Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5)
Series: The Empyrean (Book 3.5 / Companion Collection)
Release Date: September 29, 2026
Publisher: Red Tower Books / Entangled Publishing
Genre: High Fantasy / Romantasy / Dragon Rider Fiction
Overview
Threshing Day is a special, highly anticipated companion book in Rebecca Yarros’s blockbuster The Empyrean series. Positioned chronologically as Book 3.5 (arriving between Onyx Storm and the yet-to-be-released Book 4), this collection steps away from a singular linear plot to focus on one of the most brutal, defining traditions at Basgiath War College: Threshing.
The 200-page collection delivers thirteen distinct short stories, each told from the perspective of a beloved secondary or main character, detailing the exact day they faced dragons, fought to survive, and earned their legendary bonds—or watched their peers die trying.
Premise & Structure
On Threshing Day, the rule is brutally simple: don't die. It is the high-stakes trial where first-years at Basgiath attempt to bond a dragon rather than be incinerated or ripped apart.
Rather than following Violet Sorrengail's POV, the collection acts as an ensemble mosaic, featuring perspectives from a wide swath of the cast, including:
Xaden Riorson
Brennan & Mira Sorrengail
Imogen Cardulo & Dain Aetos
Liam & Sloane Mairi
Rhiannon Matthias, Ridoc Gamlyn, Bodhi Durran, Sawyer Henrick, Garrick Tavis, and Aaric Graycastle
Key Highlights & Reader Takeaways
1. Deep Lore & Character Backstories
For fans craving more psychological depth and history on characters like Xaden, Imogen, and Liam, this book is a goldmine. Getting inside their heads during their respective Threshing trials adds entirely new dimensions to their present-day actions, rivalries, and hidden traumas.
2. The Romance and Yearning (Especially Xaden & Imogen)
While it’s not a full-length romance novel, the emotional undercurrents—particularly chapters highlighting deep-seated devotion, hidden grief, and slow-burn yearnings (such as the dynamics between Xaden, Imogen, and others)—hit with incredible emotional impact.
3. Essential Context (With a Warning on Spoilers)
While marketed as an interlude, the book contains subtle background details, worldbuilding expansions, and narrative foreshadowing that connect directly to the overarching plot. Note: Because it builds on events up through Onyx Storm, it is strongly recommended to read this after finishing the mainline books to avoid major structural spoilers.
Final Verdict
Threshing Day is a fantastic, emotionally resonant treat for Empyrean addicts. It successfully bridges the gap between major installments by enriching the world's lore, honoring fan-favorite characters, and reminding readers why the dragon bonds at the heart of this series are so lethal and sacred.
Recommended Reading Order: Read Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm first, then dive into Threshing Day as a companion before waiting for Book 4.