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Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
- Book #1 Fourth Wing
- Book #2 Iron Flame
- Book #3 Onyx Storm
About The Empyrean series
1. Fourth Wing (Book 1)
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda―because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
Plot summary
Conscription Day approaches, Violet Sorrengail, now 20, makes her way to her mother’s office. Despite her initial training in the Scribe Quadrant, her mother, General Sorrengail, mandates her entry into the Rider Quadrant, where she will face perilous battles against her fellow cadets for the next three years, preparing to become a dragon rider. Upon entering her mother’s office, Violet encounters her sister Mira, a seasoned dragon rider, who expresses her concerns about Violet’s diminutive stature and frail constitution, stemming from an illness in her infancy. Despite Mira’s pleas, General Sorrengail remains resolute in her decision, unmoved even by the memory of their late brother Brennan, who heroically perished as a dragon rider on the front lines. Mira aids Violet in her preparations, providing her with a dragon-scale reinforced corset for protection and advising her to seek out their childhood friend, Dain Aetos. She also cautions Violet against interacting with those who bear tattoos denoting them as children of rebels, who are forcibly assigned to the Rider Quadrant as a form of institutionalized retribution.
Upon reaching the Basgaith War College, all cadets face the daunting task of crossing the parapet, a narrow wall separating the rider school from the rest of the institution. Here, Violet encounters Xaden Riorson, a third-year cadet and son of the rebellion’s leader. Despite an undeniable attraction, they harbor animosity due to Xaden’s father’s role in Brennan’s death, for which Violet’s mother retaliated by executing Xaden’s father. As Violet attempts to cross the parapet, a fellow cadet named Jack attempts to assassinate her, reflecting the ruthless competition within the college. She escapes Jack’s clutches and finds refuge with Dain, who urges her to join the scribes but ultimately accepts both her and Rhiannon into his squad. However, their squad is transferred to the Fourth Wing, placing them under Xaden’s command.
Cadet training intensifies, with Dain warning Violet of Xaden’s murderous intentions. He possesses a unique ability to glimpse people’s memories by touching their temples. Violet excels in her studies due to her intellectual prowess but faces relentless aggression during sparring sessions, targeting her physical weakness and her mother’s reputation. To overcome her disadvantages, Violet collaborates with Rhiannon, offering to teach her history in exchange for assistance in combat training. The professors allow cadets to engage in potentially lethal challenges. Violet utilizes her brother’s journal to identify her opponents and poisons them before confrontations. One night, while foraging for ingredients, Violet eavesdrops on a clandestine meeting among the children of rebels. Upon its conclusion, Xaden confronts her, demanding her silence in exchange for a future favor.
Cadets are faced with the Gauntlet, a vertical obstacle course simulating the challenges of dragon riding. Violet’s strategic rule-bending during her climb frustrates a wingleader. Her squad is granted an audience with the dragons, and several cadets suffer fatal consequences for their disrespectful behavior. Among the dragons is a rare golden feathertail, a breed known for its resistance to bonding with humans.
During the event called Threshing, cadets are released into a valley in the hopes of forming bonds with dragons. Violet evades Jack and his accomplices but realizes their sinister plan to eliminate the golden dragon due to its perceived weaknesses. She defends the dragon, sustaining severe injuries before Xaden and his dragon, Sgaeyl, arrive. Violet successfully fends off her attackers, and a black dragon named Tairn kills the remaining cadet, carrying Violet back to the college. Astonishingly, both Tairn and the golden dragon, Andarna, bond with Violet, making her the first rider in history to command two dragons. Dain professes his affection for her. Violet discovers that Tairn is Sgaeyl’s mate, giving Xaden an unexpected stake in her well-being.
Despite her improved physicality, Violet struggles to maintain her balance on Tairn during flying practice. One evening, Tairn awakens her as six unbonded cadets attempt to kill her. Andarna intervenes, freezing time until Xaden can come to her rescue. Violet reveals that a senior cadet admitted the intruders to her room. Xaden confronts the cadet before the entire student body, resulting in her execution.
Xaden and Violet, young rebels, meet with their dragons. They discover that Andarna, Violet’s dragon, is not a rare breed, but a child. Her time-stopping power must be kept secret until she matures, as it is vulnerable and could be stolen. The great revelation, new developments arise. Xaden enlists Liam, the son of a fellow rebel, as Violet’s bodyguard. A moment of passion between them, spurred by their dragons, leads to a spontaneous kiss. Violet finds herself in a perilous situation against Jack. To defend herself, she exposes him to an allergen.
The annual Squad Battle sees cadets vying to steal coveted items from their foes. Violet’s squad seizes General Sorrengail’s map of military outposts, earning them the chance to shadow soldiers on the front lines. While in the field, Violet reunites with her sister, but their visit is cut short by an attack from gryphon fliers from Poromeil. During a later capture-the-flag game, Violet saves Liam from Jack’s deadly attack. In the process, she manifests her signet, a unique power granted by her bond with her dragon. Her signet is the ability to control lightning, which she uses to vanquish Jack.
That night, Xaden and Violet engage in intimate relations. Violet insists on Xaden confessing his romantic feelings before their next encounter. Reunification Day arrives, a celebration of the defeat of the separatists and the triumph of the rebellion. As it coincides with the anniversary of Brennan’s death, Violet seeks Xaden, who is grieving. They confess their mutual attraction and have intercourse, but are interrupted by the announcement of the War Games’ final stage.
Xaden leads a group of rebels and Violet to an outpost outside the empire. They encounter gryphon fliers and Xaden admits to arming them in their fight against the venin, evil beings that corrupt magic. Violet is devastated by his deception but agrees to assist in their mission after discovering a letter revealing the venin’s imminent attack. They race against time to warn the fliers, unaware that Xaden’s betrayal has been orchestrated.
Despite warnings of danger, the group decides to fight alongside the fliers. Liam sacrifices himself in the battle, while Violet is gravely wounded. She secures victory with her lightning abilities. The survivors seek shelter in an abandoned fortress where Violet lies unconscious for three days. Upon awakening, Xaden vows his loyalty and devotion to regaining her trust, but she remains skeptical. As the novel concludes, Brennan enters the scene, revealing that he is alive and welcoming Violet to the revolution. The story ends on a cliffhanger, setting the stage for the continuation in the sequel, Iron Flame.
2. Iron Flame (Book 2)
Iron Flame is a 2023 new adult fantasy novel by American author Rebecca Yarros. It is the second book in the Empyrean series, a planned five-book series.
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College―Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.
Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.
Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits―and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.
But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.
Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College―and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.
Plot
Violet’s world shattered as she learned the shocking truth about Xaden and Brennan’s involvement in the secret rebellion. The revelation was like a lightning bolt, illuminating a reality that had been hidden in darkness. The attack by the venin had peeled back the veil, exposing a deadly threat that the kingdom had kept hidden. As she recovered from her injuries, Violet found herself torn between her loyalty to her country and her newfound knowledge of the rebellion’s cause. Meanwhile, her relationship with Dain, her trusted mage friend, was strained. Dain’s betrayal and subsequent vow of honesty left Violet skeptical and distrustful. She distanced herself from him, determined to protect her heart and mind from further pain. As their dragons underwent their separate rites of passage, Violet and Xaden were forced to live apart, but were granted weekend visits to foster the bond between their mythical companions.
Violet’s arduous second year at Basgiath War College, adversity looms. Excluded from a rebel mission, she endures harassment from the new vice commandant, Major Burton Varrish. Disguised as a comrade, Prince Cam joins her squad, while whispers of mysterious deaths among Athebyne survivors haunt her, forcing Violet to isolate herself to safeguard her allies. Secretly investigating the enigmatic First Six, she grapples with an elusive Xaden who maintains his secrecy. Their team’s struggles in the Rider Survival Course, exacerbated by a debilitating potion, fan Violet’s frustration. As hidden venin attacks escalate, Xaden confronts her about her covert research into wards and the disparity in their trust.
Keeping secrets from Mira and Rhiannon becomes increasingly difficult, leading Violet to reveal the perilous situation facing Athebyne survivors and Dain’s signet to Rhiannon. Aaric, unlike his father, rallies to confront the venin threat. In a twist of fate, Violet and her companions are captured, facing an interrogation challenge. Despite Varrish’s ploy with Dain’s signet, her resolve remains unbroken. The unexpected appearance of Jack Barlowe, her presumed victim, shocks Violet, only to be followed by the news of Xaden’s injury in a gryphon attack. Rushing to his aid, she discovers a fully healed Xaden who trusts her enough to involve her in a mission to deliver smuggled daggers to gryphon fliers, including his estranged ex-girlfriend Cat. As Violet accepts a dagger for self-defense, Varrish’s scrutiny catches her in possession of it. Rhiannon’s signet power teleports the dagger, inadvertently exposing Violet’s secret to the team.
A group of rebels daringly infiltrated the Archives, their mission to seize pivotal journals penned by the legendary First Six. Among them was Violet, a young woman grappling with her untamed lightning powers. However, fate had a cruel twist in store as Violet was apprehended and subjected to relentless torture by Varrish, the ruthless commander of Sorrengail’s forces. Yet, in her darkest hour, Violet found solace in ethereal visions of her departed friend, sustaining her indomitable will to survive. Fortune smiled upon Violet when Dain, a skilled rebel, intervened and facilitated her daring escape. Together, they rallied the students of Basgiath, exposing the vile truths behind Sorrengail’s tyranny. Their courageous actions inspired a mass exodus, with countless students abandoning their allegiance to join the rebels in their sanctuary at Aretia. This influx of defectors, coupled with the awakening of Andarna and the arrival of Mira, injected newfound vigor into the rebellion.
Violet’s destiny intertwined with Assembly member Felix, who guided her in harnessing her formidable powers. She meticulously translated an ancient ritual from a journal, but her initial attempt to activate the wards proved futile. Determined to illuminate the rebel base of Aretia, Violet embarked on a perilous journey to Cordyn, seeking the assistance of Viscount Tecarus. There, she crossed paths with Cat, her former rival and Xaden’s estranged betrothed. Through a daring negotiation that involved Violet vanquishing a fearsome creature with her lightning, Tecarus agreed to provide the rebels with a luminary. However, Tecarus’s aid came with a condition: the rebels were tasked with training 100 gryphon fliers in Aretia. During these rigorous exercises, tragedy struck when a Varrish dragon attacked, claiming the life of a rider. To their dismay, Andarna heroically sacrificed herself to vanquish the dragon. Despite their past rivalry, Cat and Violet found common ground, uniting against their shared adversary.
Violet shields her team with lightning while Sawyer is injured by a wyvern. Andarna rescues Violet from venin when she delivers Sawyer to healers. Jesinia provides a translation of Lyra’s journal, revealing the locations of seven dragon dens crucial for a ritual. Violet discovers Andarna, a dragon with unique camouflage abilities, is from the seventh den, gathering the seven dragons needed for a powerful ritual. Meanwhile, Xaden fights on the battlefield against the venin Sage, who has been plaguing his dreams. In a desperate attempt to save Violet, Xaden channels earth magic and turns venin himself. Violet realizes the ritual will drain her life force, but General Sorrengail sacrifices herself to complete it and save Violet’s life. Dragons activate a wardstone, causing the venin to retreat as wyverns die. Violet discovers Xaden has become infected with venin.
Read More: (Review-Quotes) Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
3. Onyx Storm (Book 3)
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.
Read More: (Review-Quotes) Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
About Rebecca Yarros
Rebecca Yarros is an American author. She is best known for the Empyrean fantasy book series, which will be adapted into a television series with Amazon; Yarros will serve as a non-writing executive producer. Yarros graduated from Troy University, where she studied European history and English.
The first book in the Empyrean series, Fourth Wing, was published in April 2023 by Red Tower Books. In May, it landed fourth on the Libro.fm bestseller list. By late June, it was a number one bestseller on Amazon. As of August 2024, the book had spent 65 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, including in the top position. It also landed on the Libro.fm bestseller list in the second spot in August and third spot in September. Additionally, it was a top-ten book club pick for September. In October and November 2023, Fourth Wing was on USA Today’s list of the top ten bestselling books. In March 2024 the title was shortlisted for the Young Adult Jury Award of the German Youth Literature Awards which will be awarded at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October.
The sequel, Iron Flame, was released in November 2023. In July 2023, Waterstones indicated that it became the “fastest selling pre-order title in a single day on [the] website with [the] special edition selling out in just seven hours”. Yarros has indicated that the series will ultimately include five books.
In October 2023, it was announced that Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society and Amazon MGM Studios purchased the rights to adapt the novel series into a television series. Yarros and Entangled Publishing’s Liz Pelletier will serve as non-writing executive producers.
In 2014, Full Measures was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Debut Goodreads Author.
In 2019, Kirkus Reviews included The Last Letter on their list of the year’s best books.
Fourth Wing was an Amazon, Libro.fm, New York Times, and USA Today bestselling novel. It was also a top ten book club pick for September 2023. Booklist included it on their “Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror: 2023” list.
Rebecca Yarros began writing while her husband was deployed in Afghanistan. As of October 2023, she and her husband have six children.
Yarros has Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, as do her sons. Yarros and her husband initially fostered a daughter, eventually adopting her; their daughter is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum. Through the nonprofit OneOctober, which she co-founded with her husband in 2019, Yarros is passionate about improving the lives of children in the foster system.
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