Onyx Storm Bingo Results

Hey!! So I made a little bingo sheet of all my Onyx Storm theories before the release, and after reading it, I completed my bingo, earning some pretty pathetic results. I told myself that if I got a bingo, I'd buy myself a book, which is probably going to happen regardless, but still. No wins for me. Anyways, in this post I'm going to explain all the theories on this sheet, if they came true or not in Onyx Storm, and my new thoughts after reading it!

So, let's start with my first theory! I was CONVINCED that Brennan would betray the revolution, and I still think that this could be true for the next book. The explanation for this is actually another theory that I had on this bingo that is quite popular: that Naolin turned venin to save Brennan (say that five times fast lol). As revealed in Iron Flame, Brennan has a rune on his palm. When Violet notices this when she is asking Brennan how exactly he is alive, he says that when Naolin saved him, it "cost him everything." Tairn also refuses to talk about him, saying "We no longer speak of the one that comes before." I believe that this isn't death, but sacrificing his soul to channel. The reason I think Brennan will betray the revolution is because I think that he and Naolin have a similar connection to venin and their wyvern. Venin create wyvern by channeling power into runes, similar to what Naolin could have done to revive Brennan. Also, venin control the wyvern that they create, so Naolin could have some kind of power over Brennan since I believe he is still out there somewhere, most likely in Poromiel. Also, at the end of Onyx Storm when Sloane transfers power from Dain to Brennan, Violet notes that neither have a rune-shaped scar from the transfer, so maybe the difference is that Naolin channeled from the source to heal Brennan instead of getting the power elsewhere, like how Dain was the source for Brennan. And on a much darker note, you have to kill the venin to kill the wyvern, and if Naolin is a Maven, Violet may be forced to kill him in future books, therefore killing her brother.

Next, I predicted that Violet would ride Andarna just because I felt like that would be a more uplifting thing to include in the book. While this did not happen, Andarna's flying skills did improve. This theory was just for fun, but there is still a possibility this could happen.

Another theory I had was that Lilith was venin while pregnant with Violet since it is revealed in earlier books that Vi's mom was sick during her pregnancy. This could have been to hide the fact that she was venin and struggling not to channel. I also thought that this was what could have caused Violet's fragile body and silver hair, but after learning that the people of Unnbriel also have silver in their hair, I'm thinking that has to do with more of the Dunne situation. Also, at the end of Iron Flame, there is a correspondence before one of the chapters addressed to Lilith, stating that "We have tried every method we know of, as you requested. There is no cure. There is only control," in which it must have been referring to finding a cure for venin, information Lilith would only be seeking if she or someone she loved had turned. This correspondence was also placed at the start of Xaden's POV chapter, the one that describes him turing venin. I have a feeling that this was intentional.

My next theory is very silly and for some reason I really wanted Dain and Cat to get together because imagine how hilarious that would have been! As a fandom, most people despise them, and since Dain is such a rule-follower and Cat is so uptight, it would have been too funny if they were a couple. But since Dain changed a lot and even Cat seems to have warmed up a tad, I don't think they would have been good together in Onyx Storm anyways. Plus, now I'm on the Dain and Sloane train so...

So I saw this theory on Instagram somewhere and was immediately intrigued by this thought. Sloane is a siphon, which means she can absorb power and transfer it somewhere else. So, in theory, couldn't she absorb the power Xaden stole and return it to the earth? I'm not sure, but that's definitely an interesting thought. Although this didn't happen, I feel like Sloane's power could serve a major purpose in the future, especially after saving Mira, which was a step for her in overcoming her fear and dislike of her power.

My guess for Violet's second second was that she is a knowledge weaver, meaning that she has a special, heightened ability to put clues together, absorb knowledge, and ask the right questions. Since signet's stem from what a cadet needs most, I thought that Violet most needed information, which she admits when confronting Xaden about his second signet, saying "I am a person who needs information to center myself." Also, since Xaden made such a big deal about Violet asking the right questions in Iron Flame, I thought maybe he already had a hunch about her second signet like he did with her lightning. But obviously all of this was painfully wrong because Vi is a dream walker, which was an absolutely genius choice anyways so I can't even be mad.

For the next theory, I'm kind of giving myself a free point since it didn't necessarily completely come true, but if you read between the lines it did lol. It's that Imogen and Garrick will get together, and something between them was DEFINITELY hinted at throughout the book. Or I'm delusional. But Quinn did say "And you should tell him, Gen. Tell him, and you find some happy," and then Garrick showed up and was all soft and cute and refused to leave her. Either that or it was just because Quinn just died (not to be insensible because her death absolutely broke me). Which is much more rational. But, Imogen did ask if Garrick was still missing at the end of the book and the squad was teasing her during Signet Sparring when Garrick was teaching so...she obviously cares about him.

This wasn't explicitly said in Onyx Storm, so I'm not going to count it, but I do think that this book defends the theory that there is a venin infiltration in Second Wing specifically. In Iron Flame, a lot of the cadets that were sent to kill Violet and the others that fought at Resson were from Second Wing, and a few were described to have red eyes. This continued in Onyx Storm, and one Second Wing cadet even channeled during Signet Sparring. Although this theory wasn't specifically confirmed in this book, it was revealed that there are venin among the Scribes, so another infiltration is possible. I just think that maybe venin are recruiting from that Wing especially compared to others?

I also thought that there would be other riders with the 7th den of dragons, but there clearly were not as they seem to despise humans. I just thought this would be fun because it could add a little bit to the plot in terms of Violet having to win them over to get them to join their cause, kind of like some Manon and the crochan witches action if you've read the Throne of Glass series. Or that they'd have knowledge about a cure. I wasn't expected the 7th breed to be able to communicate with all of the humans, so since they have that ability, other riders weren't needed.

This theory was a bit of a freebie, since I guessed that Vi would find her father's research. His research was mentioned multiple times in past books, connecting it to feathertails, a known topic of his research, when Violet bonds Andarna. Daddy Aetos and Varnish were also clearly after it, with Aetos having questioned Vi about it's location on the flight field and Varnish's unsettling interest in Andarna in Iron Flame. Also, the riders study the Krovlan uprising in Onyx Storm, which ends up having a major connection to Vi's father's research as well. I was not expecting Dain to be the one to retrieve it though, or that there were more books hidden in Deverelli.

This theory also wasn't 100% confirmed, but I gave myself the point anyway because there were some significant developments. In Iron Flame, Suri, a member of The Assembly, is described as having a silver streak in her hair. I thought that this could mean something because Suri was the only other person at this point in the series that had hair remotely similar to Violet's. I connected this with my original theory about Viloet's hair, in that Suri's mother had to have been venin or maybe just harmed by one, since it was only a streak. However, in Onyx Storm we discover that Theophanie and the people of Unnbriel have silver hair, so maybe Suri is from there or is dedicated to Dunne in some way too, meaning she may have answers for Violet in the future.

I already talked about Naolin turing venin in my first rant, so I'll skip over that :)

The theory that I am most proud of that came true is that the marked one's have second signets. In Fourth Wing, I caught the part where Liam wielded ice, and I was like that's really strange seeing as how he's a farsight. Then when it was revealed that Xaden had a second signet, I started to wonder if their relics gave them an extra signet or that dragons were intentionally bonding descendants of their previous riders if said rider's were related to marked ones. When Violet realizes that Garrick is also a distance wielder, she asks Xaden if all marked one's have 2 signets, and he says that enough do that leadership couldn't possibly have a complete list, but not enough they question Xaden for "not having one." We also learn that Imogen can also turn things to stone, and that Bodhi "doesn't have one" like Xaden, which leads me to think that he's just hiding it.

I also thought, and still do, think that Aetos is working with venin. I don't think he is one, but I do think it's one of those situations were he is helping them get into Basgaith or whatever to get power or something in return, but then they'll just kill him in the end. He's just so evil and I could see him siding with them because of how Lillith sent him to an outpost after what happened at Resson. I will say though, I was shocked that Panchek was the real traitor. I thought it was weird he traveled with the squad to Aretia to look at the hatching grounds in Onyx Storm, but that plot twist definitely caught me off guard because I kind of forgot about him until before that to be honest.

My second to last theory was that the 7th den's fire could burn venin. As we already know, dragon fire cannot typically kill venin, but Andarna somehow manages to burn one in Iron Flame. I thought that maybe this was a special ability that all of the 7th breed possessed. But then in Onyx Storm, when Andarna tries to burn Theophanie in Aretia, it doesn't work. However, in the first chapter of Onyx Storm, Andrna tells Violet, "Magic feels different when a change color. Maybe the use of my power in that moment altered the venin, weakened her enough to blister." This conversation isn't brought up again in the book, but I'm thinking that Andarna may be on to something and she might discover more about her abilities from the 7th breed in future books.

And lastly, I had a theory about why on earth the venin want Violet so bad, and this theory kind of crashed and burned. In Iron Flame, Violet is being daunted by the Sage in her dreams, telling her that she will turn. As it turns out, this wasn't actually Violet's dream, but Xaden's because she unknowingly entered his dream when manifesting her second signet. However, in Onyx Storm, Violet is still being convinced to turn by Theophanie, so clearly the venin want her as well (as also proven by how Jack Barlowe saved her after an assassination attempt in Iron Flame when we know he was venin at this point). I thought that the reason the venin want her is because her signet is actually pure power and not lightening wielding. Lightening is just the form she is most comfortable manifesting it in, according to what Felix tells Violet in her first lesson with him. Because this power comes from dragons and Tairn is one of the most powerful, that's a whole untapped well of power for venin to steal. Maybe this would be the case for all signets, I'm not sure. But after reading Onyx Storm, I'm thinking that something happened between Lilith and Theophanie in the past since Lilith is the balance to Theophanie's power, and somehow Violet is connected to all of it.