Onyx Storm's New Collector's Edition Continues A Frustrating Book Trend That's Unfair To Readers

A new collector’s edition of Onyx Storm has been announced, and it continues a publishing trend that isn’t great for readers. Onyx Storm‘s release date is fast approaching, with the next Fourth Wing sequel hitting shelves on January 21, 2025. After Iron Flame‘s shocking ending, readers are eager to get their hands on the next addition to The Empyrean Series. With any luck, Onyx Storm will answer some of the biggest questions leftover from the first two books.

Like Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, Onyx Storm is getting special editions and even a collector’s edition, allowing readers to purchase the book with features like sprayed edges, original artwork, and even a bookmark. These types of editions can be exciting for readers, but they can also have a downside. Rebecca Yarros and Red Tower Books revealing a new collector’s edition of Onyx Storm from Target has left some readers feeling conflicted (via Instagram). Such editions becoming more common leaves consumers with difficult choices to make.

Onyx Storm’s Editions Are Continuing A Publishing Trend That’s Unfair To Readers

New Books Are Getting Too Many Editions

Custom image by Ana Nieves

While Onyx Storm is certainly not the most troublesome example of a book receiving multiple editions on release day, it still leans into this trend by having both a deluxe and collector’s copy hitting shelves on January 21. While the two versions of Onyx Storm don’t seem to be vastly different — their edge designs vary, and the collector’s edition has a ribbon bookmark, original art, and a full-color map — these details could push readers to buy multiple copies of the same book. The later announcement of the collector’s edition also didn’t give readers who placed a preorder ample time to choose.

There are worse examples of it, as some special editions feature more than artwork and bookmarks; they also include bonus content readers must buy specific copies to read.

Of course, Onyx Storm is far from the first book to release multiple versions that readers have had to navigate. And on the bright side, the various versions of the next Fourth Wing book don’t appear to contain different bonus chapters, a move that incentivizes readers to buy multiple copies. Even so, this publishing trend is becoming a frustrating one for readers and their wallets. And there are worse examples of it, as some special editions feature more than artwork and bookmarks; they also include bonus content readers must buy specific copies to read.

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For instance, House of Flame and Shadow, which was one of the biggest fantasy releases of 2024, included exclusive scenes in several of its special editions — meaning readers had to purchase multiple copies in order to see all the bonus content. Maas’ ACOTAR books also have bonus chapters in their special editions, with A Court of Silver Flames having two that are exclusive to different retailers. Fourth Wing‘s special editions contain chapters from Xaden’s perspective, and Reckless by Lauren Roberts also has different versions with bonus chapters exclusive to them.

These are just a few examples, and many books are now getting collector’s editions with bonus content after their release. Although these are appealing to diehard fans of certain books and series, they’re getting a bit overwhelming to keep up with. And that’s not the only negative effect of this publishing craze.

Special Editions Are Becoming Less Special Thanks To This New Book Trend

So Many Books Are Getting Collector’s & Deluxe Editions

Having so many collector’s and deluxe editions of books can be unfair to readers, but it also makes such releases feel less special. One only has to walk into a bookstore to see tables and shelves lined with special editions of books, new and old, all seeking to capitalize on the sprayed-edges trend. The number of special editions to come out recently is jarring, and it makes a case for them being a norm, not an exception. It’s no surprise that a release as huge as Onyx Storm is getting multiple, as just about every big novel is getting this treatment.

Source: Instagram