Iron Flame

The Empyrean is a five-book series. The first two books have been published: Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, both released in 2023. Fourth Wing introduces the characters and the world; it provides an exposition on the world’s geography, politics, and history and sets up important relationships that will grow and evolve over the course of the series.

Fourth Wing introduces the two warring kingdoms of the Continent: Navarre, native to dragons, and Poromiel, native to gryphons. Navarre is surrounded by magical wards that block all non-dragon magic, protecting the people and dragons—which reproduce in a highly protected area called the Vale—from both gryphon magic and, more secretively, the magic of dark-wielders known as venin who ride beasts called wyvern and forcefully leach magic from the earth. Venin and wyvern are widely believed to be make-believe creatures of folklore. Six hundred years ago, Navarre leadership erased all written records of them and continues to hide the truth from its citizens by passing off disturbances as gryphon attacks orchestrated by Poromiel. Fourth Wing begins nearly six years after a failed rebellion led by the Tyrrendor Province, which lies on Navarre’s shared border with Poromiel, and its leader Fen Riorson. The rebellion sought to unveil the truth and help Poromiel fight the venin terrorizing their lands, but Navarre leadership swiftly silenced them by executing every adult involved. Their children all survive but are branded with rebellion relics and forced to serve in the deadliest section of Navarre’s government, the Riders Quadrant, due to a deal struck between Fen’s son, Xaden Riorson, and Violet’s mother, General Lilith Sorrengail.

Violet Sorrengail is highly intelligent and petite with strict physical limitations due to a disability that weakens her bones and ligaments. She has trained her entire life to follow her recently deceased father's footsteps and join the Scribe Quadrant at Basgiath War College, a fantastical but sinister educational institution. Her mother forces her to join the Riders Quadrant instead, a military department of the college that teaches dragon riding. The Sorrengail family is comprised of highly revered dragon riders, including Violet’s two older siblings. Though the eldest Sorrengail sibling, Brennan, is thought to have died at the hands of Fen Riorson six years ago, the middle sibling, Mira, serves proudly as a respected lieutenant in Navarre’s army. At the end of Fourth Wing, Violet discovers Brennan is alive and working for the rebellion. When Violet joins Second Squad, Flame Section, Fourth Wing, she is reunited with her childhood friend, Dain Aetos, who obsesses over her safety. Violet makes many close friends during her first year, including Rhiannon Matthias, Liam Mairi, Sawyer, and Ridoc. The group makes a pact to survive until graduation in three years. Violet bonds two dragons at Threshing: Andarna, a gold dragon whose hatchling status must be kept from leadership for the safety of all dragons; and Tairn, a rare and legendary black dragon. She is targeted by a jealous cadet named Jack Barlowe until she ultimately kills him when her lightning signet manifests.

Xaden Riorson is the wingleader of Violet’s squad and is inextricably tied to Violet because Tairn, one of Violet’s two dragons, shares a mating bond with his dragon, Sgaeyl, which requires them to remain near one another. The bond links Xaden’s life to Violet’s, ensuring that if one dies, both die. Xaden secretly gathers together other riders bearing relic marks, including Liam, to help the rebellion. The developing romance between Xaden and Violet inevitably makes her complicit in his activities. Therefore, when Dain uses his classified signet to read Violet’s memories of Xaden and reports them to his father, Colonel Aetos uses the War Games, the final battle simulation of the school year, as an excuse to kill Violet, Xaden, and the rebel riders. They are sent to the military outpost of Athebyne, where they are attacked by wyvern-riding venin. Violet discovers the fables her father told her in childhood about the venin are all true and that Xaden has been working for the rebellion to supply gryphon fliers with weapons capable of killing venin. Though they win the battle, Liam is killed and Violet is stabbed with a poisoned blade. She is taken to an abandoned fortress in Aretia, where the rebels are stationed, and healed by Brennan. Xaden vows to regain Violet’s trust, which becomes a recurring element of Iron Flame.