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Flight & Glory
contemporary romance
Series · romantic fantasy
The Empyrean
The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Fourth Wing (2023). The next book, Threshing Day, is due 29 September 2026.
- Books
- 3 books
- First published
- 2023
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Fourth Wing (2023) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Fourth Wing
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fourth Wing - Book 2:
Iron Flame
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Iron Flame - Book 3:
Onyx Storm
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Onyx Storm
Our shelf-tested path for first-time readers.
- Book 1:
Fourth Wing
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fourth Wing - Book 2:
Iron Flame
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Iron Flame - Book 3:
Onyx Storm
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Onyx Storm
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.
How to read this series
Read in publication order: Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, then Onyx Storm. Each book picks up directly from the previous cliffhanger, so there is no sensible alternative path and no novellas to slot in yet. The main series is planned for five books; book four is being written and does not yet have a title or release date. In the meantime, Threshing Day — a collection of thirteen stories from across the Empyrean universe — arrives September 29, 2026, and is best enjoyed after the three main novels. Special editions add bonus chapters from other points of view, but nothing plot-critical.
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 .