Fans are in a hurry to wait for the long-awaited sequel to the “romance”.

Fans lined up to get their hands on bestselling author Rebecca Yaras’ long-awaited new fantasy book at one of the publishing events of the year.

Onyx Storm is the third novel in Yaros’ Empyrean series, set in a world of dragons, magic, war, and whirlwind romance.

Its publisher, Little, Brown, said it would be the company’s biggest pre-ordered game since it released the Harry Potter play script in 2016.

Almost 60 Waterstones branches held special events – either opening at midnight on Monday or early on Tuesday – and the chain said the book was likely to “completely eclipse our first day sales” of the previous installment.

Stores also held special openings around the world, including in the US and Australia.

In the US, some avid readers waited until 3am for Target’s exclusive special edition to be released online, but many who stayed awake complained on social media that the store’s website couldn’t keep up with the demand.

Rebecca West, Editorial Director of Little, Brown’s Piaktus, told the Telegraph: “This level of fan devotion hasn’t been seen since Harry Potter.”

In a message to fans on Instagram, Jaras wrote: “1. Now everything is in your hands. 2. Thank you for sharing this incredible experience with me. 3. Enjoy the ride.”

One reader replied: “I’m already dying in the first chapter”, another wrote: “Thank you for sharing this incredible world with us!!!” and someone else asked, “Is it bad that I’m so close to withdrawing from work to read?”

American writer Yaras is one of the biggest names in the booming romance genre.

In anticipation of Onyx Storm’s release, the first two Empyrean books, The Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, have returned to the top of the New York Times Fiction Bestseller List.

They are also currently in the top five of the Sunday Times Paperback Fiction Chart in the UK and were the two most read books worldwide last year among Goodreads users.

The Fourth Wing introduced the heroine Violet Sarengale, a 20-year-old woman who undergoes rigorous training to become an elite dragon rider.

Like the author, Violet has a genetic condition that means the character easily dislocates joints and breaks bones – so you have to use your wits and inner strength to help her survive.

She is also linked to another candidate named Xaden Riarson, who comes from a rival family.

Iron Flame is set in Violet’s second year at Basquiat Military College, while in Onyx Storm, according to the publisher, she “knows there’s no more time for classes” because “the battle has truly begun.”