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What Does It Take To Write The Fastest-Selling Novel In 20 Years?
I read Rebecca Yarros’ ‘Onyx Storm’ so you don’t have to
Onyx Storm, the fastest-selling novel in two decades, begins by cleverly tweaking trigger warnings. Rebecca Yarros says her book has “war, hand-to-hand combat, blood, intense violence, brutal injuries,” and more, including “sexual activities.” Then comes the kicker:
“Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note, and prepare to face the storm …”
With those words, Yarros at once honors and subverts the goal of content warnings. She lets you know what you’ll find in Onyx Storm, the third book in her Empyrean series, while slyly mocking the idea that her strong female readership needs protection from it. Yes, there’s sex and violence, she suggests, but you’re tough enough to handle it. Go, Rebecca.
If only the rest of the book lived up to that promising start.
Onyx Storm is a powerhouse in romantasy, a genre that melds romance and fantasy and is making publishers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, aided by #BookTok fans on TikTok. “Sextasy” might better describe a category full of heavy breathing by its main characters.
