If you are anything like me and love to read, I’m sure you have heard about this series before. The popular Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros has taken the world by storm, and I’m here to guide you through this incredible world. There will be spoilers below.
The Series
The Empyrean Series is a romance and fantasy series by author Rebecca Yarros, who has multiple other books under her. The series is set in a world where a war is taking place, and our beloved characters must fight to protect their home from outside forces wishing their kingdom of Navarre harm. Only to be able to protect their home, they must attend Basgiath War College.
Basgiath War College
Basgiath War College is a military-style college where students go to train to help aid in the war that is happening against the kingdom of Navarre. There are four quadrants that one can be placed into: the Riders Quadrant, the Scribe Quadrant, the Infantry Quadrant, and the Healer Quadrant.
The Riders Quadrant is the most dangerous of all of the quadrants. To be established into this quadrant, the students of Basgiath must pass a series of deadly obstacles, which is known as the Gauntlet. If the student manages to survive this, they then face the most dangerous of tasks: attempting to bond with a dragon. If they are successful, then they are officially a part of the Rider Quadrant, but if they aren’t able to claim a dragon…well, it means they didn’t survive the ordeal.
The Scribe Quadrant is more reserved and for the quiet types — it’s for those who love to read and learning about the past. In this quadrant, a student must pass an exam to be established into it. Their role is to write down everything that happens, such as conversations, battles, and meetings. All of this is to have a record of history to pass down.
Next up is the Infantry Quadrant. I would rank this as the second most important quadrant after the Riders Quadrant. Because they do not have dragons, they use a more hands-on approach. They are focused on the ground instead of the sky and primarily use hand-to-hand combat.
Lastly, we have the Healers Quadrant, which, if you guessed that it must deal with healing, you would be right. These students are trained to heal all types of injuries and prepare for surgery. At a war college where there are dragons, healers are definitely frequently utilized.
Fourth Wing
Fourth Wing is the first book in the Empyrean Series. The plan is to have five books in the series in total. Fourth Wing is the introduction to the world and characters I’ve come to love and adore. It’s also an easy way to get into fantasy, as the world-building is easy to follow and understand.
Readers are introduced to the main character Violet Sorrengail, who was put into the Riders Quadrant by her mother, General Lilith Sorrengail, who happens to be in charge at Basgiath War College. Violet is different from all the other students — she is smaller and more fragile than her classmates. Some think that she doesn’t have what it takes to survive, but, nonetheless, Violet takes a different approach to surviving. She thinks outside of the box and, luckily, is able to prove her worth on and off the field. She even claims one of the largest dragons, Tairn.
We then are introduced to Wingleader Xaden Riorson, who is admired and feared. He is strong, broody, and fierce and happens to be the son of a rebellion leader. Oh, and did I mention that Xaden’s and Violet’s dragons are bonded to each other? As Violet’s first year goes on, she trains and makes friends, all while people are out to get her because of who her mother is. She is tested and uncovers truths that were hidden, and feelings come to the surface between her and Xaden.
Iron Flame
The second book of the Empyrean Series, Iron Flame, continues right where Fourth Wing left off. Violet doesn’t know what to believe or who to trust. She feels as though her life and education have all been a lie. She and Xaden, after recently admitting their attraction toward each other, don’t know where they stand with each other. But Xaden is willing to prove himself to gain her trust back.
As they continue to fight for the truth and against the recently discovered real enemies, new secrets come out, and new enemies with their own agendas (and well as new friends) are made. Violet must deal with being a second-year student, having different classes, facing the impending doom of war, and handling how she will get to make time for Xaden, as he has graduated and is now a lieutenant stationed away from her.
It seems like Violet can’t catch a break, and the ending of the book, which leaves readers gasping, proves just that. But, overall, the second book tells you a lot of history of the world and seems to be the buildup for the rest of the series to come.
Onyx Storm
The third and most recent release in the Empyrean Series is Onyx Storm. This book continues where Iron Flame ended and gets right into the action. Readers are immersed in this book’s world as unseen territory is uncovered.
Characters in the group visit different provinces and are met with characters mentioned in previous books that leave readers surprised. There are challenges that the characters have to face in order to be granted certain information that could be beneficial to this war. The book really focuses on the characters’ relationships with each other, as we see them become closer than ever and bond over their hopes for a future. We see characters develop from being enemies to being friends and needing to lean on each other.
Overall, we see plenty of themes of family, love, loss, and hope. But, of course, this wouldn’t be the Empyrean Series without dragons and fighting, which we have lots of in here, too.
My Opinion
I absolutely love this series so far. It was my first introduction to the world of fantasy and has kept me hooked on the genre. From the lovable characters to the great world-building, this series holds such a special place in my heart, and I would recommend it to everyone.