19 books like Rebecca Yarros’ ‘Fourth Wing’ to read while you wait for the next ‘Empyrean’ novel

Ahead of the release of the next “Fourth Wing” novel, Yarros published “Threshing Day” in September, a collection of stories set in the “Empyrean” universe.

Each chapter in the collection tells the story of a different character’s experience on Threshing Day, when riders are selected by a dragon during their training at Basgiath in a process that is often dangerous for participants. Violet doesn’t have a chapter in the book, as her Threshing Day is covered in “Fourth Wing,” but the 13 chapters are all told by her fellow riders, including her partner, Xaden Riorson, and her siblings, Brennan and Mira.

The collections span multiple years, and the book is chock-full of lore about dragons and their riders, answering some questions readers had about the “Fourth Wing” universe. It’s the perfect appetizer to hold readers over while they wait for the fourth “Empyrean” novel.

If you’ve read “Fourth Wing,” you’re probably already familiar with Sarah J. Maas’ “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series about faeries.

The second book in Maas’ series feels most similar in tone to the “Empyrean” series.

In “A Court of Mist and Fury,” Feyre Archeron is adjusting to her newfound life as a faerie after she almost died under the mountain — as well as coming to terms with the deal she made with Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court, to spend a week with him every month. Despite it all, she got what she wanted: an immortal life with Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court.

However, Feyre’s life in the Spring Court starts feeling more claustrophobic by the second, especially when Tamlin forbids her from leaving the house. To her shock, she finds refuge with Rhysand, where she uncovers truths about the Night Court, Rhys, and herself that will change everything she thought she knew.

“A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire” is the second book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s “Blood and Ash” series, and protagonist Poppy is reckoning with the realization that nothing in her world is what she thought it would be in the sequel to “From Blood and Ash.”

Poppy was raised as the Maiden, believing it was her divine duty to sacrifice herself to the Ascended, the immortal beings that rule over her world. After falling in love with her new guard, Hawke, and running away with him, she realizes she’s been betrayed by the Ascended — and Hawke.

Poppy doesn’t know who to trust, but Hawke is determined to protect her — especially as Poppy develops powers that could change their world.

If you’re a fan of the magical school setting in Yarros’ series, you will love “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman (which was also turned into a Syfy series of the same name).

At the top of the trilogy, Quentin Coldwater feels apathetic about the future, though his aptitude for math could get him into any college he wants. Instead, he still longs for the simplicity of his favorite fantasy series, taking comfort in the magical world of Fillory whenever he can.

When he gets accepted into a secret magical college, Quentin feels like his dreams are coming true. Then, he accidentally taps into a darker side of his power and starts a chain of events that puts him and his classmates in danger — and opens the doors to Fillory.

“Divine Rivals” has the enemies-to-lovers fun and secrecy of Yarros’ series, though Rebecca Ross sets her fantasy story against the backdrop of a newsroom instead of a war college.

Iris Winnow is desperate to get promoted to columnist at the Oath Gazette. Her mother has fallen into alcoholism since her brother left to fight in a war of the gods, and Iris feels like she is one missed paycheck away from falling into ruin.

She’s competing for the promotion against Roman Kitt, her infuriatingly handsome coworker who makes her feel small every time she sees him. As Roman continues to succeed, her chances of success grow slimmer with each passing day.

Iris’ only comfort is writing letters to her brother on her grandmother’s old typewriter. She doesn’t know where he is, so she slips the letters under her wardrobe, where they disappear. Iris is hopeful her letters are somehow reaching her brother — until a stranger writes back.

Ross’ story evolves into a fantasy full of romance and longing, which continues in its sequel, “Ruthless Vows.”

You’ll love the first book in Carissa Broadbent’s “Crowns of Nyaxia” series, “The Serpent and the Wings of Night,” if Violet’s perseverance drew you to the “Empyrean” series as much as her romance with Xaden did.

Oraya has spent every moment of her life fighting to stay alive since her father, the Nightborn vampire king, adopted her after his forces killed her entire human family when she was a child.

Oraya is sick of being mortal in a world of vampires ready to kill her, so she decides to enter the Kejari, a tournament where the winner gets a wish granted to them by the goddess it’s named for.

She plans to avoid the vampires competing against her at all costs, but when she is forced into an alliance with Rhain, a handsome vampire she knows nothing about, Oraya will have to trust someone besides her father for the first time in years.

The competition is deadly, especially as war looms beyond the arena, but Oraya’s attraction to Rhain may be an even bigger danger.

If you somehow missed the “Divergent” craze when Veronica Roth’s books or the films based on them were released, it’s the perfect series to binge while you wait for the fourth “Empyrean” book.

In the first installment of the series, readers are introduced to 16-year-old Beatrice Prior, a girl on the precipice of changing her life forever. Beatrice lives in a society divided into factions based on people’s aptitudes, and it’s her turn to take a test that will tell her which faction she belongs to.

Beatrice’s results put her entire society’s system at risk, and the only way she can survive is to keep her results a secret. She abandons her home faction of Abnegation to join Dauntless, hoping she can hide in the group that values bravery and strength above all else. But she’s not the only one with secrets.

Those drawn to the romantic tension of the “Empyrean” series might want to put “One Dark Window” by Rachel Gillig at the top of their to-be-read list.

The only thing keeping Elspeth Spindle safe in her home of Blunder, a land cursed with darkness, is the monster she calls Nightmare, a spirit trapped in her mind.

Elspeth’s long-kept secret falls apart when she has a run-in with a highwayman, who turns out to be the king’s nephew and captain of the guard working in secret to overthrow his uncle. Elspeth agrees to help the captain and his family in their quest to end the dark magic that rules their kingdom once and for all, even if it puts her own life at risk and forces her to face the Nightmare’s power over her.

Elspeth and the captain are on a time crunch to accomplish their mission, particularly as the Nightmare threatens to take her mind over for good. Still, they can’t ignore the attraction between them, no matter the dangers coming their way.

If the dragons in Yarros’ fictional world were the most exciting part of “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” for you, you may want to give Naomi Novik’s “His Majesty’s Dragon” a try.

The novel is set in the 1800s during the Napoleonic Wars. Will Laurence is a normal captain in the British forces until he captures a dragon egg. When it hatches, he bonds with Temeraire and becomes a rider, fighting in the skies.

Laurence will have to learn how to fly and fight in the middle of the war — or risk his and Temeraire’s lives.

“The Inheritance Cycle” series by Christopher Paolini may fall into the young-adult category, but the high-fantasy writing and the emotional coming-of-age journey the hero goes on throughout the series will make it just as exciting for adults as for younger readers.

In the series opener, Eragon is just a teenager living a simple life on a farm with his family until he stumbles upon a blue stone, which turns out to be the first dragon hatchling born in his country in a century.

Eragon immediately becomes a Dragon Rider when his dragon, Seraphina, hatches. The only living rider is supposed to be king, setting Eragon on a path of magic and danger.

Like Yarros’ series, “The Inheritance Cycle” is an epic journey of dragons and their riders, full of magic, romance, and adventure.

Amanda Bouchet’s “The Kingmaker Chronicles” is a three-part series full of magic, gods, and romance that will appeal to Yarros fans drawn to Violet’s powerful signet and Xaden’s dedication to her.

In the first installment, “A Promise of Fire,” Cat Fisa has been on the run for years. She was born with the ability to tell when people are lying, a once-in-a-generation power that makes her the “Kingmaker.” Cat wants nothing to do with her power — or her family in the North that would use her for it — so she stays hidden, pretending to be a soothsayer in a traveling circus in the South.

When Griffin, the general of a newly established human kingdom, sees her, he knows what Cat is immediately and takes her in the hopes of protecting his family’s throne. Cat won’t go down without a fight, though, and Griffin’s hostage becomes even harder to control when powerful family members come looking for her.

As they make their way toward his family’s castle, Griffin will have to convince Cat his family is worth working with — a task that becomes even more difficult when he realizes he doesn’t want Cat to just work with him; he wants her to be his wife.

If you liked the modern flair in the “Empyrean” series, you’ll love Sarah J. Maas’ steamy “Crescent City” series.

In “House of Earth and Blood,” half-fae Bryce Quinlan thrives after graduating from Crescent City University, living with her best friend, the werewolf and alpha of the Pack of Devils, Danika Fendyr.

Bryce has everything she wants — until she comes home to find Danika and the Pack of Devils murdered by a demon. She thinks the culprit was arrested, but a year later, similar murders start up again in the city.

Because she’s the only one who saw the demon that killed her friends, Bryce teams up with Hunt Athalar, a Fallen angel enslaved to work for the Archangels who run Crescent City, to solve the mystery. As the investigation progresses and Bryce and Hunt’s attraction to each other grows, the unlikely pair will discover secrets about Crescent City that could upend their world as they know it.

To date, Maas has published three books in the series, including “House of Flame and Shadow” in January 2024.

As Violet was raised to hate Xaden Riorson, Persephone Dimitriou’s fear of Hades was instilled in her from childhood in “Neon Gods” by Katee Robert.

Trusting Hades feels like Persephone’s only option after her mother promises her hand in marriage to Zeus, the leader of the 13 houses in Olympus, whose wives mysteriously end up dead.

Persephone decides to run away from the city rather than marry Zeus, seeking refuge with Hades, a man she wasn’t even certain existed until she found herself on his doorstep. Luckily, Hades wants revenge on Zeus, too, and they agree that making him jealous is the best way to do it.

Hades and Persephone decide to put on a show, but neither expects the real, palpable attraction that develops between them.

A.K. Caggiano’s “Villains & Virtues” trilogy has all the magic and enemies-to-lovers fun of the world of “Fourth Wing” with a heap of slow-burn tension and a lighter tone than Yarros’ work.

In “Throne in the Dark,” Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne is determined to free his demon father from his magical imprisonment and take over the world by his side. There’s just one problem: a beautiful, sickeningly sweet human named Amma, who accidentally becomes one with the magical weapon he needs to bring down the mortal powers that be.

Damien has no choice but to travel the realm with Amma to find a way to separate her from the weapon. He could kill her, but Amma proves to be surprisingly helpful — and to his horror, she isn’t the worst travel companion he could imagine.

Amma has secrets of her own, though, and she and Damien must work together to get through their respective missions unscathed. And worst of all, as he spends more time with Amma, Damien starts to wonder if what he truly wants is the human by his side.

Ali Hazelwood is best known for her New York Times bestselling, STEM-centered romance books. Still, her first paranormal novel, “Bride,” can help “Empyrean” fans with their book hangover after they finish “Onyx Storm.”

In “Bride,” vampire Misery Lark is about to marry Lowe Moreland, the Alpha of the Weres, as part of a historic peace deal. Most vampires would be afraid of agreeing to bind themselves to their natural enemies, but after spending most of her childhood as an emissary among the humans, Misery is ready to take on the risk — especially since she needs the Weres’ resources to try to track down Serena, her human foster sister who went missing without a trace.

Misery plans to avoid Lowe as much as possible, but from the moment they meet at their wedding, Misery seems to perplex and infuriate Lowe for reasons she can’t understand (aside from their species’ century-long feud). Soon, he’s keeping a closer eye on her than she would like, but she might not mind his presence as much as she thought.

If reading Yarros’ work makes you yearn for a little magic in your day-to-day life, you might like the magical realism in Ashley Poston’s “The Dead Romantics.”

Florence Day’s first meeting with her new editor is a disaster. After a breakup leaves her with a serious bout of writer’s block, Florence desperately needs an extension on the novel she’s ghostwriting. Ben, who is inconveniently handsome and charming, refuses, leaving Florence more frustrated than ever.

Then, her father dies unexpectedly, and Florence must return to her Southern hometown and her family’s funeral parlor and face the actual ghosts she has always been able to see, an ability that left her alienated for much of her childhood.

Once she makes it home, it’s not surprising that a ghost shows up seeking her help, but it is a shock when the specter turns out to be Ben. He needs Florence’s help handling his unfinished business: her.

The first installment in the “Saga of the Unfated” duology, “A Fate Inked in Blood,” offers an enemies-to-lovers romance set against the backdrop of Norse mythology.

Freya spent her childhood dreaming of becoming a warrior, but at 20, she is married to a man she hates, trapped in her fishing village, and guarding her most closely kept secret: She is a shield maiden, possessing magic that can protect her and others from attacks.

Freya’s years of secret-keeping come to an end when her husband betrays her to the local jarl. After she uses her magic to survive a fight against his son Bjorn, the jarl sees Freya as what her father always feared she could become: a weapon. The jarl magically binds Freya to him, enlisting Bjorn to keep her safe.

Freya must prove herself as a magic-wielder and warrior to stay alive, but her pull toward Bjorn may put her at greater risk than her magic ever could.

By day, Rune Winters is a vapid socialite. By night, she’s the Crimson Moth, a witch trying to single-handedly save those like her that her government is determined to wipe out.

When her vigilante efforts put her at risk, Rune needs a cover story, and none could be better than Gideon Sharpe, a witch hunter known for his dedication to the cause. If he falls for her, Gideon could offer the perfect protection, but Rune has no idea Gideon is onto her, happy to get close to Rune to find the witch he believes she is associating with.

Rune and Gideon are lying to each other at every turn, but the feelings they develop along the way might be the one truth they can’t deny. Book one in Kristen Ciccarelli’s “The Crimson Moth” series, “Heartless Hunter,” is packed with dizzying magic, political rebellion, and decadent enemies-to-lovers tension.

If you loved the adventurous elements of the “Empyrean” series as much as the romance, Callie Hart’s “Quicksilver” will be right up your alley.

Saeris Fane is trying to keep her brother alive in their desert world, where water is nearly impossible to come by. She’ll starve herself, steal from the Undying Queen, and use her illegal alchemical powers to do it, even if it puts her own life at risk.

When she’s finally caught for her thievery, Saeris is saved when she accidentally opens a portal, and a beautiful and intimidating fae named Kingfisher takes her to his homeland, where ice and magic abound. However, she’ll find the fae are just as dangerous as the Queen, and after she makes a binding agreement to Kingfisher, she’ll have to live among them until she can use her alchemy to fulfill her half of the deal.

Saeris wants to get their bargain over with, desperate to get home to check on her brother. Yet it might be the magnetic pull she feels toward Kingfisher that derails her.