Full Measures
Full Measures - 2014
If you want contemporary romance first. A military family drama that shows Yarros's strength with emotional depth before she added dragons.
Beginner guide
The best Rebecca Yarros book to start with
A big catalog is intimidating. Here's exactly where to begin - and what to skip first. - Updated June 2026
Why start here
Fourth Wing is the book that made Yarros a household name. It is a dragon-rider military academy story with real stakes, where students bond with dragons or die in the attempt.
The romance is central but earned. The tension between Violet and Xaden builds through genuine conflict, not misunderstandings.
Yarros builds a world with a functioning military hierarchy, political conspiracies, and physical consequences. It is not soft fantasy.
It is the starting point for The Empyrean series, which is her most ambitious and commercially successful work.
Other good entry points
Depending on what you're in the mood for.
The Last Letter
The Last Letter - 2019
If you want a standalone romance with military themes. An emotional gut punch that requires no series commitment.
Great and Terrible Beauty (Libba Bray)
Great and Terrible Beauty (Libba Bray) - 2003
Not Yarros, but if you like the boarding-school-with-danger vibe and want something with a different flavor before committing to The Empyrean.
What not to start with (yet)
Great books - just not first.
Iron Flame - 2023
Book two of The Empyrean. The cliffhanger ending of Fourth Wing sets up everything in Iron Flame. Do not read it first.
Onyx Storm - 2025
Book three. The series is continuous and escalating. Each book depends on the last.
Ready to start with Fourth Wing?
Kindle, paperback, or listen free on Audible.
Frequently asked questions
Adult. The book contains explicit sexual content, graphic violence, and characters dying in brutal ways. It is shelved in adult fantasy romance, not YA, despite the academy setting.
Yes. She has written over twenty contemporary and military romance novels. The Flight and Glory series and The Empyrean are her most popular. Her earlier romances are lighter in tone.
Five total. Three are published (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm). Two more are expected.
Contains affiliate linksUpdated June 2026