Romantasy
9 Key Questions We Need Answered After ‘Onyx Storm’ & Our Top Theories
Rebecca Yarros has done it again. Onyx Storm, the latest book in her Empyrean romantasy series, ended on a major cliffhanger and has fans all over the internet trying to piece together theories about what those final chapters actually revealed.
Violet Sorrengail spends most of the third book traveling around the isles throughout The Continent, searching for her dragon Andarna’s family and a cure for her boyfriend, Xaden, who became Venin at the end of the second novel, Iron Flame. As the quest to find Andarna’s family continued and answers about the Great War between channeling magic users and Venin evaded Violet and her squad, the pressure to save Xaden mounted.
Warning: Spoilers for Onyx Storm beyond this point, so read at your own risk!
Xaden loses his battle for stability in the final chapters as Violet and other riders at Aretia fight against the dark wielders to defend the city of Draithus and save Violet’s sister, Mira. He channels to the ground to help Violet and save his dragon, Sgaeyl, officially upping him in the Venin ranks. Before Xaden officially crosses the point of no return, Onyx Storm reveals that someone the inner circle trusted has also turned Venin but doesn’t confirm their identity. In the closing chapter, Violet wakes up in the courtyard of Riorson House after being missing for over 12 hours. She and Xaden apparently got married, but he’s since disappeared, along with at least six dragon eggs and four other riders. Violet has no recollection of what happened because she asked Imogen to wipe her memory, leaving us a big mystery to untangle in the next book.
There are so many question marks just about the last few pages of the book, but Swooon has made a complete list of unanswered questions from Onyx Storm, and also included some of the best theories that are already circulating out there. Here’s what’s still driving us nuts after the first read.
1. Who is Xaden’s new Venin “brother”?
During Xaden’s POV chapter at the end of Onyx Storm, we’re told that someone besides him and Panchek have also turned. Xaden says, “How could he do this? Choose this after watching me stumble and fall over the last five months. How could he willingly walk the path I’ve fought like hell to leave? He’s the last person I ever would have expected to turn, and yet here we are.”
There are a lot of clues here about who this could be. It has to be someone who was clued into Xaden turning, and it has to be someone Xaden could never imagine becoming a dark wielder.
Theory: The new Venin is Brennan or Aaric.
The people clued in to Xaden’s condition through all of Onyx Storm are Violet, Garrick, Bodhi, and Imogen. Brennan, Mira, the second-year riders in Violet’s squad, and Jesinia find out at different points in the book. The pronoun he eliminates all of the girls, including Imogen and Rhiannon. When Xaden channels and sends the storm of shadows through Draithus, he sees Imogen look up to the sky and knocks out a wyvern that has Dain cornered, eliminating the latter as a potential suspect as well. In Imogen’s chapter, which happens moments before Xaden channels for the final time, she sees Bodhi throwing up across a courtyard and follows Garrick outside, meaning neither of them could have been with Xaden when he channeled.
The last time anyone saw Aaric was when he flew south during the battle, which was also Xaden’s direction. He could have simply been escorting in the backup troops from the isles, but it is suspicious that he flew away from the battle when he wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place. However, Violet pieces together that Aaric is a precog, meaning that he can see the future. Did he know that Xaden was going to fully crossover and turn Venin to be there with him?
Similar to Aaric, Brennan wasn’t seen after he mended Mira following the Theophanie attack. Sloane flew in to siphon power from Dain to allow Brennan to finish the task, and Violet remarks that it’s weird Brennan doesn’t have a mark on the back of his neck where Sloane touched him. Dain doesn’t have a mark on his wrist either, but Brennan has a rune scar on his hand from when Naolin — Tairn’s previous rider — siphoned to save him after the first Battle of Aretia. The scar is mentioned multiple times throughout Onyx Storm, and Brennan’s relationship with Naolin has been a huge red flag for two books now. If Brennan isn’t the new Venin, he’s definitely hiding something big.
2. What is “it” that belongs to Violet, and who is “gone,” per Xaden’s cryptic note?
Along with a marriage certificate, Xaden leaves Violet a note in the final chapter that says, “Don’t look for me. It’s yours now. He’s gone.” We aren’t 100 percent sure what any of that means. Does “it” mean Tyrrendor since they are married now? Is it the throne? Who is gone besides Xaden? Is he referring to the secret Venin brother and reminding Violet she can’t trust someone? And did he write that knowing that she would ask Imogen to erase her memories?
3. Who is missing besides Garrick?
A rider tells Brennan and Violet that four riders are missing along with Xaden and at least six dragon eggs. There are also a few dead dragons and riders who were killed during the 12 hours that Violet can’t remember. Imogen asks whether Garrick specifically is one of the missing, and Brennan confirms that he is. That leaves three other unidentified riders who have disappeared, and we don’t know whether it was with Xaden or if they are on a separate mission.
Theory: The eggs were to secure reinforcements from the isle armies.
Violet is told during Quest Squad’s travels that the isles all want dragons more than anything. It was previously inconceivable to trade in dragons, but maybe isle armies are the only way that Navarre and Poromiel can turn the tide of the war. Unnbriel asked for 12 dragons, though, two of each color. Only six eggs have been taken, so will those be given to multiple isles or just one? Was it one of each color dragon, or was it just what was available in the hatching ground? And exactly what dragons okayed the eggs being taken?
4. Where is Jack Barlowe?
Theophanie asks for Xaden and Violet to bring Jack Barlowe to her before she’ll agree to let Mira go, so they bring him suspended in a magical chest to keep him from channeling. Theophanie fails to kill Jack before Violet starts to fight back, and Xaden instructs Garrick to get Jack out of there, but we have no idea where Garrick has taken him. How that dude has managed to survive three books now is actually insane.
5. Why did Asher Sorrengail try to dedicate Violet to Dunne?
One of the major traumas unveiled in Onyx Storm is the fact that Asher, Violet’s father, tried to have her dedicated to the god of war. That’s why her hair is silver at the ends. However, the priestesses at the temple realized that Violet had multiple paths in her life, and they wouldn’t finish the dedication until she chose the path she wanted to be on. Trying to sentence your daughter to a life of worshipping a god of war is really intense, and Asher died before he could explain the logic behind doing it. We now know that Violet is favored by the god, and also Malek, the god of death, but what else does it mean? What did Asher think it would protect her from, and why did Violet’s mother disagree with doing it? We need a deep dive on what was going on with Asher when Violet was a toddler because there’s still a lot to unpack with that entire ordeal.
Theory: Being dedicated to Dunne is the cure to being Venin.
When Violet faces Theophanie outside of Draithus, she baits the former priestess by bringing up the Dunne temple.
“Do you not yearn for temple?” I use the words the high priestess had on me. Her face twists with an emotion that almost looks like longing, but it’s quickly masked with anger.
“Do you?” she counters. “Or are you immune, having only been touched, but not dedicated?” She charges forward. “Do you know the pain of never being allowed to return, of knowing that it would sever the very thing that’s kept me untouchable all these years?”
– Onyx Storm (The Empyrean Book 3) (p. 737).
Theophanie admits that if she re-enters the temple it will cut her off from the power of being a Venin. Is it because she was fully dedicated, and Violet was only touched? That tidbit of information implies that the gods have a hand in this war, and Violet being touched may be the key to her being able to save Xaden, if the temple is able to cut him off from the Venin power.
6. What is Bodhi’s second signet?
Xaden says that not all of the marked ones have second signets, but so far, all of them have manifested signets from their relics besides Xaden and Bodhi. Xaden’s second signet came from bonding with his grandfather’s dragon. Violet asks Bodhi after she and her fellow second years are sent to Somara, and she discovers that Garrick can teleport, and he says he doesn’t have one…but do we believe him?
Theory: Bodhi is also an inntinnsic.
Violet asks Bodhi if he has a second signet, and he says no. Then she asks if he really doesn’t have one, or is she just not allowed to know. He replies, “I don’t have one like Xaden doesn’t have one.” But we know that Xaden does have a second signet. He’s just forbidden from talking about it because he’ll be murdered for being able to read people’s minds. Xaden hasn’t told anyone besides Violet about the second signet, but Bodhi’s open signet is that he can counter other people’s powers. That means that he could feel Xaden’s second signet, and when he said he doesn’t have a second one, he could have meant that he also has a mind-reading power like his cousin.
7. Who is Bronwyn?
We’ve been struggling to figure out who the Venin sage that Violet encountered at Resson is since Fourth Wing. He’s also the sage who turned Xaden and a rival of Theophanie, but we don’t know exactly who he is. We know that he has a “freakishly young face,” which means he turned when he was young, but we do not know exactly when he turned. Theophanie was ancient, but there’s still so much we don’t know about Bronwyn, when he became Venin, and what his ultimate goals are.
Theory: He’s Naolin.
We just haven’t spent enough time talking about how Naolin literally brought Brennan back from the dead as if that wouldn’t require some sort of corrupt power. The fact that no one has seemed to ask Brennan for a detailed account of how that happened or what was done with Naolin afterward is actually bonkers. And Tairn is also a brick wall when it comes to that. Any time that Violet brings Naolin up, Tairn steadfastly says, “We do not talk of the one who came before.” He won’t even say his name? There is some BITTERNESS there, and it needs to be examined along with Brennan’s mysterious rune scar.
8. Who are the six most powerful riders?
It’s brought up that there hasn’t been a shadow wielder and a lightning signet walking the earth at the same time since The First Six, which implies that the six original riders are being reincarnated. Or at least their signets are to give The Continent a chance at defeating the Venin. So, who are the six who will have to unite to defeat the Venin?
Theory: Violet, Mira, Garrick, and Lynx are four of them.
Violet is obviously a shoe-in with her lightning abilities. Lynx is now the balance to Xaden’s shadow power because he’s turned Venin. Mira can manipulate the wards. Garrick can teleport. That’s a pretty badass team, but who are the other two who are part of the six? Ridoc could make a case for being part of the team because even though he has a “common signet” in ice wielding, he’s leveled up and can freeze water in someone or something’s body. He can kill wyvern with one touch, which definitely ups his status on the power front.
There’s also Aaric, the precog, which is an ultra-rare ability and would be incredibly handy in this war. Then there is Sloane, the siphon, who may also be key to channeling Venin magic back into the ground. We also shouldn’t underestimate Dain. Jack Barlowe already stole some of his power, and he let Sloane give more of his power to Brennan. When she finishes siphoning from him, he tells Dain that he shouldn’t have as much power as he does, which should have raised a lot of eyebrows. Maybe being part of the new six is how Dain fully redeems himself from his misdeeds in Fourth Wing.
9. Sloane and Dain are definitely vibing, right?
This one is not as pressing, but we are Swooon, so we are tuned in for any and all romantic connections. Even Violet picks up flirty vibes when Sloane and Dain are bickering during Xaden’s signet sparring class. Then Dain follows her into battle when Sloane flies to Draithus to deliver Violet the dagger from Aaric. When Sloane warns Dain that siphoning is going to hurt, he says, “Gods, don’t I know it.” Sorry, but the entire exchange gives “giggle and kick your feet” adorableness. Dain is even more responsible for Liam dying than Violet is, which means that potential relationship is full of angst and we love. to. see. it. Sloane and Dain’s slow burn enemies-to-lovers arc is full of conflict and guilt and undeniable attraction. Rebecca, if you’re reading this and contemplating a spinoff, we think you have your answer, thanks!
What are your burning questions and theories that we might have missed? Let us know in the comments because we are all in the trenches waiting for Book 4 together.
