It’s the release date for Onyx Storm, the third book in the Empyrean series, which started with Fourth Wing. It’s hard to overstate just how anticipated this book has been: there were hundreds of midnight release parties for it across the U.S. and Canada, and fans lined up in freezing temperatures in the hopes of getting their hands on the Target-exclusive special edition. But they’ll have to wait quite a bit longer for book four: Rebecca Yarros has said she hasn’t started writing it yet.
In a recent Instagram post, Rebecca Yarros shared photos of her and her family at the beach with a caption that says:
Grateful I was able to start this new year in my favorite place with my favorite people, filling the creative well. I even managed to get in some work on this secret project and loved every second of it! I cant wait to hear what you guys think…you know…when we can finally announce stuff.
Until then, it’s time to focus.
Vacation’s over. Now we get to work.
In reply to a comment asking if she is writing book four, Yarros replied, “Haven’t even started it. The pace in which book 3 needed to be completed almost killed me, and I’m not speaking in hyperbole.”
In an interview with Elle, she described 12- to 15-hour writing days and said it was “probably the most unhealthy process I’ve ever put myself through in my life.” Yarros typically writes two to three books a year, but the timeline on the Empyrean series was condensed as much as possible, making for extremely tight deadlines.
Meanwhile, despite all the anticipation of Onyx Storm, demand seems to have exceeded even those high expectations. Target’s website went down early this morning, likely because of fans waiting until midnight to claim an exclusive edition. As of the time of writing, the Target special edition is sold out online, and many readers report showing up to stores in the early morning only to find that stock sold out as well.
If you haven’t gotten your hands on it yet, though, don’t worry: there are still several other editions available in stores and online, including another sprayed edges edition. Take your time reading it, though, because it will likely be a long wait until book four.
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