Onyx Storm Is The Fastest Selling Adult Novel In 20 Years. So Why Don’t We Have Forward Momentum On The Screen Adaptation Yet?

Onyx Storm text on the book cover, with a black dragon at the center.
(Image credit: Entangled Publishing)

It’s been four months since Onyx Storm’s release, and the buzz for it is still going strong. That’s not surprising, though, considering it became the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years after the first week of its release. However, what is surprising is the lack of information we have about the book-to-screen adaptation of Fourth Wing that Amazon is working on, especially when you consider the wild success of Rebecca Yarros’ latest book in the Empyrean Series.

Onyx Storm Is The Fastest Selling Adult Novel In 20 Years

When Onyx Storm was released, it immediately went viral and was a best seller, as Yarros’ publisher, Entangled, reported (via NYT). That made it the fastest-selling adult title in 20 years (ever since BookScan started tracking), as more than 2.7 million copies of the novel were purchased in the week following its release.

For reference, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours, so Onyx Storm’s numbers aren’t the biggest. However, they are incredibly impressive, especially in the realm of adult fiction. To prove that point, the last novel to set this record was Colleen Hoover’s sequel to It Ends With Us, It Starts With Us, which sold 810,000 copies in the first week. And as you know, the difference between 2.7 million and 810,000 is huge.

It’s also worth noting that as of right now, four months after its release, Onyx Storm is currently No. 3 on The New York Times Best Sellers List for Combined Print & E-Book Fiction, and No. 4 for Hardcover Fiction. Also, on the Combined Print & E-Book list, Fourth Wing sits at No. 8.

Meanwhile, Onyx Storm is still on Amazon’s Best Sellers in Books list, holding the No. 16 spot.

Onyx Storm (Deluxe Limited Edition) (The Empyrean, 3) -
was $32.99 now $19.78 at Amazon

Onyx Storm (Deluxe Limited Edition) (The Empyrean, 3) - While we're still waiting for the Fourth Wing TV show, the book series is running at full steam. The third book in the Empyrean series, Onyx Storm, just came out in January, and now is the perfect time to read it!

So, considering all the impressive numbers that show just how wildly popular this series is, it makes me wonder what’s going on with the television series.

So, What’s The Hold Up On The Fourth Wing TV Series?

The answer to that question, as far as we know, is nothing. I’m sure the Fourth Wing team is hard at work behind the scenes. However, when it comes to public information about it, we don’t know anything, really.

Back in March, Rebecca Yarros posted a photo with an Amazon sign in the background, leading fans to believe there was some momentum on the series. On her book tour for Onyx Storm, she also voiced her enthusiasm for the show and what she’s read so far (per ABC), but did not give away any details beyond that.

These small public updates make me think big steps are maybe being taken behind the scenes. However, it’s a bit odd to me that we don’t know anything about anything yet, considering just how popular Onyx Storm is. I would have assumed they’d want to hop on the hype train and give us some sort of update about casting, production or even where they’re at in the writers' room. However, all that is still a big question mark.

I’d rather they take their time to make something magnificent, though, so I’m fine with waiting. I’m also just curious why we haven’t gotten any solid updates yet.

Now, in the meantime, while we wait, fans have been fan-casting Xaden, and the actors they have picked have even been asked about it. And Dylan Efron also talked Fourth Wing recently, explaining that he doesn’t want to play Dain. As you can see, there’s a hunger from fans for answers about who will play the beloved riders on screen. So, hopefully, we get some news sooner rather than later.

However, for now, they’ll just have to keep fan-casting, dreaming about the possibilities, and reading these wildly popular books.

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.

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