Rebecca Yarros' Best Books (So Far) Ranked By Reviews

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Rebecca Yarros' "The Empyrean" series began with the hugely popular "Fourth Wing" romance fantasy novel, making her one of the most popular authors of the modern era. But the BookTok sensation's repertoire extends far beyond the critically acclaimed books set in Navarre. She has close to 30 books available at the time of writing, but which one is best?

The answer is subjective, but we can get a good idea of which story readers consider Yarros' top novel by looking to those who have already read the series. To find out which book you should pick up if you're looking to get into Yarros' widely acclaimed, romantic literary world (or read next if you're already well acquainted), we turned to Goodreads and analyzed reader ratings and reviews. From there, we ranked the top 12, all of which have a Goodreads average rating of 4.0 or higher out of 5.0 stars.

Kicking off the top 12 best Rebecca Yarros books so far is "Hallowed Ground." At the time of writing, over 44,000 ratings have given the military romance story a Goodreads average of 4.19 stars. This means every one of Yarros' highest ranking books has impressively surpassed 4.0 stars on Goodreads. The book is the fourth in Yarros' "Flight and Glory" series and follows on from "Beyond What is Given," which fared a little better in our ranking. 

The fictional tale catches up with Josh and Ember as the former is set to be deployed to Afghanistan. As the couple tries to enjoy their last few days together, it becomes clear their relationship may not be strong enough to go the distance. Not only is Ember disillusioned with life as a military spouse, but she also knows Josh still harbors feelings for his high school sweetheart.

Multiple reviewers touched on the book's highly emotional plot. "'Hallowed Ground' was such an emotional, heartfelt and memorable read. I laugh, I cried, I swooned, then sobbed and cried some more, sooooo many feels!," one reader wrote on Goodreads. "This was angsty, emotional, heart breaking, romantic, sweet and even had a little suspense," read a second review on the platform. Another warned that the book series should be read in order, which means getting your hands on the first three "Flight and Glory" books before diving in.

"In the Likely Event" has been rated nearly 294,000 times, leading to 4.21 stars on Goodreads at the time of writing. The standalone romance introduces us to Izzy Astor, who meets handsome stranger Nate Phelan when they're seated next to each other on a flight. However, unimaginable tragedy strikes when their plane goes down, and the trajectories of their lives are changed forever. 

The story is told over the course of a decade, during which the two cross paths a few times, but despite their instant connection on that fateful day, romance doesn't seem to be on the cards. That is, until they both find themselves in Afghanistan, and Nate is tasked with protecting the woman with whom he endured one of the most terrifying moments of his life.

"The relationship felt fated without feeling forced. I loved the way their connection built over time through small, careful moments that made it feel real," one Goodreads reviewer wrote of the military romance. "If you're in need of an emotional second chance romance with high stakes, ADHD representation, and a slow burn, 'In The Likely Event' is a must read," a second reader commented. Another warned that the fictional book may be triggering due to its themes of war.

"Onyx Storm," the third installment in "The Empyrean," a fantasy series Kindle readers are obsessing over, has a staggering 1.8 million ratings, leading to 4.21 stars on Goodreads at the time of writing. Though it has the same average score as "In The Likely Event," it bested its fellow romance novel due to its higher number of ratings. 

The novel, which won at the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards in the Readers' Favorite Romantasy and Readers' Favorite Audiobook categories, continues Violet Sorrengail's story. The book features plenty of dragons and blends romance and fantasy – a genre we wish Reese Witherspoon's book club would pick more often. It delves into the war ravaging the kingdom of Navarre and Violet's determination to assemble an army to defend the land she loves.

A reviewer remarked on how well the romantasy blends dark themes with comedy. Another wrote on Goodreads, "The tension? Unmatched. The twists? Had me on the edge of my seat. The grip this entire series has on me? Absolutely suffocating." One reader even claimed they preferred the 2025 fantasy romance book to the hugely popular "Iron Flame" in their review, while a third raved about how it built on the world Rebecca Yarros had already so carefully crafted. "SO much expansion on the world building and lore of the continents, so many answered questions, the banter was TOP NOTCH, as was the romance," they wrote on the platform.

"Muses & Melodies" has nearly 11,000 ratings, averaging 4.23 stars on Goodreads at the time of writing. The romance novel is the third in Rebecca Yarros' "Hush Note" series, which focuses on the band Hush Note. "Muses & Melodies" is told from our protagonist Zoe's perspective as she tries to manage the band, despite lead guitarist Nixon Winters' serious struggles. Zoe needs Nixon to stay away from his vices to make the band a success, but that's much easier said than done. As Zoe tries everything she can to keep him healthy in order to record the band's new album and head out on tour, she soon finds an unexpected romantic connection with him, making her job more difficult.

Several readers praised the story's central love story and the connection between Zoe and Nixon. "Learning of Nixon's past was heartbreaking, but watching him learn to trust and let Zoe in (even if it did take a while) was beautiful," one person wrote on Goodreads. "I loved this story. It was nice, funny, hot and moving. The epilogue was just the sweetest ending that will put a smile on your face and it will mend your broken heart," another commented alongside their 5.0-star review.

The second "Flight and Glory" book, "Eyes Turned Skyward," has an impressive 4.25 stars on Goodreads based on approximately 68,000 ratings at the time of writing. "Eyes Turned Skyward" continues Paisley Donovan's story. She's a bold woman determined to live her life to the fullest by doing the things that make her feel alive, despite her heart condition. After her daring lifestyle puts her in distress in the ocean, she meets handsome stranger Jagger Bateman, who saves her from drowning. The two clearly have a connection and could be a match made in heaven, but several factors keep them apart, despite their intense attraction, including Paisley's boyfriend, which makes for a messy and thought-provoking love-triangle read.

"Rebecca Yarros has a beautiful and effortless writing style and once again she sucked me into her story with a strong, independent and feisty heroine and a sexy, heart swoony hero," a Goodreads reviewer wrote of the modern romance. "The story is such a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of loss, love and the ability to live for the now. Because you never know when you'll take your last breath," a second review read. Another noted that while the book could be enjoyed out of sequence with its fellow "Flight and Glory" novels, it's best read in order.

Rebecca Yarros' "Beyond What is Given," the third in the "Flight and Glory" collection, has earned 4.27 stars on Goodreads at the time of writing based on nearly 55,000 ratings. It's another military romance offering, this time, focused on Samantha Fitzgerald, as she moves in with her new roommate, Lieutenant Grayson Masters. There's a major spark between the two that becomes increasingly undeniable, but both are hiding major secrets and struggle to let the other in — Samantha in particular. Could all that they're hiding tear apart the intense chemistry bubbling between them?

In one review, which suggested the series be read in order for maximum impact, a reader wrote on Goodreads, "There was so much going on in this story, so many different plot lines that pulled at my heart. I loved every minute of this. So much action — multiple traumatic incidents." A second reviewer made a note of the book's two main characters: "They had the best chemistry, the early moments were spectacular to watch unfold and then when they got past the bulk of the hurdles, and we got to experience them in all their glory."

The third installment in Rebecca Yarros' "The Renegades" series, the steamy romance "Rebel," just missed out on placing inside the top five of Yarros' most popular book releases. It has 4.30 stars earned through over 20,000 ratings on Goodreads at the time of writing. Athlete Penna Carstairs, who features in previous books in the series, returns in the steamy romance. The bold protagonist enjoyed a passionate one-night stand in Sin City with Dr. Cruz Delgado, which left him infatuated with her. But things get seriously messy after Dr. Cruz takes on a new gig as a professor at a college campus and discovers that Penna is one of his new students.

Several readers loved the risqué college-professor-and-student aspect of the romance book. "Not only does their story bring secrecy, risk and romance, but it delivers a good dose of action and the unexpected," one reader wrote on Goodreads. "The character cast was fantastic! The plot had just the right balance of (slightly) forbidden romance (teacher/student), great friendship and coming to terms with some inner guilt and bruised past," wrote another impressed reviewer on Goodreads. They also shared how much they loved the friendship subplot that ran alongside the main romance.

Rebecca Yarros' romance novel "The Things We Leave Unfinished" officially cracked the top five of the author's best books so far. At the time of writing, the book has over 500,000 ratings on Goodreads, averaging 4.31 stars. In the book, we meet Georgia Stanton, who's coming to terms with a difficult divorce when she meets the hugely successful author Noah Harrison. Noah has a deep interest in finishing a part-written book by Scarlett Stanton, who just so happens to be Georgia's great-grandmother. 

However, Georgia is far from keen on handing her family member's legacy over to Noah. As he tries to get Georgia on his side, they soon find the book was never finished because it was based on Scarlett's own experience of falling in love with a man named Jameson. As they learn more about Scarlett's love story, could Noah help Georgia see that not all love stories end in tragedy?

"The first half of the book is a little slow, but don't let that deter you because the pacing is slowly building up the back story. The pay off was 100% worth it and I did NOT see the plot twist coming," one 5.0-star review states on Goodreads. A second reviewer had high praise for the book's two central love stories told from alternating timelines. "The story is about LOVE and its different forms in different kinds of setting in [the] lives of different people and the struggles those people went through and the sacrifices they made to earn THAT LOVE," they wrote. Others celebrated how Yarros evoked intense emotions through her expert writing.

The second installment in Rebecca Yarros' repertoire in "The Empyrean" book series, "Iron Flame," sits just inside her top five of best books (so far) according to ratings. The romantic fantasy story has 4.36 stars on Goodreads at the time of writing based on approximately 2.8 million ratings. 

We catch up with Violet Sorrengail as she continues her time at the tough Basgiath War College. Our protagonist finds herself at loggerheads with the school's new vice commandant, who seemingly takes a serious dislike to her. It soon becomes clear that Violet has more than just learning to ride dragons and has her boyfriend, Xaden Riorson, to contend with. She discovers a major secret about the school that could change everything.

In a 5.0-star review on Goodreads, one reader stated, "The romance. The spice. The action. The plot twists. The drama. The reveals. The writing. PERFECT." Another reader on the platform encouraged potential readers not to be put off by its length (it has more than 600 pages!). "I was riveted throughout. It felt like every single page served a purpose—except for the aforementioned confounding couple problems—building momentum and eventually hurtling towards a stunning conclusion," they wrote. Others shared how much they enjoyed the characters' progression and complimented Yarros' ability to delve deeper into the world she had already created in the fantasy romance book series that dominated the NYT best-sellers list.

At the time of writing, "The Reality of Everything," the fifth in the "Flight and Glory" book series, comes in third place among Rebecca Yarros' top books. It has 4.47 stars on Goodreads based on approximately 49,000 ratings. Morgan Bartley is the romance novel's protagonist. She's still dealing with the death of her true love, who died in combat in Afghanistan, and decides to distract herself by renovating her beach house. Only, her distraction is interrupted by Jackson Montgomery, her very handsome neighbor. As attracted to Jack as she is, though, she's unwilling to embark on another romance two years after becoming a widow, especially with someone else in the military. But the connection between the two may just be too strong to resist.

"Overall, the plot is amazing and refreshing, Rebecca always brings it up a notch and throws all sorts of unexpected stuff at you that simply keep you hook the entire time," one 5.0-star review read on Goodreads. Another shared their desire to re-read the romance story and wrote, "That book was an epic and swoony romance filled with wounded but incredibly strong characters." A third commented, "I went from tears to smiles, from heartbreak to utter joy all within any given chapter of this wonderful book."

Rebecca Yarros' standalone book "The Last Letter" takes second place on our countdown. The fictional story fared slightly better than "The Reality of Everything," with 4.48 stars on Goodreads from over 650,000 reviews at the time of writing. The novel, which one Goodreads reviewer confessed left them in tears, is an emotional read that sees army man Ryan ask his fellow soldier Beckett to leave the army to take care of his younger sister, Ella. Ryan makes the huge request in a letter, which he wrote before his tragic death, knowing Ella (a single mom of twins) was struggling. Beckett makes good on his best friend's request and develops a touching bond with the said sibling as they process their grief together.

Though the book is predominantly romance, reviewers were impressed by how it transcended genres. "It's a testament to the strength of bonds forged from trauma and loyalty. It's an exploration of motherhood and the importance of family. But above all, it's a story of survival, forgiveness, and the healing power of unconditional love," one impressed reviewer wrote on Goodreads. Another touched on how real and raw the relationships between the main characters were. "If you want to read this book just know it is definitely emotional and heartbreaking but in a beautiful way," they wrote in a 5.0-star review.

Taking the No. 1 spot of Rebecca Yarros' best books so far is "Fourth Wing." The fantasy romance novel is the first in the author's "The Empyrean" series, explaining why Yarros' favorite books are unexpected fantasy gems. "Fourth Wing" has 4.56 stars on Goodreads at the time of writing from a hugely impressive 3.8 million ratings. That means every one of the "The Empyrean" series released at the time of writing ranks inside Yarros' top 12 best books.

The novel, which won the Readers' Favorite Romantasy at the Goodreads Choice Awards, is our introduction to Violet Sorrengail. She attends Basgiath War College after being pushed by her mom, the commanding general, to become a dragon rider, despite the serious danger it entails. In the hopes of getting better, Violet enlists the help of handsome Xaden Riorson, but soon finds there's more between them than just the wingleader imparting dragon wisdom. Though the book delves into Violet and Xaden's romance, it's about so much more than just a love story. Our female protagonist proves she can be tough as nails in seriously difficult circumstances.

"Imagine Harry Potter meets Zodiac Academy, but deadlier," one Goodreads reviewer wrote, describing the book's theme, which combines school fantasy and romance. Another enjoyed the book's fast-paced nature and lapped up Yarros' descriptions of Navarre, while a third couldn't get over the ending. "That ENDING was everything I was not expecting! Those last 50 pages were absolutely epic and blew my f**king mind!" they wrote. "Fourth Wing" is also a BookTok adaptation we can't wait for, as Amazon has ordered a TV series based on the story, executive-produced by Michael B. Jordan.