🚨Spoiler-Free🚨
After what feels like a lifetime… we have finally reached the end of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean Series – and what a journey it’s been.
After being gifted the first book in the series (Fourth Wing) in my second year at university – I wanted to love it instantly and not be able to put it down… but as already touched on, reading was a mean feat when in Leeds.
Days were full, and my attention span was… questionable at best. This meant that more times than I would care to admit, I found myself tossing dragons to the side, and instead finding comfort in rewatching F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
But eventually I did graduate – HUZZAH – and with that came a new mission to dive back into Rebecca’s world of dragons, danger, political tension, and slow-burn intensity. And I’m so glad that I did.
It has been slower to get through the books than I would have liked. Life has been pretty hectic – here, there, and everywhere more times than not – but immersing myself in Violet and Xaden’s story has been the perfect form of escapism. In the middle of my own chaos, it’s been grounding to step back into a world where the stakes are high, the emotions are higher, and everything feels just a little more epic.
Fantasy novels will always sit firmly at the top of my favourite genres. A guilty pleasure, if you will, which offers a reader the chance to completely detach themselves from reality, and rather step into a world of pure imagination.
I personally feel that Yarros captured this beautifully. Crafting a fast-paced, exciting and original world that feels both expansive and easy to navigate. This is the setting that one not only reads about, but finds themselves moving through alongside the characters – where every twist, every revelation, and every addition keeps you wanting just one more chapter…
Something I particularly enjoyed were the layered family dynamics and evolving relationships woven throughout the narrative. I found that this added an emotional depth which made all the characters feel fully formed, rather than simply the ‘heroic archetypes’ that are found in so many of these stories.
Their growth felt earned throughout, and their bonds were almost palpable – placing us straight into the story with them, and making the fantasy elements shine even brighter.
If I had to offer one criticism, then, it would – of course – be the ending of Onyx Storm. I mean… come on. What was that? I am still recovering from the frustrating cliff hanger at the end and am desperately now needing answers.
That being said though, if you are a fan of fantasy – or maybe genre-curious – I would wholeheartedly recommend this series. It’s immersive, dramatic, emotionally charged, and the kind of story that reminds you exactly why the genre is so addictive in the first place.
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