What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
To unlock Book IV—labelled Book 4 in the game—first collect every story reward in Book 1. From the home screen, open the menu, choose Change Stories, and select Book 4. That unlocks access to the book. Its individual chapters are a separate progression: win battles to earn Story Fragments, then spend those fragments to open chapters on the light or shadow side.
Book IV has two unlock steps
Fire Emblem Shadows separates opening a new book from opening the chapters inside it. Completing the first requirement makes Book 4 selectable; battle rewards then control how far you can advance through its story.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Fire Emblem: Three Houses | $74.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - Switch | $38.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | Buy on Amazon | |
| 4 |
|
Fire Emblem™ Engage - Nintendo Switch | $66.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Fire Emblem™: Fortune's Weave - Nintendo Switch 2 | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| What you want to do | Requirement | Where it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Make Book 4 available | Collect all of Book 1’s story rewards | Book 1 progression, then the home-screen menu |
| Switch into Book 4 | Use Change Stories and select Book 4 | Home screen |
| Open Book 4 chapters | Collect Story Fragments from battle rewards | Battle results and the selected story side |
| Advance the light story | Earn the fragments needed for light-side chapters | Light-side battles and chapter progression |
| Advance the shadow story | Earn the fragments needed for shadow-side chapters | Shadow-side battles and chapter progression |
Clearing or entering Book 4 is therefore not the same as finishing its available chapters. If you can select Book 4 but a chapter remains locked, that is normally a Story Fragment requirement rather than a failure to unlock the book.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteBefore you try to unlock Book 4
Finish Book 1’s story-reward collection
The prerequisite is collecting all of Book 1’s story rewards. The shorter wording in the game’s app listing—“Clear Book 1 to access Book 4”—describes the same gate, but the fuller instruction is more precise: check that every Book 1 story reward has been collected, not merely that you have entered the book or completed part of its narrative.
#1 Best Overall
- Here, order is maintained by the Church of Seiros from its headquarters at Garreg Mach Monastery, home to the Officers Academy, where you’re invited to teach one of its three mighty houses: The Black Eagles, The Blue Lions, and The Golden Deer.
- Which house will you choose?
- As its professor, you must lead your students in class and in tactical RPG battles wrought with strategic, new twists to overcome.
- Return to Book 1 if you still have unclaimed story rewards.
- Collect each reward tied to Book 1’s story progression.
- Do not treat ordinary battle rewards as a substitute for Book 1 story rewards; they serve a different purpose later, when you open chapters.
The official instructions do not state a required player level, a particular disciple, a number of battles, or a time limit for this prerequisite.
Step-by-step: unlock and select Book 4
- Complete Book 1’s reward track. Progress through Book 1 until all of its story rewards have been collected.
- Return to the home screen. The book-selection control is located in the home-screen menu, not in the middle of a battle.
- Open the menu and choose Change Stories. This is the official route for unlocking and switching to new Books.
- Select Book 4. Book IV is referred to as Book 4 by the game’s current materials. Choose that entry after it becomes available.
- Confirm the story side you want to play. Book 4 contains light and shadow story progression. Select the side whose chapters you want to advance.
After step five, you have access to Book 4. You have not automatically opened every chapter; chapter access uses Story Fragments earned from battles.
How to unlock Book 4 chapters
Earn Story Fragments in battles
Story Fragments are battle rewards. Play battles after switching to Book 4 and collect the fragments awarded at the results screen. The official instructions do not publish a fixed number of battles or fragments required for a particular chapter, so the game’s chapter screen is the authority for the current amount needed.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Match fragments to the story you want to advance
Fighting on the light or shadow side advances the corresponding story. If a light-side chapter is locked, continue battles associated with the light story; use the shadow side when you want to progress shadow chapters. This side-specific structure explains why a player may have enough overall progress to be in Book 4 while still seeing a chapter locked on the other side.
Rank #2
- Command Fire Emblem: Three Houses characters like Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude in epic real-time battles
- Play through three distinct storylines set in the Fire Emblem: Three Houses universe, each with a different ending, from the point of view of a new protagonist, Shez.
- Combine the action-packed Warriors-style gameplay with the strategy and style of the Fire Emblem series
- Fight through hordes of enemies with Fire Emblem: Three Houses characters and their distinct abilities
- Use Fire Emblem series mechanics like the weapons triangle, character classes, crests, and battalions to tailor your strategy
Use any disciple
The play guide says that any disciple can be used to progress in either story. You do not need to identify a special disciple before beginning Book 4, and changing disciples is not the documented unlock condition. Choose the disciple that suits your battle plan while the selected story side determines which narrative progression you are pursuing.
Book 4 content reported in the September 25, 2026 announcement
Nintendo’s announcement dated September 25, 2026 identifies Book 4 as An Island Apart. It reports Chapters 1 and 2 for both the light and shadow stories at that point in time. This is a release snapshot, not a guarantee that no later chapters have been added or that the menu will remain unchanged.
| Book 4 detail | What the dated announcement reports |
|---|---|
| Book title | An Island Apart |
| Story sides | Light and shadow |
| Chapters reported as added | Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 on both sides |
| Announcement date | September 25, 2026 |
If your game shows additional chapters beyond this list, follow the current in-game requirements. If it shows fewer options, update the game as appropriate for your platform and verify that Book 1’s rewards are fully collected.
Recommended Free Tools
Unlocking Book 4 versus unlocking a chapter
These two tasks are easy to confuse because both are described as “unlocking Book 4.” Use the following diagnostic split:
Rank #3
- The Officers Academy is home to three houses: The Black Eagles with house leader Edelgard, The Blue Lions with house leader Dimitri, and The Golden Deer with house leader Claude
- As a professor, lead students in their academic lives and on the battlefield
- A turn-based, tactical RPG that puts new twists on strategic battling
- Freely roam Garreg Mach Monastery and interact with students in a variety of ways to bond with them. In the classroom, tutor your students to help them
- Grow in the skill sets required to become specific classes
Book 4 does not appear in Change Stories
This points to the Book 1 gate. Recheck Book 1’s story-reward list and collect anything still unclaimed, then return to the home screen and reopen Change Stories. Selecting a battle or collecting a Story Fragment will not replace the missing Book 1 story reward requirement.
Book 4 appears, but a chapter is locked
The book-access step has worked. The remaining requirement is chapter progression through Story Fragments earned as battle rewards. Continue battles on the side associated with the locked chapter and check the chapter screen again after claiming the battle rewards.
One side progresses while the other does not
Light and shadow progression correspond to their respective battle sides. Switch to the side whose story you want to advance, then earn its battle rewards. You may use any disciple in either story, so a side-specific lock is not evidence that you selected the wrong disciple.
The menu labels look different
Menus and chapter availability can change as the game receives updates. The documented route is the home screen’s story-changing control, currently labelled Change Stories. Look for the equivalent story-selection option if your edition presents slightly different wording, and confirm that Book 1’s rewards are complete before troubleshooting further.
Rank #4
- Reawaken as a Divine Dragon and take down a thousand-year-old threat
- Take on turn-based, tactical combat and use Emblem Rings to customize your strategy
- Collect Emblem Rings and use them to summon heroes from past Fire EmblemTM games
- Fire EmblemTM Engage launches on January 20, 2023 alongside Fire Emblem Engage: Divine Edition featuring a steelbook case and art book
A practical progression checklist
- Book 1 is finished to the point that every story reward is collected.
- You are on the home screen rather than inside a battle.
- You opened the menu and selected Change Stories.
- Book 4, also called Book IV in player phrasing, is selected.
- You chose light or shadow according to the chapters you want to open.
- You claimed Story Fragments from battle results.
- You returned to the chapter screen and checked the current fragment requirement.
- You understand that the September 25, 2026 content snapshot lists Chapters 1 and 2 for both sides, while later availability may differ.
What is not required by the documented instructions
The official guidance does not identify a special purchase, accessory, premium currency, particular disciple, player-level threshold, or fixed battle count as a Book 4 requirement. The documented unlock is based on Book 1 story rewards and the Change Stories menu. Chapter progression then uses Story Fragments from battles.
Because no official figure is given for the number of battles or fragments needed, avoid relying on an online estimate as though it were universal. Requirements can vary by chapter, story side, or a later game update; use the number displayed by your current chapter screen.
Quick answer for returning players
If you already completed Book 1, go to the home screen, open the menu, choose Change Stories, and select Book 4. If Book 4 is selectable but its chapters are locked, play battles, claim the Story Fragments they award, and continue on the light or shadow side that matches the chapter you want. Any disciple can be used in either story.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I see Book 4 in the Change Stories menu?
Book 1’s story rewards may not all be collected. Finish claiming every Book 1 story reward, return to the home screen, and open Change Stories again.
Best Value
- Enter the Dagdan Empire—a prosperous land ruled by the gods—and compete in the Heroic Games for the chance to be granted one wish
- Play as four heroes competing in the Heroic Games whose fortunes are tied to the fate of the world
- Prepare for each match of the Heroic Games by exploring Dagda and its capital city of Dagsion
- Learn skills at the training grounds, recruit allies and build bonds of friendship, and explore beyond Dagsion’s walls to gain experience
- Use everything you have at your disposal, including your heroes’ special abilities, to turn the tide of battle
Does selecting Book 4 unlock every chapter immediately?
No. Selecting the book unlocks access to it. Individual chapters require Story Fragments earned as battle rewards.
Do I need a specific disciple for Book 4?
No. The play guide says any disciple can be used to progress in either the light or shadow story.
How many battles or Story Fragments are required?
The official instructions do not give a universal number. Check the requirement shown for the specific chapter in your current game version.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.




