Onyx Storm

After Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, I had impossibly high expectations and Yarros mostly meets them. The first act is slower — lots of political setup and new alliances to track — but once the storm hits (literally), it's relentless. Violet's power evolution is fascinating and terrifying in equal measure. The new dragon dynamics add a whole layer I didn't know I needed. Some of the twists I saw coming from Iron Flame's setup, but the execution still hit hard. Not my favorite of the three but still a 4.