Books Like Fourth Wing (by Rebecca Yarros)

Explore these popular and highly underrated Romantasy books like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: Dragons, Trials, Academies & Morally Grey Men…

Books Like Fourth Wing 18 books

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Bright Burns the Flame by Angelina J. Steffort Sweet
Bright Burns the Flame
Welcome to Ashthorn Ward, the kingdom’s most ruthless and secretive military academy, where the deadliest weapons are not forged from steel, but from people. Nineteen-year-old Lory has spent her life surviving the harsh streets of Dunai with nothing but her skill, cunning, and unbreakable will. When she is captured and forced into conscription, she is thrown into the brutal world of Ashthorn, where rivals are deadly, failure means death, and obedience demands the loss of everything she is. Lory quickly proves she is not like the others, and when the Ward discovers a dangerous secret hidden in her blood, she is given a stark choice, survive their merciless trials and become a weapon in service of the crown, or die within the academy’s unforgiving walls. Guiding, and testing, her transformation is Captain Khayrivven Falcrest, a cold and untouchable figure who should be her enemy, yet is the only one who seems to recognize the person beneath what the Ward is trying to shape her into. As war looms beyond the borders and rebellion grows in the shadows, Lory must navigate the academy’s lethal trials and the burden of her forbidden power before both consume her entirely.
Bright Burns the Flame
Angelina J. Steffort · 2026
romantasy enemies to lovers academy setting military academy epic
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Broken Dove by Dani Francis Warm
Silver Elite
LINES WILL BE CROSSED. After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in overthrowing their rule once and for all. LOYALTIES WILL BE TESTED. But though she’s back among her own people, trust is hard-won and hidden agendas abound on the Mod base. And beyond those walls, Wren can’t help but worry that Cross is keeping secrets of his own. . . secrets that could jeopardise everything. Complicating matters even further is her shocking reunion with hotshot fighter pilot and undercover operative, Grayson Blake. Once her closest friend in Silver Elite, Gray seems to understand Wren on a level she never thought possible. AND THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CONTINENT IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING. With the war between Mods and Primes growing more brutal by the day, and with her own role in the conflict becoming more essential than ever, Wren must confront some gut-wrenching questions. WHO IS SHE FIGHTING FOR . . . AND WHO IS SHE WILLING TO LOSE?
Broken Dove
Dani Francis
🔥 BookTok dystopian dystopian psychic powers secrets revealed epic
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Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen Warm
The Wolves Of Ruin
Blending the intensity of *Fourth Wing* with the high-stakes survival of *The Hunger Games*, this spicy, fast-paced romantasy follows a world where humans form powerful mental bonds with fierce direwolves to become elite warriors. Only the strongest survive the brutal Bonding Trials, and for Meryn Cooper, survival means risking not just her life but also her heart. Though she has always resented the privileged Bonded, Meryn is forced into their world when her younger sister, Saela, is kidnapped by the immortal enemies her country has fought for centuries. Determined to rescue her, she joins the army and enters the deadly trials, where even the smallest mistake could mean death. At the castle, Meryn faces relentless challenges, she is paired with a wild direwolf that refuses to communicate, surrounded by ruthless competitors eager to see her fail, and trained by the cold and unforgiving Stark Therion, who shows no mercy for weakness. Amid the constant danger, the attention of a dangerously charming crown prince only makes her a greater target. In a place where every alliance is uncertain and every smile may conceal betrayal, Meryn must navigate deadly rivalries, hidden secrets, and her own growing emotions. In this world, survival demands everything, bond or bleed, duel or die, because failure means complete ruin.
Dire Bound
Sable Sorensen
romantasy romantasy enemies to lovers trials epic
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Dragon Cursed by Elisa Kova Sweet
The moment you see a dragon is usually your last. Ever since dragons emerged, bringing with them a devastating scourge that nearly wiped out humanity, only one city remains standing, Vingard. Yet the danger from above is nothing compared to the terror within, for there is no fate worse than being Dragon Cursed, a slow and agonizing transformation into a mindless beast destined to destroy everything and everyone you once loved. Anyone could be infected, anyone could be hiding the truth, and anyone could be hunted down and killed by the authorities, and the fear of being next is impossible to escape. Haunted by this possibility, the narrator struggles with a secret that could mean their end, knowing that suspicion alone is enough to condemn them. The only other person who might sense the truth is Lucan, a constant presence who lingers like a shadow, part protector, part tormentor, and endlessly frustrating. His watchful nature and hidden depths suggest he knows far more than he reveals, and as the threat of exposure grows, so does the terrifying realization that if the curse is real, death may be the only mercy left.
Dragon Cursed
Elisa Kova · 2026
romantasy YA trials slow burn epic
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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Warm
The Empyrean
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was born for the quiet sanctuary of the Scribe Quadrant, a life spent among ancient scrolls and dusty histories. But her mother, the commanding general and a woman as cold as she is powerful, has other plans. By military decree, Violet is forced to join the candidates vying for a spot in the elite of Navarre: the Dragon Riders. At Basgiath War College, the stakes aren't just high; they’re lethal. Violet is smaller than her peers, her body brittle and prone to injury, and in this world, dragons don’t bond to the fragile, they incinerate them. With more cadets than available dragons, the competition is predatory. Half the quadrant wants to kill Violet to eliminate the competition; the other half wants her dead simply because of her mother’s bloodline. Leading the pack of enemies is Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Quadrant, who has every reason to want a Sorrengail eliminated. Violet will have to rely on her wits, her iron will, and her ability to survive the impossible just to see the next sunrise. But as the war beyond the college walls turns tides and the kingdom’s magical wards begin to fail, Violet suspects that the leadership of Navarre is guarding a secret far more dangerous than the dragons themselves. In a school where every friend has an agenda and every sunset could be your last, Violet is about to learn the golden rule of Basgiath: graduate or die.
Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros · 2023
romantasy enemies to lovers military academy dragon riders epic
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Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen Clean
The Wolves Of Ruin
Crowned by destiny and driven by vengeance, Meryn Cooper rises to power against all odds, inheriting not only a throne but a kingdom on the brink of war. As Nocturna fractures under the weight of long-buried secrets and generations of lies, Meryn must rely on her bonded direwolf, Anassa, and a fragile network of allies to hold the realm together. Yet her rule is anything but secure, with commoners, nobles, and the elite Bonded all questioning her right to lead, drawing her into a dangerous web of politics and unrest. At the same time, her sister Saela remains in grave danger, raising the stakes of every decision Meryn makes. Amid the chaos, the one person she finds herself able to trust is Stark Therion, the powerful and enigmatic Alpha she once believed to be her enemy. His unwavering loyalty and magnetic presence challenge everything she thought she knew, and under his guidance, Meryn begins to unlock a level of power she never imagined possible. But with enemies gathering, dark forces invading her dreams, and her emotions growing ever more complicated, Meryn risks losing not only her kingdom but also her heart. In a world where blood will be shed, bonds will shatter, and fate itself will be tested, every choice carries the weight of survival.
Fury Bound
Sable Sorensen
🔥 BookTok romantasy romantasy morally grey epic
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Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Spicy
The Empyrean
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College, Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible hurdle designed to weed out the weak-willed and the unlucky. Now, as she enters her second year, the real training begins, and the stakes have shifted from surviving the dragons to surviving the people in power. The curriculum hasn't just become more grueling; it’s become maliciously brutal, designed to stretch a rider's capacity for pain until they break. Adding fuel to the fire is the new vice commandant, a man who has made it his singular, sadistic mission to prove to Violet exactly how powerless she is. His ultimate goal? To force her to betray Xaden Riorson, the man she loves and the only person she truly trusts in a den of vipers. Violet’s body may be brittle and her joints prone to betrayal, but her mind is a weapon and her will is made of iron. Leadership is underestimating her, forgetting the most vital lesson Basgiath ever provided: Dragon riders make their own rules. But this year, mere determination won't be enough to keep her alive. Violet is now the keeper of a secret hidden for centuries within the archives of Basgiath, a truth so volatile it threatens to consume the entire kingdom. As the war outside the wards reaches a breaking point, she realizes that not even dragon fire may be enough to save them from what's coming.
Iron Flame
Rebecca Yarros · 2023
romantasy found family dragon riders war college epic
★★★★★ 5 (1)
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Malachite by Ashley Andersen Warm
Valmora Academy
Malachite. Opal. Agate. Three stones, three powers, three magical units. Choose your unit … and hope that it chooses you back. Arianell Nocthare has been waiting her whole life to enter the prestigious Valmora Academy, where students prepare for war by honing their elemental magic in one of three units. But there are two problems facing Aria on the night of her initiation ceremony. Firstly, her family has been cast into disgrace after her brother was executed for allegedly killing four students in an attempt at dark magic. Secondly, so far Aria has been unable to summon any magic—and being magic-less in an academy where everyone wants to spill your blood is a dangerous game. How will she enter the unit of her choosing and survive without a scrap of power? Facing blatant scorn from every angle, especially from her brother’s best friend (the tall dark and lethally handsome, Sebastian) Aria is determined to clear her brother’s name and seek justice for his death. Forging a tentative and fraught relationship with Seb, she begins to uncover some terrifying truths about the academy. And a revelation about Aria’s power throws her world into chaos…
Malachite
Ashley Andersen · 2026
romantasy dark academia enemies to lovers elemental magic dark
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Of Fates & Ruin by Alaya Wells Warm
Kingdom Of Shattered Vows
Determined to avenge her sister, the narrator infiltrates a rival fae court disguised as a recruit, seeking the rebels she believes are responsible for her loss. Instead of the crumbling outpost she expects, she discovers a dazzling court hidden within a treacherous swamp, where illusion reigns and brutal trials bind warriors to powerful magical beasts. Her mission immediately goes awry when she accidentally stabs the court’s golden-eyed king, Trewyn, who responds not with anger, but with unsettling amusement, treating the encounter as something closer to flirtation than an attack. When he assumes she has come to compete in the Rite of Bonds, she chooses to play along, knowing that failure would mean exile before she uncovers the truth, while success could transform her into the very thing her kingdom fears, a wielder of wild magic loyal to the enemy. As she navigates the dangerous trials and shifting loyalties of the court, her beliefs begin to fracture, and the rebels she was raised to hate no longer seem so easily defined. Trewyn’s relentless teasing and piercing insight make him both infuriating and impossible to ignore, his presence awakening a dangerous attraction that threatens her resolve. Yet as a darker force emerges, one that drains magic and leaves devastation in its wake, her mission becomes even more complicated. Caught between vengeance and desire, loyalty and truth, she must decide whether to fulfill her quest for revenge or trust the king who has become her greatest temptation, even as the identity she has carefully constructed begins to unravel.
Of Fates & Ruin
Alaya Wells · 2025
romantasy hidden identity enemies to lovers slow burn epic
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On Wings Of Blood by Briar Boleyn Warm
Bloodwing Academy
Welcome to Bloodwing Academy. Expect ancient magic, expect cutthroat competition, expect a staggering amount of blood. I never asked for this. Being a half-fae in a prestigious institution crawling with highblood vampires isn't just a challenge, it’s a death warrant. I’m Medra Pendragon, allegedly the last of the legendary dragon riders. The problem? Dragons have been extinct for centuries. There isn't a single scale left in the world, yet the vampires have decided I’m a prize worth hunting, capturing, and caging. Now, I’m a "blightborn" prisoner at Bloodwing, where the elite run the show and people like me are treated as nothing more than livestock or pawns in their sadistic political games. Then there’s Blake Drakharrow. He’s cold, impossibly arrogant, and far too attractive for someone who spends his free time tormenting me. Thanks to a archaic ritual I never consented to, we are now officially betrothed. He acts like he owns my soul, and while he expects me to bow, I’m sharpening my claws. At Bloodwing, the curriculum is a battlefield. If you aren't strong enough to seize power, you’re just another body in the dirt. Between lethal trials, secrets that could get me executed, and the shadow of a dragon,shaped legacy looming over me, survival is the only grade that matters. But as the game turns deadly, I’m realizing the greatest threat isn't the academy or the vampires, it’s the dormant power waking up inside me. They think they can break me, they think they can use me. But they’re about to find out exactly what happens when you corner a Pendragon. And Blake? He might be the one to push me over the edge, or the only one standing when the world burns.
On Wings Of Blood
Briar Boleyn · 2025
🔥 BookTok romantasy enemies to lovers dragons academy setting dark
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Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros Spicy
The Empyrean
The storm has finally arrived, and survival is no longer guaranteed. After eighteen grueling months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail has run out of time for theory and training, the real war is here. With threats mounting on every side, the rebellion is desperate for an army and the strength to wield it. They must uncover the blackened truth of what is happening across the continent before the entire world is swallowed by the dark. Violet is forced to undertake her most perilous journey yet, venturing past the protection of the failing wards to find allies willing to fight for Navarre. This mission will test the absolute limits of her power, where the probability of death far outweighs the chance of victory. Yet, Violet is prepared to sacrifice everything for her dragons, her kin, and the man she loves, even if she has to carry a secret heavy enough to shatter their alliance. The darkness is calling. Are you prepared to face it?
Onyx Storm
Rebecca Yarros · 2025
romantasy epic quest dragon riders strong fmc epic
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Silver Elite by Dani Francis Warm
Silver Elite
TRUST NO ONE. Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks. LIE TO EVERYONE. But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harbouring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead. AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY. As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself to Silver Block. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.
Silver Elite
Dani Francis · 2025
dystopian dystopian enemies to lovers academy setting epic
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The Bond That Burns by Briar Boleyn Spicy
Bloodwing Academy
At Bloodwing Academy, blood is currency, but a dragon's legacy is priceless, and as dangerous as fire. I thought surviving my first year in Bloodwing's deadly halls would be enough. I was wrong. I accidentally woke a dragon, a creature of myth, of death, of fire. Now, every highblood house wants control over me and the dragon's legacy I carry. But here's the truth: I have no control. I'm bluffing my way through every encounter, trying to keep everyone from realizing that I'm not the one pulling the dragon's strings. And then there's Blake Drakharrow. I thought he was on my side, that I might even be able to trust him. But he betrayed me. Now, I'm his only blood source. How messed up is that? In a place like Bloodwing, where power and survival are everything, this bond may well be the death of us both, unless I can find a way to end it. In this world of vampires, dragons, and lies, there are no happy endings. Just legends, and the darkness it takes to make them.
The Bond That Burns
Briar Boleyn · 2025
romantasy academy setting vampires bully romance dark
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The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn Warm
Bloodwing Academy
The night's chaos left us breathless, but now the real nightmare begins. A second dragon has awoken, her heart tainted and her power commandeered by two ruthless highbloods whose cruelty knows no bounds. My dearest friend teetered on the brink of death, and while a dragon saved her, she is now tied to him in a way I can scarcely understand. I have to wonder what this new bond will do to the woman I've come to love as a sister. And then there’s Blake. Once my relentless tormentor, he betrayed me again, nearly condemning Nyxaris to a cursed, stone,cold fate. Now, something has shifted in him. His gray eyes hide a secret he’s desperate to keep, and though I saved his life despite everything, my every heartbeat questions where we go from here. With Bloodwing Academy in turmoil and a new headmaster no one saw coming, only one thing is certain: this is going to be one hell of a term.
The Wings That Bind
Briar Boleyn · 2026
romantasy academy setting vampires enemies to lovers dark
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Unbound by Penelope Bloom Warm
Confluence Academy
Nineteen-year-old Nessa Thorne expects to die when she volunteers for the Empire’s selection, but instead she is sent to Confluence Academy, a brutal training ground where students wield elemental magic and bond with powerful beasts ranging from wolves to ancient dragons. There, every student is marked by their affinity, water, air, earth, or fire, yet Nessa bears a different symbol, a silver spiral that marks her as an unbound, a power so dangerous her kind was supposedly hunted to extinction centuries ago. Forced to conceal her true nature, Nessa must navigate a deadly environment where alliances are sealed in blood and students will kill for advantage. Her greatest threat may be Raith Hollow, the only other volunteer, a formidable fire wielder whose intense gaze follows her every move and whose secrets could unravel entire kingdoms. As forbidden attraction grows between them, dangers escalate both inside and beyond the castle walls, and a sinister force begins to lurk within the academy itself, moving through shadowed corridors and hiding in plain sight. With enemies closing in and her power growing harder to suppress, Nessa faces an impossible choice, embrace the very power that makes her a target, or lose everything she has fought to protect.
Unbound
Penelope Bloom · 2025
romantasy romantasy academy setting elemental magic epic
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Vows of Blood and Deception by Aria Ashbrook Warm
The Hirathean Path
Rose Kultavaris has survived the Retterheld and reclaimed her magic, her title, and her place at court, yet victory proves far more hollow than she expected. Her sister’s choices have thrown her life into chaos, and the crown Prince Kyor chose over her still rests firmly on his head, the tension between them as fierce as ever. Though the palace celebrates her as gifted, behind its gilded doors alliances are constantly shifting, secrets begin to surface, and the past refuses to remain buried. When the answers she seeks lie beyond the city of Wrohelm, Rose is forced to leave everything behind and pursue the truth on her own. As old betrayals cut deeper and new revelations unravel everything she once believed, Rose finds herself more isolated than ever, her restored power becoming as dangerous as it is vital. In a court shaped by ambition, deception, and hidden motives, she must confront what she truly desires, whether it is vengeance, love, or something far more perilous, freedom.
Vows of Blood and Deception
Aria Ashbrook
romantasy romantasy enemies to lovers second chance dark
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Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook Warm
The Hirathean Path
Stripped of her power and driven by vengeance, Rose is left with nothing after Prince Kyor’s lie about his mother’s death destroys her family’s life. Once respected, they are cast into poverty, their magic taken and their place in the kingdom erased. Now orphaned and desperate to save her younger sister, Rose sees only one path forward, the Tournament of the Gifting, a deadly competition held once a century where the winner is granted a blessing from the Goddess of Life. The odds, however, are stacked against her, as every other contender possesses the very magic she has been robbed of. Among them stands Prince Kyor himself, a powerful and commanding figure, leader of armies, bonded to a dire wolf, and a wielder of lightning, determined to claim the prize for reasons of his own. As Rose is thrust into a brutal world of magic, monsters, and relentless trials, she must fight not just to survive, but to reclaim her future. Along the way, she encounters unexpected allies, dangerous rivals, and a complicated, undeniable connection with the very man who ruined her life, a bond that could either destroy her or remake her entirely. Set in a Nordic-inspired world rich with gods, political intrigue, and shifting loyalties, this dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tale explores heartbreak, resilience, and a form of power that can never truly be taken away.
Web of Vows and Vengeance
Aria Ashbrook
romantasy romantasy academy setting trials dark
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Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti Spicy
Zodiac Academy
I’m a Gemini: impulsive, headstrong, and currently questioning every life choice that led me here. It turns out I’m not just a twin, I’m Fae, and the heir to a throne in Solaria that I didn't even know existed. But claiming my birthright isn't as simple as putting on a crown. To rule, I have to prove I’m the most powerful supernatural in the kingdom. And while being the daughter of the Savage King gives me a literal leg up, it also puts a massive target on my back for every power-hungry Fae in the realm. Welcome to Zodiac Academy, a school that’s equal parts lethal bloodbath and elite rager. Here, Vampires prey on the weak in the halls, Werewolves lose their minds in the Wailing Wood, and Sirens play with emotions like they're cheap toys. Even the faculty is a nightmare; my "sinfully tempting" Cardinal Magic teacher turns detention into a psychological endurance test. In Solaria, my star sign isn't just a personality trait, it’s the source of my elemental magic and the key to my survival. If I want to beat down my classmates (which, by the way, is the only way to earn respect here), I have to master the stars. But my path to the throne is blocked by a devastatingly hot Dragon shifter and his three "psycho" friends. They’ve made it their personal mission to turn my life into a living hell, and they aren't playing by the rules. Forget the wand and the owl, this isn't some cozy wizarding school. I’m trapped in a game of celestial politics and primal magic where the only goal is to stay alive. Fate might have brought me to Solaria, but if I want to wear the crown, I’m going to have to fight like a Gemini to keep it.
Zodiac Academy: The Awakening
Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti · 2019
🔥 BookTok romantasy enemies to lovers elemental magic academy setting dark
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The Fourth Wing Books

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Common Fourth Wing FAQ’s

Yes, Fourth Wing is one of the most popular romantasy books of recent years. Romantasy is a blend of romance and fantasy, and Fourth Wing delivers both in equal measure, epic world-building with dragons and magic alongside a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. If you enjoy the romantasy genre, we have an entire collection of similar books you can browse by trope and spice level.

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros should be read in order: Fourth Wing (Book 1), Iron Flame (Book 2), and Onyx Storm (Book 3). The series is ongoing, with more books planned. Each book builds directly on the previous one, so starting from the beginning is essential. You can find all the books in the series on our site.

Fourth Wing features several beloved romance and fantasy tropes including enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, a morally grey male lead, a strong female protagonist, touch her and die, and a dragon rider/bonding dynamic. The military academy setting also adds a trials and competition element. If any of these tropes are your thing, use our trope filter to discover more books that share them.

If you’ve devoured all the available Empyrean books and need something to fill the void, the best next reads depend on what you loved most about the series. For more dragon-bonded romances, try On Wings Of Blood. For fae-based enemies to lovers, try A Court of Thorns and Roses. For dark academies and deadly competition, try The Serpent and the Wings of Night. Or take our personalized book recommendation quiz, tell us your favourite tropes and mood, and we’ll match you with 8 books tailored to your taste.