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Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 59

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Written by: Cory

The epigraph is facts here. We all know that dragonkind is arrogant, and the last thing they want to be is vulnerable! But I can't help but wonder: is it foreshadowing as well? We left off on a cliffhanger and honestly, I'm kinda glad the book didn't end there, with Theo slitting Mira's throat. I guess we are in the middle of the whole action now. So buckle up. So many things to notice, but the most important is how Violet, yet again, tells the God of Death: Malek, please, no. Have you noticed that every time she asks or tells Malek not to take someone she loves, Malek complies? "Not Mira. I yell at whatever deity will listen." I can finally tell you one of my theories about Mira. Do you remember that she received the wine? From Zihnal? In many Christian traditions—especially in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and some Protestant denominations—wine represents the blood of Christ as part of a sacrament known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion. Part of me wonders if the author specifically gave us a hint that Mira will be the sacrifice somehow, and that the wine is related to her spilling blood. I know RY grew up religious, so I do wonder if this was put there on purpose. "I see Garrick pull the venin’s dagger from the door of the Rybestad chest as Bodhi forces the other one shut." Jack is not dead yet. “You can’t have her,” I whisper up to Malek, and I swear the clouds darken slightly in acknowledgment, or maybe mocking, as two reds approach from the south at tremendous speed. Malek sure is listening to Violet. And no, I do not think he mocks her. I think he favours her. Moving a little bit further, note that Aetos (Dain) saw Garrick use his second signet. I feel like Dain didn't just redeem himself in Iron Flame but he's getting in the know now in Onyx Storm. I still think there is something oddly wrong with him and he might betray them, but hey, that's a theory for another time. "She races our way, reaching into her flight jacket and retrieving a cylindrical parcel the length of her hand. “Aaric told me you’d need this—” She stumbles as she catches sight of Mira." Did you catch this? This was a fantastic Easter egg. Why would Aaric know that Violet will need... something? And why would he specifically send Sloane and not come himself? Clever, so damn clever. We have confirmation of Aaric's signet. Mira is dying, Brennan is reaching his limit, and Sloane is here. Dain is asking Sloane to take some of his power. "She stares at the gray handprint that scars his forearm. “I don’t want to do that. Become that.” The grey print that Jack created at the end of Iron Flame." Now for the big sentence we can't seem to stop talking about: Sloane wraps her fingers around Dain’s wrist. Her eyes flare, and she swallows. “Someone like you shouldn’t have this much power.” “Good thing for Mira I do. Put the other hand anywhere his skin is exposed,” he orders. Excuse me. Someone like you? Someone like what? What is Sloane trying to say? Sloane, with a dad like Colonel Aetos? Someone who can read minds? Is he developing his signet more and more just like everyone else? Take stock: Sloane drops her little package and lifts her hand to the back of Brennan’s neck. Sloane is touching Dain's wrist and Brennan's neck. And yes, we all melted for Dain when he talked to Sloane, so I'm going to make you all relive that because he just levelled up our Dain: “Eyes here,” Dain says, and Sloane looks his way. “Pull from the excess you feel in me, and push to the deficit in him. You’re not a weapon of destruction. You’re not venin. You’re the artery power chooses to flow through. You’re life.” Her brow knits, and Dain flinches. “I’m going to hurt you.” “Gods, don’t I know it.” He nods. “But you’re not going to kill me, no matter how badly you want to. Now do it.” And we're officially shipping Sloane and Dain now. Because we just officially have new enemies to lovers. Thanks to Sloane, Mira will live. For just a few seconds, all is good with the world. Dain and Xaden need to fly into battle. Sloane goes back towards the wards. Bodhi notices the exchange between Sloane and Dain and low-key laughs. Violet picks up her dagger and the package Sloane left behind, too. It’s addressed to Aaric and bears the unbroken seal of Dunne. “Mairi gave me a little more than she needed to. I’m fine.” He adjusts Mira in his arms. Did you notice this? Also this: "Weird. There’s no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm. There hadn’t been one on Dain’s wrist, either." Did... Brennan turn here? Did he try so hard to save Mira that, before Sloane gave him power, he had already turned? I would say it's possible, but nobody is noticing his eyes being weird. Was he already venin all this time? Because if you go slightly back, you'll notice: "Precious, long seconds pass before Brennan breathes deeply and colour flushes his cheeks." Colour flushes his cheeks, the same way as Jack when he was given a little power from the alloy. Naturally, this was worded so well that there is no way of knowing if Brennan had already been venin at this point. These are just speculations. But I will point out that "no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm". Why his palm? Are we talking about the rune-shaped scar? Or a new mark? As we are gearing for the grand finale, the chapters sure are ending more and more on cliffhangers. “Now that the Duke of Angst is gone,” Bodhi says, his voice rising, “we have a problem.”

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 spoilers from future chapters will be found here.

The epigraph is facts here. We all know that dragonkind is arrogant, and the last thing they want to be is vulnerable! But I can’t help but wonder: is it foreshadowing as well?

We left off on a cliffhanger and honestly, I’m kinda glad the book didn’t end there, with Theo slitting Mira’s throat.

I guess we are in the middle of the whole action now. So buckle up.

So many things to notice, but the most important is how Violet, yet again, tells the God of Death: Malek, please, no. Have you noticed that every time she asks or tells Malek not to take someone she loves, Malek complies?

“Not Mira. I yell at whatever deity will listen.”

I can finally tell you one of my theories about Mira. Do you remember that she received the wine? From Zihnal? In many Christian traditions—especially in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and some Protestant denominations—wine represents the blood of Christ as part of a sacrament known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion. Part of me wonders if the author specifically gave us a hint that Mira will be the sacrifice somehow, and that the wine is related to her spilling blood. I know RY grew up religious, so I do wonder if this was put there on purpose.

“I see Garrick pull the venin’s dagger from the door of the Rybestad chest as Bodhi forces the other one shut.” Jack is not dead yet.

“You can’t have her,” I whisper up to Malek, and I swear the clouds darken slightly in acknowledgment, or maybe mocking, as two reds approach from the south at tremendous speed.

Malek sure is listening to Violet. And no, I do not think he mocks her. I think he favours her.

Moving a little bit further, note that Aetos (Dain) saw Garrick use his second signet. I feel like Dain didn’t just redeem himself in Iron Flame but he’s getting in the know now in Onyx Storm. I still think there is something oddly wrong with him and he might betray them, but hey, that’s a theory for another time.

“She races our way, reaching into her flight jacket and retrieving a cylindrical parcel the length of her hand. “Aaric told me you’d need this—” She stumbles as she catches sight of Mira.”

Did you catch this? This was a fantastic Easter egg. Why would Aaric know that Violet will need… something? And why would he specifically send Sloane and not come himself? Clever, so damn clever. We have confirmation of Aaric’s signet.

Mira is dying, Brennan is reaching his limit, and Sloane is here. Dain is asking Sloane to take some of his power.

“She stares at the gray handprint that scars his forearm. “I don’t want to do that. Become that.” The grey print that Jack created at the end of Iron Flame.”

Now for the big sentence we can’t seem to stop talking about:

Sloane wraps her fingers around Dain’s wrist. Her eyes flare, and she swallows. “Someone like you shouldn’t have this much power.” “Good thing for Mira I do. Put the other hand anywhere his skin is exposed,” he orders.

Excuse me. Someone like you? Someone like what? What is Sloane trying to say? Sloane, with a dad like Colonel Aetos? Someone who can read minds? Is he developing his signet more and more just like everyone else?

Take stock: Sloane drops her little package and lifts her hand to the back of Brennan’s neck.

Sloane is touching Dain’s wrist and Brennan’s neck.

And yes, we all melted for Dain when he talked to Sloane, so I’m going to make you all relive that because he just levelled up our Dain:

“Eyes here,” Dain says, and Sloane looks his way. “Pull from the excess you feel in me, and push to the deficit in him. You’re not a weapon of destruction. You’re not venin. You’re the artery power chooses to flow through. You’re life.” Her brow knits, and Dain flinches. “I’m going to hurt you.” “Gods, don’t I know it.” He nods. “But you’re not going to kill me, no matter how badly you want to. Now do it.”

And we’re officially shipping Sloane and Dain now. Because we just officially have new enemies to lovers.

Thanks to Sloane, Mira will live. For just a few seconds, all is good with the world. Dain and Xaden need to fly into battle. Sloane goes back towards the wards. Bodhi notices the exchange between Sloane and Dain and low-key laughs. Violet picks up her dagger and the package Sloane left behind, too. It’s addressed to Aaric and bears the unbroken seal of Dunne.

“Mairi gave me a little more than she needed to. I’m fine.” He adjusts Mira in his arms.

Did you notice this? Also this:

“Weird. There’s no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm. There hadn’t been one on Dain’s wrist, either.”

Did… Brennan turn here? Did he try so hard to save Mira that, before Sloane gave him power, he had already turned? I would say it’s possible, but nobody is noticing his eyes being weird. Was he already venin all this time?

Because if you go slightly back, you’ll notice:

“Precious, long seconds pass before Brennan breathes deeply and colour flushes his cheeks.”

Colour flushes his cheeks, the same way as Jack when he was given a little power from the alloy. Naturally, this was worded so well that there is no way of knowing if Brennan had already been venin at this point. These are just speculations.

But I will point out that “no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm”. Why his palm? Are we talking about the rune-shaped scar? Or a new mark?

As we are gearing for the grand finale, the chapters sure are ending more and more on cliffhangers.

“Now that the Duke of Angst is gone,” Bodhi says, his voice rising, “we have a problem.”

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.

4 responses to “Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 59”

  1. Zuzle Avatar
    Zuzle

    Hey, a theory about Dain for another time? What’s that supposed to mean? I’m curious. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      It’s a really twisted theory. I wonder if it’s possible for venin to somehow corrupt dragons. Do you remember that Cath had this awful smell? Why are the smells not back in Onyx Storm? There has been no mention of Sgaeyl smelling bad. Is it because Xaden is not trying to corrupt her? We also didn’t mention anything about Xaden’s smell. Is he not corrupted yet?
      Will he start to smell bad? What about Jack? Again, no mention.

      But in Iron Flame it was all about smells. So either A) Dain (someone like him) shouldn’t have so much power means he is seriously working on his signet. He’s a good guy and he will be needed to help with the revolution efforts and fights against his dad and venin. B) He’s a double agent. He’s been infiltrating the revolution and Cath is the only one that vouched for him, remember? Cath who had that awful smell in Iron Flame.

      Reply
  2. Zuzle Avatar
    Zuzle

    Cath’s breath makes me uneasy too. However, bad breath isn’t associated with venin because Varrish wasn’t venin, and Solas had bad breath. So, it’s corruption. Xaden isn’t corrupted—he’s still on the side of good, even though he’s venin, which is why Sgaeyl doesn’t have bad breath. As for Dain—hopefully, his redemption arc is real, and with it, Cath’s breath has improved too…

    Reply
    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Ha! I’m 1000% convinced Varrish was venin. I am certain it will come back to light!

      Reply

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