The Empyrean
#104.42 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Ongoing 2023–present Reading commitment Medium Rebecca Yarros Last reviewed 2026-08-11
Overview
Rebecca Yarros's The Empyrean (Fourth Wing, 2023; Iron Flame, 2023; Onyx Storm, 2025) follows Violet Sorrengail through a brutal dragon-rider war college -- the dragon-riding 'romantasy'/New Adult fantasy phenomenon that drove much of the BookTok-era genre's mainstream crossover.
Romantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Empyrean Rebecca Yarros
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fourth Wing | 2023 | core | 4.57 (3,769,018 ratings) |
 | Iron Flame | 2023 | core | 4.36 (2,851,754 ratings) |
 | Onyx Storm | 2025 | core | 4.21 (1,881,976 ratings) |
New author record. The Empyrean (Fourth Wing, 2023; Iron Flame, 2023; Onyx Storm, 2025) is the current dragon-rider 'romantasy'/New Adult fantasy phenomenon that drove much of the BookTok-era genre's mainstream crossover -- explicitly named in Carlos's own brief for this batch. In progress: a 4th, untitled volume is publicly confirmed in development but has no publication date (multiple entertainment-press sources place it no earlier than 2027) -- isn't counted here yet.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Empyrean? The Empyrean's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for The Empyrean? Publication order, starting with Fourth Wing. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Empyrean finished? Ongoing (2023–present).
- How much reading does The Empyrean take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is The Empyrean ranked? #10 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 8,502,748 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #10?
Ranked #10 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.42 across 3 core books.
- Backed by 8.5M reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #9, La Horde du Contrevent (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 3 books · Ongoing · 8.5M ratings · Ranks #10 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length romantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Fourth Wing (2023)
- Iron Flame (2023)
- Onyx Storm (2025)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what The Empyrean and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- A Court of Thorns and Roses Romantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.40
- Crescent City Romantasy / Urban fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.38
- Hidden Legacy Urban fantasy / Romantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.37
- Shield of Sparrows Romantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.40
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.42 across 8,502,748 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Run 2: 3 admissions -- The Founders Trilogy, The Empyrean, Book of the Ancestor accepted 2026-08-11
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-11
Rule: Core = the 3 published novels (2023-2025); in progress. A 4th, untitled volume is publicly confirmed in development but has no publication date as of this research pass -- not registered per Article 2.