Book · in order
Fourth Wing (Empyrean Series) in Order
Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean series, the BookTok romantasy phenomenon about dragon-rider Violet Sorrengail. Three of a planned five books are out; read them strictly in publication order. A companion novel set in the same world arrives in 2026.
Fourth Wing (Empyrean Series) in Order โ complete list
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Why this order?
The Empyrean is the kind of series where order genuinely is not negotiable. Each book picks up almost immediately where the last one ended, the cliffhangers are brutal, and the world-building stacks layer by layer. So the only sensible way through is publication order, which is also reading order and story order all at once: Fourth Wing (2023), then Iron Flame (2023), then Onyx Storm (2025). That is the default and the only order we recommend.
Fourth Wing introduces Violet Sorrengail, funneled into the lethal riders' quadrant at Basgiath War College where cadets bond with dragons or die trying. Iron Flame raises the stakes and starts pulling apart what Violet thought she knew about the war and her own kingdom. Onyx Storm, the third and most recent installment, broke records when it landed in January 2025, selling roughly 2.7 million copies in its first week and outselling any adult novel in the previous two decades. It cracks the world wide open while setting up the back half of the series.
Here is the gotcha worth flagging. The Empyrean is planned as five numbered books, and only three exist so far. Before the fourth numbered book arrives, Yarros has confirmed a separate companion novel set in the Empyrean world, due September 29, 2026. It is explicitly NOT Book Four and sits outside the numbered run, so treat it as optional extra reading rather than a required step. The fourth numbered book is expected later, around 2026 to 2027, with the finale to follow. If you start now, you are signing up for a wait between releases, so some readers deliberately hold off until more are out.
If you came here from the broader romantasy wave, the closest neighbor is Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), which shares a huge chunk of this audience, plus Maas's Throne of Glass. Fans of dragon-rider fantasy also cross over from Naomi Novik's Temeraire and Christopher Paolini's Eragon.
Timeline 2023โ2026
Every entry plotted by release year โ see the gaps, clusters and revivals at a glance.
Where to play it today
Affiliate links (Bookshop.org for books, store links for games/films) slot in here.
Frequently asked questions
How many Fourth Wing (Empyrean) books are there?
Three numbered books are out so far: Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023), and Onyx Storm (2025). Rebecca Yarros has confirmed the Empyrean is planned as a five-book series, so two more numbered books are still to come. Separately, a companion novel set in the same world is due September 29, 2026.
What order should I read The Empyrean in?
Read the numbered books in publication order, which is also story order: Fourth Wing, then Iron Flame, then Onyx Storm. Each book continues directly from the previous one, so there is no alternate sequence. The 2026 companion novel is optional and is not a required step in the main story.
Do I need to read Fourth Wing before Iron Flame?
Yes. Iron Flame begins almost exactly where Fourth Wing ends and assumes you know the characters, the world, and the cliffhanger. Starting with Iron Flame would spoil and confuse everything.
Is Onyx Storm the last book?
No. Onyx Storm is the third of a planned five numbered books. A fourth numbered installment is expected around 2026 to 2027, with the series finale to follow after that. A standalone companion novel also arrives in September 2026.
What is the new 2026 Empyrean book โ is it Book Four?
No. Rebecca Yarros has confirmed a companion novel set in the Empyrean world releasing September 29, 2026, and she has been explicit that it is NOT the fourth numbered book. It sits outside the main five-book run, so think of it as optional extra reading rather than the next step in Violet's main story.
Is The Empyrean connected to ACOTAR?
No, they are separate series by different authors. But Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean and Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses share a large romantasy audience, which is why fans often read both.
Where does the series take place?
It centers on Basgiath War College in the kingdom of Navarre, where cadets in the riders' quadrant must bond with dragons to survive. Later books expand well beyond Navarre's borders.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, Wikidata
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