A – Z Book Reviews

There are authors who write one great book, and then there are authors who somehow manage to make you forget you’re reading the same writer when you pick up their next novel.

Rebecca Yarros is definitely in the second category.

I first came to Yarros through Fourth Wing, like so many other readers, and it is probably the least subtle introduction to her writing. Dragons, war college, violence, betrayal, romance, secrets, and a heroine who is constantly fighting to survive—it is practically impossible not to get swept up in it.

But what surprised me most after reading more of Yarros’s work was discovering just how different her books can be.

Yes, she can give us dragons and deadly battles. But she can also give us grief, family secrets, complicated relationships, impossible choices, and the kind of emotional stories that stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page.

And that is what makes narrowing down her best books surprisingly difficult.

Of Course, We Have to Start with Fourth Wing

Let’s just get this out of the way: Fourth Wing is the obvious choice.

And honestly, I completely understand why it became such a phenomenon.

The Empyrean Series begins with Violet Sorrengail, who is thrown into the brutal world of Basgiath War College and expected to survive a training program designed to kill the weak. Then you add dragons, political intrigue, deadly enemies, and Xaden Riorson—and suddenly putting the book down becomes nearly impossible.

For me, one of the biggest strengths of Fourth Wing was Violet herself.

I became incredibly invested in her.

She isn’t the stereotypical physically powerful heroine who walks into every situation knowing exactly what she’s doing. Violet has limitations, fears, and vulnerabilities, and watching her figure out how to survive—and eventually how powerful she can actually become—was one of my favorite parts of the story.

And then there is Xaden.

The two of them are rock stars.

Their chemistry, tension, distrust, attraction, and eventual relationship give the story an entirely different layer. The romance never felt like it was simply pasted onto a fantasy plot. It became part of the engine driving the story.

That balance is what really worked for me.

The intrigue, violence, fantasy, and romance all flowed together beautifully. There was always something happening, but it never felt like the book had forgotten about its characters.

And most importantly, I cared about what happened to Violet.

A lot.

That emotional investment is what turns a fun fantasy novel into an addictive one.

The Empyrean Series: Bigger, Darker, and Completely Addictive

If Fourth Wing pulls you in, the rest of the Empyrean Series makes it very difficult to leave.

Iron Flame expands the world and raises the stakes, while Onyx Storm takes the story even further beyond the confines of Basgiath.

What I enjoy most about the series is that the fantasy elements never completely overshadow the relationships. There are dragons and wars and terrifying consequences, but at the center of everything is still Violet—and the people she loves.

That is really the secret to Yarros’s appeal for me.

She writes big stories, but she makes them feel personal.

The Empyrean books are currently the obvious place to start if you’re looking for the blockbuster Yarros experience. The series has become such a phenomenon that a television adaptation is also in development.

But if you only read Fourth Wing, you’re missing another side of her writing.

And that side may actually be my favorite.

Variation: The Rebecca Yarros Book That Completely Changes the Conversation

If Fourth Wing is Yarros at her most explosive, Variation is Yarros showing that she doesn’t need dragons, war colleges, or fantasy worlds to keep you turning pages.

Variation follows Allie, a celebrated ballerina who returns home and finds herself confronting family secrets, her past, and Hudson—the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never completely forgot.

And I really enjoyed this one.

There is something fascinating about watching an author known primarily for an enormous fantasy phenomenon return to contemporary fiction and still create that same sense of urgency.

The stakes are obviously different.

Nobody is fighting dragons.

Nobody is trying to survive a deadly military academy.

But emotionally? The stakes are still very high.

Variation has romance, family drama, secrets, second chances, and enough twists to keep you guessing. And I particularly liked the ballet setting because it gave the story an identity that felt very different from Yarros’s other books.

It also reminded me that one of Yarros’s greatest strengths isn’t necessarily the genre she chooses.

It’s her ability to make you care about the people inside the story.

And Then There Are the Books That Hurt

This is the category where Rebecca Yarros really surprised me.

Her contemporary novels can be emotional in a way that feels completely different from the adrenaline of the Empyrean Series.

The Last Letter, for example, is one of her more heartbreaking stories. Yarros herself has described it as the saddest book she’s written, so going into it with a box of tissues would probably be a reasonable decision.

These books showcase a completely different kind of storytelling.

Instead of asking, Will Violet survive?

They make you ask:

How do you move forward after something changes your life forever?

How do you love someone when circumstances are working against you?

How much can a person endure?

And those questions can be every bit as compelling as a fantasy battle.

The Things We Leave Unfinished: One of Her Most Personal Stories

Another book I would absolutely include in a conversation about Yarros’s best work is The Things We Leave Unfinished.

Interestingly, Yarros herself has said that while many people would assume Fourth Wing is her favorite, The Things We Leave Unfinished is actually the book that holds that place for her.

That doesn’t surprise me.

There is a different kind of emotional depth in this book. It is less about spectacle and more about relationships, unfinished stories, and the ways people carry the past with them.

And I think that is worth remembering when talking about Rebecca Yarros.

She isn’t simply the author of Fourth Wing.

Fourth Wing may have introduced her to an enormous new audience, but she had already spent years writing emotional romances and character-driven stories before Violet and Xaden ever entered the picture. Her official bibliography spans contemporary romance, military romance, women’s fiction, and fantasy.

What I Think Rebecca Yarros Does Best

After reading both sides of her writing, I think Yarros’s greatest strength is investment.

She gets you invested in her characters.

Sometimes that investment looks like desperately wanting Violet to survive.

Sometimes it’s wanting two people to finally find their way back to each other.

Sometimes it’s simply hoping a character can survive something emotionally devastating.

But there is always that pull.

And I think that’s why her books are so easy to fly through.

Even when the stories are wildly different, there is a common thread: you care what happens next.

That is probably the highest compliment I can give an author.

My Rebecca Yarros Reading List

If you’re new to Rebecca Yarros, I would actually recommend choosing your starting point based on what kind of reader you are.

If you want fantasy, action, romance, and an addictive plot:
Start with Fourth Wing and continue through the Empyrean Series.

If you want contemporary romance with family secrets and a unique setting:
Pick up Variation.

If you want something emotional and heartbreaking:
Read The Last Letter—but maybe don’t start it when you’re looking for a lighthearted weekend read.

If you want a deeply emotional, character-driven story:
Try The Things We Leave Unfinished.

And if you discover that you love her contemporary work, there is an entire backlist waiting for you.

Final Thoughts

I went into Fourth Wing expecting to understand why everyone was talking about Rebecca Yarros.

What I didn’t expect was to discover an author with such a broad range.

Fourth Wing and the Empyrean Series are still at the top of my list because they gave me that rare reading experience where the plot, characters, romance, intrigue, and sheer chaos all came together perfectly. Violet and Xaden were impossible not to root for, and I became completely invested in Violet’s journey.

But Variation reminded me that Yarros doesn’t need dragons to create tension.

And her more emotional novels reminded me that she doesn’t need a massive fantasy plot to make me care deeply about her characters.

That may be what I like most about reading Rebecca Yarros.

You never quite know what you’re going to get.

One book might give you dragons, violence, and a romance that makes you stay up far too late.

The next might give you ballet, family secrets, heartbreak, and a love story that hits somewhere much closer to home.

Either way, you know one thing going in:

Rebecca Yarros is going to make you care.

And once an author can do that, I’m usually willing to follow her just about anywhere.