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Series · romantic fantasy

The Empyrean

by Rebecca Yarros

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Fourth Wing (2023). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Onyx Storm. The next announced book, Threshing Day, is due 29 September 2026.

Books
3 known books (3 novels)
Published
3
First published
2023
Status
ongoing
Shelved under
Romance, Fantasy
Last checked

Start here: Fourth Wing (2023) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing (2023)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Fourth Wing

    Novel

    Fourth Wing opened The Empyrean on May 2, 2023, dropping Violet Sorrengail from her hoped-for scribe's life into Basgiath War College's brutal dragon-rider quadrant; at 530 pages it launched what became a genre-defining romantasy phenomenon.

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  2. Iron Flame

    Novel

    Iron Flame followed just six months later, on November 7, 2023, and at 640 pages is the longest book in the series so far, continuing directly from Fourth Wing's cliffhanger.

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  3. Onyx Storm

    Novel

    Onyx Storm, published January 21, 2025, is the third of five planned main novels, running 544 pages as the war and conspiracy Violet uncovered widen well beyond Basgiath's walls.

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About The Empyrean

The Empyrean is Rebecca Yarros's blockbuster dragon-rider fantasy, the series that turned "romantasy" into a bookstore category of its own. Violet Sorrengail spent her life training to be a quiet scribe, but her general mother orders her into Basgiath War College's rider quadrant instead — a military academy where cadets bond with dragons or die trying, and where classmates are as likely to kill you as the curriculum. Chronically fragile in a world built for the strong, Violet has to survive on wit, nerve, and dangerous alliances, including one with Xaden Riorson, the brooding son of a failed rebellion who has every reason to want her dead.

What sets the series apart is its pacing: brutal training-school stakes, twist-heavy plotting, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that runs genuinely hot, wrapped around a widening war story about who controls the truth of the kingdom's history. Each installment ends on a cliffhanger designed to be talked about, and the world expands sharply beyond the academy walls as the series progresses.

It is written for adult readers — expect explicit romance and battlefield violence — and suits anyone who wants the addictive momentum of a school story fused with dragons, conspiracy, and high-casualty warfare. Five main books are planned, so new readers should know they are joining a story still in flight.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in The Empyrean series?

Three so far — Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023), and Onyx Storm (2025) — out of five planned main novels. A story collection, Threshing Day, is due September 29, 2026.

What order should I read The Empyrean in?

Publication order: Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm. Each book continues directly from the last, so don't skip around.

When is Fourth Wing book 4 coming out?

No title or release date has been announced. Rebecca Yarros confirmed in 2026 that she is actively writing it; based on the series' gaps, late 2026 or 2027 is the realistic window. The next Empyrean release is actually Threshing Day (September 29, 2026), a thirteen-story collection — not book four.

Is The Empyrean series finished?

No. Five main books are planned and three have been published, so at least two more novels are coming.

Is Fourth Wing YA or adult?

Adult. The series contains explicit romantic content and graphic violence, and is generally recommended for readers 18+.

Reading order last verified .