Empyrean Series Order: 3 Novels, Threshing Day and Book 4

The Empyrean series order is Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm, then the new story collection Threshing Day. That is publication order, it matches the book numbers on Rebecca Yarros's site, and Hachette UK says the series "is best read in order". Book 4 is being written and has no title or date yet.

TL;DR: Read Fourth Wing (May 2, 2023), Iron Flame (November 7, 2023) and Onyx Storm (January 21, 2025), then Threshing Day (September 29, 2026), a collection of thirteen stories the publisher says is best read after Onyx Storm because of spoilers. Rebecca Yarros has said the Empyrean will run to five novels. The Fourth Wing graphic novel starts April 6, 2027, and Prime Video has ordered a TV series.

Empyrean series order (quick answer)

1. Fourth Wing (book 1, May 2, 2023)
2. Iron Flame (book 2, November 7, 2023)
3. Onyx Storm (book 3, January 21, 2025)
4. Threshing Day (story collection, September 29, 2026), read after Onyx Storm

Dates are first US publication from Goodreads, checked October 9, 2026. Onyx Storm and Threshing Day came out the same day in the UK, per Hachette UK.

Key Takeaways

• Order: Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm, Threshing Day. There is no prequel and no chronological reading order that differs from publication order.
• Count: three novels and one collection out now. Yarros planned three books at first, then said "I think this is a five-book series".
• Next novel: book 4, untitled and undated as of October 9, 2026.
• Spice: open door throughout. Our Onyx Storm spice guide places all three novels at 4 out of 5, using Common Sense Media's published notes.

Overview: the Empyrean books in order

Cover image: Entangled: Red Tower Books, via Open Library

The Empyrean is Rebecca Yarros's adult fantasy romance series about Violet Sorrengail, a would-be scribe sent to a war college for dragon riders. Fourth Wing was published in the US on May 2, 2023 by Red Tower Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing. It reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, where it stayed for 18 weeks, according to its Wikipedia entry.

The numbering is simple. Yarros's own book pages label each novel: "series: empyrean, book 1" for Fourth Wing, book 2 for Iron Flame and book 3 for Onyx Storm. There are no novellas between the novels. Threshing Day is the first extra book, and Goodreads lists it as number 3.5.

UK readers get the same order. Hachette UK publishes the series there and prints the order on its Threshing Day page: "the empyrean series is best read in order: fourth wing iron flame onyx storm". If you want the author's own checklist, her site offers a downloadable reading guide "covering every book, series order, and suggested reading path".

Step-by-Step: how to read the Empyrean series in order

Each step lists the book, its first US publication date, the page count Goodreads shows for its main edition, and the Goodreads average with the date we checked it.

1. Fourth Wing. Book 1, May 2, 2023, 517 pages. Goodreads average 4.56 from about 4 million ratings (October 9, 2026). Violet enters Basgiath War College and the riders quadrant. Start here; everything later builds on it.

2. Iron Flame. Book 2, November 7, 2023, 623 pages, the longest in the series. Goodreads average 4.36 from about 2.9 million ratings. It picks up after the end of Fourth Wing, so do not skip ahead.

3. Onyx Storm. Book 3, January 21, 2025, 544 pages. Goodreads average 4.22 from about 1.96 million ratings. Common Sense Media rates it 17+, a year above the 16+ it gives Fourth Wing.

4. Threshing Day. Story collection, September 29, 2026, 224 pages. Goodreads average 4.56 from about 215,000 ratings. Read it last: Hachette UK says that while it "can be enjoyed as an introduction to the series, due to contained spoilers, it is best read after onyx storm".

Image: FaeShelf table built from Goodreads and Hachette UK pages, checked October 9, 2026

GODEEPER: How explicit is each Empyrean novel, and what do the author's content notes cover? Onyx Storm Spice Level: 4/5, With Sources and Content Notes →

Where Threshing Day fits in the Empyrean series order

Threshing Day goes after Onyx Storm. It is not book 4. It collects "thirteen unforgettable stories" about cadets on the day they try to bond a dragon, told by characters including Xaden Riorson, Rhiannon Matthias, Dain Aetos, Liam Mairi, Ridoc Gamlyn, Sawyer Henrick and Garrick Tavis.

The spoiler note is the reason to wait. Hachette UK says the book can serve as an introduction, but recommends reading it after Onyx Storm. Readers in r/fourthwing reached the same conclusion before release:

That comment reads: "My guess is it will be a more enjoyable read if you've read all 3 first." Inside the collection, read the stories in the printed order. One reader in an earlier thread planned to do exactly that, "since there could be details mentioned in the first few that come into play later on".

Edition notes for UK buyers: the standard Hachette edition has "fifteen beautiful original black-and-white illustrations" by Joe Requeza and costs £22. The limited deluxe edition has sixteen full-colour illustrations and silver-gilded edges.

Tips for reading the Empyrean series

These are practical points drawn from the publisher and author pages, not from our own reading.

• Publication order is the only order. There are no prequels, and the author's numbering matches release order. The publisher places Threshing Day after all three novels.
• Content notes repeat across books. Yarros lists the same notes on each novel's page, including intense violence, death, poisoning, graphic language and "sexual activities that are shown on the page". The Iron Flame page on her site has the full list.
• Mind the age ratings. Common Sense Media rates Fourth Wing 16+ and Onyx Storm 17+.
• Not every new Yarros book is Empyrean. Peculiar Stars, out November 17, 2026, is a contemporary romance about "survival, self determination, and love". It is not part of this series.
• Plan for a wait. The series is not finished, so if cliffhangers bother you, our list of completed romantasy series has finished series to read in the meantime.

Cover image: Hachette UK, via Open Library

What's next after the Empyrean series order so far

Book 4 is in progress. When Yarros announced Threshing Day in July 2026, she wrote: "I hope this gives you a fun trip back to Basgiath while I'm writing book four!" Marie Claire's series guide, checked October 9, 2026, says the names and release dates of books four and five "are still unknown".

Three other Empyrean projects have dates or official status:

• Fourth Wing graphic novel, volume 1: April 6, 2027, "adapted by Rebecca Yarros herself", per her site. Six graphic novels are planned to cover the three novels.
• TV series: Prime Video ordered a Fourth Wing series, announced May 11, 2026. Lisa Joy will direct the first episode, according to TheWrap. No premiere date has been announced.
• Book 5: the planned finale, also untitled.

GODEEPER: Need something to read while book 4 is written? These lists are split by what you loved about Fourth Wing. Books Like Fourth Wing, Sorted by What You Loved →

Our take

This take uses only the sources cited above. The Empyrean series order has no traps: read the three novels by number, then Threshing Day. The one real decision is whether to treat Threshing Day as a starting point, and the publisher's own spoiler note answers that. Read it last. For anyone starting now, the bigger question is patience, since two novels are still to come and neither has a date. We will update this page when the publisher or the author announces book 4.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Empyrean series order? Read Fourth Wing (2023), Iron Flame (2023) and Onyx Storm (2025), then Threshing Day (September 29, 2026). Rebecca Yarros numbers the three novels in that order, and Hachette UK says the series is best read in order, with Threshing Day after Onyx Storm because of spoilers.

Where does Threshing Day go in the Empyrean series? After Onyx Storm. Threshing Day collects thirteen stories about cadets on the day they bond their dragons. Hachette UK says it can work as an introduction but is best read after Onyx Storm because it contains spoilers, and Goodreads lists it as Empyrean number 3.5.

How many books are in the Empyrean series? As of October 9, 2026 there are three novels and one story collection: Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm and Threshing Day. Rebecca Yarros has said the Empyrean grew from three planned books to five, so two more novels are expected but not yet dated.

When does Empyrean book 4 come out? No date or title has been announced as of October 9, 2026. In July 2026, Rebecca Yarros described Threshing Day as a trip back to Basgiath "while I'm writing book four". Marie Claire's series guide says names and dates for books four and five are still unknown.

Is Peculiar Stars part of the Empyrean series? No. Peculiar Stars, out November 17, 2026, is a slow-burn contemporary romance, according to Rebecca Yarros's site. Her next Empyrean releases are the fourth novel, which she is writing, and the first Fourth Wing graphic novel volume on April 6, 2027.

Related Reading

• Romantasy series reading order guide: orders, release dates and status for the biggest series in one place.
• Books like ACOTAR: faerie courts and fated bonds for readers moving on from Sarah J. Maas.
• Best romantasy books of 2026: this year's releases, with dates and series status.

References

• Rebecca Yarros: Fourth Wing
• Rebecca Yarros: Iron Flame
• Rebecca Yarros: Onyx Storm
• Rebecca Yarros: coming soon (Peculiar Stars, graphic novel)
• Rebecca Yarros: the archives and reading guide
• Hachette UK: Threshing Day
• Hachette UK: Threshing Day limited deluxe edition
• Goodreads: Fourth Wing (checked October 9, 2026)
• Goodreads: Iron Flame
• Goodreads: Onyx Storm
• Goodreads: Threshing Day
• Marie Claire: Empyrean series guide
• Wikipedia: Fourth Wing
• About Amazon: Prime Video 2026 upfront
• TheWrap: Fourth Wing series greenlit at Prime Video
• Common Sense Media: Fourth Wing
• Common Sense Media: Onyx Storm
• r/fourthwing: Threshing Day reading order