History Literature / TheEmpyrean

* ArtisticLicenseLinguistics: The series uses several Scottish Gaelic words and names, mostly when it comes to the dragons, but they're not always utilised correctly (the author admitted at the launch of ''Iron Flame'' that she didn't have much experience with the language when she began writing the series and only got tutoring ''after'' writing the first two books, including not knowing how to pronounce "Gaelic" properly[[note]]with Scottish Gaelic, it's pronounced closer to "gaa-lik" rather than the common mispronounciation "gay-lik"[[/note]]). This includes the use of the word "gormfaileas" to mean "blue shadow" ("gorm" meaning "blue", "faileas" meaning "shadow"); because the noun usually comes before the adjective in Gaelic, it should actually be written as "faileas gorm". It's far from the only instance of Gaelic words being incorrectly combined or misspelled. It's also been noted that the audiobook narrator tends to struggle with the pronunciation of Gaelic.

* ArtisticLicenseLinguistics: The series uses several Scottish Gaelic words and names, mostly when it comes to the dragons, but they're not always utilised correctly (the author admitted at the launch of ''Iron Flame'' that she didn't have much experience with the language when she began writing the series and only got tutoring ''after'' writing the first two books, including not knowing how to pronounce "Gaelic" properly[[note]]with Scottish Gaelic, it's pronounced closer to "gaa-lik" rather than the common mispronounciation "gay-lik"[[/note]]). This includes the use of the word "gormfaileas" to mean "blue shadow" ("gorm" meaning "blue", "faileas" meaning "shadow"); because the noun usually comes before the abjective in Gaelic, it should actually be written as "faileas gorm". It's far from the only instance of Gaelic words being incorrectly combined or misspelled. It's also been noted that the audiobook narrator tends to struggle with the pronunciation of Gaelic.

''The Empyrean'' is a new-adult fantasy series by Rebecca Yarros. The first book, ''Fourth Wing'', was published in May 2023. The second book, ''Iron Flame'', was published seven months later in November 2023.

** Their method of dealing with the children of rebels also deserves special mention. After forcing said children to watch their parents execution (at least SOME people objected to this part), they then force them to enter rider training, which is usually a volunteer duty. Obviously the assumption is that they'll mostly die in training, but inevitably some survive to become riders. The end result being that they have intentionally put a group of people with incredibly obvious dislike of Navarre's government into critically important positions of person, political, and military power. [[spoiler:Is anyone surprised when they end up using this power [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard against Navarre]]?]].

* StupidEvil: Navarre's government engages in this, with the implication it's the reason the war isn't going so well for them despite them having dragons on their side. Their method of selecting and training dragon riders to weed out any weakness is ''so'' dangerous and cutthroat, barely any of the recruits make it through (with some being killed by fellow trainees), with dozens of potentially capable soldiers dying even though there's apparently a shortage of riders. Navarre's practice of forcing the children of rebels and traitors into rider training to punish them also backfires, given that some of them actually survive to become riders [[spoiler:and proceed to use the weapons and training the academy provides [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard against Navarre]]]].