The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros has become one of the most popular romantasy series of the decade so far. Starting with Fourth Wing, published in 2023, the series follows Violet Sorrengail, a young woman who is forced to sign up for the ranks of the Navarre, the legendary dragon riders who protect their city. But the college is deadly, literally, with most students not surviving the terrifying training or their back-stabbing fellow students. Violet must make her way through violent classes, her ruthless wingleader, and the dragons themselves.
Fourth Wing has become a publishing juggernaut, with the third book in the series, Onyx Storm, hitting bookshelves today. For fans of the series who love romantasy with dragons, here are eight other books sure to light your fire.
Heart of the Dragon
Grace Carlyle is on a mission. She's alone, deep in the heart of the jungles of Brazil, looking for her missing brother. It's dangerous enough without her stumbling head-first into a secret world populated by mythological monsters. Darius en Kragin belongs to a race of shape-shifting warriors, were-dragons of immense might who are sworn to guard the legendary lost city of Atlantis. It is his job to kill all trespassers who try to breach its borders and uncover its powers. But when Grace comes his way, he finds himself struggling to fulfil his duties. Their attraction to one another is instant, but their growing love could tear apart both of their worlds.
Talon
The Dragons of Talon were once hunted to near-extinction, but now they're poised to take over the world. The Order of St. George is the sacred band of dragonslayers who will stop at nothing to wipe dragons from the face of the earth. To take her rightful place in the Talon organization, young dragon Ember Hill must prove she can hide her true nature and blend in with humans. She's excited to live out the summer as a regular adolescent girl, but Talon has other ideas. She's expected to train for her future among their organization.
As Ember struggles to accept her future, St. George soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian is tasked with hunting her down. But when they meet, they find themselves overwhelmed by all-too-human desire. Can human and dragon love one another, or will such taboos lead to the destruction of them both?
Dragon Bound
Pia Giovanni is a woman torn between two worlds. Half-human and half-Wyr, she has spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding getting involved in the political squabbles between them and their nemeses, the Dark Fae. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful leaders of the Elder Races, Dragos Cuelebre.
Dragos commands fear and awe among Wyrkind, so when he catches someone trying to steal from him, his first thought is to kill the thief. But then he lays eyes on Pia and knows that she is something far more valuable to him. Pia refuses to become Dragos's slave, but her attraction to her captor is undeniable.
The Smoke Thief
For centuries, dragons lived among northern England’s green and misted hills, disguising themselves as humans to maintain their secrecy. But now their safety is threatened by an unexpected temptation. Dubbed the Smoke Thief, a daring jewel thief is robbing the wealthy across London. The police are baffled, as the victims claim that the burglar can walk through walls and vanish into thin air.
But Christoff, the charismatic Marquess of Langford, knows the truth. He knows that the thief is not even human, but not even Kit suspects that the Smoke Thief could be a woman. Clarissa Rue Hawthorne is a halfling—half drákon, half mortal, and an outcast in both worlds. She's long been in love with Kit but their love would mean banishment or worse for both of them. Together, they must make a dangerous deal…
Dragon Soul
Sophea Long is accompanying a client to Europe. She hopes there will be time for some solo adventures in-between ensuring that her octogenarian boss Mrs. P doesn't steal everything she lays eyes on. But Sophea hadn't counted on Mrs. P leading her right into the arms of a tall, dark, and very handsome stranger who is instantly enamored with her.
He's also a bit weird. Rowan Dakar is on a one-man mission to rid the world of all dragonkin. The last thing he needs is to fall for a woman is also some kind of dragon, even if she doesn't know it. He must fulfil his prophecy, but even destiny must yield to true love.
Firelight
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda lives life under a very harsh gaze. She is a draki, a descendant of dragons with the ability to shift into human form. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she is forced to flee into the mortal world and live without her dragon self for a while. The only light in her life is Will, an irresistible human with a terrible secret: His entire family are hunters who have dedicated their lives to hunting down Jacinda's kind. Her inner draki is slowly disappearing. If it dies off, then she'll be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that, even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous nemesis.
Seraphina
In the kingdom of Goredd, tensions between humans and dragons remain at a high, despite four decades of a truce intended to bring peace to the species. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors and offer their skills to humans as academics and scholars. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, the amity is crumbling. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides.
An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered and the finger of blame is pointed at the dragons. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerous but fascinating Prince Lucian Kiggs. There's a sinister plot intended to reignite war between human and dragon, and Seraphina must fight to prevent it.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years, but their enemies are always looking for ways to bring them down. Queen Sabran the Ninth rules over it all, but still unwed and without an heir, she must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court who has clawed her way to the position of lady-in-waiting, but her loyalties lie with a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but soon she'll be forced to make the ultimate choice. Forces are rising, assassins are gathering, and the fate of Inys lies in the hands of these three women.