There are books that you read, and then there are books that read you— you know the ones, the kind that find their way into the little cracks of your life, that speak directly to your fears and hopes, and leave you subtly transformed by the time you reach the final page. The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros belongs firmly in this category. On its surface it is rich with action, fantastical elements, and pulse-racing twists, but the true magic in this series is in its emotional depth and raw humanity of its characters. It’s this emotional phenomenon that makes it a must-read, not just for fans of fantasy or romance, but for anyone navigating the complex terrain of love and loss in real life.

Inside The World of The Empyrean 

The main protagonist in this series is Violet Sorrengail, the youngest daughter to the highest ranking general at Basgiath War College. Forced into joining the rider’s quadrant, even with her lifetime of training and education to enter the scribe quadrant, Violet faces near certain death from the moment she crosses the parapet. And despite objections from both her daughters, the general remains firm that no daughter of hers will become a scribe, no matter the cost.

Weaker and smaller than just about all of her classmates, Violet has even more to prove as a new cadet in the rider’s quadrant. The brutal nature of the war college and its hierarchy was never one Violet was meant to navigate, and the fact that her mother is a high-ranking general does her absolutely no favors. Relying heavily on her wits and knowledge, and also little advice from her big sis, Violet fights for her life nearly every day after she crosses the parapet and enters the harsh world of the rider’s quadrant. If she can survive until Threshing, the annual event when first years get the opportunity to bond to with a dragon they will ride for the rest of their lives, she just might get the chance to experience that epic, feel it in your bones, kind of love and friendship that we all hope to find ourselves one day.

The Power of Resilience

One of the most consistent emotional themes you will experience throughout the The Empyrean is the unrelenting demand for resilience. The characters, especially Violet, are constantly thrown into situations that test their mental, physical, and emotional limits. Yaro’s doesn’t just glamorize the struggle though, she humanizes it. Pain is not just a narrative device here—it is part of the emotional, political and magical architecture of the world, a daily aspect of life at Basgiath, and throughout the entire continent.

Resilience is a topic that always hits close to home for me. If you find yourself recovering from loss, pushing through burnout, or facing a major change that’s upended everything familiar in your life, the emotional terrain of The Empyrean Series can and will mirror that experience. Violet endures not by brute force and power, but in a more subtle, yet more powerful kind of way, through her vulnerability, fears and her complete uncertainty of the future. Something I believe we can all relate to, at least at some point in our lives.

Owning your Identity in a world trying to define you.

Another reason you might fall in love with this series is the powerful theme of identity and how we are shaped by the expectations of others. The main character has been misunderstood and underestimated for just about all of her young adult life. Hmm..Sound familiar?  Her journey of self-discovery is not defined by her families legacy or her physical limitations, but instead by her ability to assert a clearer sense of self, fighting to be seen and to break out of the box she has been placed into by her family, society, and even herself.

Yarro's teaches us that identity is not, and can never be, something that is handed to you. It is to be forged and fought for; and it will likely not be easy, probably even pretty painful at times. But once you believe in your worth and value, it will always be yours to reclaim.

Friendships, Found Family, &  the Courage to Trust Again

While the series certainly has romantic elements that tug at the heartstrings, Yarro's depiction of found family and authentic friendship is what really elevated this book for me. Some of the strongest bonds in this story aren’t relationships built out of convenience or some forced sense of loyalty because someone shares the same DNA—they are forged in fire and flame, literally and emotionally. They ask for nothing but trust, vulnerability, and for the courage to let others in, even when the outside is a cold, hostile world. These would definitely be my kind of people.

Greif and Healing

Greif is a strong undercurrent in this series. Grief from loved ones lost, grief from the way things used to be in a everchanging world, and the grief of shattered belief systems. Yarros writes these moments with a rawness and depth that that allows us as the reader to acknowledge our loses, and to honor the pain that comes with inevitable growth and change.

Healing is not a linear process. It is messy, unpredictable, and often invisible to others, but just because you can't see it, that doesn’t make it any less real. Grief is carried with us every day, and it is one of the strongest agents of change within ourselves. 

Why You Should Read the Empyrean Series

If you’re looking for a fantasy series that’s purely escapist, The Empyrean will absolutely deliver—there are dragons, breath catching, heart stopping action sequences, and an elite military academy on the brink of war pulsing with adrenaline. 

But if you’re looking for a story that does more, that gives you language for your own rocky emotional world, then this series becomes something else entirely.

It becomes a companion, an emotional experience, and a helpful perspective you never saw coming.

Rebecca Yarros doesn’t stray from the hard stuff. She allows her characters to feel all the messy, uncomfortable, triumphant, and devastating things that real people feel—and in doing so, gives readers permission to do the same.

If you’ve ever felt small in a big world, pick up that first book, Fourth Wing, and let it take you on a journey that will break you, and remake you, in the best possible way.

~The Fantasy Mom