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. Please note that some mild spoilers from future chapters will be found here.

Wow, wow, wow. The epigraph is so important.

“472 AU, Willhaven, Braevick: With the exception of one house, the village was desiccated overnight by a single venin estimated to be a Sage. The only adult amongst the three survivors described her as, “Astonishingly ageless.
Hair as black as the day we married, but in place of the age lines I’d expected were bulging scarlet veins branching outward from her red-ringed eyes.”

First of all, clearly, the venin continued attacks wherever possible. Second, they say venin have no souls. But they do keep some of it. Even when progressed to Sage, the venin lady didn’t kill her husband and children. We also learn that venin do not age. I think this is important foreshadowing for us for when, inevitably, Xaden turns Sage or progresses to Maven.

The chapter starts by talking about runes. I do think runes are going to become the most important thing in the following books. And we’re learning that some runes can be activated with delay by tempering some more magic into them. Interesting.

Ever since Iron Flame, Cat is the best with runes. I can’t help but wonder—what is Cat’s role in all of this?

My brows rise at the next passage I read, and I go over it once more to be sure I’ve caught on to a pattern. That makes three.

A pattern. What pattern? What makes three?

“You didn’t ask to be made aware of his arrival, only his departure.”

Ufff, Tairn!

“Then I launched for Tirvainne and ended up in our home.” The words come slowly, like they’re being ripped from him. “Or at least it will be after you graduate and we’re both assigned here.”
“It’s already home.”

I love the use of the word home here. Again, Bodhi used it in the previous chapter, and now Xaden is using it as well. I mean, it’s clear that it’s their home, and I do feel like it’s going to be foreshadowing. I actually wanted to say that I don’t think Book 4/5 will happen at Basgiath much. I just wonder if they will actually graduate. Will Book 4 be another six months, roughly? And Book 5 the last six months to see the class graduate? And then I remembered the teaser from the first book—do you remember? “Graduate or die.” I wonder if that was one of the biggest foreshadowing moments ever.

“I’m not ignoring my fate. I know there will come a point in time where I’ll become more it than me.”

Ugh! I think Xaden will become more it than him too…

Check this out:

“You are the temple where I worship.”

We know that Violet had been touched by Dunne. We also know that, chances are, she’s been touched by another. Tell us, Rebecca, which temple does Xaden worship here? Which one of Violet’s Gods?

“Bands of shadow stream over his shoulders to wrap around my wrists, and a heartbeat later, my hands are anchored to the wall above my head.”

This is worth a mention, as so many people in the Facebook group have said just how excited they are about this gentle tie-up situation. Just how many have been dreaming about Xaden using his shadows for this. So yeah—

“It’s disturbingly hot, actually.”

“Don’t need it. I am the weapon.”

I think this is an Easter egg. I think she might just be the weapon who vanquished the venin all those centuries ago. Not Andarna, not something else—Violet.

I’m sure you very much like the way this chapter ends… because yeah, Xaden, we’ve been waiting long enough for you two…

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