Rise of the Wingleader Begins An All-New Saga

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There are plenty of new fantasy releases coming out all the time, but very few manage to make the impact that Fourth Wing did when it dropped back in 2023. Written by Rebecca Yarros, the story follows Violet Sorrengail, who is forced by her mother to join the Basgiath War College and become a dragon rider.

While it is fairly traditional fantasy fare, it takes a notably tender approach that puts elements to the forefront which largely go ignored by other writers in the genre. That style has led it towards pretty instantaneous success, with Prime Video picking up the rights to the project for a major TV adaptation, led by Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.

That’s still a little way away, though, but in the meantime, there is another adaptation coming down the pipeline that could easily be one of the most exciting of the bunch.

Over on the official Waterstone’s website, you should be able to find the official listing for Fourth Wing: Rise of the Wingleader, a new board game that directly adapts the Empyrean Universe for play. It’s currently their Game of the Month for July, and it promises to be a faithful adaptation for existing fans.

In sharing what players can expect, the publisher gave the following description for the release:

“In Rise of the Wingleader, players enter the brutal and prestigious Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College, competing to earn glory, reputation, and the respect of powerful dragons. Inspired by the world of Fourth Wing and the Empyrean series, players must outmaneuver rivals by choosing whether to play powerful allies, claim opportunities for status, or fold and wait for the perfect moment to strike.

“Featuring beautifully illustrated scenes and characters from the series, custom dragon player movers inspired by the legendary dragons of the realm, and a collectible metal bookmark depicting Tairn that doubles as the first-player marker, Rise of the Wingleader is a strategic fantasy game of ambition, alliances, and daring decisions for fans of the Empyrean universe.”

It’s the only option in the medium that’s officially tied to the series so far, though you can expect that to change if the series does as well as Amazon are hoping.

Natasha O'Keeffe as Lanfear in The Wheel of Time — Natasha O’Keeffe as Lanfear in The Wheel of Time

That’s certainly not a guarantee, though, as there have been plenty of fantasy projects over the years that have simply fallen by the wayside, or been canceled after failing to meet expectations. Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time is probably the most prescient example of this, so let’s hope Fourth Wing doesn’t fall down the same path.