Rebecca Yarro’s YA fantasy series,The Empyrean, which consists of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, has gained viral traction on BookTok. The hype started when influencers shared their thoughts on the advance reading copies they received, which soon enough translated into a New York Times bestselling success.
Naturally, demand for an alternate cover of Fourth Wing rose even higher. In October 2023, Yarros announced a special edition of the first novel in The Empyrean series. She teased the sprayed edges edition on her Instagram and TikTok, revealing that this version includes two bonus chapters told from Xaden’s POV. Naturally, fans didn’t waste time getting their hands on this book, causing it to sell out in record time. Many are now wondering if Yarros will ever do an official restock of the special edition of the book, but unfortunately, the answer seems to be no at this point. In the video in which she announced the special edition of Fourth Wing, Yarros mentioned that this book is a limited edition and urged readers not to wait to “snag” their copies.
But all hope is not lost for those who didn’t get the special edition. Yarros also revealed later in the video that the two bonus chapters will be available to read on her website “no later than the New Year.”
In case you haven’t read The Empyrean series yet, Fourth Wing follows the quiet, talented writer Violet Sorrengail, when she attends the Basgiath War College against her will. Violet navigates a series of challenges and betrayals, amidst a centuries-long war between the kingdom of Poromiel and her own kingdom of Navarre. An essential part of her training includes dragon riding, a staple of Navarre military similar to how Poromiel uses griffins. To master this skill, she must build her physical and mental strength since dragons kill off weak riders.
Iron Flame picks up right where Fourth Wing leaves off and ends in an even bigger cliffhanger. Besides its thrilling plot and expert world-building, readers are loving the series for its LGBTQ+ representation and dash of smut. Fans are also eagerly anticipating the Fourth Wing TV adaptation, which Amazon confirmed to be in the works currently.
If you haven’t yet gotten your hands on a copy of the special holiday edition of Fourth Wing, indie retailers might be a great place to start as fewer people would think to look there first. Otherwise, try secondhand websites such as eBay. I wish you all the best of luck in securing your copy. In the meantime, I’ll be impatiently waiting for the third book to come out because I NEED to know what happens next.