literary gluttony

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

There are few fictional worlds I can return to quite as eagerly as the world of The Empyrean Series. Threshing Day brings readers back to Basgiath War College, but instead of continuing Violet’s story, this companion book gives us thirteen different perspectives on one of the most important moments in a rider’s life: Threshing.

Through these short stories, we experience the terrifying, exhilarating process of dragons choosing their riders through the eyes of familiar faces from the series. It offers glimpses into characters we’ve already grown attached to, gives us a closer look at their fears and motivations, and—perhaps most importantly—lets us spend more time with the dragons themselves.

And honestly? I will never complain about getting an excuse to spend more time in this world.

I didn’t realize quite how much I missed this universe until I started reading Threshing Day.

There’s something incredibly comforting about returning to a world that already feels familiar. I knew these characters. I knew the stakes. I knew enough about their futures to have that delicious little ache of anticipation hanging over every page.

And getting to see them from perspectives outside of Violet’s was such a treat.

One of my favorite things about this collection is the way it takes characters we’ve already met and lets us peek behind the curtain a little. We get to see their fears, insecurities, motivations, and relationships in ways the main series simply doesn’t always have room for. The dragon-and-rider relationships were especially fun to explore because each pairing has its own personality and dynamic.

Some feel like two halves of the same chaotic brain.

Others feel like complete opposites who somehow fit together perfectly.

And then there are the dragons who seem to have approximately zero patience for the humans they’ve chosen.

Naturally, those were some of my favorites.

Here is where my half-star comes into play.

I genuinely loved this book.

But it was just long enough to get me completely invested and then it ended.

Which is rude.

Very rude.

I understand what Threshing Day is meant to be. It’s a companion collection, not the next full-length installment in the series, and I went into it knowing that. But Rebecca Yarros somehow managed to make me emotionally invested in these little snapshots of these characters’ lives all over again.

And then she took the book away from me.

Excuse me, ma’am?

I wanted more.

More time with the characters. More time with the dragons. More glimpses into relationships I already care about. More little pieces of this world that make me feel like I’m wandering around Basgiath again.

Every time I settled into a story and thought, Oh, yes. Give me this, it was suddenly over and I was being dropped into the next perspective.

That isn’t necessarily a flaw with the book itself. In many ways, it’s a testament to how effective these stories are. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had barely gotten comfortable before it was time to leave.

There’s also something wonderfully nostalgic about this book.

Threshing Day doesn’t need to reinvent The Empyrean Series to be enjoyable. It simply gives fans more of the things that made us fall in love with it in the first place.

Dragons.

Basgiath.

Characters we adore.

Characters who occasionally make us want to scream.

A little bit of danger.

A little bit of heartbreak.

And plenty of reasons to become wildly attached to fictional people who apparently enjoy making our emotional lives significantly more complicated.

It feels like getting invited back to a place you’ve missed.

And I happily packed my bags.

Threshing Day is fan service in the best possible way.

It’s a collection for readers who aren’t quite ready to leave the Empyrean world behind and aren’t remotely opposed to spending a few more hours with characters they’ve already grown attached to. It adds texture to familiar characters, gives the dragons more room to shine, and offers a handful of little moments that made me grin, ache, and immediately want to talk about what I’d just read.

Was it enough?

Absolutely not.

But I don’t think that’s because it failed to deliver.

It’s because Rebecca Yarros reminded me just how much I love this universe—and then gave me only a little taste.

I wanted seconds.

I wanted thirds.

I wanted to lick the damn plate.

And now I’m left sitting here impatiently waiting for more.

4.5 stars.

🍴 Devour or Nibble?

DEVOUR. If you’ve made it this far into The Empyrean Series, you’re probably already emotionally attached to these characters, and Threshing Day is a delicious little return to their world. It’s quick, character-focused, dragon-filled, and exactly the sort of companion book that makes you wish it were three times longer.

Come for the dragons. Stay for the characters. Finish it far too quickly and immediately start wondering when we get more.

Just don’t expect it to satisfy the craving.

It will only make you hungrier.