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When Fourth Wing was released in 2023, author Rebecca Yarros entered the romantasy Hall of Fame. Fans of the genre immediately fell in love with the perilous world Yarros brought to life, following heroine Violet Sorrengail as she became a dragon rider, learned to use her lightning-wielding magic, and, of course, developed a steamy enemies-to-lovers relationship with the devilishly handsome bad boy, Xaden Riorson.
That same year, Yarros released a sequel, Iron Flame, to much-deserved acclaim. Then came Onyx Storm in 2025, which left fans on a devastating cliffhanger.
Enter Threshing Day, Yarros’ latest addition to her series, which tells a series of short stories from the perspectives of 13 different characters—all future dragon riders—as they venture into a deadly forest and attempt to bond with their steed.
Although it doesn’t resolve that Onyx Storm cliffhanger outright, since it’s set in the past, it still teases the series’ future and gives readers some much-sought-after context. (In particular, it provided a deeper understanding of many supporting characters, including a moving tribute to one fan-favorite character who was killed off way too early.)
Unlike Yarros’ other “Empyrean” novels, which all fall somewhere between 500 and 700 pages, Threshing Day is a quicker, breezy read. To be clear, it is still wholly emotionally damaging—would Fourth Wing fans want it any other way?
Until now, Yarros’ readers had only seen the titular Threshing Day from Violet’s perspective, and her experience was… unusual. (That’s putting it lightly, as she bonded with two dragons—something otherwise unheard of in the world Yarros built). And while she had written chapters from male main character Xaden’s perspective in some of the series’ other novels, this was the first time the reader got to see his Threshing Day experience.
Seeing him, again, as the younger, control-focused version of himself really puts much of what he’s been through in the series into perspective—and will still leave hearts fluttering.
But the most interesting part of the novel was the dragons: their lore, history, and how they govern themselves. Additionally, the rich and detailed dragon artwork by Joe Requeza that appears throughout the novella really brought the stories to life—well, mythical life. That’s not to say readers come away knowing everything about the mythical beasts, of course, and it seems fair to say the secrets Yarros still has up her sleeve will become a major plot point in future books.
With no release date set for the fourth full novel in Yarros’ series, Threshing Day is a perfect snack read to tide fans’ appetites over. For now, at least.
