Romantasy (romantic fantasy) is the fastest-growing literary genre, accounting for $610 million in sales for publishers. BookTok – a book community on TikTok – has driven fantasy titles into New York Times bestseller lists, with readers increasingly drawn to escapism rather than realism
Cult novels including Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorn and Roses (dubbed ACOTAR by fans) and SenLinYu’s Alchemised are now displayed on bookseller shelves alongside titles from industry greats such as Elizabeth Strout, Richard Osman and Freida McFadden – but there’s one romantasy author that’s increasingly dominating: Rebecca Yarros.
In 2025, the third novel in her Empyrean book series, Onyx Storm, became the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years – selling 2.7 million copies in its first week. In recent months, Yarros has not only teased the fourth novel in the series (we can realistically expect it to land in spring 2027) but also confirmed that a TV adaptation is in the works. The project is being developed by Amazon MGM Studios with the author serving as executive producer alongside Oscar-winning Michael Jordan.
Set in the brutal world of a dragon-riding academy, where violence and warfare are interspersed with enemies-to-lovers romance and newfound friendships, Fourth Wing is the first novel in the series. Alongside ACOTAR, Yarros’ novel converted me to the genre after years of staying loyal to literary fiction. Reminiscent of the novels I read growing up (think Twilight, The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner), I fast saw the appeal.
Since the launch of the IndyBest Book Club, we’ve mostly favoured literary fiction titles, including Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke and Hooked by Asako Yuzuki – but for this month’s pick, we’ve embraced romantasy (to much of the team’s elation).
A giant of the genre, Yarros’ novel is as good a place to start as any. We’ll be giving our verdict on whether Fourth Wing lives up to TikTok acclaim next month – if you want to read along with us, here’s everything you need to know.
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'Fourth Wing' by Rebecca Yarros, published by Piatkus
The first instalment of The Empyrean series, Fourth Wing follows protagonist Violet, who was supposed to embark on a quiet life as a scribe among books. Instead, her mother (a commander general in the army) has insisted she join the hundreds of candidates striking to become an elite dragon rider. Suffering from a condition that makes her more fragile than other students, she must use her wits to succeed. Fans liken it to Harry Potter, Divergent and The Hunger Games, with slow burn romance, magic and dragons keeping you hooked.
Next month, the IndyBest Book Club will be giving their verdict on the romantasy cult classic – so make sure to read along with us.
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Last month’s IndyBest Book Club’s verdict on Yesteryear, the buzzy trad wife-inspired novel that’s everywhere
