Reading Guides · October 15, 2026

Fourth Wing Editions Explained: Sprayed Edges, Special Editions and Every Empyrean ISBN

Every US edition of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm explained: sprayed-edge first printings, the 2023 Special Edition, Onyx Storm Deluxe vs Standard, Wing and Claw, with verified ISBNs.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros hardcover book cover

Last updated October 15, 2026. ISBNs and dates were checked against library catalogs, bookseller listings and trade press; sources are linked at the end.

Pick up three copies of Fourth Wing and you might get three different books: one with black edges and stenciled dragons, one with plain white edges, and a paperback with stenciled edges. The text inside is the same story, but the editions are not interchangeable if you care about a matching shelf, a collectible first printing, or the Xaden bonus chapters. We list every Empyrean copy in our shop by its exact ISBN, so we had to sort this out ourselves. Here is what each US edition is, how to identify it, and which ISBN to look for.

The short answer

  • Standard hardcovers (Fourth Wing 2023, Iron Flame 2023): first printings had sprayed edges; later printings of the same ISBN may not. The ISBN alone can't tell you which printing you have — the edges can.
  • Fourth Wing Special Edition (November 7, 2023): a separate ISBN with a revamped cover, new endpapers, black sprayed edges and two bonus chapters from Xaden's point of view.
  • Onyx Storm Deluxe Limited Edition (January 21, 2025): the main US hardcover, with a two-million-copy first printing and stenciled sprayed edges. A plain Standard Edition exists under a different ISBN.
  • Wing and Claw Collection (September 30, 2025): re-released hardcovers of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame with stenciled edges designed to match Onyx Storm, sold only in the US and Canada.
  • US paperbacks (2024–2025) and UK Piatkus editions are separate ISBNs with their own covers.

Why Empyrean editions are confusing

Most publishers change the ISBN when they change the edition. Entangled's Red Tower Books imprint did that for its special editions — but it also kept reprinting the standard hardcovers under their original ISBNs while the design of the edges changed. So Fourth Wing ISBN 9781649374042 covers both the collectible sprayed-edge first printing and later plain-edge printings. That's why sellers' listings that say only "Fourth Wing hardcover, first edition" don't tell you what you're getting.

The sprayed edges became a collecting point quickly. Book Riot, citing PangoBooks sales data, reported that sprayed-edge copies of Fourth Wing resold for up to about $120 while non-sprayed copies sold for about $33. When Onyx Storm launched, Shelf Awareness noted that its deluxe edges were designed to echo the "collectible" first printing of Fourth Wing.

Fourth Wing (book 1)

Edition Format ISBN-13 Released How to spot it
Standard US edition Hardcover 9781649374042 May 2, 2023 First printings: black sprayed edges with dragon silhouettes. Later printings: plain edges. Map endpapers.
Special Edition (often called the "holiday edition") Hardcover 9781649376169 November 7, 2023 Revamped cover, new endpapers, black sprayed edges, two Xaden POV bonus chapters
US paperback Paperback 9781649377371 September 17, 2024 The first US paperback. Collector listings describe first printings with stenciled edges.
Wing and Claw Collection Hardcover 9781649379290 September 30, 2025 Stenciled edges designed to match Iron Flame and Onyx Storm; limited first print run, US and Canada only

Good to know: library catalogs record the standard hardcover with the edition statement "First edition" and map endpapers. That label belongs to the ISBN, not to a particular print run, so for collectors the useful question is which printing you hold — and the edges are the quickest tell.

Iron Flame (book 2)

Edition Format ISBN-13 Released How to spot it
Standard US edition Hardcover 9781649374172 November 7, 2023 First printings have sprayed edges (some early copies had smeared spray; see below)
UK paperback (Piatkus) Paperback 9780349437057 November 19, 2024 British cover; includes a bonus chapter from Xaden's point of view
US paperback Paperback 9781649377579 May 20, 2025 Red Tower trade paperback
Wing and Claw Collection Hardcover 9781649379399 September 30, 2025 Stenciled edges matching Fourth Wing and Onyx Storm; 640 pages

The first-printing problem. Iron Flame sold more than 500,000 copies on release day, and some first-printing hardcovers — along with some copies of the Fourth Wing Special Edition released the same day — had defects. Readers reported bleeding spray on the edges, missing pages, upside-down pages and endpapers, and at least one copy bound with the wrong jacket. Entangled told Variety it was "committed to making this right" and worked with its distributor on exchanges. If you're buying a used first-printing Iron Flame, flip through it: a clean first printing is worth more than one with smeared edges or missing pages.

Onyx Storm (book 3)

Edition Format ISBN-13 Released How to spot it
Deluxe Limited Edition Hardcover 9781649374189 January 21, 2025 Digitally printed sprayed edges with stenciled dragons; $32.99 list price
Standard Edition Hardcover 9781649377159 January 21, 2025 Plain edges; $29.99 list price

For book 3 the publisher flipped the usual pattern: the deluxe edition was the main release. Its first printing was two million copies, and Publishers Weekly reported first-week sales of about 1.3 million print copies, nearly 1.1 million of them the deluxe edition versus about 179,000 standard copies. So a deluxe Onyx Storm is common, not rare — it's the Standard Edition that's the minority. Around 1,100 bookstores in the US and Canada held midnight release parties for the launch, according to Red Tower.

Threshing Day (companion collection, 2026)

Threshing Day is a companion collection of stories set on the day first-years bond with dragons; it isn't the fourth novel (our Empyrean reading order guide explains where it fits). It comes in two US hardcovers: a Wing and Claw Collection edition (ISBN 9781682818084, listed for September 29, 2026) and a Standard Edition (ISBN 9781682818091, listed by Indigo for October 13, 2026, 224 pages, with 16 black-and-white illustrations by Joe Requeza). If you're building a Wing and Claw shelf, the 9781682818084 copy is the one that matches.

How to tell which edition you have

  1. Read the ISBN on the back cover or copyright page and match it to the tables above. US Red Tower editions start with 978-1-64937 or 978-1-68281; UK Piatkus editions start with 978-0-349.
  2. Look at the edges. For the standard Fourth Wing and Iron Flame hardcovers, sprayed edges mean an early printing; plain white edges mean a later one.
  3. Check for bonus content. The Fourth Wing Special Edition has two Xaden chapters, and the UK Iron Flame paperback has one. The table of contents will list them.
  4. Compare the cover. UK Piatkus editions use different cover art from the US Red Tower editions, so they won't match a shelf of US books.
  5. Don't trust "first edition" on its own. A listing that says only "first edition" doesn't tell you the printing. Ask the seller about the edges and condition instead.

Caring for sprayed edges

Sprayed and stenciled edges are a printed layer on the page edges, which is why the Iron Flame misprints showed up as "bleeding" spray. A few care tips: keep them out of direct sunlight, which can fade the color; shelve them upright and not packed tight, since friction against neighboring books can scuff the edges; and keep them dry, because damp can make pages stick where the edge coating meets. For used sprayed-edge copies, check the condition grade and description, and message us if you'd like us to ask the bookseller about the edges before you order.

Which edition should you buy?

  • You just want to read the series: the US paperbacks or a later-printing standard hardcover. Same text, lowest price.
  • You want a matching set: the Wing and Claw Collection hardcovers of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame next to the Onyx Storm Deluxe Limited Edition, and the Wing and Claw Threshing Day.
  • You collect: a first-printing Fourth Wing with sprayed edges (ISBN 9781649374042), the 2023 Special Edition (9781649376169), and a clean first-printing Iron Flame.
  • You want the bonus chapters: the Fourth Wing Special Edition and the UK Iron Flame paperback.

Empyrean editions we have in stock

Each listing names the exact edition and ISBN, and every used copy carries a condition grade from the bookseller holding it. Stock changes daily.

Need sprayed edges specifically? Message us before ordering and we'll ask the bookseller holding the copy. Browse everything on our Empyrean series page, read the Empyrean books in order, or find your next read in our list of books like Fourth Wing. Collecting Sarah J. Maas too? See our ACOTAR editions guide. US orders over $35 ship free.

Frequently asked questions

Is my Fourth Wing a first edition?

If it's the standard hardcover (ISBN 9781649374042), it's the first edition — library catalogs record that ISBN as "First edition." What collectors pay extra for is an early printing with black sprayed edges and dragon silhouettes, so check the edges.

Do all Fourth Wing hardcovers have sprayed edges?

No. Early printings of the standard hardcover did; later printings of the same ISBN have plain edges. The 2023 Special Edition and the 2025 Wing and Claw edition have decorated edges under their own ISBNs.

Is the Onyx Storm deluxe edition rare?

No. It was the main release, with a first printing of two million copies. The plain Standard Edition (ISBN 9781649377159) sold far fewer copies in launch week.

Which editions have Xaden bonus chapters?

The Fourth Wing Special Edition (ISBN 9781649376169) has two, and the UK Iron Flame paperback (ISBN 9780349437057) has one.

What is the Wing and Claw Collection?

A September 2025 set of US and Canada hardcovers of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame with stenciled edges designed to match Onyx Storm. Threshing Day also has a Wing and Claw edition.

Sources