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Onyx Storm - Chapters 1-25

Writer's picture: its.brittanybits.brittanyb

"Xaden is mine. My heart, my soul, my everything."

 

REVIEW

Would I read it again? Yes No Maybe


Spice Level Legend How spicy is this book?

 

SUMMARY

-First 25 chapters of Onyx Storm; Rest coming soon-


TL/DR:


Prologue: Andarna doesn’t know what kind of dragon she is either. She doesn’t know where her family is, or how she was able to burn the venin. She thinks maybe her family will know how to change, or cure, Xaden, if they can find them. Garrick, Bodhi, and Imogen know what happened. Imogen steals Jack's memory so that he can’t rat Xaden out.

1: They’ve killed 31 hidden venin; 17 of them being killed by Xaden. There is a lot of tension between Navarrian and Aretian (those who previously left Basgiath) riders. Some of the dragons want to go back to Aretia but the provinces are working on an alliance and they need to stay. Plus, Xaden doesn’t trust himself outside of the wards. Imogen, Bodhi, and Garrick want Violet to sleep elsewhere, they are afraid for her because of Xaden. 

They go to visit Sawyer. In the Healer Quadrant, there’s a lot of patients, and a group of hooded scribes which Violet thinks are trying to get an accurate account of the battle. 

Sawyer says he got a visit from Colonel Chandlyr, commander of the retired riders, but he doesn’t get to explain why before there’s screaming. All those patients they just walked by? Are now dead. 

2: “The rarest of signets - those that rise once in a generation or century - have manifested concurrently with an equal twice in our records, both critical times in our history, but only once have the six most powerful walked the Continent simultaneously."

The venin have been disguised as scribes. They have come for Jack. One of them has silver hair and can go invisible…or she is so fast you just can’t see her move. One of them yells not to hurt Violet, they need her.  Xaden shows up and kills the ones that Violet hasn’t yet. 

Garrick is afraid to leave Violet alone with Xaden which pisses Xaden off. Xaden tells Violet Sgaeyl still isn’t talking to him, because she can sense he isn’t whole. He knew the venin were down there because he can sense them. He can feel them.

3: Violet has an audience with the Senarium. Six nobles each representing a Navarre province. 

Duchess of Morraine

General Melgren

Lewellen

Duke of Calldyr

Duchess of Elsum

Duke of Lucerus

Violet wants to take a task force out to find the seventh dragon breed and get their help in defeating the venin. Professor Grady (RSC dude from Iron Flame) will lead the task force (which is not what Violet wants) and have a task force of his choosing (again not what she wants). 

Xaden hasn’t let himself get jiggy with Violet because he's afraid that he’ll lose control. 

But when they are messing around he says “I can feel it. I can feel you.” … How does he feel her? In the same way he feels the venin?

He pulls his hands off and out of her and onto the headboard and just barely….barely…channels. You can barely notice it.

4: Mira arrives. With a new conduit for Violet. And a wooden, runed practice disk. It has 3 runes, levitation in the middle, two overlapping layers for sound shielding and warmth. Violet says they can save the negotiations and she can keep her deal with Tecarus. Mira says they need to give the Senarium a chance to do the right thing and the less people who know, the less who can be tried for treason. From what I’m gathering, they want/need to find a way to keep the fliers at Basgiath safely. Somehow this rune is going to do it? But somehow also treasonous? 

5: Violet realizes that the venin had silver hair. But her friends shake it off as nothing.

Aura Beinhaven, one of the riders, is holding a first year flier at knife point. She is trying to challenge him but he won’t accept. Everyone ends up in the courtyard. Aura wants to challenge anyone because she is pissed off that fliers might be allowed in. She is trying to challenge Dain, and Violet is like fuck that, no. 

6: Violet lets her lightning flash across the sky, which is enough to back Aura up a bit. She tries to tell them that every single one of them is needed in this war, but they aren’t really buying it. Luckily, some professors show up. Emetterio says he likes the odds of them winning this war. Because the last time a shadow and lightning wielder fought side by side, they pushed the venin back into the Barrens for a few hundred years. 

Halden, Aaric's brother, is going to accompany Violet on the search for Andarna's family. 

Aretia riders have been fully pardoned for abandoning Navarre.

Treaty talks failed. The fliers will go back to Aretia. 

Xaden is now Duke of Tyrrendor..officially..and has a seat at the Senarium. 

7: They get Sawyer from the hospital ward and they head to the Wardstone. They being Imogen, Violet, Bodhi, Ridoc, Sawyer, and Maren. Mira and Brennan are already there, knowing Violet was up to something. Sawyer alternates the runes on the wardstone…to do something? And the stone in Maren's hands starts levitating. The fliers can wield now Ridoc says. 

Next morning, Violet gets arrested for treason for fucking with the wardstone.

8: Dain's dad, hereby known as Asshole Aetos, takes her to the Senarium, to be brought up on these charges. But funny story, they signed the treaty that morning, pardoning all the deserters of their “crimes”. So anything they did last night…forgiven. Which really pisses off Asshole Aetos - he threatens her and Violet stands up for herself and is like you can’t fucking touch me or the Duke of Tyrrendor. So …. He punishes her squad instead. Sends them to Samara. 

Also - the Queen of Poromiel is impressed with her and says she can have full access to their library as well to research Venin. 

9: They arrive in Samara, which is destroyed. The Colonel says he doesn’t care what they did to piss off Asshole Aetos, but just try to make themselves useful after they rest. They go to Xaden’s old room, which is still warded. Violet has a weird dream where she is digging into her chest, trying to find a painting of her family, they are under attack. Cat is there trying to pull her out and she tells Cat to save herself, that Xaden will choose her, and that she is the future Queen of Tyrrendor. Cat refuses to leave, she finally finds the painting but drops it and then its her family on fire. When they wake up, they hear that a nearby village, where Maren’s family is, is under attack but they can’t spare any riders to go help. So … of course Violet’s squad goes. 

10: When they arrive, there are wyvern and a storm. They see the silver haired venin, who waves at Violet. They kill a few wyvern, and Garrick shows up, then they get swept up in a tornado. They are thrown around, Tairn protects Violet, but he gets knocked out (for a minute, we think he’s dead). Violet’s knee is dislocated, Garrick helps her out of her seat and puts her knee back into place. He said that when Xaden heard she was going across the border, he lost it, Garrick has never seen him like that. Violet questions how he is there, if he just found out 40 minutes ago? Then they get distracted by the silver haired venin wielding fucking lightning. Violet doesn’t have any lightning since Tairn is out, she tells Andarna that now would be a good time for a second signet and she snarks back that she isn’t in control of how Violet uses her power. The venin lured them out of the wards, killed Maren’s parents (but not her brothers out of goodwill), because she wants Andarna, not Violet. The venin’s name is Theophanie. She calls Andarna a “irid”.

11: Andarna remembers she is an Irid Scorpiontail. Theophanie says she's really got a prize there, and she forgets how short mortal memory is. She says when the shadow wielder comes, and Violet comes with, they should remember that she let her live, and choose her as their teacher. She says she will let them keep their dragons and then Violet will have what she wants most - control and knowledge. She leaves, Tairn wakes up, then Violet turns her attention to Garrick. She tells us (or reminds us) that Garrick's signet is wind wielder, and she accuses him of having a second signet of distance walking. Garrick never actually confirms it. She tells Garrick to get out before the rest of the squad arrives.

When they arrive back at Basgiath, Brennan mends her knee. Xaden is FURIOUS. Then Asshole Aetos comes in, running his mouth, again. He says that Xaden and Garrick have to head to the Eastern Wing as ordered by General Melgren, and they aren’t allowed to return and fraternize with cadets. He says Sgaeyl can go to the Vale but Xaden isn’t welcome in the college. Xaden kicks everyone out of the room. 

12: Xaden asks is this what she wants…to have some kisses, no hands, fully clothed? She says I’ll take whatever you can give me. 

When he yells, the shadows jump and flee - Violet thinks “that's different”.

Violet realizes that Garrick and Liam have second signets. 

Violet tells Xaden that the venin have signets too.

Xaden goes to Samara. He sends Violet a note implying that he channeled again, on accident. 

Violet goes to visit Jack, and gives him a conduit that she has shoved energy into (which proves my theory I had at the beginning of the book that she could use that to help Xaden), but he has to answer some questions. She asked if they can sense each other. He says the initiates and asims can but you could be in a room full of Sages or Mavens and you’d never know. She asks if they need to be taught and he said if you already know the flow of magic, like if you’re a rider, no you don't have to be taught. She asks if she knows what they're planning - no. She asks what the cure is and he said there is no cure, they are not diseased, they don’t want to be cured, they are free. Then Imogen takes his memory so he doesn’t remember their little chat. 

13: The squad goes to see Jesinia. Funny moment between them as Ridoc mocks the way Violet and Xaden fight. Then they say they’re shocked that leadership hasn’t already married them and insisted on kids since they are the two strongest riders. Jesinia has been kicked out of the adept path of being a scribe because she’s a deserter. 

Violet needs her dads unfinished research which is in their old quarters, which is now Asshole Aetos quarters. Violet needs Dain to sneak in and get them.

During Battle Brief, Devera gives every cadet a book “Guide to Vanquishing the Venin”. 

They are adding more classes. A course to learn all about the Venin, Runes class which requires them flying to Aretia in two week cycles. And a hands-on class to fight signet to signet which is taught by none other than Xaden Riorson.

14: But there’s a problem. Professors can’t have relationships with cadets. Xaden was going to ask for an exemption as this is a pre-existing relationship but Asshole Aetos denies him immediately. Violet keeps saying our relationship is over (which is extremely annoying, just kill Asshole Aetos, problem solved), and Xaden says no, we just sneak around. 

Violet talks to Dain about him sneaking into his fathers quarters and stealing her fathers research and he agrees to help. 

Quest Squad, officially led by Professor Grady, has assembled. Violet gets no one she asks for other than Xaden. Grady has assembled a bunch of people he says he trusts. 

Caption Henson, Air wielder. Lt Pugh, Farsight. Lt Foley, Agrarian. Cadet Beinhaven, fire wielder. Lt Winshire, infantry liaison. 

Violet wants to go to Deverelli. Grady says no, we go north. Because he’s dumb.

15: First class of Xadens. He hands everyone their ass because he is that powerful. 

16: Violet goes up against him. He plunges them into darkness and tells her she needs to figure out which thread of shadows is his, he needs her to be able to find him in the dark. When she keeps asking why he says it's because she’s the only one capable of killing him. 

17: Garrick is at the next class, he almost hits Violet with some ice that Ridoc wielded at him that he blew away. Xaden gets real pissed and yells at him. Violet notices he's looking at Garrick like prey.

Prince Halden shows up. Aaric's brother. The twin to the brother Xaden killed during his Threshing. And Violet's ex boyfriend. 

He comes with a note, addressed to Violet, from Viscount Tecarus. He tells her the King of Deverelli will meet, they just have to bring some gem (cetrine).

It's an amplifier worn by one of the members of the first drift. Halden says if she wants to go, he will throw his rank as Prince around and get Grady to change course for Quest Squad.

Halden says he wants to apologize for cheating on Violet while they were together. He asks if she’s with Riorson, and maybe they could have a quiet dinner, and let him say sorry the right way. He goes to touch her hair, and a blast of shadows knock him backwards against the wall.

18: Xaden comes over and says his bad, he was deflecting a blow from a first year. Then gets up in his face and says he has remarkable hearing, he doesn’t control Violet, and she has never thought about Halden, at least not since she laid eyes on Xaden.

Violet gets her dads book open. He has a letter in there for her and tells her that if she's not in a hurry to read through the book he wrote (“A History of the Second Krovlan Uprising”) in her own time and realize the connection between the uprising and the pursuit of feathertails. But if she's in a hurry, and she is trying to defeat those she only read about in lore, then ride for Cordyn. He says he knows she has always struggled with that language but that's why he made sure Dain would be capable. He wants her to go to Deverelli, and find Narelle Anselm.

Xaden shows up, even though he's not supposed to be there, and is super jealous. Violet assures him that she never loved Halden like she loves Xaden, and there will be no one else for her ever.

She tells him about her dad’s letter and he agrees they need to go to Deverelli.

19: They arrive in Anca - Grady, Aura, Mira, Xaden, and Henson. The village is abandoned, drained from the venin, and they can’t wield or it will attract the wyvern. They are there to find the cetrine. Cat somehow knows where it is and directs them to the right house with a map, because no fliers were allowed to go. Violet and Aura stand guard outside while the others go inside to look for it. Aura gets spooked and wields (fire remember?), which causes everything around them to go up in flames since everything has been drained, it's super dry. She accidentally sets Grady on fire, so he dies. As they are running to get back to the square so the dragons can pick them up, Aura gets taken by a wyvern. Henson makes the comment “Damn they got here fast” - seems suspicious. 

When they get back to Samara, Xaden is pissed because the rest of the Quest Squad was supposed to be circling the village, and they weren’t. Mira got to the cetrine first, the stone looks drained, and Violet hopes it’ll still be good enough. There was also a letter to Violet from Theophanie (that venin) that says she wants Violet to come to her but she can take her at any point and why won’t she come to Theo for the answers she seeks?

20: Violet has to go talk to the Senarium again. Halden is there, telling her who her new Quest Squad is. She says No. I’ll pick my own, fuck off. She mouths off to Markham which was fantastic. Violet picks Xaden (of course), Mira, Ridoc (he insists on going because he says bad things happen when the squad is separated), Dain (he speaks the language), Cat (she is speaking for Poromiel, and Cat’s cousin (just cause it sounds like). Oh, and Halden, because she has to. 

21: They arrive at Viscount Tecarus. Violet is worried about Xaden being outside of the wards, but he's a master of control. (Side note: Violet keeps mentioning how dizzy she is. At Basgaith and here). Xaden gets Halden to say that Xaden is there as a duke and not as professor so Xaden swoops Violet up and takes her into his room. Violet notices that Xaden’s signet is getting stronger because she thought something and he answered as if she said it out loud. 

22: Viscount takes Halden on his ship while everyone else flies. Once they cross the ocean, they lose their signets. Violet can talk with Andarna and Tairn but not to Xaden. Tarin can’t talk to Sgaeyl either. When they land, they realize no one else can talk to their dragons, it's only Tarin, Andarna, and Violet. Xaden is completely relaxed, looking happy for the first time in awhile, because there’s no magic, no pull to channel. Why can’t they just live there? 🙁

23: They head into town to find the shopkeeper. Xaden is relaxed, happy, being nice, weirding everyone around him out. They find the bookstore and Narelle. She recognizes Violet immediately. 

24: We call where they live, The Continent, because that's what they call it. But it's actually called Amaralis - for the god Amari. The shopkeeper mistakes Xaden for Dain - priceless. Narelle says twice that Asher (Violet’s dad) predicted or did not predict something (is the use of this word important?). The book Asher left for Violet: “Subjugated: The Second Uprising of the Krovlan People”, the uprising fell apart because of Deverelli. Krovla didn’t keep their part of the deal, and Deverelli withdrew, then told the Poromish King where to find the rebels. Two days before Deverelli ratted out the Krovla to Poromish, Korvlan forces were caught trying to sneak into Athebyne, into Navarre. They were sneaking into get feathertails - dragons. Deverelli brokered a deal with Krovla and another isle that the isle would provide an army and Krovla would provide dragons. But they couldn’t, so Deverelli ratted them out and the Midnight Massacre happened, and Krovla couldn’t break off from Poromiel. We find out that the reason Violet broke up with Halden is because she caught him having sex with one of his professors. Violet passes Narelle’s test and Mira gets an attitude - just seeming jealous that their dad left all of this to Violet. Narelle says to her that while Asher was raising Violet, Lilith was raising Mira, so wonder what legacy she has inherited. 

25: We finally get a spicy scene and an amazing Ridoc quote: “You two totally broke it, didn’t you? LIke that armoire no one was supposed to notice getting hauled out of her room during first year?”. Violet says, why don’t we just stay here? Because Xaden is so relaxed and happy. He said that Sgaeyl is in pain (how does he know this because he can’t communicate with her?), and he could never let her be in pain. We also find out that the King that Halden was supposed to go visit has decided to keep him.

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