Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros Review: Dragons, Easter Eggs & So Many Theories Before Fourth Wing’s Next Book
Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros Review: Dragons, Easter Eggs & So Many Theories Before Fourth Wing's Next Book
There is something about returning to the world of Fourth Wing that makes me forget about every other book on my TBR. The dragons, the characters (Xaden!!!), the world building, the tension, the romance, the endless possibilities of the Empyrean universe… This is one of my favorite fantasy universe.
And when I picked up Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros, I honestly wasn’t expecting to become quite so obsessed. To be honest, as we are all waiting for Book 4 of the Empyrean Series, I was quite skeptical of a novella for Fourth Wing. I initially thought that thirteen stories about different characters bonding with their dragons might become a little repetitive. I wondered how much variety we could really get from the same event happening thirteen times.
Oh, how wrong I was.
I flew through this book. I could not put it down, and by the time I finished, I was left with so many feelings, so many questions, and an overwhelming need to reread the entire Empyrean series. Because if you think Threshing Day is just a cute little filler book to keep us entertained while we wait for the next main installment, I have news for you. This book is so much more than that.
What Is Threshing Day Book About?
Threshing Day is a novella set in the world of the Empyrean series. It contains thirteen stories following familiar characters of Fourth Wing as they face Threshing, the dangerous event at Basgiath War College where dragons choose their riders.
Instead of following Violet Sorrengail alone (which is the story of Fourth Wing Book 1), we get to experience this defining moment through the eyes of all other characters, including Xaden Riorson, Brennan Sorrengail, Mira Sorrengail, Sloane Mairi, Imogen Cardulo, Garrick Tavis, Dain Aetos, Liam Mairi and more.
And that is precisely what makes this collection so interesting. We already know all of these characters and their dragons, but we have not necessarily had the opportunity to understand their experiences, their dragons, their story and the moments that helped shape them.
Each story has its own personality, emotional weight, and surprises. Some stories were stronger than others for me (Sloane’s chapter was definitely my favourite along with Xaden’s) but I was genuinely surprised by how distinct they felt. Rather than reading the same story thirteen times, I felt as though I was discovering thirteen different pieces of a much bigger puzzle. Every chapter felt like something new clicking into place. And, naturally, Rebecca Yarros being Rebecca Yarros, there are details that make you stop, reread a sentence, and immediately start questioning everything you thought you knew.
My Favorite Thing About Threshing Day: The Dragons!
One of the things I have wanted more of throughout the Empyrean series is a deeper understanding of the side characters and their dragons.
When you read Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm, there are so many characters, dragon names, colors, tails, bonds, and relationships to keep track of. I sometimes found myself feeling a little disconnected from some of the dragons because we didn’t always get the background or detail I wanted.
I knew their names, and I knew they were important, but I wanted to understand more about them. I wanted to know why they chose their riders, what their bonds meant, and how those relationships began. And Threshing Day delivered exactly what I needed.
Getting to see the stories behind these dragon bonds made the characters and their dragons feel much more real to me. It gave me a better understanding of the connections we already know and made me even more invested in the riders themselves.
I also loved that the dragons feel like more than just magical beasts. Their presence, their choices, and the circumstances surrounding their bonds add another layer to the world-building.
And with the gorgeous illustrations in the Wing and Claw edition? I was completely sold. I could spend an unreasonable amount of time just admiring the dragons in this book.
If you love the dragons as much as I do, the illustrations alone make this edition something special.
Spoilers Ahead: The Easter Eggs, Secrets & Theories!
Please stop here if you haven’t read Threshing Day yet. Major spoilers and discussion of the wider Empyrean series follow.
If there is one thing I want every Empyrean fan to understand, it is that this book deserves to be read carefully.
Not because every single story contains a massive revelation, but because the little details matter. There are hints, connections, and moments that made me stop and think, Wait a minute… what does this mean? I finished the book feeling as though I needed to reread not only Threshing Day, but the entire series. There is just so much to analyze, and I am convinced that some of these details will become even more significant as the story continues.
Imogen’s dragon bond changes everything
One of the biggest things that caught my attention was learning that Imogen knew the dragon she eventually bonded with from the time she was five, because it was her grandmother’s dragon.And the fact that this connection appears to go against the rules of the Codex makes it even more intriguing. She also bonded with her dragon before Threshing Day. Excuse me?
We have been given certain expectations about how dragon bonding works, and this raises so many questions about what is actually possible. How much do the dragons decide for themselves? How long can they plan a bond? What does a connection across generations really mean? And, perhaps most importantly, how much of what we have been told about the rules is actually the complete truth?
I need answers.
Why are so many dragons bonding within the same bloodlines?
Another detail that I cannot stop thinking about is the apparent pattern of dragons bonding with people from the bloodlines of their previous riders, despite the rules that seem to forbid it.
Is this coincidence? Are the dragons deliberately choosing certain families? Is there a reason behind these repeated connections that we have not yet understood? I find this particularly fascinating because it changes how I think about dragon bonds. What if some of these connections are not as random as they initially appear? What if the dragons know far more than we realize? And what if their choices are part of something much bigger?
I am officially entering conspiracy-theory territory, but I cannot help it. These are exactly the kinds of details that make me love this series.
The blue dragons and their royal riders
And then we have the blue dragons bonding with Xaden and Aaric. Considering what we know about their riders, the royal connections, and the larger stakes surrounding the dragons, this is another detail that deserves attention. The possibility that these dragons’ choices are connected to a much bigger plan is fascinating, especially when we consider the destructive goals and conflicts surrounding the world of the Empyrean.
What do the dragons know? Why these riders? And how much of their decision-making is connected to the future of Navarre and the world beyond it?
I do not have all the answers, and I don’t want to pretend that every connection is already confirmed. But I love that Threshing Day gives us more details to connect and more reasons to question what we thought we understood.
This is the kind of world-building that makes me want to grab all three main books, annotate every dragon-related passage, and start a very large conspiracy board.
The romance
On the romance front, I was so happy to get more of Imogen and Garrick. I have always been curious about their dynamic, and getting more insight into their feelings and the reasons they are not together yet made me appreciate their relationship even more. I love the yearning. I love the tension. I love understanding why two characters who clearly have so much history between them are still navigating their feelings. Their story gives us more context for their relationship without making everything feel too easy or straightforward.
And then there is Sloane and Dain. As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely loved seeing the beginning of what could become a true enemies-to-lovers romance. There is so much potential there, and I am genuinely excited to see whether this dynamic develops further in the main series.
Between these relationships and the glimpses of Xaden falling for Violet, this collection gave me plenty of romantic moments to obsess over. I came for the dragons, but I was certainly not leaving without my small romance fix.
Dragonkind: Rebecca Yarros Is Letting Us Enter the World Ourselves
As if giving us a beautiful book full of dragons and secrets were not enough, Rebecca Yarros also launched Dragonkind, an official interactive experience that lets readers step into the world of Basgiath themselves.
And yes, the concept is exactly as exciting as it sounds. Instead of simply reading about cadets entering the Threshing Valley and hoping to survive, you get to take on the role of a cadet yourself. You enter the Rider’s Quadrant, make choices throughout the experience, and face the possibility of bonding with a dragon. Or, because this is the Empyrean universe, meeting a much less fortunate end.
I love the idea of being able to experience a small part of this world from a different perspective. We spend so much time reading about the dangers of Threshing, the dragons’ choices, and the bonds that change these characters’ lives. Being able to participate in an interactive version of that experience makes the world feel even more immersive. It is also such a fun way for the fandom to engage with the series between books. We can read the stories, discuss the clues, develop theories, and then step into the world ourselves.
If you are as obsessed with dragons as I am, I highly recommend checking it out. You can try to get a dragon yourself at dragonkind.com. Just be prepared to become even more invested in the question of which dragon might choose you. And honestly, at this point, just give us a full video game based on fourth wing please!
Is Threshing Day Worth Reading?
100% yes. I finished Threshing Day feeling happy, emotional, and slightly overwhelmed by the number of theories now living rent-free in my head. I loved the dragons. I loved getting to know the side characters better. I loved Sloane’s emotional story, Xaden’s softer moments, and the yearning between Imogen and Garrick. I loved the details that made me question the rules of the world, and I loved having more reasons to return to a series that already means so much to me.
What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed the individual stories. I went in expecting something that might feel repetitive, but instead, I found thirteen distinct perspectives, emotional moments, romantic tension, and details that have me rethinking parts of the series. And I especially appreciate that it gives the side characters more room to breathe. These are people who have always been part of the larger story, but now we get to see more of their experiences and understand the relationships that shaped them. For me, that made the Empyrean world feel richer and more connected.
I would recommend reading Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm before picking this one up, as the companion collection contains spoilers and works best when you already know the main characters and the world. I had wanted more insight into the side characters and their dragons, and that is exactly what this book gave me. It made me feel more connected to the riders, more curious about the dragons, and more convinced that there are still so many secrets waiting to be uncovered.
