If you liked
Books like Iron Flame
by Rebecca Yarros
Iron Flame is the second Empyrean book, picking up after Fourth Wing's cliffhanger with more war college, more dragons and more of the slow-burn romance that made Rebecca Yarros a phenomenon. If you finished it and need more high-stakes romantasy, these are the reads.
The shortlist
What to read next
Fourth Wingby Rebecca Yarros
“Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 2023 review. Violet Sorrengail, a fragile scribe, is forced into the brutal dragon-riding war college. The first book of the Empyrean series and the romantasy novel that defined the 2023-2024 BookTok moment.”
Onyx Stormby Rebecca Yarros
“Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros 2025 review. Third Empyrean novel and the volume that takes the war into its third year. Violet flies south. The fastest-selling adult novel in the past twenty years.”
A Court of Thorns and Rosesby Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 2015 review. A human huntress is taken to the faerie kingdom of Prythian after killing a wolf in the woods. The first ACOTAR book and the romantasy series that set the table for the genre's BookTok-era explosion.”
A Court of Mist and Furyby Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 2016 review. The second ACOTAR book and the volume that broke the romantasy genre open. Feyre's recovery from Under the Mountain and the Night Court arc.”
The Cruel Princeby Holly Black
“The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 2018 review. Jude Duarte, a human raised in the High Court of Faerie, navigates Prince Cardan's cruel politics. Canonical contemporary YA romantasy.”
The Priory of the Orange Treeby Samantha Shannon
“The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 2019 review. A standalone epic fantasy across four kingdoms preparing for the return of a banished ancient dragon. Canonical contemporary literary epic fantasy.”
FAQ
Common questions about Iron Flame read-alikes
- Where does the series go next?
- Onyx Storm is the next Empyrean book after Iron Flame, so if you are hooked on the dragons and Basgiath, that is the direct continuation. Fourth Wing is where it all starts if you somehow jumped in.
- What is the number-one read-alike?
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and especially its sequel A Court of Mist and Fury, the fae-court romantasy that primed the audience for Yarros. Same addictive slow burn, different magic system.
- I want the intrigue and the sharp romance.
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black runs on faerie-court scheming and an enemies-to-more heroine with a knife-edge wit. A great pick if the tension between characters is what keeps you turning pages.
- I want epic fantasy scope with a romance at the center.
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon delivers sprawling politics, dragons and a queer central love story in one standalone. Bigger world, slower burn, same appetite.
The original