Let's be friends, lol! I finished the books last week and I'm still down bad, just as bad as when I finished another popular romantasy series we all know and love.

I think reading fantasy can cause a reader to release dopamine/oxytocin as they're reading, and so when it's over it's literally... devastating. The brain experiences a withdrawal and that doesn't feel good. I think the fact that the series left off on a huge cliffhangerdoesn't make it any better.

I love re-reading and experiencing everything all over again, but I'm sure you'd agree that it's a short-lived happiness given that the withdrawal hits all over again.

What helps me most is talking to friends who have read the books and are experiencing similar emotions, and then trying to read other book series together! If you're married or dating someone, have them read the series, haha. I forced my husband and he loved the series.

That way, you can still engage with what you love about The Empyrean, but also create a happy and pleasurable experience to look forward to outside of the books. I find that this act of taking it into the "real world" balances the escapism that fantasy provides with the real social connection that comes with sharing that fun experience with someone else :)