The Empyrean

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca Yarros follows twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail as she is forced to leave a quiet life in the Scribe Quadrant to train as a dragon rider at an elite war college. Despite her small stature and fragile health, Violet must compete against other candidates who see her as a threat or a liability. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom under siege, the story explores themes of survival, loyalty, and hidden dangers within the ruling powers. Yarros presents a tense and challenging environment where Violet’s intelligence and resilience are crucial to navigating both the brutal training and the escalating external threats.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros continues Violet Sorrengail’s brutal education at Basgiath War College, where survival for dragon riders is as much about strategy as strength. Physically fragile but mentally unyielding, Violet faces harsher training, lethal war games, and a vice commandant intent on breaking her unless she sacrifices her loyalties. As war looms and monsters gather beyond the college walls, she must navigate a dangerous romance, shifting alliances, and a military hierarchy that underestimates her resolve. The novel blends epic fantasy warfare, dark magic, and enemies-to-lovers tension with the high stakes of a dystopian academy where even dragons may not be enough to prevent catastrophe.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros continues Violet Sorrengail’s story as her training at Basgiath War College gives way to full-scale war. With Navarre threatened by enemies both outside its borders and within its military ranks, Violet is pushed into dangerous territory beyond the weakening Aretian wards to secure allies and resources. The novel blends epic fantasy, dragon warfare, and enemies-to-lovers tension as Violet navigates shifting loyalties, political deception, and the brutal realities of survival. As she guards a devastating secret and hunts for the truth that could change everything, the stakes extend from her bonded dragons and fractured relationships to the fate of her homeland itself.