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.