NEW YORK – The hottest club in town is a midnight book launch party.
Wearing tons of leather pants, braids, and the occasional dragon costume, “Force Wings” fans went to Vasgeas Army on Monday night to be the first to get their hands on Rebecca Yaros’ “Onyx Storm.” I got ready as if I were heading to university.
Fans who have been waiting more than a year for Jarosz’s latest Romantic novel, the long-awaited follow-up to “Forth Wings” and “Iron Flame,” spent the final two and a half hours countdown spread across four floors of Barnes & Noble Union. Ta. Make friends by beading dragon-themed friendship bracelets and playing trivia from the Empyrean series in a New York City square.
At the Los Angeles event attended by Yaros, Entangled will feature a Glambot photo experience, friendship bracelet stations, temporary tattoos from local artists, and more, said Lizzy Mason, communications director for Entangled Publishing. “They were literally laying out a black carpet,” he said.
For many Yaros readers, Monday was just the beginning of a long night. Like participant Lindsey McCarthy from New York, they plan to start reading the book soon and wonder what Violet, Zaden, and all of The Continent will do next. After winning the trivia contest that night, McCarthy took time off from work to read.
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Readers After Dark: Midnight Release Party is back
The midnight release in Union Square was sold out – and it proved. By 11:30 p.m., the line of readers had snaked around two different floors of Barnes & Noble multiple times. As the clock approached midnight, the cheers of more than 500 readers who counted down from 10 a.m. along with booksellers could be heard over loudspeakers.
The launch party was a welcome scene for Carla Fuentes, a Yaros fan who remembers attending the launches of the last two Harry Potter books at midnight. Just a few months ago, she was here for the midnight launch of Skyshade, the third volume in Alex Astor’s Lightlark series of novels.
For Fuentes, fantasy books are escapism, and the release of Onyx Storm on the same day as the inauguration was a welcome distraction from the news, she said. At an activity station where readers can write a personal note to Jarosz in the “Forth Wing” style “Book of Brennan,” Ms. Fuentes thanks the author for giving her an escape. expressed.
“We had a very meaningful night here,” she told USA TODAY. “This is like my home for big releases.”
This isn’t Entangled’s first flight of midnight release parties, but it’s noticeably larger. Jarosz’s second “Empyrean” novel, “Iron Flame,” had more than 400 publication events in the United States and Canada. For “Onyx Storm,” Entangled planned more than 1,100.
Inspired by the hugely popular midnight release parties for the “Harry Potter,” “Hunger Games” and “Twilight” series, Entangled Publishing told USA TODAY that this event will be in line with fan enthusiasm for the series. He said he chose to make the scale public. Mason said bookstore staff told Entangled that they hadn’t seen a midnight release party this big in over 15 years, which she called a “humble” statistic. say.
“Many of us older generations in publishing remember attending or working midnight release parties when we were younger,” Mason said in an email to USA TODAY. I wrote it in “And there is nothing like the excitement of being with people who love the same thing as you, waiting for the moment when you can all experience the next chapter together.”
It’s no surprise that new romance novels receive such treatment. This subgenre (the intersection of romance and fantasy) is a big driving force in the publishing industry, especially with titles that have gone viral on BookTok, such as the Yaros series and “The Court of Justice.” Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas. This genre includes expansive world-building, erotic romance scenes, and female empowerment.
After ‘Iron Flame’ cliffhanger, fans can’t wait to get answers
For friends Jazmin Rodholt, Ikea Carlos, and Ashley Iman x Fields, the Empyrean books are just an extension of a love of reading they’ve shared since high school. First as a fanfiction reader on Wattpad, and then as a fan of dark romance and paranormal romance. “Fourth Wing” became the catalyst for their romantic infatuation.
Now they can’t get enough. The trio says they’re looking forward to seeing what happens to Xaden after the shocking cliffhanger in “Iron Flame.” They also want to know what Violet’s second sigil is, which is also teased in the last book.
Meanwhile, McCarthy expects further growth from Andaluna, the second young dragon bonded to Violet.
“They dropped a lot of hints into the first and second books,” she says. “I think this is a book that will help you learn more about her history.”
As for the Zaden and Violet aspects, she is not worried. She cites a 2024 interview in which Jarosz said, “It’s not a story without Zaden.” However, she believes a popular fan theory about how Violet’s pure power helps Zaden, who is turning into Venin, an evil dark magic user.
“I think it’s going to have a vampire vibe,” McCarthy says. I just hope it’s not like in Twilight: New Moon where Violet spent half the book depressed because of what happened to Zaden.
Entangled Publishing aims to avoid repeating ‘Iron Flame’ typos
The limited edition deluxe “Onyx Storm” hardcover includes edges sprayed with a dragon design, similar to the one given out at the midnight release party. According to the publisher’s site, these copies will be available while supplies last.
When Iron Flame was released in 2023, typos hit the market, with fans finding damaged edges of the book, typos, missing pages, and pages upside down. To prevent something like this from happening again, Entangled is building “deeper relationships” with printers and distributors and preparing to publish more than 1 million copies, Mason said.
In the event that a misprint occurs, which Mason says is “inevitable in printing,” Entangled has reprints available for affected readers. She directs readers to the FAQ page for the “Empyrean” series.
Bree Archer, Art Director at Entangled, said: “The happiness of our readers is always our goal, and we want the outer packaging to be as memorable as the captivating story inside. ” states.
Claire Mulroy is USA TODAY’s books reporter, covering hot releases, chatting with authors, and diving into reading culture. Find her on Instagram, check out her recent posts, and tell her what you read at [email protected].