- Is your Onyx Storm copy late? Email frankie.elliott@mailonline.co.uk
Furious Romantasy novel lovers took to social media to blast UK book sellers after they failed to deliver a copy of the highly anticipated Onyx Storm novel on its release day.
Fans of the ‘fairy porn’ genre had all earmarked Tuesday, January 21, in their calendars as the day the third instalment of the popular five-part Empyrean series by author Rebecca Yarros became available to read.
The franchise’s success had meant the latest steamy dragon-riding story was being listed on bestseller charts as early as August last year because of pre-order numbers.
And hundreds of supporters also signed up in droves to attend midnight release parties across the UK earlier this week to make sure they got their hands on the viral hit.
But for several book worms, this excitement quickly turned to disappointment as they realised their pre-ordered hardback copy would not be delivered in time.
After failing to receive an email confirming their book had been dispatched, many of them took to TiktTok and X to vent their frustration at the failures of companies such as Waterstones and Amazon.
Some claimed they had placed their orders months ago in preparation for the big day, while others moaned that they would now have to stay off social media entirely until their copy arrived to avoid seeing spoilers.
One Tiktoker vented their frustrations by saying: ‘What’s the point in pre-ordering a book if it’s not going to arrive. Everyone is just going to be disappointed. There are just going to be lots of angry people.
‘I had taken a day off for it. This had been my self-care time, I have had a difficult time these last few months so I was just going to sit here and read my book. I’m just going to have to read the kindle, and I’m not a kindle person. It’s not the same.
‘There are now spoilers all over TikTok from people who have got it early. It’s all getting messy and the enjoyment of it has gone.’
Another user explained the great lengths they had gone to in order to make sure their sacred copy was delivered in an orderly fashion.
”All I wanted to do today was come home from work, sit with my cup of tea and my chocolate and read my new book,’ they explained.
‘My boyfriend, who has been on night shifts this week, had waited in all day today knowing how much I wanted to read this book for it to not turn up.
‘I pre-ordered this as soon as it was announced. So now I need to avidly avoid spoilers when the entirety of the online community is reading this book. It’s just not good enough.’
Many fans were left in a state of panic due to not having their pre-ordered book arrive on time and said they had been forced to buy the book again in a different format – either as an audio book or in a digital format for their kindle.
But those who were desperate to read the story in its original format and not keen to wait around decided to order another hardback version from a different site.
One fan said: ‘Whilst I have pre-ordered the audio book, I don’t know when my physical copy is coming from Waterstones. This has led me onto Amazon to find it for a lot cheaper and guaranteed delivery tomorrow. So obviously I bought a second copy because I want to read it.’
The ‘fairy porn’ or ‘Romantasy’ – which sees writers blend romance and elements of high fantasy – has taken the world by storm, with its fans being mainly young middle-class women.
Its popularity has turned authors such as Yarros and Sarah J Mass, writer of the A Court Of Thorns And Roses (ACOTAR) series, into bestsellers.
Their novels have become viral sensations thanks to BookTok – the corner of TikTok where users share their love of books and literature.
The books feature an array of mystical creatures but, most importantly, very detailed sex scenes.
Ms Yarros’s first novel Fourth Wing was the Goodreads most read book of 2024, attracting more than a million readers.
Its success has led to the story now being developed into a series for television by Amazon MGM Studios alongside Michael B. Jordan’s production company.
The sequel, Iron Flame, took second place with 999,000 readers, telling the story of the second year at Basgiath War College.
And the latest instalment in the series was ‘set to smash UK publisher records’, with Ms Yarros’s publisher Little Brown taking its biggest pre-order numbers for a book since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
In anticipation for the big release, fans across the UK queued for hours in the late hours of Monday night to attend Onyx Storm midnight release parties.
Videos posted onto social media saw book worms show up in fancy dress, take part in dragon-themed quizzes and buy a coveted copy of the viral hit.
The latest tale chronicles the continuation of protagonist Violet Sorrengail’s story as a dragon rider in a fictional war college and her romance with fellow rider Xaden Riorson.
MailOnline have approached Waterstones and Amazon for a comment.
