Threshing Day Review: The Cherry on Top of the Empyrean Series (So Far!)
Threshing Day Review: My Thoughts
If you’ve already fallen completely into the Empyrean series, there is something ridiculously satisfying about getting to experience one of its most important events through the eyes of characters other than Violet.
That was probably my biggest takeaway from Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros. I went into this already knowing I was going to enjoy it because I absolutely love Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm. But I wasn’t expecting just how much I would enjoy seeing these characters from different perspectives.
The book gives us thirteen stories surrounding Threshing Day, and what I loved most was how differently each character approaches the same kind of high-stakes situation. Their personalities, thought processes, priorities, backgrounds, problems, and ways of dealing with pressure all come through in their individual stories. Even when they’re facing the same brutal world, their experiences don’t feel interchangeable.
And then there’s Ridoc.
Of course Ridoc was one of my favorite parts. ๐ His relationship with Aotrom had me laughing, and their banter was exactly the kind of thing I love. I’m very much the type of person who turns to humor when I’m anxious or dealing with something difficult, so Ridoc’s tendency to make jokes and find something funny even when things are going sideways felt very familiar to me.
Basically, I loved this book. It was funny, emotional, nostalgic, and exactly the kind of extra Empyrean content I wanted while waiting for Book Four.
Get the Book
If you’d like to read Threshing Day yourself, you can find it on Amazon below:
๐ Get the hardcover edition on Amazon
๐ฑ Get the Kindle edition on Amazon
๐ง Listen to the audiobook on Amazon
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Threshing Day Review: What Worked For Me
Getting Different POVs Was Everything
This was easily one of my favorite things about the book.
We’ve already spent so much time in the Empyrean world through Violet’s perspective, so getting to step into the minds of other characters changes the way you look at them. Suddenly, characters you already know have more context. You get to see what they’re thinking, what they’re worried about, what matters to them, and how differently they process the same kind of pressure.
I really appreciated how Rebecca Yarros managed to make the POVs feel distinct. It would have been very easy for thirteen stories to start blending together, especially when they’re all connected to the same major event. Instead, each character brings their own personality and way of thinking into the story.
Some characters are serious and cautious, while others are sarcastic and impulsive. A few seem to think everything through before making a decision, while others are perfectly happy to wing it and hope for the best.
And honestly, that’s what made the book so much fun.
Every Character Feels Like Their Own Person
I think this is where the multiple POV structure really worked for me.
You can see how someone’s background affects the way they approach a problem. Their priorities are different. Their fears are different. Even their relationships with their dragons have their own personalities.
The dragons aren’t just interchangeable creatures that happen to have different names, either. Their personalities come through in the interactions, and I loved seeing how the rider-dragon relationships reflected the people involved.
The pairings have completely different personalities, too. Some are serious, while others are chaotic and full of banter. Then there are those that have a completely different kind of connection.
That variety kept the stories from feeling repetitive.
Ridoc and Aotrom Were Absolutely a Highlight
Okay, let’s talk about my boy Ridoc. ๐
His relationship with Aotrom was probably one of my favorite parts of the entire book. Their banter is hilarious, and I loved how naturally their personalities fit together. They feel like the perfect match because both of them seem to have the same basic philosophy: things are probably terrible, so we might as well make a joke about it.
And honestly? I get it.
When I’m anxious or going through something difficult, my own tendency is to turn it into a joke. Humor is sometimes how you survive uncomfortable situations, and I really connected with that part of Ridoc.
Their back-and-forth gave the book some much-needed lighter moments, especially because the emotional tone isn’t always funny. There are some genuinely sad moments too, which made the contrast even better.
The Emotional Highs and Lows
One thing I really enjoyed was the variety of emotions throughout the book.
You can go from laughing at Ridoc and Aotrom to suddenly remembering exactly how much emotional baggage some of these characters are carrying. And then there’s Liam.
I noticed that having Ridoc’s story followed by Liam’s created an interesting emotional shift for me. You can be laughing one minute and then suddenly you’re reminded of Liam, and everything feels heavier.
That contrast worked really well.
The book doesn’t feel like thirteen identical retellings of the same event. Each story brings its own emotional experience, and that’s what made reading through all of them so enjoyable for me.
Threshing Day Review: Why It Didn’t Fully Click
Honestly?
I don’t have much here. ๐
This was a five-star read for me, and most of the things that could potentially bother another reader simply didn’t bother me because I already love the Empyrean series.
If someone isn’t already invested in these characters, I can see the multiple POV structure feeling overwhelming. There are thirteen stories, a lot of familiar characters, dragons, relationships, history, and references to things that happened throughout the series. This is definitely not where I’d tell someone to start with Empyrean.
But for me, that wasn’t a problem at all.
I had already read Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm, so I wanted exactly what this book was giving me: more of these characters, more dragons, more of this world, and more reasons to obsess over what might happen next.
My only real complaint is that now I have finished it.
And I need Book Four.
Rebecca, hurry up. ๐
Final Thoughts on Threshing Day
I loved Threshing Day. Like, really loved it.
Being such a huge fan of the Empyrean series, I already expected to enjoy this, but getting all these different perspectives made the experience even better than I expected. Seeing how the characters think, how their backgrounds influence their choices, what they prioritize, and how differently they handle pressure was one of my favorite parts.
The different rider-and-dragon relationships were another highlight for me. Each pairing has its own personality, and that variety made the thirteen stories feel much more distinct. Each pairing has its own personality, and that variety made the thirteen stories feel much more distinct.
And obviously, Ridoc and Aotrom were a highlight for me. Their banter was hilarious, and I loved how perfectly matched they seemed. As someone who also uses humor when things get stressful, Ridoc’s approach to life was very relatable. ๐
But the book isn’t just funny. There are emotional moments too, and I liked that the stories could shift between humor, tension, sadness, and everything in between. The emotional contrast made the experience more memorable, especially when a lighter chapter was followed by something that reminded me just how much these characters have been through.
For someone who has already read the first three Empyrean books, I honestly think Threshing Day is the cherry on top.
It gave me more of the characters and world I already love, showed me sides of them I hadn’t seen before, and reminded me why I got so obsessed with this series in the first place.
Now I just have one problem.
What the hell am I supposed to read next? ๐
I’ve been reading so much horror lately that switching back into fantasy mode was already a little difficult. But when your last fantasy read is this damn good, finding the next book becomes even harder.
So, for now, I guess I’m going back to horror.
And waiting impatiently for Book Four.
Rebecca, hurry up. Seriously.
Book Information
Title: Threshing Day
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre: Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Dragon Fantasy
Page Count: 224 pages
POV: Multiple
Narrative Style: First Person
Series Information: Book 3.5 of the Empyrean series
Themes and Tropes
- identity and individuality
- friendship and loyalty
- courage under pressure
- survival and sacrifice
- rider-dragon bonds
Top 3 Highlights
The Multiple POVs. Getting inside the heads of so many characters was easily one of my favorite things about this book. Each POV felt different because each character approaches problems, relationships, and pressure in their own way.
Ridoc and Aotrom. Their banter was hilarious, and their personalities fit together perfectly. They were absolutely one of my highlights.
The Emotional Variety. I loved that the book wasn’t emotionally one-note. There were funny moments, sad moments, tense moments, and plenty of nostalgia for readers already invested in the series.
Gore Level: 3/5
There is violence, blood, injuries, death, and the dangers you’d expect from the world of Basgiath, but gore isn’t the main focus.
Spice Level: 2/5
There is some sexual content, but this isn’t a particularly spicy read.
Profanity: There is frequent profanity and strong language.
Violence: The story takes place around a brutal military training environment where characters face serious physical danger, combat, injuries, and death.
Substances: Some references to alcohol and drinking.
Who Should Read Threshing Day?
If you’ve already read Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm and you’re sitting there thinking, โI need more,โ then yes. Read this.
This is especially for readers who love the Empyrean characters and want to see them from different perspectives. If you’ve ever wondered what another character was thinking during Threshing Day, how their dragon bond came together, or what was happening inside their head during one of the most important events in the series, this gives you that opportunity.
I’d definitely recommend reading the first three Empyrean books before this one. While Threshing Day is technically a companion collection, it contains material that assumes familiarity with the series and is best experienced once you’re already invested in the characters and world.
Overall Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Threshing Day was exactly the kind of extra Empyrean content I wanted.
I loved the different POVs, the distinct personalities, the rider-and-dragon relationships, the humor, and the emotional highs and lows. Ridoc and Aotrom were an absolute highlight, but I genuinely enjoyed getting a different perspective on so many familiar characters.
Five stars. This was the cherry on top of the Empyrean series so far.
And now I need Book Four. Can’t wait!
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