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If you've devoured Rebecca Yarros's Onyx Storm, these are the "romantasy" books to read next
The third installment in the Empyrean series has become the fastest selling adult book in 20 years
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Your support makes all the difference.A titan of the “romantasy” (romance-fantasy) genre, Rebecca Yarros burst onto the literary scene in 2023 with her instant New York Times bestseller, Fourth Wing. Now, the hotly-anticipated third book, Onyx Storm, has become the fastest selling adult book in 20 years.
The Empyrean series has garnered a legion of loyal fans on BookTok (a community within TikTok where people share book recommendations), rivalling Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorn and Roses and Carissa Broadbent’s The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
Set in a fantasy world complete with dragons, the series centres on cadets in military training. A blend of the best romantasy themes, fans love the tomes for their enemies-to-lovers storylines, depictions of otherworlds, brutal war and found-family themes.
In the weeks since its release, Onyx Storm has garnered a 4.39 rating on Goodreads, surprising acclaim from literary critics and completely dominated social media feeds with commentary about that ending.
If you’re ready to return or enter Yarros’s world for the very first time, you can shop the whole series below. Or, if you’re one of the millions who devoured her third novel in days, these are the “romantasy” books to read next.
‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros, published by Piatkus: £5.50, Amazon.co.uk
The first installment of The Empyrean series, Fourth Wing follows protagonist Violet, who was supposed to embark on a quiet life as a scribe among books. Instead, her mother (a commander general in the army) has insisted she join the hundreds of candidates striking to become an elite dragon rider. Suffering from a condition that makes her more fragile than other students, she must use her wits to succeed. Fans liken it to Harry Potter, Divergent and The Hunger Games, with slow burn romance, magic and dragons keeping you hooked.
‘Iron Flame’ by Rebecca Yarros, published by Piatkus: £5.50, Amazon.co.uk
The second title in Yarros’s series sees Violet Sorrengail returning to Basgiath War College for her second year. Now, the real training begins and the stakes are higher, with a powerful new enemy threatening everything she cares about, including her new lover. As the risk of war grows, Violet must negotiate her loyalty to the college with her growing involvement with the burgeoning rebellion.
‘Onyx Storm’ by Rebecca Yarros, published by Piatkus: Was £25, now £12.50, Amazon.co.uk
Offering pure escapism, the third instalment in the Empyrean series returns to Basgiath War College. It follows protagonist Violet Sorrengail as she ventures beyond the walls of Basgiath to seek allies to join the revolution. But the enemies are closing in fast while infiltration into their ranks makes it impossible to know who to trust.
Pushing her to her limits, the trip will test how far Violet will go to defend everything she loves, from her dragons and family to her home and her lover. Immersing the reader in steamy romance, brutal battle and the mythical world of dragons, the book already has a 4.47 rating on Goodreads.
We’d suggest savouring every moment of Onyx Storm because Yarros has confirmed she hasn’t even started writing the next book yet. Thanks to Amazon, you can get your hands on the new title for half price.
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury: £5, Amazon.co.uk
Earning more than 3.3 million ratings on Goodreads (averaging 4.8 stars), A Court of Thorns and Roses is a phenomenon of the romantasy genre. In the first novel of the six-part series, we meet Feyre, a human huntress who kills a wolf that is not all it appears to be. Feyre is soon taken prisoner in the faerie realm, as revenge for the murder of a fellow faerie.
As she discovers more about her captor, the high lord of the spring court Tamlin, Feyre develops feelings for her enemy (in true “romantasy” style). Meanwhile, a war is brewing, thanks to Amarantha, the evil and vindictive high queen of Prythian. The first book busies itself with world building, with the romance, drama and fantasy elements getting better and better as the series goes on.
‘The Serpent and the Wings of The Night’ by Carissa Broadbent, published Pan Macmillan: £11.58, Amazon.co.uk
Loved by fans of Fourth Wing, Carissa Broadbent’s Crowns of Nyaxia series swaps dragons for vampires. The first book in the six part series, The Serpent and the Wings of Night follows the adopted human daughter of a vampire king, Oraya. Her only chance to become more than prey is entering the Kejari, a legendary tournament held to prove a warrior’s strength. To survive, she must form alliances and she finds herself drawn to mysterious rival Raihn, a dangerous and ruthless vampire. Expect an enemies-to-lovers storyline, dark magic and bloodthirsty battle.
‘Quicksilver’ by Callie Hart, published by Hodderscape: £16.99, Waterstones.com
Lauded by those on TikTok as being addictive and immersive, Callie Hart’s Quicksilver is set in a realm of ice and snow, where a century-long conflict is ongoing. Saeris is a pick-pocket from a desert realm, who inadvertently reopens a gateway between the realms and is transported to the land of ice. Fae have always been the stuff of nightmares, but then she comes face to face with a a handsome Fae warrior who may be her only ticket home. The second book in the Fae and Alchemy series is set to be published in late 2025.
‘House of Earth and Blood’ by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury: £5.22, Amazon.co.uk
Sarah J Maas is a titan of the genre, with her latest series Crescent City proving just as popular as A Court of Thorns and Roses. The first installment in the three-book series introduces us to Bryce Quinlan. The life of the party, she takes advantage of all that Crescent City has to offer, until a brutal murder shakes her to her core. Two years later, another murder is committed and Bryce sets about trying to unravel the mystery, her own dark past and the secret underbelly of the city. With more than 10 million views on Tiktok and a 4.6 star rating on Goodreads, fans praise the urban, high fantasy setting of the book.
‘Powerless’ by Lauren Roberts, published by Simon & Schuster: £4, Amazon.co.uk
Described as Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games, Lauren Roberts’ Powerless is set in the fantasy kingdom of Ilya. In the divided society, Elites possess powers gifted to them decades before by the plague, while the Ordinary have been banished from the kingdom and shunned. Bridging the divided, Paedyn Gray is an ordinary posing as an elite, who unbeknownst to herself, saves one of the kingdom’s princes and is thrown into the purging trials, where she’s meant to showcase her elite powers. The first book in a trilogy, it became an instant New York Times bestseller.
Looking for more reading inspiration? We’ve rounded up the best fantasy books of all time