Onyx Storm: The Most Anticipated Disappointment of 2025

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Let’s talk about Onyx Storm, the book everyone was eagerly waiting for this year—the third installment in a series that once had potential but just fell apart with this entry. I had high expectations, as did many readers, and after spending three days slogging through 529 pages, I can confidently say: it was not worth it. This book should not have existed, and here’s why.

First, the plot was painfully predictable. Everything that happened in this book felt like a rerun of what we already knew was going to happen since Iron Flame. Yet, instead of giving us the payoff we were hoping for, we were dragged through irrelevant side plots that added no real value. The pacing was agonizingly slow, like going from one endless aisle to another, only to end up exactly where we knew we’d be all along. And then, suddenly, at the end, the book threw in multiple points of view—completely out of nowhere! Up until now, this series has followed one perspective, so why the abrupt change? It felt disjointed and unnecessary, adding to the sense that this installment was poorly planned.

The worst part? The entire premise of Onyx Storm feels redundant. Everything significant about this book was already foretold in Iron Flame. It didn’t need to exist. This series could have been condensed into three tightly written, engaging books. Instead, we’re being dragged through five, with Onyx Storm feeling like pure filler.

And don’t even get me started on the characters. How are we supposed to take the fate of the world seriously when it’s in the hands of a 20-year-old who can’t think logically? Her choices are driven entirely by her heart, even when every ounce of logic screams otherwise. She refuses to acknowledge the obvious—that her boyfriend is turning evil. It’s maddening. Her inability to see what’s right in front of her feels more like a plot convenience than a realistic flaw.

Even the so-called twists weren’t twists at all. Someone coming back? Saw it coming. Someone turning evil? Called it back in Iron Flame. By the time these "big moments" happened, they carried no weight because they were so glaringly obvious from the start.

To give credit where it’s due, the writing itself was nice. The prose was solid, the descriptions vivid. But that’s about the only positive thing I can say. Good writing can’t save a story that’s fundamentally flawed, stretched too thin, and riddled with poor pacing and predictable plot points.

Onyx Storm was a massive letdown. It wasted my time, and I’m left wondering why the author decided to drag this series out unnecessarily. I wanted more, expected more, and instead got a filler book that adds little to the overarching story. If this is what we can expect from the rest of the series, I’m not sure I even want to continue.

To all the fans who were excited for this one: temper your expectations. You might end up as disappointed as I was.