Fourth Wing
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to live a quiet life as a scribe. She loves books, history, and anything that doesn't involve mortal danger. But her mother, a commanding general, has other plans. Violet is ordered to enter Basgiath War College in the kingdom of Navarre to train as a dragon rider.
Here's the thing: Violet is smaller and more physically fragile than every other cadet around her. Dragons don't bond with the weak. They incinerate them. And with fewer dragons than candidates, the competition is ruthless. Some cadets would kill Violet just to improve their own odds. Others want her dead simply because of who her mother is.
Enter Xaden Riorson, the most powerful wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. He has every reason to despise Violet and her family. He's dangerous, magnetic, and impossible to ignore. The tension between them could set the whole college on fire.
But Violet is no damsel. What she lacks in brute strength, she makes up for with sharp wits and fierce determination. She refuses to break, even when the odds are stacked impossibly high.
Meanwhile, the kingdom's protective wards are failing. The war beyond the college walls grows deadlier by the day. And Violet begins to suspect that the leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
This is the first book in the Empyrean series, a fantasy romance that became a massive #1 New York Times bestseller and a BookTok phenomenon. It blends enemies-to-lovers romance with nonstop action, political intrigue, and truly magnificent dragons.
Everyone at Basgiath has an agenda. Once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
Interesting Facts
Written In Two Months: Rebecca Yarros wrote the entire first draft of Fourth Wing in just two months. She was in the hospital with her son who was receiving treatment for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome when she learned her book would launch a new fantasy line.
Inspired By A Family Dog: The powerful black dragon Tairn was inspired by Diesel, Yarros's English bulldog who lived to be 12.5 years old. The beloved family pet passed away in 2023, leaving a lasting mark on the series.
BookTok Made It Explode: The hashtags #FourthWing and #RebeccaYarros have generated over one billion views combined on TikTok. This viral phenomenon catapulted the book to massive commercial success within months of its release.
Stayed On Top For Months: Fourth Wing held the number one spot on The New York Times Bestseller list for 18 weeks. The book remained on the list for over a year, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.
A Personal Health Connection: Protagonist Violet Sorrengail has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the same chronic connective tissue disorder that affects Yarros and four of her six children. Yarros wanted to show that people with chronic illnesses can be heroic.
Third Time's The Charm: When Yarros's publisher asked for fantasy pitches, she submitted five ideas in order of preference. The publisher chose her third pitch, which became the Empyrean world we know today.
Amazon Snagged The Rights: Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society acquired the television adaptation rights in a heated auction before the book even released. Yarros serves as an executive producer on the series.
Twenty Books Before This: Fourth Wing wasn't Yarros's first rodeo. She had already published over twenty novels, primarily contemporary military romances, before her fantasy debut took the world by storm.
Military Life Shaped The Story: Yarros grew up with dual military parents who were both Army lieutenant colonels. Her husband served 22 years in the military with five deployments, deeply influencing the war college setting.
Violet Bonds With Two Dragons: In a first for the series, protagonist Violet bonds with two dragons during Threshing: the powerful black dragon Tairn and the golden feathertail Andarna. No one at Basgiath had ever accomplished this before.
Sold Millions In First Week: The third book in the series, Onyx Storm, sold over 2.7 million copies in its first week alone. This made it the fastest-selling adult fiction title in 20 years.
Graphic Novels Are Coming: Yarros announced in March 2025 that she will personally adapt all three Empyrean books into graphic novels. Six graphic novels total are planned to span the trilogy.
The Romantasy Genre Champion: Fourth Wing has been credited with helping to popularize the "romantasy" genre, which blends romance and fantasy elements. The book's success sparked a 41.3% surge in science fiction and fantasy sales from 2023 to 2024.
Quotes
"There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence." - Rebecca Yarros
"I will not die today." - Rebecca Yarros
"I would rather lose this entire war than live without you, and if that means I have to prove myself over and over, then I'll do it. You gave me your heart, and I'm keeping it." - Rebecca Yarros
"You’re making us look bad. Stop it." - Rebecca Yarros
"There is no me without you." - Rebecca Yarros
"I am the sky and the power of every storm that has ever been. I am infinite." - Rebecca Yarros
"Killing you wouldn’t be any trouble, Violence. It’s leaving you alive that seems to cause the majority of my trouble." - Rebecca Yarros
"There is nothing more sacred than the Archives. Even temples can be rebuilt, but books cannot be rewritten." - Rebecca Yarros
"None of this is worth it without you." - Rebecca Yarros
"The right way isn’t the only way." - Rebecca Yarros
"Lies are comforting. Truth is painful." - Rebecca Yarros
"It’s been. My honor." - Rebecca Yarros
"A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead." - Rebecca Yarros
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