Rebecca Yarros's "Onyx Storm" Book Became the Fastest-Selling Big Adult Romance Novel of the Last 20 Years

Rebecca Yarros's "Onyx Storm," the third book in her series, debuted with 2.7 million copies sold in its first week, once again demonstrating the power of the romantic fantasy genre.

A few years ago, Rebecca Yarros was on the verge of giving up writing. A chronic illness frequently left her with dizziness and exhaustion, sometimes making it difficult even to stand. She questioned whether the stress she put herself under was worth it.

Then, she had the idea for a romantic epic about dragon riders at a military academy. Her first novel, "Fourth Wing," immediately became a bestseller, and the second, "Iron Flame," repeated that success.

Now, with "Onyx Storm," the third book in the series, Yarros has set a new sales record. The book sold over 2.7 million copies in its first week. Three books in her planned five-book Empyrean series have collectively sold over 12 million copies in the US.

"None of it feels real," Yarros told a 1,700-person audience in St. Paul.

Print sales alone exceeded one million copies in the first week, making "Onyx Storm" one of the fastest-selling adult fiction books in the last 20 years.

While greater successes have been seen in children's literature—for example, the final "Harry Potter" book sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours—Yarros's sales figures in adult fiction are particularly noteworthy.

The success of "Onyx Storm" also highlights the rapid growth of the romantic fantasy genre. Last year, this genre showed a 50% increase over the previous year, with 30 million print sales.

Yarros's books have also garnered significant interest on social media. Shares of her books on the BookTok platform have received over one billion views.

The author's success is measured not only by sales figures but also by the fandom she has created. Her book signings evoke the era of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight"—young people arrive in costumes, exchanging friendship bracelets.

Yarros owes this success in part to a personal element: she chose to write about heroes with physical limitations, drawing inspiration from her own chronic illness.

Local bookstores haven't seen such activity in years. The author herself expressed her gratitude to her audience for this achievement: "You did this!"