Violet Sorrengail
A lightning wielder bonded to Tairn and, for most of the book, Andarna. Her second signet is dream walking, which lets her enter the dreams of people she loves. She searches for a cure for Xaden while navigating diplomacy, war, and her parents' hidden prophecy.
Xaden Riorson
Duke of Tyrrendor, shadow wielder, intention reader, and Violet's lover. He struggles to resist the hunger created by becoming venin, channels again to save those he loves, and disappears after secretly marrying Violet.
Tairn
Violet's black dragon and Sgaeyl's mate. He carries Violet through the island quest and battles while coping with Andarna's separation and the danger to his bonded family.
Andarna
Violet's iridescent dragon, revealed to be an irid — the seventh breed, a living population rather than the six territorial dens — and unique among them for having chosen a scorpiontail. She leaves to learn from the irids, breaks her bond with Violet, then freely returns to help kill Theophanie.
Sgaeyl
Xaden's blue dragon and Tairn's mate. She remains emotionally distant from Xaden after his transformation but becomes the reason he channels heavily during the final battle.
Rhiannon Matthias
Violet's closest friend and squad leader. She helps defend the coalition during the final battle and receives one of the novel's additional point-of-view chapters.
Ridoc Gamlyn
An ice wielder and loyal member of Violet's squad. He learns Xaden's secret, insists on honesty, and kills a wyvern by freezing it internally.
Sawyer Henrick
A metal wielder who lost a leg at Basgiath. He trains with a purpose-built prosthetic and successfully returns to flight with Sliseag.
Imogen Cardulo
A marked rider whose signet erases recent memories. She removes Jack's and later Violet's memories, fights in the final battle, and may possess a second signet.
Garrick Tavis
Xaden's closest friend and a marked rider revealed as a distance wielder. He saves Imogen during the final battle and is among those missing after Violet's lost twelve hours.
Mira Sorrengail
Violet's older sister and a rider who can extend wards. Theophanie kidnaps her and cuts her throat, but Brennan, Sloane, and Dain keep her alive.
Brennan Sorrengail
Violet's brother, a powerful mender, and an Aretian leader. He saves Mira and continues searching for a way to reverse venin corruption.
Dain Aetos
Violet's former childhood friend and a memory reader. He steals her father's research, supplies crucial translations, joins the island quest, and lets Sloane siphon his power to save Mira.
Sloane Mairi
A siphon and Liam's younger sister. She channels Dain's power into Brennan during the desperate attempt to mend Mira.
Aaric Graycastle / Prince Cam Tauri
A Navarrian prince hiding among the riders. His developing precognitive signet helps Violet obtain the temple dagger capable of killing Theophanie.
Catriona Cordella
A gryphon flier, emotion wielder, and politically trained member of the Poromish royal family. She becomes a valuable ally during the island negotiations.
Theophanie
A powerful venin Maven who controls storms and formerly served the goddess Dunne. She pursues Violet, kidnaps Mira, and is killed with a temple dagger.
Berwyn
The venin Sage who turned Xaden. He survives the battles and continues trying to draw Xaden completely into venin allegiance.
Jack Barlowe
A venin rider imprisoned beneath Basgiath. He becomes a source of dangerous information and the "brother" Theophanie demands during her bargain.
Colonel Lyron Panchek
Commandant of the Riders Quadrant, revealed in the final chapters to be venin himself.
Leothan
An irid who activates Aretia's wards and offers Andarna the knowledge of her own kind, prompting her departure from Violet.
Halden Tauri
Aaric's older brother and Violet's former lover. Caught stealing from King Courtlyn, he collapses the negotiation and is kept on Deverelli as the king's prisoner; Aaric joins the quest in his place.
King Courtlyn
Ruler of Deverelli, whom the party is petitioning for an alliance. His cruelty culminates in Anna Winshire's murder and a deadly confrontation with Violet's party.
Tecarus
A Poromish ruler whose power grows after Queen Maraya's death. His bargains continue to complicate the coalition.
Spoiler Warning and Content Note
The summaries below reveal the entire novel. Onyx Storm contains graphic violence and death, torture, poisoning, kidnapping, chronic pain and injury, addiction themes, and explicit sexual content.