By Kaitlin Santiago

Rebecca Yarros takes a step into fantasy to write a daring story about an enemies-to-lovers relationship forming in the midst of war, dragons, and death lurking around every corner. Come with me and take a deep dive into the land known as The Continent as we navigate Basgiath War College to increase our knowledge with the Scribes, learn to fight like the Infantry, understand the importance of Healers, and earn our dragons to become Riders. Get ready to discover everything you need to know about the Empyrean book series. 

“It only takes one desperate generation to change history—even erase it... One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.” 


— Rebecca Yarros (Kaitlin’s favorite quote from Fourth Wing)

The Romance Expert: Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca Yarros Author Photo
Photo credits: Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca Yarros is a #1 NYT bestselling author with more than 20 books published in a decade. She started her career by writing romance books back in 2014, and after working hard for so many years, it was the leap of faith to entwine her captive storytelling with a high-fantasy world that ultimately helped leave her mark on the world.


Currently, she resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with her ex-military husband and six children, one of whom they adopted after fostering. Since the adoption of one of the children, she co-founded a non-profit organization called One October to help support foster kids.


When writing, Yarros creates stories influenced by her own life, and she’s always willing to educate the reading community on her daily struggles. Whether she writes military heroes that reflect her husband or characters that share similar disabilities that impact her own family, readers can see her striking personality shine through her work.

When Did Fourth Wing Come Out?

Fourth Wing made its debut just a few years ago, back in 2023. Although many readers may have only heard her name in passing within the last ten years, it was this book that helped Rebecca Yarros become a household name.

How Many Books Are In The Empyrean Series?

What once started as a trilogy has now expanded into a five-book series known as the Empyrean Series! The order of the released books in the series is:


Book 1 (Fourth Wing) release date: April 5th, 2023

Book 2 (Iron Flame) release date: November 7, 2023

Book 3 (Onyx Storm) release date: January 21, 2025


With two more books to come!


Yarros always expresses her gratitude to the fantasy reading community while also continuing to write standalone romances in between the this series to help stick to her roots.

Synopses For The Books Released To Date:

Please note: content warnings for this series include mature themes such as war, violence, blood, graphic language, and sexual content, as well as other possible triggers such as death, anxiety, and poisoning.


In a nutshell, this series is about uncovering secrets, building powerful relationships, and exploring the world that goes beyond what even our main character knows. 

Fourth Wing

Conception Day is the deadliest day of the year, where candidates who have come of age can apply to Basgiath War College and choose one of four quadrants: Scribes, Infantry, Healers, or Riders. Violet Sorrengail has trained her whole life to become a scribe like her father, but when the General forces her to choose a different path, Violet prays to whatever god will listen that she can stay alive to see tomorrow.


With death tight on her heels, she will need to learn to survive deadly dragons, dangerous cadets known as the 'Marked Ones,' and death-inducing trials guided by the professors of Basgiath. 

SLIGHT SPOILER WARNINGS FOR THE BELOW SYNOPSES 

Iron Flame

After discovering that everything she has been taught may have been a lie, Violet must decide if she will put her trust in Xaden Riorson, the rebellion leader’s son, and the rest of the Marked Ones, or if she will go to the leaders of Navarre and Basgiath to expose the treason happening right under their noses.


As new dangers arise, Violet must find a way to save everyone while trying to gain control of her new, growing power, manage her hot-and-cold relationship with Xaden, and keep top-secret information from everyone she loves in Navarre during her second year at Basgiath.

Onyx Storm

Violet’s world is about to get a whole lot bigger when the person she loves becomes the very enemy she’s trying to fight against. Xaden's sanity is slipping as his Venin powers become more aggressive, and Violet vows to scour the entire continent, and beyond, to find a cure.


Taking her most trusted team, readers will journey with them to discover new locations, enemies, and even dragons that come to light during this daring adventure. Not only to save Xaden, but to defeat the rising threat of Venin on The Continent as well.

When Is The Next Book In The Series Coming Out?

I’m excited to let you know that there has been an untitled book listed on Rebecca Yarros’ Goodreads that confirms we will get more of the Empyrean universe at a later time. However, the release date for book 4 in the Empyrean series has not been confirmed by the author.


Yarros has mentioned many times that she felt pressured and rushed to put out Onyx Storm by the public demand, and she would like to take her time expanding the world and getting to develop the characters at a slower pace. We may see her publish more contemporary romances (as she likes to switch between genres when publishing her work) before we see the fourth book published.


In other news, there is a graphic novel in production with Yarros to transform the Empyrean series from a novel into a comic! Fans can get excited for a brand-new way to read about their favorite characters on paper.

What Genre Is Fourth Wing?

Romantasy Theme

Fourth Wing and the rest of the books in the Empyrean series fall under the Adult Romantasy genre. The story heavily focuses on Violet navigating the war college that teaches the history of Narvarre as well as its ties to dragons and other mythical creatures.


Every Rider is granted some kind of power, called a Signet, that manifests after they bond with a dragon. These can range from a non-combative ability like mending or image projecting to something deadly like lightning wielding or shadow manipulation.


The series also blends in the elements of romance between the two main characters, Violet and Xaden, with a true enemies-to-lovers trope while also pushing for connections between other cadets in the Riders quadrant. Without any promise of making it through the day, Riders are strongly encouraged to bond with one another and live their lives to the fullest before death meets them first.


With only a small percentage of open-door sexual content, the difficult and explicit war themes, such as blood, death, and violence, launch the series into the adult category.

Characters In Fourth Wing And The Empyrean Series

Throughout the Empyrean series, we meet a lot of characters (with super unique powers), and it can be easy to lose track of them sometimes. Below is a description of the most important characters, along with each of their signets.


*SPOILER WARNING: INFORMATION IS UPDATED THROUGH THE END OF ONYX STORM*

Riders And Cadets

Violet Sorrengail
  • Daughter of Lilith Sorrengail, youngest child
  • Sister to Brennan and Mira Sorrengail
  • Fourth Wing, Flame Section Cadet
  • Signet: Lightning Wielder and Dream Walker (She can conjure lightning as her form of power and cross into other people’s dreams to explore their subconscious)
Xaden Riorson
  • Violet’s love interest
  • Son of the leader of the rebellion, Fen Rioroson, who was publicly executed for treason against Navarre
  • Wingleader of the Fourth Wing in his third year
  • Signet: Shadow Wielder and Inntensic (Intention Reader - he can manipulate shadows and see the intentions of a person the second before the thought comes to their mind)
Dain Aetos
  • Violet’s childhood best friend
  • Squad Leader of Fourth Wing, Flame Section in his second year
  • Wingleader of Fourth Wing in his third year
  • Signet: Retrocognition by touch (He can see someone's most recent memories with skin-to-skin contact)
Rhiannon Matthias
  • One of the first friends Violet makes before crossing the parapet
  • Fourth Wing, Flame Section Cadet in her first year
  • Squad Leader of Fourth Wing, Flame Section in her second year
  • Signet: Object Summoning (She can teleport items from one place to another, usually by retrieving them to herself)
Sawyer Henrick
  • Fourth Wing, Flame Section Cadet
  • Signet: Metallurgy (He can manipulate metal with his mind)
Ridoc Gamlyn
  • Daughter of Lilith Sorrengail, youngest child
  • Fourth Wing, Flame Section Cadet
  • Signet: Ice Wielder (He can freeze or wield water at will)
Liam Mairi
  • Fourth Wing, Tail Section Cadet, before being asked to transfer to the Flame Section for Violet’s safety
  • Assigned to protect Violet as her bodyguard by Xaden
  • Signet: Farsight and Ice Wielder (He can see across long distances and has been caught manipulating ice in one scene of Fourth Wing)
Jack Barlowe
  • One of the main antagonists
  • Wants to *kill* Violet from the moment he meets her on the parapet
  • First Wing, Flame Section Cadet
  • Signet: Unknown

Leaders And Professors

General Augustine Melgren
  • Commanding General over all of Navarre
  • Signet: Battle Foresight (He can see the future of a battle outcome before it happens)
General Lilith Sorrengail
  • Commanding General of Basgiath
  • Mother to Brennan, Mira, and Violet Sorrengail
  • Signet: Storm Wielder (She can control or manipulate storms)

Lieutenants

Mira Sorrengail
  • Daughter of Lilith Sorrengail, middle child
  • Sister to Brennan and Violet Sorrengail
  • Lieutenant stationed at Montserrat
  • Signet: Ward Extension (She can enlarge or shrink protective wards around herself or fellow riders)
Brennan Sorrengail
  • Son of Lilith Sorrengail, oldest child
  • Brother to Mira and Violet Sorrengail
  • Was a Lieutenant Colonel before he was presumed dead
  • Secretly working as the Tactician for the Revolution, and becoming one of the main members of the Assembly
  • Signet: Mending (Like a healer, he has the power to physically mend deeper wounds)

Important Side Characters

Catriona Cordella
  • Second in line for the Poromish throne
  • Was betrothed to Xaden Riorson for nine months before he broke off their arranged engagement
  • Gryphon flier for Cliffsbane Flight Academy and bonded to Kiralair (Located in Poromiel)
  • Gift: Emotion Heightening (She cannot manipulate or create emotions but instead amplify lingering emotions within someone until that’s all they can feel)
Jesinia Neilwart
  • Cadet of the Scribe Quadrant
  • Studied with Violet to take the Scribe entrance exam
  • Deaf character representation, described using sign language to communicate with other characters
  • Transcribes the entire Fourth Wing story: “The following text has been faithfully transcribed from Navarrian into the modern language by Jesinia Neilward, Curator of the Scribe Quadrant at Basgiath War College. All events are true, and names have been preserved to honor the courage of those fallen. May their souls be commended to Malek.”

Types Of Dragons In The Series

What would the series be without the mythical creatures that play an important role in it? There are seven different colors of dragons in the series, as well as six different tail types.


*SPOILER WARNING: INFORMATION IS UPDATED THROUGH THE END OF ONYX STORM*

Black Dragons

The smartest and most sophisticated species of dragon. They are also the rarest type of dragon in service.

“There is no such thing as outsmarting a black dragon.”

— Professor Kaori (Fourth Wing, page 96)

Tairn (Tairneanach)

  • Morningstartail
  • Bonded with Violet Sorrengail

Codagh

  • Swordtail
  • Bonded with General Melgren

Blue Dragons

Yarros only describes one blue dragon within the series, even though there are a few currently in service. Blues are seen as a force to be reckoned with.

“Ruthless does not even begin to describe her, nor does she abide by what we assume to be what the dragons consider law.”


— Professor Kaori (Fourth Wing, page 95)

Sgaeyl

  • Daggertail
  • Bonded with Xaden Riorson

Red Dragons

They’re the quickest to temper out of all dragons. They are very hot-headed and normally need a rider who can be cool, calm, and collected to balance them out with logical thinking.

Deigh

  • Daggertail
  • Bonded with Liam Mairi

Sliseag

  • Swordtail
  • Bonded with Sawyer Henrick

Cath

  • Swordtail
  • Bonded with Dain Aetos

Orange Dragons

The most unpredictable of all dragons. Oranges seem to do whatever they please and like to bond with riders who can be just as merciless as they are.

Marbh

  • Daggertail
  • Bonded with Brennan Sorrengail

Baide

  • Scorpiontail
  • Bonded with Jack Barlowe

Green Dragons

These dragons are very intelligent and have the most rational thoughts. They tend to be the most helpful with leading and/or protecting military bases.

Teine

  • Daggertail
  • Bonded with Mira Sorrengail

Feirge

  • Daggertail
  • Bonded with Rhiannon Mattihas

Brown Dragons

While there is little known about Browns, we do know that they have a respect for riders who do not show fear or hesitation, bonding with Riders who are confident in their skills.


We get more personality from Aotrom in Onyx Storm, which shows that they may also be more playful than other dragons (although this may be due to Ridoc’s influence).

Aotrom

  • Swordtail
  • Bonded with Ridoc Gamlyn

Aimsir

  • Unknown
  • Bonded with Lilith Sorrengail

Irid Dragons

Little is known about Irid dragons, considering they fled The Continent long ago to avoid all cases of war. They can shift between different colors to blend into a background as well as change their tail type at will.

Andarna (Andarnaurram)

  • Feathertail/Scorpiontail
  • Bonded with Violet Sorrengail

How Spicy Is Fourth Wing?

If I were to rank Fourth Wing on the OwlCrate Spice Meter, it would be around a 3 for Medium spice. 

There is kissing as well as a couple of sex scenes explained in explicit detail, but they are very short and are considered a secondary plot point within the series.


The book focuses more on the fantasy and world-building aspects while using these scenes to help naturally progress Violet and Xaden’s relationship. Most readers describe the book as tame compared to other books in the Adult Romantasy genre.

Where Can I Find Books From The Series In Audiobook Form?

Do you prefer audiobooks over physical ones? You’re in luck! Two different versions of audiobooks will have you falling in love with the story all over again.


One is the regular version, which reads straight from the text with two to four narrators. The other version is a dramatized audiobook, which means it has a full cast, with each character getting an assigned voice actor. It also means that it cuts out some of the description within the book and adds sound effects to fully immerse the listener into the fantasy world.


I listened to the dramatized audiobooks last year, and I can say, without a doubt, that it has drastically changed my opinion on listening to books. I absolutely loved it, and I couldn’t think of this story being told any other way.


The best two platforms to listen to them on would be Audible (free with your subscription) or Spotify (where you can listen to a sample for free with your subscription before having to purchase the rest of the series). The audiobooks are also available on some other platforms, including BookBeat and Everand.

Regular Audiobook Narrators:
  • Fourth Wing—Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton
  • Iron Flame—Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton
  • Onyx Storm—Jasmin Walker, Justis Bolding, Rebecca Soler, and Teddy Hamilton
Dramatized Audiobook Cast:
  • Khaya Fraites—Violet Sorrengail
  • Gabriel Michael—Xaden Riorson
  • LaMont Ridgell - Tairn (Tairneanach)
  • Taylor Coan—Rhiannon Mattihas
  • Torian Brackett—Dain Aetos
  • Rob McFadyen—Liam Mairi
  • Laura C. Harris—Mira Sorrengail
  • Jessica Lauren Ball—Imogen Cardulo
  • Robb Moreira—Ridoc Gamlyn
  • Megan Poppy—Andarna (Andarnaurram)
  • James Konicek—Professor Carr
  • David Cui Cui—Jack Barlowe
  • James J. Johnson—Bodhi Durran
  • Henry W. Kramer—Sawyer Henrick
  • Nazia Chaudhry—Professor Devera
  • Mike Carnes—Commandant Panchek
  • Marni Penning—General Lilith Sorrengail
  • Stephanie Nemeth-Parker—Sgaeyl

As well as other voice actors filling in the rest of the cast, such as Crystal Lee, Amanda Forstrom, Christopher Graybill, Ryan Haugen, Sarah Ruth Dawson, James Lewis, Yasmin Tuazon, Alejandro Ruiz, Nickolette Kong, Tyler Hyrchuk, Matthew Pauli, Yenni Ann, Danny Gavigan, Earl Fisher, Kay Elluvian, Steve Wannall, Megan Hastie, Wyn Delano, Christopher Walker, Eric Messner, Scott McCormick, and Terence Aselford.


The dramatized audiobook for Onyx Storm is coming in early May 2025!

Will The Empyrean Series Be A Movie / TV Show?

Amazon MGM Studios

Short answer: Yes.


Long answer: YESOMGICANTBELIEVETHISISHAPPENINGXADENISGOINGTOBEONMYTVSCREEN!!!


The Empyrean series has been picked up by Amazon MGM Studios and is currently in development to be a TV series, and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society will be producing the show. Rebecca Yarros will be the executive producer alongside showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett, who has worked on other shows such as Anne with an E, Breaking Bad, and Flesh and Bone.

Cast For The Adaptation

There has not been any confirmation on the cast of the series yet, but Yarros continues to scan social media closely, looking for any suggestions from fans. In one interview, she stated that the only non-negotiable she has for the show is that 'Xaden isn't white,' as he is described as having tanned skin in the book series.

The TV Series Release Date

As of right now, there has been no release date for the TV show. Since this series will cover all five books, it is unclear if we will have to wait until the story is complete or if we will see the start of the TV show before getting to the conclusion of the story.


Yarros has announced that she has seen the script of the pilot while she was on tour for Onyx Storm, and she’s very happy with how it’s being adapted. She has also claimed that everyone on the team is very protective of the original text, so readers can breathe a little easier knowing that one of our favorite series is being well taken care of. 

Fourth Wing Book Club Questions!

Are you reading (or re-reading) Fourth Wing with one or many friends? Here are some fun questions you can ask your groups that may spark some (🔥heated🔥) discussions.


  1. Realistically, which quadrant do you think you’d go for: Scribes, Infantry, Healer, or Rider? (Who am I kidding? I think we all want to be Riders - but here’s a BuzzFeed quiz you can take to find out

  2. If you made it through to threshing, what dragon do you think would want to bond with you and why?

  3. Violet’s self-affirmation is "I will not die today." If you were a first year at Basgiath, what would yours be?

  4. What are your thoughts about Dain? Do you think his actions are justified?

  5. What do you think was Violet’s biggest challenge? The parapet, the gauntlet, threshing, or just simply surviving within the ranks?

  6. Which of the challenges do you think you could make it through? Which ones do you think you would struggle with? Do you think you’d make it to threshing?

  7. What would you want your signet to be?

  8. Which Riders intimidate you? Who would you stay away from?

  9. What do you think about dragons being so secretive? What might the Empyrean be hiding?

  10. Which cadet would you team up with in a one-on-one activity from the Fourth Wing, Flame Section?

    1. Violet Sorrengail

    2. Rhiannon Matthias

    3. Sawyer Henrick

    4. Ridoc Gamlyn

    5. Liam Mairi

    6. Imogen Cardulo

    7. Quinn Hollis

All Books Written By Rebecca Yarros In Order

Flight & Glory:

  • Full Measures (Flight & Glory, #1) (2014)

  • Eyes Turned Skyward (Flight & Glory, #2) (2014)

  • Beyond What is Given (Flight & Glory, #3) (2015)

  • Hallowed Ground (Flight & Glory, #4) (2016)

  • The Reality of Everything (Flight & Glory, #5) (2020)


Legacy:

  • Point of Origin (Legacy, #0.5) (2016)

  • Ignite (Legacy, #0.7) (2016)

  • Reason to Believe (Legacy, #1) (2022)


The Renegades:

  • Wilder (The Renegades, #1) (2016)

  • Nova (The Renegades, #2) (2017)

  • Rebel (The Renegades, #3) (2017)


The In Luv Duet (co-written with Jay Crownover):

  • Girl in Luv (Luv Duet, #1) (2019)

  • Boy in Luv (Luv Duet, #2) (2019)


Books in Series with Other Authors:

  • 1984: Against All Odds (Love in the 80s, #5) (2016)

  • Muses & Melodies (Hush Note, #3) (2020)

  • A Little Too Close (Madigan Mountain, #2) (2022)


Standalones:

  • The Last Letter (2019)

  • Great and Precious Things (2020)

  • The Things We Leave Unfinished (2021)

  • In The Likely Event (2023)

  • Variation (2024)


The Empyrean:

  • Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) (2023)

  • Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) (2023)

  • Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) (2025)

Books And Series Like Fourth Wing

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Young Adult Fantasy

As the first book in The Inheritance Cycle, this story focuses on a farm boy named Eragon who discovers a dragon egg that he mistakes for a stone. When it hatches, a dragon named Saphira imprints on him, claiming Eragon as her rider.


Now traveling together in a world with dangerous terrain, a mad king, and strong dark magic, Eragon must live up to the legends of powerful dragon riders to save the Empire. Will he rise to the occasion or die trying?


Fireborne by Rosaria Munda

Young Adult Romantasy

Fireborne follows Lee and Annie, two orphans who become dragon riders. Book One of the Aurelian Cycle follows these rising stars that are brought together, despite their drastically different backgrounds, with their goal to become a "Firstrider" (a commander of their fleet).


In this rival-to-lovers, fast-paced, Young Adult Romantasy, war threatens Lee and Annie’s building relationship, as Annie is faced with choosing between her love and her city.


Kaitlin Santiago never managed to hold onto relationships as long as she’d like. Whether they were friends or lovers, she somehow found herself alone most of the time. When the silence became too loud and the voices in her head begged for an escape, she started journaling. Getting her emotions on paper, even though she prayed no one else would find it, felt as though she could let go of any of the pain she held onto with iron fists.


She attended college and pursued an English degree, which she claimed to complete in 4 years. Somewhere along the way, when the light of writing started to dim, she believed she just needed inspiration. So, she picked up a book for the first time in 15 years. And then another, and another, until she had to buy a bookshelf. Two. Now, she’s clenching her wallet closely, for she doesn’t have the money to keep buying the magical worlds produced with words and bound into covers.


Her loneliness became her power as she immersed herself in a universe of dragons and fairies. Kings, Queens, and Princesses. She started writing her own stories, with her own characters that reflected how she viewed our mortal world through her eyes. They shared the lowest of lows together while also celebrating their highest of highs.


Whether she secretly writes about her life in the story of her original characters or makes something up on the spot, at the end of the day, she just hopes she can reach out to her readers in the future. All so that when they read her stories, they don’t have to ever feel the loneliness that she had once upon a time.

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