Sometimes, books that seemingly have it all can be a blessing or a curse. After picking up A Dawn of Onyx, I was hopeful that it would be the former – especially for a book that I planned on reading to greet the New Year.
While I try to develop my own reading list outside of TikTok, I had seen this completed trilogy floating around in the past, finally deciding to give it a try. The big question still remains – did A Dawn of Onyx start my year of binge reading off with a bang?
**Please note that there are minor spoilers ahead**
Plot Summary
In the midst of a brutal war between two kingdoms, A Dawn of Onyx introduces Arwen Avondale of the Amber Kingdom, who spends her days being afraid of her own shadow, while also being an insanely gifted healer.
After her brother, an AWOL solider who yoinked some money from the opposing army, ran home to tell Arwen, her sister, and mother all about it, the theft victims are obviously incensed and go after them. Despite her thieving brother’s warning, Arwen is captured by the opposing army and brought back to the Onyx kingdom to ostensibly serve as their healer.
During her time in Onyx, Arwen comes upon Kane Ravenwood, the brooding Onyx king whom she can’t stop drooling over. Luckily, the feeling turns out to be mutual as they work together to put an end to the war between two kingdoms, and a long-forgotten Fae realm pulling the strings. At the same time, Arwen learns to let go of her fears, finding a blossoming love and inner strength along the hopeful path to a peaceful world.
Quality of Writing
Rating: 4/5
Kate did a wonderful job with word choice and variance in A Dawn of Onyx. I didn’t notice any annoying repeats, and I found the descriptions of settings, items, and emotions to be eloquent without being wordy drivel. There were a few typos throughout the pages, but nothing I couldn’t figure out with context clues and willful ignorance of the error.
Plot Development
Rating: 5/5
For a short (for me) book, A Dawn of Onyx was absolutely packed with plot. There was an appropriate mix of dialogue and action, which kept me engaged and curious. Essentially, I had to micro dose myself with chapters to prevent me from finishing this book in one night.
Although some of the big reveals were mildly predictable, they felt more like a culmination of excitement and anticipation, rather than a tired plot cliche. I was delighted by the revelations each time, despite knowing they would come eventually.
While there isn’t a ton of spice, when it does show up, it’s hot and intense from all the yearning between Arwen and Kane, making it feel like its own sweet little reward.
Characters
Rating: 5/5
After reading a slew of books that featured fairly one dimensional heroines, Arwen was a breath of fresh air. I loved that she wasn’t immediately perfect at everything, and still isn’t by the end. Her struggles with fear and anxiety felt as real as my own, and I appreciated that she held herself accountable for her missteps, even if it took her time to do so.
The last time I loved a male main character as much as I love Kane, was when I read Kingdom of The Wicked and met Wrath. I fear that I absolutely swoon at a jealous, morally gray and brooding jerk that happens to be a cinnamon roll for his love, and A Dawn of Onyx gave me all that and then some with Kane. Despite some of his faults, of which he does have many, Kane is a compelling character due to his own imperfections and missteps, making him feel more relatable.
Together, Arwen and Kane have amazing banter and chemistry, much of which had me giggling and kicking my feet. The sarcasm and frequent pestering felt akin to my own relationship, which obviously made the romance feel so much more genuine and real. Arwen and Kane also fight like an old married couple, but unlike other popular literary couples who have the emotional maturity of a teaspoon, they both manage to appropriately call each other out, even if it leads to hurt feelings.
Throughout A Dawn of Onyx, I also found myself quite emotionally invested in the side characters. I love the friendship between Arwen and Mari, a young spitfire witch, and the fatherly figure that Arwen finds in Dagan, an aging Onyx war veteran. Although rough around the edges, I also found myself liking the quiet and stoic Griffin, the commander of Kane’s army and a lifelong friend.
Ease of Reading
Rating: 5/5
As mentioned above, I had to ration A Dawn of Onyx to prevent myself from binging the book completely. The book is a very easy read without being shallow or a “vibes only” read.
Ending
Rating: 4/5
While the ending was a little predictable, I still enjoyed the ending of A Dawn of Onyx immensely and didn’t feel rushed into anything – a nice change of pace from some of my past few reads. I know some might say that’s because it’s book 1 of a trilogy, but keep in mind that Onyx Storm was the 3rd book of the Empyrean series and that ending felt as rushed as me on my way to work each morning.
Would I Recommend This Book
100% yes! I feel like this is a criminally underhyped series. I’ve seen it around on social media in the past, but only talked about in a “if you like x, try y” sense, rather than giving A Dawn of Onyx its well deserved flowers.
Overall Rating
I am really glad to have started the year off with A Dawn of Onyx. Despite some spelling and grammatical errors, I really enjoyed the plot, the characters, and that I was always dying to see what would happen next. Although the ending was a little predictable, it is a great set up for book 2 of the series, and I look forward to more.
Book Rating: 4/5 (TW: Child Abuse (past), Attempted SA, Blood, Gore)
Spice Rating: 2/5
Curious about how I rate my reads? Check out my Rating System Blog Post for more!
Let’s Talk
Arwen begins the story as someone who feels quite powerless and defined by her fear. By the end of A Dawn of Onyx, how much of her growth do you attribute to her own inner strength, vs. the external pressure put on her by Kane and the war?
Reading Stack
Previous Book: A Promise of Peridot
Current Book: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Future Book: A Reign of Rose
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