment she told Markham to shut up? Delicious. Adding that to the re-read list because it just feels so YES!

“You don’t speak,” I snap, meeting his gaze for the first time in months. “Not to me. As far as I’m concerned, you have the credibility of a drunkard and the integrity of a rat. You dare complain about missing six years of information on Aretia when you’ve hidden centuries of our continent’s history from public knowledge?”

And now—an Easter egg that’s very interesting:

“And I speak with the authority of Tairn, Andarna, and the Empyrean.”

Okay, we understand why she speaks with the authority of Andarna and Tairn. But…the Empyrean? That’s a bold thing to say. But then again, we do know that “Empyrean” is another word for heaven or sky. And Violet is the one who can command the sky. Foreshadowing? A deeper meaning? Or am I just overanalyzing?

For the Deverelli mission, my squad will consist of Lieutenant Riorson, Lieutenant Sorrengail, Cadet Gamlyn, Cadet Cordella”—I glance back over my shoulder to get his rank—“Captain Cordella, Cadet Aetos, Prince Halden, and whatever favorite guard follows you in case you stub your toe.

Wait—wasn’t Mira made Captain in Iron Flame? Is this a misprint? An editing mistake?

Moving on, we also learn something interesting:

“The Tyrrish kept contact with Deverelli up until the last century.”

We probably won’t get more details on this until Book 4, but I love how the politics in this world keep getting more intricate. If you read the ending of Onyx Storm already, then you know what role will Violet play in politics and I somehow feel that this bit of information here is very important for moving forward in negotiations with Deverelli.

The chapter ends on a surprisingly hopeful note. We have a quest squad. We have orders. We have a mission.

As Violet said:

“The day after tomorrow can’t come fast enough.”

Onyx Storm Read Along

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Cory

Hello! I’m Cory, a devoted superfan of the Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and the Empyrean Series. My passion for these epic tales has led me to read and reread the books, each time uncovering new layers of information. I’ve created this site to share my insights and discoveries with fellow fans and anyone interested in exploring the rich world of Empyrean.

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Hello! This site is dedicated to the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve made this place to explore the rich world of Empyrean, full of characters, theories, and places. Each post is carefully researched and updated with the newest details from the series. This site is also a great spot for discussing theories about the Empyrean Series. 🐉
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