Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros: Fans rush for hotly anticipated ‘romantasy’ sequel

US author Yarros is one of the biggest names in the booming “romantasy” genre.

In anticipation of Onyx Storm’s release, the first two Empyrean books, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, went back to the top two slots in the New York Times fiction bestsellers list.

They are also currently both in the top five of the Sunday Times paperback fiction chart in the UK, and they were the two most-read books of the past year around the world among users of Goodreads, external.

Fourth Wing introduced heroine Violet Sorrengail, a 20-year-old woman who is thrust into brutal training to become an elite dragon rider.

Like the author, Violet has a genetic condition that means the character dislocates joints and breaks bones easily – so must use her wits and inner strength to help her survive.

She is also entwined in a relationship with a fellow candidate called Xaden Riorson, who comes from a rival family.

Iron Flame was then set during Violet’s second year at Basgiath War College, while in Onyx Storm, according to the publisher, she “knows there’s no more time for lessons” because “the battle has truly begun”.