- “Onyx Storm” by Rebecca Yarros hit bookshelves on January 21.
- Yarros plans to take a break before writing the next novel in the “Empyrean” series.
- The book will likely address the cliffhanger ending of her latest novel. There are spoilers ahead.
Rebecca Yarros’ “Onyx Storm” came out just over a week ago, but fans are already desperate for dragon rider Violet Sorrengail’s story to continue.
“Onyx Storm” was the third book in Yarros’ “Empyrean” series, following “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame.” The series centers on Violet’s journey to become a dragon rider and fight forces of dark magic at Basgiath War College, and it is set to have five novels published by Red Tower in total.
“Onyx Storm” ended on a cliffhanger, so Yarros’ readers are already asking when they can get their hands on the next romantasy novel in the series.
However, Yarros has already said she doesn’t want to write the next installment as quickly as the first three books. Here’s everything we know so far.
The rest of this article has spoilers for the “Empyrean” series.
Yarros won’t be working on the next ‘Empyrean’ novel right away
Yarros released the first three books in the “Empyrean” series in under two years. “Fourth Wing” came out in April 2023, “Iron Flame” was released in October 2023, and “Onyx Storm” hit shelves just 13 months later.
Fans shouldn’t expect Yarros to write the next series installment at the same pace. Speaking at an engagement in Philadelphia on January 25, Yarros said she wouldn’t commit to a release date for the fourth “Empyrean” novel.
“I’m gonna write a contemporary first,” she said. “It’s what I do. I go back and forth. I’m never gonna change.”
Although she is best known for “Fourth Wing,” most of Yarros’ novels are contemporary. Netflix is adapting her book “In the Likely Event” into a film.
At the same event, Yarros said she also plans to take time off to be with her family before she writes the fourth book.
“I promised my children I would spend the summer with them,” she said. “And I’ll get to work when it happens, and I hope it comes out easier just because there’s not the pressure of a deadline or a pressure of a release date. But it happens when it happens.”
Yarros also told Elle she intends to rest before returning to writing, as the amount of work she did in recent years wasn’t good for her mentally or physically, as she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and POTS.
“I’ve been really clear that I’m going to rest now,” she told the outlet. “I drove my body to a place that was untenable, and I knew it, and my family knew it, and my husband knew it, and it shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have allowed it to happen.”
The fourth book will hopefully address unanswered questions from ‘Onyx Storm’
It might be particularly difficult for fans to wait for the next “Empyrean” novel because of the ending of “Onyx Storm.”
After a dramatic battle, Violet wakes up with her dragon, Andarna, watching over her. Andarana came back to her after learning about her dragon breed, irids. She informs Violet that her other dragon, Tairn, is resting, but she doesn’t explain to Violet why he needs the rest.
Violet is also wearing a wedding ring and carrying the blessing of her marriage to Xaden Riorson from the goddess Dunne, but she has no memory of marrying him or of the last 12 hours of her life. In the final line of the book, her friend Imogen reveals she used her signet power to wipe Violet’s memory of the night — at her request.
The final scene occurs after Xaden succumbs to his venin instincts in the novel’s last battle, taking more illicit power from the earth. He also makes a cryptic deal with his dragon, Sgaeyl, and discovers one of his fellow riders has turned venin, though he doesn’t specify who.
Violet’s brother, Brennan, also reveals to her in the novel’s final scene that six dragon eggs and four riders are missing, including Xaden and his best friend, Garrick Tavis.
Hopefully, the fourth book in the “Empyrean” series will reveal what happened between Violet and Xaden, where Xaden and the other missing riders are, the location of the missing eggs, what Andarna learned from her time with the irids, and how Xaden’s additional use of his venin powers harmed his soul.
Likewise, Violet will likely still be searching for a cure to turning venin to bring Xaden back, but as his wife, she also becomes the Duchess of Tyrrendor. She will have new power and responsibility in his absence, and readers will have to wait to see how she balances her new role while developing her signets.
Despite all the unknowns, Yarros is remaining tight-lipped about what she plans to occur in the next “Empyrean” novel. During a Q+A in Los Angeles, all she said when asked about the fourth book was, “Someone you love won’t make it in book four.”
Luckily, fans can read other romantasy novels to make the wait a bit more bearable.
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