Do I need to read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame before Threshing Day?

Yes. Threshing Day is a companion collection set alongside the main Empyrean series and assumes you already know its characters and events. It is not the place to start the series.

What is Threshing Day about?

It collects thirteen short stories, one for each of thirteen Basgiath War College cadets, following their own experience of Threshing, the day cadets either bond with a dragon or do not survive trying. One of the thirteen is Xaden Riorson's, showing his bond with Sgaeyl for the first time from his own point of view rather than Violet Sorrengail's.

Where does Threshing Day fit in the Empyrean series' numbering?

It is listed as The Empyrean, Book 3.5, a companion volume released after Onyx Storm and before the untitled fourth mainline novel, rather than a numbered continuation of the main story.

Threshing Day

Reader reviews of Threshing Day

Tara · 2026-10-10T12:41:01.000000Z

Am I biased because I'm already completely and utterly obsessed with the Empyrean series? Probably. Do I care? Absolutely not. Rebecca Yarros could probably publish a grocery list from Basgiath War College at this point, and I'd be sitting there analysing the significance of the eggs, wondering if the bread was foreshadowing something, and developing three new theories before breakfast. *Threshing Day* was everything I didn't know I needed. I absolutely DEVOURED this book. Every chapter, every rider, every Threshing story. I couldn't get enough. What made this book so special was getting inside the minds of the riders. Their thoughts, fears, hopes, dreams, insecurities and even the demons they carry. Some stories were incredibly raw, emotional and heartbreaking, while others felt warm, comforting and almost effortless. Yet somehow, every single one felt complete. Like each story was exactly as long as it needed to be. And the bonds between riders and dragons? There was something so satisfying about watching those connections form. Each pairing felt so perfectly matched, as though fate had already decided long before either of them knew it. Different personalities, different struggles, different journeys, but when the right rider met the right dragon, everything just CLICKED. **Ridoc and Aotrom?** Oh, my HEART! I genuinely sat there grinning from ear to ear reading their Threshing story. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. Their connection just felt so wonderfully *right*, and I couldn't wipe the ridiculous smile off my face. **Sloane?** Well, I'm looking at her in a WHOLE new light. There's so much more beneath the surface than I realised, and her story gave me an entirely different perspective on her character. **Mira?** I already loved her, but somehow I've walked away with an even deeper admiration for her. Which, quite frankly, I didn't think was possible. And **Aaric?!** Sir. You already had my curiosity. Now you have my FULL attention. I was intrigued by him before, but now? I NEED MORE. More backstory, more insight, more everything. There is so much about him I want to understand, and I'm absolutely not satisfied with the crumbs we've been given. Honestly, I was sitting there like a proud parent watching their children graduate. Except the children are emotionally traumatised dragon riders, and graduation involves potentially being incinerated. You know, the usual. But of course, this is Rebecca Yarros we're talking about. The woman who apparently considers leaving her readers emotionally unstable and questioning EVERYTHING a perfectly acceptable hobby. Because even in this smaller collection of stories, she has somehow managed to keep me firmly in her chokehold. And can we talk about the **blood and bleeding during bonding** for a second?! Because I have THOUGHTS. Do I have an actual, fully developed theory? Absolutely not. Do I have a weird little suspicion that there's something significant about blood, bleeding and the bonding process that we haven't quite figured out yet? **YES. YES, I DO.** I can't even properly explain why. It's just one of those little details that's lodged itself in my brain, refusing to leave. Maybe it means something. Maybe it means absolutely nothing. Maybe Rebecca Yarros has conditioned me to believe that every paper cut is secretly foreshadowing a major plot twist. At this point, I wouldn't put it past her. No spoilers, but let's just say my brain has already opened approximately 47 new investigation files. Questions have been raised. Connections have been made. Theories are forming. My imagination is working overtime, and somewhere in the depths of my mind, there's a detective standing in front of a conspiracy board covered in red string screaming, *“IT ALL MEANS SOMETHING!”* And honestly? **That's one of my absolute favourite things about the Empyrean series.** It's not just the stories themselves. It's everything that happens AFTER you've finished reading. The conversations, the fan theories, the tiny details you suddenly remember, the desperate need to go back and reread something because WHAT IF WE MISSED SOMETHING?! I love that this world continues to live rent-free in my head long after I've closed the book. Yes, *Threshing Day* is considerably shorter than the other books in the series, and I would have happily devoured another 500 pages. But maybe that's exactly what we needed. Just enough to feed the obsession, fuel the theories and keep us questioning absolutely everything until book four finally arrives. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ **Five very enthusiastic stars.** A beautiful collection of stories that gave these riders and their dragons their own moments to shine, while reminding me exactly why I fell in love with this world in the first place. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have approximately 900 theories to investigate, several books to reread, and absolutely no intention of behaving like a normal, well-adjusted person until the next Empyrean instalment.

By&

Novella High Fantasy Romantasy

Pages: 210
Published: 2026
Language: English

Synopsis

Threshing is the day every first-year cadet at Basgiath War College finds out whether a dragon will bond with them. Most walk out of the valley with one, or without one. A few do not walk out at all. This collection gathers thirteen cadets' own versions of that day, across the world of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame.

One of the thirteen belongs to Xaden Riorson. His bond with his dragon, Sgaeyl, has so far only been shown through Violet Sorrengail's eyes. The rest follow other cadets and riders through the same field, each with a different stake in the outcome.

Each story is illustrated: the first edition includes sixteen full-color pieces by artist Joe Requeza. Yarros has described the book as a companion to the Empyrean series, set apart from its fourth novel, filling in a day the earlier books only referenced in passing.

It carries the same violence as the main series. Cadets die at Basgiath, and Threshing is where many of them do. Readers already invested in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame will get the most from it. It is not the place to start the series.

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