If you just finished that brutal ending and your first instinct was to frantically Google "is Onyx Storm the last book," I totally get it. We’ve all been there. You’re sitting there, heart pounding, staring at the back cover, wondering if that's really how Rebecca Yarros is going to leave us.
The short answer? No. Deep breaths.
Honestly, the way people talk about this series online makes it feel like the end of the world is always five minutes away. But I’ve got some good news for your shelf space and some bad news for your emotional stability. We are actually right in the middle of the chaos.
The big question: Is Onyx Storm the last book in the Empyrean series?
Let’s set the record straight: Onyx Storm is definitely not the last book. It is the third installment in what is officially planned as a five-book series. Think of it as the messy middle child of the Empyrean world. When Rebecca Yarros first started writing Fourth Wing, she actually thought it might just be a trilogy. But once she got about 30,000 words into Iron Flame, she realized the story was way too big for just three books.
She literally called her editor and said, "I think this is a five-book series."
So, we are currently at book three of five. That means we still have two more massive, dragon-filled, heart-shattering novels to go before Violet and Xaden's story (hopefully) wraps up.
Why people are confused about the ending
I think a lot of the "is this the end?" panic comes from how Yarros structures her finales. She doesn't do "soft" endings. She does "everything is on fire and I might not recover" endings. If you’ve reached the final pages of Onyx Storm, you know exactly what I mean.
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The stakes in the war against the venin and the internal politics of Navarre have reached a boiling point that feels like a series finale, but there are way too many loose threads left hanging.
- What happens next with the Aretian wards?
- Where does the relationship go after that specific revelation?
- Are we ever going to get a straight answer about Tairn’s previous riders?
These aren't the kind of questions you answer in a final book; they’re the kind of questions that propel you into a massive Part Four.
What comes after Onyx Storm?
Now that we know the series is a quintet, the next big hurdle is the wait. And I’m going to be real with you—it’s probably going to be a minute.
Between Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, the gap was tiny. It was like six months. It was glorious. But that pace is absolutely grueling for an author, especially one dealing with the health challenges Rebecca has been open about, like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
After Onyx Storm dropped in January 2025, Rebecca made it pretty clear she was taking a much-needed break from the dragons. She’s actually pivoted back to her roots for a bit—contemporary romance. Her next release is The Things We Leave Unfinished (the special edition) and a new contemporary project.
The timeline for Book 4
If we look at the patterns, we shouldn't expect Book 4 until at least late 2026 or even early 2027. Yarros has mentioned she needs to "reset" her brain. Writing high-stakes fantasy with complex magic systems and political maneuvering is a lot different than writing a small-town romance.
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She’s already started her "Book 4 Playlist"—which, naturally, features a lot of Taylor Swift—so the wheels are turning, even if the pages aren't flying off the printer just yet.
Breaking down the Empyrean roadmap
If you're trying to track the series, here is the basic layout of where we’ve been and where we’re going. No fancy charts here, just the facts.
First, we had Fourth Wing. This was the introduction to Basgiath, the dragons, and the realization that everything Violet knew was a lie.
Then came Iron Flame. This book expanded the world, showed us the revolution, and ended with a twist that made everyone collectively lose their minds.
Now we have Onyx Storm. This is where the war goes global. Violet has to go beyond the wards, find new allies, and deal with the fallout of the previous book's ending. It’s the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series—darker, heavier, and leaving us desperate for more.
Next up will be Book 4 (Untitled). Rebecca has teased that we might see a "villain era" for certain characters and that the secrets of the past 12 hours (you know the ones) will finally be laid bare.
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Finally, we’ll get Book 5 (Untitled). This will be the actual last book. This is where the war ends, and we find out who survives the storm.
Is there more beyond the main five books?
The "five-book arc" is what Rebecca has given to the TV show creators at Amazon/MGM. It’s the core story. But, in the world of publishing, "last book" is a relative term.
Fans are already clamoring for prequels. People want to see the original rebellion. They want to see Liam’s parents. They want to see the Great War from 600 years ago. While nothing is confirmed, Yarros hasn't strictly ruled out novellas or spin-offs.
But for the main story of Violet Sorrengail? Book five is the finish line.
Actionable insights for the long wait
Since we know Onyx Storm isn't the end, but the next book is a long way off, what are you supposed to do with all that nervous energy?
- Check out the "Flight & Glory" series. If you haven't read Rebecca’s back catalog, do it. It’s contemporary, but the emotional gut-punches are just as intense. The Last Letter will wreck you in the best way.
- Join the theory communities. Places like the Fourth Wing subreddit or "Basgiath" TikTok are currently dissecting every single word of Onyx Storm. There are some wild theories about the gods and the different types of dragons that actually make a lot of sense when you look at the clues.
- Wait for the Graphic Audio. If you've only read the physical book, the Graphic Audio versions (with the full cast and sound effects) are a completely different experience. They usually release a few months after the print version.
- Re-read with a "Venin Eye." Go back to Fourth Wing and look for the signs. Now that we know what we know after Onyx Storm, the early books read very differently.
Basically, don't let the cliffhanger get you down. The story is far from over. We're just in the "storm" part of the series right now, and as any Rider knows, you just have to hold on tight until the sky clears.