The Biggest Iron Flame Complaint Will Make Onyx Storm The Best Empyrean Book Yet

Onyx Storm, the next installment in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series is already highly anticipated, and recurring complaint about the previous story will actually make it even better. The first book in the series, Fourth Wing, lays the groundwork for all the events later to come including love stories, betrayals, and devastating deaths. Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson’s love story is a huge draw because the lore and world-building are intertwined with their growing relationship, with both characters becoming intriguing protagonists. From the start, this series was never lacking in the romantic tension department, as this storyline was front and center.

The Empyrean series took an unexpected direction in Iron Flame compared to its predecessor, Fourth Wing. The notable shift between the first and second books is simple: the first book is centered around a love story and the second isn't. Even while training at Basgiath War College, the romance between Violet and Xaden is the most interesting part of the book. However, Iron Flame leaned more toward fantasy than romance, focusing on world-building and developing new plotlines instead of prioritizing Violet and Xaden's story. While this difference has been criticized, it sets the stage for an epic third book.

The Empyrean Series Needed Iron Flame's Fantasy Focus After Fourth Wing

Romance Plots Are Great But They Can't Sustain A Series Alone

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Fourth Wing was such a beloved fantasy book upon release because it was a great entry-point to the series; it was engaging and really emphasized the main romance. While Fourth Wing is exciting because it dives right into Violet's life in Navarre, it doesn't do nearly enough world-building to sustain a multi-book series. In order to elongate the longevity of the whole Empyrean series, Yarros needed to delve into additional subplots to increase their prominence in the wider plot.

Even though it’s still possible that Amazon’s Fourth Wing TV show won’t capture everything from the books, the series itself needed fantasy building. Details including context about the looming Empyrean war and histories of different leaders and factions make Iron Flame a much more rich and layered story. Building out the lore of a fantasy series like this one ensures that possibilities for future subplots are evergreen and storylines won’t be unnecessarily drawn out. Fantasy lore even often raises the stakes of romance storylines as it creates looming tension and more contextualized conflict – an exciting prospect ahead of Onyx Storm.

Iron Flame's Setup Will Pay Off In Onyx Storm & Future Fourth Wing Sequels

Revealing New Fantasy Lore Raises The Stakes

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While critics of Iron Flame claim there's not enough overt romance in the book, it’s clear that it positions Onyx Storm to fully embrace all its potential in the epic fantasy genre. Fourth Wing does a sufficient job of basic world-building and provides an overview of the forces at play within the realm. Iron Flame simply goes more into depth about the setting and establishes more intricate plots, such as Andarna’s true nature. The shift to a denser fantasy plot sets the third book up to embrace new opportunities, combining romance with the excitement of complex plotlines and intense battles.

If the Empyrean series continued to rely mainly on the principal romance to carry the plot past Fourth Wing, it’s unlikely there would even be enough plot material to sustain future books. Rebecca Yarros has the unique opportunity to incorporate the best elements of both books into Onyx Storm. With the romance of Fourth Wing and the intense world-building of Iron Flame, the next Fourth Wing book will likely exceed expectations. It will be easier to connect with characters like Violet, Xade, and especially Dain Aetos if more is revealed about their circumstances and world.

Thanks To Its Predecessor, Onyx Storm Will Be The Best Empyrean Book Yet

Onyx Storm Is Set Up To Rise Above Iron Flame Criticism

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It's not going to be difficult for Onyx Storm to exceed some critics' low expectations after Iron Flame proved to be a slower-read than many people liked. The third book is situated perfectly to take off right away, as cliffhangers about Violet's mother and whether Xaden has become venin were left in the air. Onyx Storm will be able to explore deeper aspects of both plot points while also being prepped to elaborate on Violet and Xaden's romance from Fourth Wing.

Related

I Really Hope Onyx Storm Avoids A Ridiculously Predictable Romance Twist

Iron Flame sets the stage for a ridiculously predictable romance twist in Onyx Storm, but I really hope that Rebecca Yarros doesn’t go there.

Thanks to the final chapters of Iron Flame, the Empyrean War is officially started and things are poised to get a lot more interesting as the story continues in the next Fourth Wing book. Luckily, so many questions were left unanswered by Yarros about the dangers Violet and her allies will face in book three, so we can expect a lot of satisfying reveals in this next installment. Dedicating time to building out the world these characters live in will pay off even though it bores some people, by making the audience care more about the characters' journeys as the rest of the series unfolds.

Seasons 1

Creator(s) Rebecca Yarros