Rebecca Yarros made fantasy romance compulsive reading with Fourth Wing, a dragon-rider academy story that hits with the pacing of a thriller and the emotional heat of a slow-burn romance. The Empyrean series blends richly imagined worldbuilding — war dragons, magical wards, political betrayal — with relationships that feel genuinely high-stakes rather than decorative. Yarros writes tension well: the push-pull between her leads never feels mechanical, and she earns her emotional payoffs. Before dragons, she built a loyal readership with military romance — Flight & Glory and The Things We Leave Unfinished show her gift for grounding stories in real grief and sacrifice. Her prose is direct and propulsive, designed to keep you turning pages at midnight. If you want fantasy that doesn't ask you to choose between plot and romance, Yarros is exactly where to start.
The Empyrean • Book 1
War college meets dragon riders in this brutal academy where failure means death and bonding with a dragon determines your fate. Yarros crafts an addictive blend of romance and high-stakes aerial combat.
A dying soldier's final request sends his best friend to care for orphaned twins and their stubborn guardian. Yarros balances military sacrifice with second-chance romance in small-town Colorado.
The Empyrean • Book 2
Surviving Basgiath War College was just the beginning — now Violet faces advanced training, political conspiracies, and revelations that could shatter everything she believes about dragons and the ongoing war.
The Empyrean • Book 3
Yarros escalates the stakes as Violet must secure allies from foreign lands while navigating betrayal within the war college itself.