Onyx Stormhas finally made its debut, and those powering through thenewFourth Wingsequelmay be wondering when the fourth book inThe Empyrean Seriescould arrive. GivenOnyx Storm’s shocking and emotional ending, readers will be eager to get their hands on the next installment. But it looks like there could be a wait between books three and four, giving readers more time to speculate on all the major developments fromOnyx Storm.
Onyx Storm’s conclusion makes it clear that the story isn’t over, and Rebecca Yarros has already confirmed plans for more books. Details about the follow-up toOnyx Stormare sparse, but the sequel gives readers an idea of what they can expect story-wise when the next book arrives. Based on interviews with Yarros and previous release timelines, we can also speculate about a potential release date, even if very little is currently set in stone.
The Fourth Empyrean Series Book Does Not Yet Have A Title
Onyx Storm’s Follow-Up Has Not Been Announced
The sequel toOnyx Stormdoesn’t currently have a title, as the publisher has yet to make an official announcement about the book. With the author and publisher focused onOnyx Storm’srelease, there’s been no news about the nextEmpyrean Seriesbook. That could be because Yarros still needs to writeOnyx Storm’s follow-up. In the comments of anInstagrampost from January 2025, she confirmed that she hasn’t begun book four yet. She once toldVarietythat she comes up with her titles while writing, so it could be a while before the next one surfaces.
When The 4th Empyrean Book Could Come Out Based On Fourth Wing & Its Sequels
The Next Book Could Debut In Late 2026 Or Even 2027
The seven-month gap betweenFourth WingandIron Flamewas unusually short, and readers shouldn’t expect a quick turnaround like that again. Yarros took more time gettingOnyx Stormout, with the newest book arriving over a year after its predecessor. Andthe fourthEmpyrean Seriesnovel may take even longer, especially considering that Yarros hasn’t started working on it yet. She also confirmed that she’s looking to take a break and slow down afterOnyx Storm.She toldEllethat she isn’t thinking about “what’s next” yet, saying:
“I’ve been really clear that I’m going to rest now. 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.”
Yarros has been vocal about her experience with chronic illness, and this isn’t the first time she’s discussed how it affects her writing, and vice versa. During a 2023 interview withEntertainment Weekly,Yarros revealed that the period betweenFourth WingandIron Flame"was really hard on [her] body." This led to a more manageable timeline forOnyx Storm,and judging by her recent interviews, she’s adjusting again for book four.
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With that in mind,it could be a while beforeOnyx Storm’s sequel makes its debut. Assuming it takes Yarros a year or more to finish it — giving it a similar turnaround toOnyx Storm— it could be here in late 2026. It’s possible it will even push into 2027, depending on whether Yarros takes a lot of time off or works on other projects in the interim.
Warning: The next section contains SPOILERS for Onyx Storm. Skip to the following one to avoid them.
The Empyrean Series Book 4 Story: What Onyx Storm Sets Up
The Next Fourth Wing Sequel Will Likely Be The Darkest Yet
Regardless of when the nextEmpyreanbook arrives, readers can expect it to be the darkest and highest-stakes addition to the series yet. While there’s no synopsis to clue us into its story,Onyx Storm’s ending sets up some intriguing directions for the series to go in. It’s likely Violet and Xaden will be separated for much of the next book, as Xaden gives into his venin transformation and leaves inOnyx Storm,telling Violet not to look for him.
Inheriting this power will force Violet into a position of leadership inOnyx Storm’s sequel, placing even more weight on her shoulders.
There’s also the matter of their marriage — something Violet has no recollection of, thanks to Imogen’s memory-wiping signet.It seems Xaden married Violet to ensure she’d inherit Aretia and his power over Tyrrendor. There’s no one else he could entrust to keep his people safe, especially with Bohdi seemingly uninterested (and potentially missing). Inheriting this power will force Violet into a position of leadership inOnyx Storm’s sequel, placing even more weight on her shoulders.
Fourth Wing’s Venin & Wyvern Explained: Powers, Purpose & How People Are Turned
The venin and their wyvern in Fourth Wing, previously be believed to be fictitious characters from a fable, are easily the biggest threat to Navarre.
The war against the venin will rage on in the fourthEmpyrean Seriessequel, likely with Xaden on the villains' side.Onyx Storm’s ending suggests another one of his and Violet’s friends has turned as well. This means there will be characters that readers love on both sides of the conflict. With so few major deaths inOnyx Storm,it’s possible the next installment will be a bloodbath. And there are still numerous questions that need to be answered in book four, likewho the venin Sage really isand whether there are more traitors at Basgiath.
How Many More Books In The Empyrean Series Will There Be
Rebecca Yarros Is Planning 5 Books In Total
The fourth book inThe Empyrean Serieswill have high stakes because of everythingOnyx Stormsets up — but also because it’s nearing the conclusion of Yarros' story. AfterIron Flame’srelease,the author toldVarietythat she’s currently planning to write five books in total, even though she initially envisioned it as three. “Probably about 30,000 words in, I called my editor and I said, I think this is a five-book series,” she explained.
There’s a lot of ground to cover afterOnyx Storm,as the state of Navarre and its surrounding kingdoms isn’t much better than it was at the end ofIron Flame.
On the bright side,this meansOnyx Storm’s follow-up won’t be the last adventure with Violet and Xaden. But it still must set up that finale. There’s a lot of ground to cover afterOnyx Storm,as the state of Navarre and its surrounding kingdoms isn’t much better than it was atthe end ofIron Flame.The venin remain powerful, and there are still mysteries to solve, leaving Yarros with plenty to do over the last two books.
Readers may be eager for the nextEmpyrean Seriesbook, but they also haveAmazon’sFourth WingTV showto look forward to. Yarros offered an exciting update while speaking toGood Morning America, revealing that she’s read scripts and is happy with them. “I was super scared to read it,” she admitted, “because when you hand somebody your baby and you say, ‘Tell me what you think is important in here,’ you’re kind of like, ‘It’s all important.'”
The Fourth Wing TV Show Can Be Amazon’s Answer To Netflix’s Massive Fantasy Deal
Netflix has acquired the rights to Quicksilver, while Amazon has secured Fourth Wing. Fourth Wing has a major advantage over its competitor.
It seems theFourth Wingseries is making progress, but fortunately, it’s unlikely to catch up to the books and face the same issue asGame of Thrones.The series appears to be in the early stages of development, so it probably won’t arrive for another year or two at the earliest. By then, the fourth addition toThe Empyrean Seriesshould be close to coming out — if it isn’t out already. With streamers typically taking a year between seasons,there’s a good chance Yarros will be done with the books before Amazon’s show adapts the last two.
And Yarros even toldVarietyin November 2023 that she doesn’t plan on lagging behind the show: “So I can promise, unless something happens to me, we’re not going to have that situation.” That bodes well for the nextEmpyrean Seriesbook, offering hope that it won’t taketoolong to turn around. It’s also an exciting prospect for those excited to seeFourth Wingadapted. It sounds like the TV show and books will give fans plenty of new content in the coming years.
Source:Instagram,Variety,Elle,Entertainment Weekly,Good Morning America
Onyx Storm
Violet Sorrengail faces new political intrigue and battles old enemies while uncovering the secrets of her second signet. As she strives to save Xaden from venin corruption, her relationships with allies and dragons are tested, leading to intense confrontations and unexpected revelations in a world of dragons and magic.
