Ok, the joke’s over. It’s time for you to read Fourth Wing — like now.
Lifelong fantasy reader here! And if you want to read stories about some badass women who don’t take sh*t from anyone, then you need to start reading fantasy too. I know I’m not the first person to tell you about The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. If that doesn’t ring a bell, then maybe the name of the first book in the series, Fourth Wing, does — military school, dragons, secrets, and a great enemies-to-lovers subplot. Its sequel, Iron Flame, was published on Nov. 7 and I can confirm that it’s even better than the first.
If you’re thinking about jumping into the fantasy pool, this is a great series to start with. It doesn’t have any obnoxious info-dumps for world-building (even though I actually don’t mind those, IK that’s an unpopular opinion). World-building is essentially when authors take time to describe the environment and reality their story will take place in, as it is usually completely imaginary and often includes fantastical creatures and nature. Sometimes, authors can get wrapped up in their world-building and it feels like you’re reading page after page of background info.
I can confirm that Fourth Wing jumps right into its plot and readers learn more about the fantasy world as the story develops, rather than all at once, which is def preferable for your first time reading fantasy!
Fourth Wing is easy to follow, and the conversations between the protagonist, Violet Sorrengail, and her bonded dragon, Tarin, are quippy and sarcastic, taking the edge off some serious moments. The charming relationship between girl and dragon feels very “classic fantasy.” Fourth Wing is what many bookish people would refer to as a ‘romantasy,’ which is just another reason why it should be your first dive into a new genre.
I like my fantasy with a side of romance for a few reasons. First off, I lovereading about it just for fun. Second, nothing raises the stakes more in a war-time battle than the possibility of the love of your life dying. If that wasn’t enough, the risk of injury to your beloved is likely to bring out the most intense display of one’s skills and power. What can I say, revenge is hot.
For me, Fourth Wing felt like a prequel in its own way. There was a lot of character building where we saw Violet complete her first year (of three) studying at Basgiath War College. She surpasses the expectations of her mother, General Sorrengail, childhood friends, classmates, and enemies alike, narrowly escaping death on more than one occasion. Few of the decisions Yarros made in writing Fourth Wing surprised me, but it was a fun and exciting read that built the historical foundation for Iron Flame to succeed and tackle issues beyond the war college.
Iron Flame surprised me on multiple occasions! I won’t even get into the ending which I cannot say I’m happy about. Not only does it have 100 pages more than the first book, but it’s got much more content, twists, and battles. This makes for a much more fast-paced and exciting read that I found myself predicting a LOT less.
While I’m not without critiques on the series, I overall really enjoyed both books so far and am excited for when the next one will come out (Yarros has five books total)!
The final reason why I think this is the perfect place to start your fantasy journey is because only two of the books are out so far. This may not seem like a good reason at first, but committing to an author or series that is over 10 or even 5 books long is a lot and can be really daunting!
Just know with The Empyrean series, you only have two books so you don’t have to feel like you’re playing catch-up before you even start reading.