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The Empyrean Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start with Fourth Wing (2023).

The complete reading order for the The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. Below you'll find the authoritative guide on how to read the books in order, including publication dates and chronological timeline placements.

Where to start

Start with Fourth Wing (2023).

  • •The Empyrean is planned as a five-book series.

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order3 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

Fourth Wing

Pub: 2023

Violet Sorrengail is urged by the commanding general, who also is her mother, to become a candidate for the elite dragon riders.

2

Iron Flame

Pub: 2023

Plot details hidden until you finish "Fourth Wing".

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson 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.

3

Onyx Storm

Pub: 2025

Plot details hidden until you finish "Iron Flame".

The third book in the Empyrean series. As enemies gain traction, Violet Sorrengail goes beyond the Aretian wards in search of allies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read The Empyrean in?

Start with Fourth Wing (2023).

How many books are in The Empyrean?

3 main books, published 2023–2025.

Can I read The Empyrean out of order?

It's best not to. The books build on each other, so reading out of order spoils earlier twists.