Rebecca Yarros enters the greenroom at 30 Rock with a wide smile and a promise that her purple-tipped hair had been curled before she braved the New York cold. Her two-toned hair isn’t the only thing she shares with Violet Sorrengail, the main character of her hit “Empyrean” series, which saw its third book, “Onyx Storm,” publish Jan. 21. In the first installation, “Fourth Wing,” our heroine is thrust into the cutthroat world of Basgiath, a fantasy war college, forced to give up her ambitions of recording history and instead, learn to ride a dragon. So far the romantasy series (“romance” plus “fantasy,” for the uninitiated) has seen Violet handle a brutal year at school, a burgeoning rebellion and plenty of relationship drama.But from the first chapter, it’s clear that Violet will have a markedly different experience at Basgiath compared to the other members of the Riders Quadrant. Violet experiences a chronic illness, specifically a condition that resembles Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which affects the strength of one’s joints and connective tissue, though it’s not named as such in the book.Yarros, who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome herself, says writing Violet’s story was “cathartic” for her. Detailing how Violet was able to survive in the world of dragons and war, relying on her wits and ability to find alternate paths to success, allowed Yarros to draw parallels to how she lives day-to-day.“It was cathartic to say, ‘Hey, you can have a saddle. You can still be a rider. You just have to do it a little differently,’” she tells TODAY.com. “I can do everything that other writers can. I just have to do it differently. My legs have to be up for POTS flares. I have to support underneath my knees so that my joints don’t, you know, go all wonky on me. “It’s just knowing what accommodations I needed. And it was through writing ‘Fourth Wing’ that I found those,” she adds.Some readers say Violet has offered representation for those who experience chronic illness. And it’s difficult to overstate just how many readers of Yarros’ series there are. “Onyx Storm” is the third book in Rebecca Yarros’ “Empyrean” book series.”Fourth Wing,” which came out in April 2023, propelled Yarros to the New York Times bestseller list. As of this writing, “Fourth Wing” is No. 1 on the combined print and e-book fiction list, and it’s been on the list for 78 weeks. (Its sequel, “Iron Flame,” comes in at No. 3, with 52 weeks on the list.) On social media, specifically its bookish corners, “Onyx Storm” has been the talk of the town, with creators posting detailed recaps of the first two books, fervent theories and most importantly, their excitement to return to the world of Navarre. Yarros is on top of the book world. But before our interview, I’m met with immediate friendliness, an offer to sign my copy of her book and even passing self-deprecating jokes. (“Defeated by a microphone,” she jokes as she works to attach a mic to her shirt for the interview.) Before we start, she stares into the camera, ever the professional. But she seems to release some nerves when I tell her she can just look at me instead.”Thank you,” she says with an exhale.Rebecca Yarros is the author of “Fourth Wing,” “Iron Flame” and “Onyx Storm.”Courtesy Katie Marie SeniorsMaking magic (literally)Yarros’ “Empyrean” series is set to consist of five books total, although only three are published so far.”How they start, how they end, how Book 5 starts, how the series ends — that’s all plotted out and done,” she tells TODAY.com.When it comes time to actually write the books, Yarros says she sometimes alters course from her outline. For example, Violet facing the Gauntlet, a vertical obstacle course that riders must complete before they have a chance to bond with a dragon, was not initially part of her plan.“I was like, ‘You know, they really need to prove themselves.’ They really need to do something that’s like, ‘This is how I can ride a dragon,’” she says. “I just drew the Gauntlet, and suddenly it was — I was writing it.” The world of the “Empyrean” series is expansive, and only growing with each subsequent book. While “Fourth Wing” was primarily set at Basgiath War College, its twisty ending saw Violet’s understanding of her continent flipped on its head. She’s since encountered new lands, populations and mythical creatures.How they start, how they end, how Book 5 starts, how the series ends — that’s all plotted out and done.”
rebecca YarrosFor Yarros, every character’s “a person.”“I could clearly sit down with the entire squad right here and tell you where everyone is, where they’re sitting, what they’re wearing, what they’re doing — they’re people to me,” she says.But for the sake of organization, she keeps everyone in check via a detailed guide to the world. “I keep an extensive bible that tells you who the character is, who their dragon is, what their signet is, what has happened to them, what their body looks like, where their scars are, everything like that,” Yarros says. “I keep it all meticulously, jot it down so that my editors don’t, you know, come after me with spatulas.”The complicated love interests of the ‘Empyrean’With dragons, signets (essentially, special powers) and war, the “Empyrean” series is filled with fantasy elements. But the books are also known for their high-stakes romance and steamy scenes.Violet’s main love interest is Xaden, a rebellion leader with a tendency to keep secrets. Their story has taken a classic enemies-to-lovers arc. Fans swoon over Xaden’s intense love, but his at-times questionable decisions make him the series’ de facto “bad boy.” With plenty of story ahead, there’s a lot of room for things to change.(Warning: Major spoilers from “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” ahead.) The end of “Iron Flame” marked a major turning point for Violet and Xaden. In a last ditch effort to save Violet, Xaden turned venin, meaning he gave up part of his soul for power. Up until this point, the venin had been cast as the series’ big bad, the ultimate evil as they suck humans dry of their power. With “Onyx Storm,” Yarros faced the challenge of her popular “bad boy” actually going evil. “I think as people, sometimes we see other people, and we think they are the epitome of evil, but no one takes a look to see how they get there and what drives someone to their motivations,” she says. “And I think the love of power often corrupts people. And in ‘Fourth Wing,’ it’s taking a power that turns you venin. So really it’s, yes, he’s turning there, but he did it for such a righteous purpose, and sometimes that still turns us into monsters.”Yarros says what “really fascinates” her is “knowing where our limitations are as people.””You’ve been given this gift, but can you wield it for good?” she says. “And if not, can you maintain your sanity and your morality?””Iron Flame” also introduced the potential redemption of Dain Aetos, a more controversial character. When readers first meet Dain, he’s Violet’s childhood best friend and a potential love interest. But over the course of the first book, Dain and Violet grow distant, and he eventually betrays her, choosing his life of rule-following over Violet.I already knew when I was writing ‘Fourth Wing’ and what was happening to Dain, where Dain would go in ‘Iron Flame.’”rebecca Yarros“I love Dain,” Yarros says. “And I think all 21-year-old kids are flawed. And I think especially when you take 20-year-old kids and you put them in a war college designed to beat the humanity out of them, and she’s seeing him after his first year. So, he makes mistakes.”Some of those mistakes? Insisting Violet sneak out of the Riders Quadrant for her own safety, using his power to read her memories without her knowledge and reporting what he saw.“As someone with chronic illness, we all have someone who tells us to sit down, and, ‘You can’t do that, and, ‘Be careful.’ And that person is not evil. That person is just overprotective, and (Dain) is,” Yarros says. “His biggest mistake is that when his best friend stops speaking to him, he violates her boundaries,” she adds. “But so does Xaden, and no one seems to give Xaden quite the wrap they give Dain.”In “Iron Flame,” Dain surprises Violet (and some readers) when he rescues her from an interrogation, going against the leadership he had demonstrated ultimate loyalty to. But Yarros always planned for that twist.“I already knew when I was writing ‘Fourth Wing’ and what was happening to Dain, where Dain would go in ‘Iron Flame,’ and where that scene in the interrogation chamber was going,” she says. “When you read the interrogation scene, it reads both ways. So, it reads as though he’s going to kill her, but it also reads as though he’s saying, ‘If you just trusted me last year, none of this would have happened.’”Writing ‘Onyx Storm’ and what’s nextBefore the “Empyrean” series, Yarros had mainly written romances, such as 2019’s “The Last Letter” and “Full Measures” in 2014.When she started writing “Fourth Wing,” she says she was at a point in her life where she felt unwilling to accept accommodations or limitations. She wanted to cram in 12 to 15 hours worth of writing a day, despite her body saying she shouldn’t. Writing Violet’s adaptation encouraged her to follow suit.”It was me kind of talking to myself about what I needed to do to slow down, to protect my own body,” she says. “And I think I’m finally starting to listen to it two-and-a-half years later.” While “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” published just seven months apart, “Onyx Storm” didn’t hit shelves until about 14 months after the second book. Yarros needed a break — part of which she spent writing another book.Yarros says she felt she needed to prove to herself she could write another book, so she went back to her roots and drafted a contemporary romance called “Variation,” which published in October 2024. It was me kind of talking to myself about what I needed to do to slow down, to protect my own body. And I think I’m finally starting to listen to it two-and-a-half years later.”
rebecca Yarros“That really set my feet back down. It reminded me, ‘Hey, you can write a book. You can do this.’ And then I went into ‘Onyx,'” she says.As for what she can share about the series’ fourth book? Not much.With every book, Yarros says she makes a playlist to guide her through the novel. On Jan. 21, she released the playlist she made for writing and editing “Onyx Storm.”Yarros says she’s already made the fourth book’s playlist. However, she doesn’t want to share any of the songs on the playlist.”I think it would scare everyone,” she says.Yarros did reveal, however, that her usual muse Taylor Swift makes some necessary appearances on the playlist.”Oh, obviously Taylor Swift,” she says. “That was the first song that went on there is a Taylor Swift song.” “I can tell you, it’s off of ‘TTPD’ (‘The Tortured Poets Department’),” she adds.
