At a party last fall, I read aloud a sex scene from the fantasy romance novel “Fourth Wing” while my friend provided musical accompaniment by frantically clapping her hands.

“Onyx Storm,” released on Jan. 21, is the third installment in the “Empyrean” series that started with “Fourth Wing.” It has become the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years.

The “Empyrean” series follows an incredibly strong woman protagonist named Violet Sorrengail. She defeats men, establishes boundaries, becomes one of the most powerful characters in the universe and engages in a sexual relationship that is both reciprocal and encourages autonomy.  

Sex scenes in the ‘Empyrean” series, both oral and vaginal, are so detailed that a multitude of TikTok users and podcast hosts have been wondering how the positions are even physically possible.

Despite undeniable commercial and critical success, discourse about the “Empyrean” series is plagued with sexism, especially by those who have never read it or any the “romantasy” genre.

This series is often described as not real literature. Setting aside the fact that every person I’ve heard say that phrase is the most pseudo-intellectual, pretentious person ever, there is no set-in-stone definition of literature. 

Even if that were true, this piece of ‘non-literature’ sold more copies in its first week than any adult novel since tracking began, according to a Jan. 30 New York Times article. This piece of “non-literature” is helping revive the brick-and-mortar book industry. 

Barnes & Noble is opening 60 new stores this year, five times the amount in 2020, with “Onyx Storm” being partly credited for this decision, according to a Feb. 1 Axios article. 

It has become so successful that everyone, from UVM students in Howe to midwestern mothers, is reading $30 hardcover copies in public. 

The narrative of “Empyrean” includes an FMC, or female main character. These kinds of books star a female lead that are for and often written by women, according to a Dec. 2024 USA Today article.

FMC books face significant criticism, and fans are spoken down to, ridiculed or insulted for not liking “real literature.” 

Sex in media is nothing new. The reason romantasy novels are met with such society ridicule is because they are geared towards women.

Junior Cate Dolan is an avid reader of the “romantasy” genre.

“I think all “romantasy” books get a lot of heat due to the sexual content in [them],” said Dolan. “However, these books are also written by women for women. [They] portray women playing important roles in revolutions and breaking stereotypes.” 

Unlike most media, the characters’ gender does not matter to the people in the “Empyrean” series. Women are in positions of power — but this is not new or revolutionary. They lead because they’re leaders.

“Tearing books like this one down just because it’s ‘dragon porn’ doesn’t change that it portrays women in power,” said Dolan.  

“When women praise a story that has female, POC, LGBTQ+, disabled representation, commentary on political propaganda with the smallest bit of smut in it, well, that’s porn and shouldn’t be read,” Dolan said. 

There’s a double standard when it comes to engaging with sexualised content. If a man watches porn every night, that’s normal, but there’s an expected level of purity in what type of content women should engage with.

The “Empyrean” series follows the same stereotypical tropes that practically every book in the genre does to some extent. But it has a compelling story, dynamic characters, loving and complex relationships, and, of course, dragons — magical, talking, sassy, protective dragons. 

Look, I’m a lesbian who has no interest in a 6’4″ ripped guy nicknamed “Xaddy” by the fanbase performing cunnilingus on a literal throne. But I am interested in the complex political system dragons have set up to govern themselves. 

Plus, it’s fun. People who read this series and genre know that it’s not perfect. I’m no exception; as I said, I read it out loud as a joke at a party.

People like dragons. People like sex. Women like dragons. Women like sex. This is not news.

You’re not superior for making fun of people for reading something they enjoy. The industry, plus a vast portion of readers, don’t agree with you either. 

“I definitely get comments about reading for the smut and that it’s just porn, but who cares? Maybe I just want to think that I could ride a dragon, too,” said Dolan.