Despite Prime Video cutting their acclaimed adaptation of a classic fantasy series short, there is still hope that their upcoming adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’Fourth Wingnovel will deliver a dedicated translation of the series to screen. Released in 2023, thehit Romantasy novelis the first book in theEmpyreansaga, which currently consists ofFourth Wing, Iron Flame,andOnyx Storm. InFourth Wing, Violet Sorrengail is pushed on the path of becoming a dragon rider by her mother, forcing her to grapple with both the dangers of riding the beasts and her fellow classmates' deadly interventions.
Fourth Wingwas both a critical and viral hit for the emerging Romantasy genre, most notably becoming one of the titles to become incredibly popular within the BookTok community on the TikTok app.In 2023, Prime Video acquired the rights to adapt Yarros' books, with the original author set to serve as an executive producer. The series' production will be a collaboration between Amazon MGM Studios, and Michael B. Jordan’s production company Outlier Society.
The Empyrean Series Isn’t Nearly As Long As Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time Series
The Empyrean Saga Is A Less Risky Investment
In May 2025,Prime Video confirmed that their adaptation of Robert Jordan’sThe Wheel of Timeseries would come to a close, deciding not to renew the series for season 4. The series debuted in 2021 and ran for 24 episodes across three seasons, exploring a highly mythologized and layered universe of repeating cycles. Despite its increasing acclaim with each season, resulting in an accumulated 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the television series only adapted 5 of the 15 novels.
Despite the unease this may bring toFourth Wingfans, there are several factors that work in favor of the upcoming adaptation of Yarros' novels. Most notable is the fact thattheEmpyreanSaga will only be a third ofThe Wheel of Timesaga’s length. As such, should the upcomingFourth Wingseries manage to meet Prime Video’s standards of success, the streamer would likely feel more committed to standing by the adaptation for a full five-season adaptation of Yarros' universe.
The Fourth Wing Show Won’t Have To Change Or Condense As Much Of Its Source Material
The Wheel of Time Was Controversial In How It Adapted The Novels
Furthermore, in comparison toThe Wheel of Time, the upcomingFourth Wingseries will likely be able to properly dedicate itself to faithfully translating each novel. Within the first season alone,The Wheel of Timedidn’t limit itself to dedicating itself to a single novel,instead opting to primarily focus on adapting the events ofThe Eye of the Worldwhile also including elements from the following novels,The Great Hunt,andThe Dragon Reborn. This decision allowed the series to flesh out its world in preparation for later events.
However, this also had a noticeable impact on the series that can be seen with how critics reviewed each season, asThe Wheel of Timeseason 1 has earned an accumulated score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, which, while impressive, is also the lowest of the entire series. Though reviews noted that season 1 successfully condensed Jordan’s series into an accessible manner, it was critiqued as somewhat “creaky” and poorly paced by some. As such, it can be argued its impression may have put some potential viewers off.
Fewer Book Changes Mean Amazon’s Fourth Wing Show Can Have A Stronger Start Than WoT
Good Pacing Could Allow More Time To Be Spent With The Cast
If Prime Video allows the series to dedicate a whole season to each novel,Fourth Wingcan likelyleave a better first impression on viewersthanThe Wheel of Timedid. Alongside the high-stakes tension that being a prospective dragon rider brings, akey appeal oftheFourth Wingseries is the charactersthemselves. Violet herself stands out to many readers because of the important representation she brings for those who must handle chronic illnesses and conditions in their day-to-day lives. Meanwhile, herromance with Xadenis a driving force of the story.
With part of its appeal being with its characters, not only could a longer season properly adapt the events of the novel, but provide audiences more opportunities to spend time with the cast and be endeared to them. For longtimeEmpyreanSaga fans, they will not only be pleased to see the characters brought to screen, but may be hoping for small expansions and moments between the characters that a series can bring, while newcomers can be given a fuller introduction to the cast. This potential can allowFourth Wingto succeed in leaving a strong first impression.
Adapting Fourth Wing Comes With Its Own Set Of Challenges For Amazon
The Romantasy Genre Is About To Hit TV In A Big Way
While a shorter source material that could still provideFourth Wingthe opportunity to expand on its narrative could work in the series' favor, this doesn’t mean that Yarros' world won’t face any difficulty when bringing the series to screens. Violet’s story is centered on her being pushed into becoming a dragon rider,something which will undoubtedly be an incredible effort when it comes to VFX, especially to fit within a television budget. As such, it will undoubtedly lead to Prime Video having higher standards for success when it comes to justifying its costs.
Furthermore,Fourth Wingisn’t the only Romantasy series that will be being brought to screens, as even within Prime Video’s catalog, they have also purchased the rights to bring Lauren Roberts’Powerlesstrilogy to television. At the same time, Netflix has dedicated itself to adapting Callie Hart’sQuicksilvernovels, whileSarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Rosesseries is being pitched to production companies after Hulu failed to adapt the series to television. Because of this,Fourth Wingcould have clear competition by the time production wraps, as the market could become oversaturated.
Despite the potential VFX complications and a highly competitive market, there is still plenty of optimism forFourth Wingas it heads through the remaining stages of pre-production. As the series is ongoing and remains highly popular, there is an active and dedicated fandom ready to support it, and the series itself will undoubtedly bring in plenty of newcomers. Furthermore, BookScan reports thatthe latest novelOnyx Stormsold a record making 2.7 million copies within its first week of publication in April 2025, showing that the series' popularity remains incredibly strong and proving it a highly successful modern property to capitalize on.
Fourth Wing
Based on the novel series by Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing is an action-adventure fantasy series in development for Prime Video. Announced in 2024, Fourth Wing will follow the adventures of a young woman named Violet Sorrengail, who has been taken from her peaceful book-reading life and thrust into a world of danger when she is forced by her mother to join an elite group of dragon-riding warriors.
