The next Fourth Wingbook can revive a major aspect of Violet and Xaden's romance, which would acknowledge the harshest reality about The Empyrean Series' main couple dynamic. Onyx Storm's ending left Violet and Xaden in a largely tumultuous place seemingly by their own design, Imogen's final words in the novel hinting that Violet created a plan between the final battle and the book's last chapter. Even so, the two main characters of The Empyrean Series are set to face their worst battle yet without each other as new twists unfold. 4y1w68

After being sidelined in Onyx Storm, these Fourth Wing characters need to get more page time when book 4 of The Empyrean Seriesarrives. Onyx Storm was able to amplify the stakes of Violet and Xaden's story, setting The Empyrean Series' two main characters on a new and dangerous path as Xaden's venin condition worsened and time to find the venin cure ticked down. However, even though the book expanded on other storylines, it left a bit unanswered about the fates of several characters after Onyx Storm — and left a few others feeling directionless.

The romantasy genre is getting its moment in the spotlight on the heels of books like Fourth Wing, and many recent releases deserve just as much attention as Rebecca Yarros' 2023 novel. It's easy to see why Fourth Wing has become such a phenomenon, rising to become one of the most popular books on BookTok and other social platforms. It's immersive and easy to fall into, and it offers the perfect blend of romance and fantasy, delivering as much on its central relationship as it does on the action and dragons.

There are many romantasybooks that have similarities to Fourth Wing, but it's harder to find ones that feature human-creature bonds on par with The Empyrean Series' dragons and their riders. Fortunately, one 2025 release scratches that itch — and it's the perfect mash-up between Fourth Wing and Game of Thrones. Surprisingly, it doesn't center dragons, despite that being the biggest commonality between the two fantasy novels. However, it has great magical bonds between the characters and another creature.

It's difficult to find books that compare to Fourth Wing, but readers will no doubt be looking for some after finishing Onyx Storm — and one indie romantasy book makes a surprisingly great replacement. There are lots of underrated romantasy books that deserve more love, and many utilize tropes that readers will be searching for afterOnyx Storm's ending. Plenty of stories feature enemies-to-lovers romances, and there are lots of fantasy books about dragons and military academies. Unfortunately, all these elements don't always go hand-in-hand.

Fourth Wing readers eager to see the romantasy novels adapted for the small screen is up for exciting times ahead following a new update about the book. Rebecca Yarros has explicitly confirmed that there’s “no chance” the Fourth Wing show will repeat Game of Thrones’ mistake of overtaking the source material.

While countless romantasy lovers eagerly await the Fourth WingTV series, there’s one important character detail that the show absolutely must get right. Fantasy author Rebecca Yarros has hooked countless readers worldwide with the rich world-building and spicy romance of The Empyrean series, although there’s one essential detail relating to the marked one, Xaden Riorson, that seems to be consistently ignored in fan casting of the emotionally complex character. With Amazon and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society adapting the series for Prime Video, this is a great opportunity to correct a common misconception.

It's been two years since Fourth Wing's release, but I'm only now realizing how important one early character's death was in setting the tone for the entire series. Since Fourth Wing's debut, Rebecca Yarros has become widely known for her ruthless and unapologetic behavior when it comes to killing off fan-favorite characters — and many readers, including myself, have come to expect a heart-breaking death in each Empyrean Series novel. While this was initially believed to have been kicked off by Liam's death at the end of Fourth Wing, Yarros sets the tone way earlier.

Graphic novel adaptations of Fourth Wingare now set to arrive from Rebecca Yarros and I need them to cover this wild POV. Though updates on book 4 of The Empyrean Series have been minimal since Onyx Storm's release, Yarros has given audiences some hope of getting more content for the series as the wait for that release date continues. Yarros announced in February 2025 that, once she had returned from a brief break, she would be working on a secret project that would involve The Empyrean Series, leaving us to speculate on what that project could be.

Xaden is one of Fourth Wing's most recognizable characters, mainly due to his bad boy persona, sarcastic humor, and overall "can't be bothered" attitude. And judging by the Empyrean Series' continued success, it's safe to say Xaden has become one of readers of the romantasy genre's all-time favorite book-boyfriends. However, Xaden's characteristics aren't necessarily unique. There are several other characters from dozens of popular romantasy books that describe male protagonists with very similar attributes and personalities, but thankfully, they all take on their own unique persona.