Rebecca Yarros: Biography
Rebecca Yarros was born on April 13th, 1981 and is currently 45 years old. Rebecca Yarros was born in Washington, DC, USA.
Rebecca Yarros is known for writing in the Fantasy, Romance, and Romantasy genres.
Rebecca Yarros is the author of The Empyrean series which currently consists of 3 novels. The Empyrean series started in 2023 with the novel Fourth Wing. The most recently released novel in The Empyrean series was Onyx Storm which was released in 2025. There are no upcoming novels for The Empyrean series.
Rebecca Yarros has also written the Flight & Glory series which has 5 books including Full Measures and Eyes Turned Skyward.
Rebecca studied European History at Troy University, where she graduated from.
Rebecca has a strong connection to the military, and military life. She grew up as an 'army brat' and both her parents retired from the military as officers, and her grandfather retired as a general. She got married on September 10th, 2001 to a young army private making her a 'military wife', the day prior to the 9/11 terror attacks.
Rebecca's husband was wounded in 2003 due to an anti-tank landmine, getting hit with shrapnel all over his body and temporarily blinding him, she told
Military Families Magazine.
This actully was what led Rebecca to writing - once his vision had returned, he returned to finish his deployment. Rebecca found she couldn't sleep and would stay up reading a book every night. This all led her to writing a very popular military blog, titled
The Only Girl Among Boys.
Rebecca has noted that at the time her husband left for his third deployment, she was struggling to find books that she enjoyed reading, and decided to write her own. It became a habit for her after putting the kids to bed - she would sit down and write a page of the book.
Her first book ended up being "Full Measures", the first novel in the
Flight & Glory series. She would write military-inspired novels for almost ten years, until 2022 when her publisher asked her for a fantasy pitch. She provided five pitches, one of which featured dragons and a military unit, and that was how "Fourth Wing" got started.
Rebecca has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, as do her sons, which is a genetic disorder affecting connective tissues. This can cause issues such as joint pain and frequent dislocations. Rebecca has worked that into her books, with the character Violet also suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She mentioned in an interview with USA Today how amazing it has been hearing from readers who also have EDS, and how much they appreciate seeing a heroine who suffers from the same illness as they feel represented.
In 2019, Rebecca co-founded
One October with her husband Jason, a nonprofit charity based in Colorado Springs whose mission is to help children who are in foster care. They were motivated to start this after seeing a foster mother on Facebook asking for help to support the two kids she had just taken in. Rebecca and Jason had fostered a child in October 2013, so they were well aware of how difficult it can be to support foster children financially, which was their inspiration for starting
One October.
Rebecca was a big reader as a child, and noted in an interview with
Elle that she read a lot of historical romance novels by
Jude Deveraux when she was 12 years old.
Rebecca Yarros: Awards & Accolades
Many of Rebecca Yarros's books have won awards, including:
- Eyes Turned Skyward won the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, Best New Adult, in 2015.
- Fourth Wing won the Goodreads Awards, Best Romantasy, in 2023 as well as the Australian Book Industry Awards - International Book of the Year in 2024, Alex Awards - Best Book in 2024, British Book Awards - Pageturner Book of the Year in 2024, TikTok Book Awards - Book of the Year (International) in 2024, Libby Book Awards - Best Fantasy in 2024.
- Iron Flame won the Libby Book Awards, Best Romantasy, in 2024 as well as the Dragon Award - Best Fantasy Novel in 2024.
- Onyx Storm won the Goodreads Awards, Best Romantasy, in 2025 as well as the Goodreads Awards - Best Audiobook in 2025, Libby Book Awards - Best Romantasy in 2026.
The following novels by Rebecca Yarros were nominated for these awards:
- Full Measures: Goodreads Awards, Best Debut Goodreads Author (2014).
- Fourth Wing: Barnes & Noble Awards, Book of the Year (2023). Waterstones, Book of the Year (2023). German Youth Literature Awards, Young Jury Award (2024). British Book Awards, Book of the Year (2024).
- In the Likely Event: Goodreads Awards, Best Romance (2023).
- Iron Flame: British Book Awards, Fiction Book of the Year (2024).
- Onyx Storm: New Adult Book Prize, Best Novel (2025). British Book Awards, Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Year (2026).
Rebecca Yarros: Lists & Other Mentions
- Fourth Wing was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club June 2023 Pick.
- Fourth Wing has made several lists including:
- New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2023.
- USA Today: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2023 and 2024 and 2024 and 2025.
- Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2023.
- Publishers Weekly: Bestselling Novel in the United States in 2023.
- Iron Flame has made several lists including:
- New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2023.
- USA Today: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2023 and 2024.
- Publishers Weekly: Bestselling Novel in the United States in 2023.
- Onyx Storm has made several lists including:
- USA Today: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2025.
- New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2025.
- Libro.fm: Top 10 Audiobooks of 2025 Selection in 2025.
Fourth Wing spent over 65 weeks on the New York Times Fiction Bestseller List, and prior to the release of a new book in the Empyrean series, usually ends up as the #1 Fiction Best Seller.
Rebecca Yarros: TV/Movies Based on Books
A television show for The Empyrean series is in the works. Amazon MGM Studios optioned the rights for it, with it expected to air on Prime Video and working with Michael B. Jordan's production company Outlier. During a press tour in January 2025, Rebecca revealed that she had read and loved the script for the pilot. However the show is still in the very early stages of development, with no cast announced and changes to the showrunner. Moira Walley-Beckett was initially expected to lead it however has left the project.
Netflix is also apparently adapting the novel In the Likely Event.
Related Authors
Fans of Rebecca Yarros also enjoy these authors:
- Sarah A. Parker, author of The Moonfall Series.
- Scarlett St. Clair, author of the Hades & Persephone Series.
- Elise Kova, author of the Married to Magic Series.
- Amy Harmon, author of: What the Wind Knows.
- Amanda Bouchet, author of the Kingmaker Chronicles Series.
- Jennifer L. Armentrout, author of the Blood and Ash Series.
- Brynne Weaver, author of The Ruinous Love Series.
- Danielle L. Jensen, author of the Saga of the Unfated Series.
- Adrienne Young, author of the Fable Series.
- Ashley Poston, author of: The Dead Romantics.
Rebecca Yarros: F.A.Q
When was Rebecca Yarros Born? How old is Rebecca Yarros?
Rebecca Yarros was born on April 13th, 1981. Rebecca Yarros is currently 45 years old.
Where was Rebecca Yarros Born?
Rebecca Yarros was born in Washington, DC, USA and is American.
What book awards has Rebecca Yarros won?
Eyes Turned Skyward: Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence Best New Adult (2015).
Fourth Wing: Goodreads Awards Best Romantasy (2023), Australian Book Industry Awards International Book of the Year (2024), Alex Awards Best Book (2024), British Book Awards Pageturner Book of the Year (2024), TikTok Book Awards Book of the Year (International) (2024), Libby Book Awards Best Fantasy (2024).
Iron Flame: Libby Book Awards Best Romantasy (2024), Dragon Award Best Fantasy Novel (2024).
Onyx Storm: Goodreads Awards Best Romantasy (2025), Goodreads Awards Best Audiobook (2025), Libby Book Awards Best Romantasy (2026).
What was the first book Rebecca Yarros wrote?
The first book written by Rebecca Yarros was Full Measures, published in 2014.
What was the most recent book Rebecca Yarros wrote?
Her most recently released work was Onyx Storm on January 21st, 2025.
What is the most popular book by Rebecca Yarros?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Rebecca Yarros book is
Fourth Wing. Here are her most popular books:
- Fourth Wing (8.8)
- Iron Flame (8.63)
- Onyx Storm (8.43)
- The Things We Leave Unfinished (8.41)
- The Last Letter (8.91)
What genres does Rebecca Yarros Write?
Rebecca Yarros primarily writes in the Fantasy, Romance, and Romantasy genres. Her work includes sub-genres such as Contemporary Romance, Epic / High Fantasy, and High Fantasy Romantasy.
Are there upcoming new books by Rebecca Yarros?
Rebecca Yarros does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.
Click and we will notify you via e-mail when Rebecca Yarros next book gets announced.
How many books has Rebecca Yarros written?
Rebecca Yarros has written 24 books across 10 series, excluding contributions to anthologies.
- 3 books in The Empyrean Series
- 5 books in the Flight & Glory Series
- 2 books in the In Luv Duet Series
- 3 books in the Legacy Series
- 3 books in The Renegades Series
- 5 Standalone Novels
- 1 book in the Hush Note Series
- 1 book in the Love in the 80s Series
- 1 book in the Madigan Mountain Series
What was the Fourth Wing Night at Fenway Park?
An event in Boston for the Boston Red Sox versus Cleveland Guardians game. Ticket holders who purchased via Rebeccas website would receive a limited edition Red Sox / Fourth Wing replica flight jacket. It was a crossover event of the world of baseball, and the world of dragon riders. Rebecca will be participating at the event, and a portion of the ticket sales will go towards One October.
Does Rebecca have bonus content for her novels?
Yes she does. Rebecca publishes all bonus scenes on her website at rebeccayarros.com/bonus-content
Is there a specific order to read Rebecca's series? In what order should I read them?
No. Each series takes place within their own universe so you don't have to jump from series to series. You can read any series in the order above. The Empyrean series is of course her most popular, however many people enjoy reading from when she first started writing, to see her progression as a writer.
Is Rebecca Yarros a Mormon?
While there have been numerous TikTok videos and blog posts suggesting that Rebecca Yarros is or was a mormon, there has been no confirmation one way or the other., although she has mentioned she loves coffee, and there are numerous pictures of her online in clothing without sleeves.
What disease does Rebecca Yarros have?
Rebecca Yarros has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which is not a disease, but a group of inherited disorders.
Does Rebecca Yarros do book tours?
Yes she does. You can keep an eye on rebeccayarros.com/events where she posts upcoming events, and she will post information on her social media as well. They are usually tied into the release of a new book, such as The Onyx Storm Tour which saw Rebecca go to cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Denver.
Why did Rebecca Yarros leave TikTok?
In an interview with Elle, Rebecca noticed that social media is like living inside a hall of mirrors, and that you shouldn't look at yourself that often. That it was difficult for her to enjoy using TikTok because despite attempts to block videos related to her, the algorithm would continue to show her videos of fans professing either love or hatred for Rebecca and her works. She finds that being offline is helping her more with her focus when it comes to writing.
What is Rebecca Yarros' writing schedule like?
Rebecca stated in that interview with Elle in 2025 that her key writing time is between 10pm-2am at night, which she refers to as the "golden hours". That allows her the day to spend time with her family and attending the children's hockey games. This is much different from the writing for Fourth Wing which she had to write on a deadline and was writing 12-15 hours per day.
Rebecca noted in an interview with Young Entertainment Magazine that whatever she is currently experiencing in her personal life gets reflected in her writing, and that her best writing occurs when she is "experiencing periods of overwhelming emotion".
Rebecca has also stated that she doesn't pick out the book titles in advance, and that they come to her when she is plotting out the book. She plots out each chapter and scene in advance, and this is what she describes as her favourite part of the writing process.
Another part of her process is that she creates a playlist for when she is writing each book. She doesn't reveal these playlists ahead of time, but did mention that the fourth book in The Empyrean series playlist features a song from Taylor Swift from her album, The Tortured Poets Department. She posts the playlists on Spotify. She has creditd both music and a long drive when it comes to resolving writers block.
Other than Violet, which character would Rebecca Yarros like to be the most?
In an interview with EmpyreanRiders.com, she stated that it would be Imogen.
What genres does Rebecca Yarros write?
Prior to "Fourth Wing" and The Empyrean series, which is fantasy, Rebeccas novels would generally fall under the contemporary romance genre.
What is the first book I should read by Rebecca Yarros?
Outside of The Empyrean series, Rebecca stated that one of her favourite books she has ever written is "The Things We Love Unfinished". As that is one of Rebecca's favourite books, that could be a good starting point.
Is the fourth book in The Empyrean series releasing on January 2026?
No. Goodreads erroneously listed the release date of the fourth book as January 2026. Yarros posted on Instagram that this was incorrect, stating that that release date "is impossible".
Which authors were inspirations for Rebecca Yarros becoming a writer?
In an interview with
Angel Reads, she stated that she wouldn't be a writer if it wasn't for the writings by
Mercedes Lackey. She also stated that Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan were big inspirations for her.