Water stonesFans lined up to get their hands on Onyx Storm, the long-awaited new book from bestselling fantasy author Rebecca Yaros, at one of this year's publishing events.
Onyx Storm is the third novel in the Empyrean series by Yaros, set in a world of dragons, magic, war, and steamy romance.
Its publisher, Little, Brown, said it would be the company's largest pre-ordered title since it released the Harry Potter theatrical screenplay in 2016.
Nearly 60 Waterstones branches have held special events – either opening at midnight on Monday or early on Tuesday – and the chain said the book was likely to “completely outperform first-day sales” of the previous batch.
The stores have also held special openings around the world, including in the United States and Australia.
In the US, some eager readers waited until 3am for the online release of a Target exclusive special edition – but many who stayed awake complained on social media that the store's website couldn't keep up with demand.
Rebecca West, managing editor of the small Brown Pactus imprint, He told the Telegraph“We haven't seen this level of fan devotion since the days of Harry Potter.”
In a message to fans on Instagram, Yaros wrote: “1. It's in your hands now. 2. Thank you for sharing this amazing experience with me. 3. Enjoy the ride.”
One reader replied: “On the first chapter and I'm already dying,” another wrote: “Thank you for sharing this amazing world with us!!!” Another person asked: “Is it bad that I'm about to take off work to read?”
The magical and brutal world
Katie Marie SeniorAmerican author Jaros is one of the biggest names in the burgeoning “romance” genre.
In anticipation of the release of Onyx Storm, the first two Empyrean books, The Fourth Wing and The Iron Flame, have returned to the top two on the New York Times bestseller list.
They are also currently in the top five of the Sunday Times Fiction List in the UK, and were the two most-read books last year around the world. Among Goodreads users.
The Fourth Ward introduced heroine Violet Soringale, a 20-year-old woman who is thrust into brutal training to become an elite dragon rider.
Like the author, Violet suffers from a genetic condition that means the character dislocates joints and breaks bones easily – so she must use her wits and inner strength to help her survive.
She is also tangled in a relationship with a fellow candidate named Xaden Riorson, who comes from a rival family.
Iron Flame is then set during Violet's second year at Basgiath War College, while in Onyx Storm, according to the publisher, she “knows there is no more time for lessons” because “the battle has already begun.”
