Onyx Storm: Chapter 54-55
Jun. 21st, 2025 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaViolet is lying in bed in a heap of depression in the wake of Andarna's departure.
All of her friends and family support her, but she still doesn't have the will to move from the bed for three days. On day 4, Mira shows up to deliver some tough love. She bullies Violet into sitting up and speaking, and we find out that refugees are pouring across the border now that Xaden has opened it. Violet is sad again because she hasn't been supporting Xaden.
Brennan and Mira start fighting, and Violet leaves them alone to bathe. Xaden comes and joins her.
Xaden bathes Violet, and she decides she has to be functional so she gets dressed.
Hey, don't you love it when this book introduces a problem and immediately solves it? Me, too! This is like in New Moon when we had the five empty pages with months on them signifying Bella's catatonia instead of actually writing that stuff. At least Bella had to deal with the consequences for longer than a few paragraphs. This chapter opens with Violet deciding she can willpower herself out of her crippling magical depression.
Anyways, Brennan and Mira are arguing about this:
So this is what Mira's been up to offscreen: solving a plot problem that Violet didn't bother to, because her intelligence and curiosity are informed attributes that she does not actually demonstrate. We get a bunch more lore about these temple dedications that could so easily have been naturally incorporated earlier in the book. The priestess apparently can see the futures of the children who are dedicated and only take ones whose futures are uncertain. This is a completely new magic system that has never before been introduced! So can the gods grant people magic in this book, and if so, why is everyone in Navarre so blase about religion?
That could be an actual plot point, considering the last book was all about how the government is lying to people and editing history. It would make sense for the government of Navarre to suppress religion to consolidate all magical power within the riders under their control. But that would require good writing, so even if Yarros has thought of this now she didn't set it up when she should have in the last 1000 or so pages I have already slogged through.
Anyways, the point of all this is that Mira found out it might be Violet's destiny to turn venin.
Which...whatever. Like, it's a classic trope to have your protagonist's destiny be magically determined so they can fight it or accept it, but there's no need for it in this story. We already have excellent reasons for why riders turn venin: because it's the only way for them to have the power to survive. And Violet is actively fighting a war right now, her lover has already turned, and she just suffered a horrible magical injury from the loss of her dragon. We already have a perfect set up for her to be tempted to turn. In a better book, for example, Violet could have been researching the venin from the start instead of waiting until the end of book 1 when she saw one with her own eyes to believe in them. Yarros could have made her intelligence and scribe training a flaw--maybe, because she's physically disabled, she thinks that she can make up for it by figuring out how to safely use the power of the venin to compensate. But she can't, because there is no safe method.
Of course, none of this matters, because this prophecy is actually about Xaden. Violet can never become a venin, because she's not allowed to have problems Yarros cannot easily solve for her.
Xaden tells Mira he is a venin, and she is mad because Violet kept this from her--but not from Brennan. Chapter end.
Okay, I was going to stop, but I turned the page and holy fuck we have to keep going, because the chapter opens by finally, THREE BOOKS IN, giving the magic ore they use to kill venin a name. And it's Talladium.
THREE BOOKS IN???? WE ARE 86% DONE WITH THIS ONE???
Navarre is mad that Tyrrendor opened their borders, Tyrrendor is refusing to send them ore in retaliation. Fighting a second war with Tyrrendor is like the stupidest thing Navarre could do right now.
But never mind that! We get one paragraph about the sweeping politics of the country and then we're back to runes class. Violet is having trouble now that Andarna is gone, because she used to use Andarna's more delicate power, and Tairn is just too darned powerful for runes. This is like when you're in a job interview and you tell them your flaw is that you work too hard and care too much. Also, when has Violet ever used Andarna's power to rune? You just made that up now, Yarros!
Violet is still bad at runes, but luckily everyone else in her squad is good at them. She then goes off to wielding practice, where she's able to use her powers. Her teacher lectures her on not running off impulsively, a lesson she should have learned three books ago, but sassily disobeying orders is one of the marks of the generic Strong Female Protag so she's not allowed to stop.
While Brennan lectures Violet on not overdoing it, Bodhi and Xaden fight because Bodhi wants to be on the front lines fighting and Xaden won't let him because he needs an heir for when he venins too close to the sun.
Violet and Xaden banter a bit, then go off to fuck, and mercifully the chapter is over.
I just...WHY ARE THERE STILL SO MANY SCENES OF THEM IN CLASS. Bodhi is literally saying he wants to drop out, like it fucking matters if he graduates from school or not. They are actively at war and they are all going to die unless they fight! They rebelled against the government! School no longer matters! Please!
All of her friends and family support her, but she still doesn't have the will to move from the bed for three days. On day 4, Mira shows up to deliver some tough love. She bullies Violet into sitting up and speaking, and we find out that refugees are pouring across the border now that Xaden has opened it. Violet is sad again because she hasn't been supporting Xaden.
Brennan and Mira start fighting, and Violet leaves them alone to bathe. Xaden comes and joins her.
Xaden bathes Violet, and she decides she has to be functional so she gets dressed.
Hey, don't you love it when this book introduces a problem and immediately solves it? Me, too! This is like in New Moon when we had the five empty pages with months on them signifying Bella's catatonia instead of actually writing that stuff. At least Bella had to deal with the consequences for longer than a few paragraphs. This chapter opens with Violet deciding she can willpower herself out of her crippling magical depression.
Anyways, Brennan and Mira are arguing about this:
“The months are missing in the middle of the book,” she counters. “And they’re from the summer Mom and Dad left us with Grandma Niara. Mom purposely didn’t write anything.”
Wait. I’ve read that journal, too.
“That doesn’t mean—” Brennan starts.
“I was eight,” Mira interrupts. “And it was just you and me, remember? Violet was too little to stay. When they returned, Grandma stopped speaking to them.”
“Want me to figure out…” Xaden lifts a brow and glances in my direction.
“No.” I shoot him a warning look.
“That doesn’t mean they hauled her to Dunne’s temple and dedicated her.” Brennan shakes his head with disgust. “That’s been illegal since the two hundreds.”
So this is what Mira's been up to offscreen: solving a plot problem that Violet didn't bother to, because her intelligence and curiosity are informed attributes that she does not actually demonstrate. We get a bunch more lore about these temple dedications that could so easily have been naturally incorporated earlier in the book. The priestess apparently can see the futures of the children who are dedicated and only take ones whose futures are uncertain. This is a completely new magic system that has never before been introduced! So can the gods grant people magic in this book, and if so, why is everyone in Navarre so blase about religion?
That could be an actual plot point, considering the last book was all about how the government is lying to people and editing history. It would make sense for the government of Navarre to suppress religion to consolidate all magical power within the riders under their control. But that would require good writing, so even if Yarros has thought of this now she didn't set it up when she should have in the last 1000 or so pages I have already slogged through.
Anyways, the point of all this is that Mira found out it might be Violet's destiny to turn venin.
Which...whatever. Like, it's a classic trope to have your protagonist's destiny be magically determined so they can fight it or accept it, but there's no need for it in this story. We already have excellent reasons for why riders turn venin: because it's the only way for them to have the power to survive. And Violet is actively fighting a war right now, her lover has already turned, and she just suffered a horrible magical injury from the loss of her dragon. We already have a perfect set up for her to be tempted to turn. In a better book, for example, Violet could have been researching the venin from the start instead of waiting until the end of book 1 when she saw one with her own eyes to believe in them. Yarros could have made her intelligence and scribe training a flaw--maybe, because she's physically disabled, she thinks that she can make up for it by figuring out how to safely use the power of the venin to compensate. But she can't, because there is no safe method.
Of course, none of this matters, because this prophecy is actually about Xaden. Violet can never become a venin, because she's not allowed to have problems Yarros cannot easily solve for her.
“What did she say?” Brennan asks Mira. “What were the priestess’s exact words?”
Mira twists the bracelet, then looks me straight in the eye. “She said the heart that beat for you— or within you— would do the wrong thing for the right reason, reach for unspeakable power, and turn dark.”
My lips part.
“Within her or for her?” Brennan asks.
Xaden tells Mira he is a venin, and she is mad because Violet kept this from her--but not from Brennan. Chapter end.
Okay, I was going to stop, but I turned the page and holy fuck we have to keep going, because the chapter opens by finally, THREE BOOKS IN, giving the magic ore they use to kill venin a name. And it's Talladium.
THREE BOOKS IN???? WE ARE 86% DONE WITH THIS ONE???
Navarre is mad that Tyrrendor opened their borders, Tyrrendor is refusing to send them ore in retaliation. Fighting a second war with Tyrrendor is like the stupidest thing Navarre could do right now.
But never mind that! We get one paragraph about the sweeping politics of the country and then we're back to runes class. Violet is having trouble now that Andarna is gone, because she used to use Andarna's more delicate power, and Tairn is just too darned powerful for runes. This is like when you're in a job interview and you tell them your flaw is that you work too hard and care too much. Also, when has Violet ever used Andarna's power to rune? You just made that up now, Yarros!
Violet is still bad at runes, but luckily everyone else in her squad is good at them. She then goes off to wielding practice, where she's able to use her powers. Her teacher lectures her on not running off impulsively, a lesson she should have learned three books ago, but sassily disobeying orders is one of the marks of the generic Strong Female Protag so she's not allowed to stop.
While Brennan lectures Violet on not overdoing it, Bodhi and Xaden fight because Bodhi wants to be on the front lines fighting and Xaden won't let him because he needs an heir for when he venins too close to the sun.
Violet and Xaden banter a bit, then go off to fuck, and mercifully the chapter is over.
I just...WHY ARE THERE STILL SO MANY SCENES OF THEM IN CLASS. Bodhi is literally saying he wants to drop out, like it fucking matters if he graduates from school or not. They are actively at war and they are all going to die unless they fight! They rebelled against the government! School no longer matters! Please!
