When Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing blasted onto the scene in May 2023, it joined an already-thriving “romantasy” (romantic fantasy) landscape populated by rabid readers (like myself) and viral BookTok trends. Yet even in this crowded genre, dominated by series like Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Blood and Ash, Yarros’s tale of dragons, death-defying academia, and steamy romance immediately soared to the top of the bestseller lists. Fourth Wing didn’t invent the romantasy hype—it supercharged it, sparking a new level of fandom fever that’s now spilling over into tabletop gaming with Hasbro’s debut of Priorities Fourth Wing Edition, announced in style at Gen Con 2025. (Oh, how I wish I’d attended this year!)
Entangled Publishing ‘Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, 1)’ by Rebecca Yarros
What’s All the Hype About? A Crash Course in Empyrean
The Empyrean series launches readers into the perilous world of Basgiath War College, where only the boldest survive to become dragon riders. Our heroine, Violet Sorrengail, is wrenched from dreams of a quiet scribe’s life and thrown into the school’s brutal training program (read: dragons and magic meet Hunger Games at military academy). Violet must contend not only with her own physical fragility but also the political backstabbing, dangerous alliances, and the looming threat of war. With enemies, possible lovers, and dragons of all colors at every turn, the series crackles with both military strategy and romantic tension.
What distinguishes Empyrean from other fantasy sagas is its willingness to get messy: Amid the breathtaking action, Yarros weaves visceral relationships, betrayals, and themes of chronic illness (inspired by her personal experiences with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), offering representation rarely seen in the genre. The result? A heady, unputdownable blend that sold over 2.7 million copies in its first week and erupted across BookTok, topping The New York Times bestseller list, winning International Book of the Year at the 2024 TikTok Book Awards, and sparking a “romantasy” revolution.
The BookTok Craze: Why Fourth Wing Rules FYPs
The impact of Fourth Wing on social media—especially TikTok’s BookTok community—cannot be understated. Enthusiasts share reactions to shocking plot twists, ship favorite (or most controversial) couples, and craft elaborate fan theories. Hashtags like #FourthWing, #IronFlame, and #EmpyreanSeries routinely rack up millions of views as fans post everything from cosplay transformations to teary midnight finish-line videos and “reaction cam” recaps. What makes Fourth Wing especially relatable is its emotional accessibility: The books offer both escapist action and heart-pounding romance, made even more relatable by Violet’s struggles and triumphs. In this age of algorithm-driven trends, Fourth Wing is that rare beast—an epic fantasy that meme culture can’t resist, generating a level of hype usually reserved for fandom staples like Harry Potter or Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR series.
Romantasy’s Moment, Empyrean’s Crown
Fourth Wing’s success is a clear marker of the so-called “romantasy” boom—a hybrid genre fusing high stakes and intricate worldbuilding with unapologetically swoon-worthy romance. Romantasy isn’t just about courtly flirtation; it’s the emotional turbocharger for complex sagas, where deadly political intrigue and personal longing are two sides of the same magical coin. Empyrean’s blend of loyalty, betrayal, trauma, and hope, coupled with dragons and steamy interactions, delivers the genre’s fantasy fulfillment in full measure.
From Page to Tabletop: The Debut of Priorities: Fourth Wing Edition
Given the Empyrean universe’s electric fan engagement, it was inevitable that companies would look for ways to let fans bring a piece of Basgiath home. Enter Hasbro, revealing at Gen Con 2025 their new party game, Priorities: Fourth Wing Edition—the first officially licensed Empyrean tabletop offering, and the debut product of a planned line celebrating all things Fourth Wing.
On sale October 1, 2025, the pitch is devilish and straightforward: Priorities is a party game where players must guess how others would rank items from “loathe” to “love.” Hasbro’s Fourth Wing Edition loads the deck with content from all three series titles—Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm—plus plenty of fan-favorite (and spicy) references. Each round, a player acts as “Wingleader,” drawing cards themed around Empyrean’s world and secretly ranking them; the rest—the “Iron Squad”—must anticipate the Wingleader’s choices to score. Play well and spell out “PRIORITIES” before the game does, and victory is yours.
The magic, of course, lies in the in-jokes and debates only true Empyrean readers will understand. Would your friend put “bonding with Tairn” over “surviving the Gauntlet?" Which, as all readers know, is a fool’s errand. (You choose neither and run the hell away.) Alas, this is not an option in the game or in the world in which the game exists. Still, it’s the smart choice if you don’t wish to be commended to Malek. But you can safely decide which side character is most lovable or most loathsome? As Yarros herself says, “This game is for the readers who’ve stayed up way too late with these books and still want more… to dive back into the world with your favorite people and see just how well they really know you." (I'm pretty sure Ridoc and I would be BFFs, as neither of us can be serious for any length of time. I’d introduce him to the wonderful world of “Your Mom” jokes.)
Not Just a Reskin: Rebecca Yarros’s Involvement
Hasbro promises this is no cash-grab. Rebecca Yarros herself collaborated closely at every stage of development, ensuring the game reflects both the books’ mature themes and its community’s sense of fun. The result is a party game both irreverent and on-brand, certified “hardcore fan approved” by Yarros.
A New Era for Empyrean Fans
The launch of Priorities: Fourth Wing Edition at Gen Con isn’t just a marketing move; it’s a milestone for the Empyrean fandom. The plan for more Fourth Wing games cements the series’ transition from viral reading craze to multimedia franchise, promising yet more ways for fans to argue, squeal, and speculate deep into the night.
In a world suddenly brimming with spellbinding romantasy, Fourth Wing and its Empyrean siblings stand at the top of the genre—and now, your game nights will never be the same.
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