Update, September 29, 2026: Threshing Day is out today, and we finally have all thirteen perspectives. The full lineup is below, and one very famous name is missing from it.
Originally published July 15, 2026: On Conscription Day, Rebecca Yarros revealed the title and cover of her next Empyrean book, the one everyone had been calling "Not Book Four." It's called Threshing Day, it's a collection of thirteen stories about your favorite characters and their dragons, and it went on sale September 29, 2026.
For months this was the biggest question mark in romantasy: Yarros had a surprise Empyrean release planned before Book 4, and it climbed the Amazon charts with no title, no cover, and no description. Now the veil is off. Meet Threshing Day.
The quick version
- Title: Threshing Day
- Full title: Threshing Day (Wing and Claw Collection)
- Series: Empyrean, cataloged as The Empyrean #3.5 (this is the "not book four" surprise, not the mainline Book 4)
- What it is: A collection of thirteen stories about beloved characters and their dragons
- Tagline: "Thirteen unforgettable stories. One legendary day. The bond that changes everything." And, of course: "Don't die."
- Deluxe first edition: Includes sixteen full-color original art pieces by Joe Requeza (@joerequeza.art)
- Bonus: Xaden's story is in the collection, and as usual it also goes up free on Yarros's website
- Dragon POVs? No. All thirteen stories are from riders
- Required before Book 4? Officially no. It's a companion, not homework
- Release date: September 29, 2026. Out now.
- Length: 224 pages
- Price (US): $24.99 hardcover, $11.99 ebook, $25.99 audiobook
- Cover art: Joe Requeza
- Does it delay Book 4? No. Yarros is writing Book 4 now and called this "a fun trip back to Basgiath" while she works on it.
What is Threshing Day?
If you've read Fourth Wing, you already know why this title hits. Threshing is the day dragons choose their riders, the terrifying, everything-or-nothing ceremony where cadets walk into the valley and either bond a dragon or don't walk out. It's the day the entire series turns on. "The bond that changes everything" isn't marketing fluff. It's the literal hinge of the Empyrean world.
So instead of one novella, Yarros has given fans something bigger and more playful: thirteen threshing stories about the characters and dragons we already love. In her words, it is "a fun trip back to Basgiath" while she writes Book 4. Think of it as thirteen doors back into the world, each one opening on a character and the dragon who chose them.
The publisher's official description keeps it simple: "The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons." Like the rest of the Empyrean series, it deals with war, loss and its aftermath, and it has the language and the open-door scenes you would expect from Yarros.
The Xaden of it all
Here's the detail that broke the internet: Xaden's story is in it. Yarros confirmed his story is part of the collection and, as she's done before, it also goes up on her own website. So if you only want the Xaden story, you can read that one without buying the book. If you've been starving for his point of view, this is the one.
All thirteen perspectives in Threshing Day
Here's the full lineup, and the fandom called most of it.
- Xaden Riorson
- Brennan Sorrengail
- Dain Aetos
- Sawyer Henrick
- Sloane Mairi
- Imogen Cardulo
- Ridoc Gamlyn
- Aaric Graycastle
- Mira Sorrengail
- Liam Mairi
- Bodhi Durran
- Rhiannon Matthias
- Garrick Tavis
Now the part everyone noticed first. Violet isn't in it. The narrator of the entire series doesn't get a Threshing story, and once you sit with it, that's the right call. We watched Violet's Threshing in real time in Fourth Wing. Everyone else's happened offscreen. This book is for the twelve doors we never got to open.
Both Mairi siblings are here. Liam and Sloane, back to back. Readers spent months hoping for a Liam story and bracing for what it would cost them, and Yarros gave them Sloane too.
Both older Sorrengails made it in as well, Brennan and Mira, so you get all three of Violet's siblings-in-arms without Violet herself.
The surprises are Dain Aetos and Aaric Graycastle. Nobody had those on a bingo card. Dain is the most divisive character in the series and Aaric spent two books pretending to be someone else, so putting both of them in a collection about the day you find out who chose you is a choice, and I mean that in the best way.
Everything else the fandom guessed came true: Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, Imogen, Bodhi, Mira and Garrick all have stories.
One more thing, and it's the question I keep seeing: there are no dragon points of view. Thirteen stories, thirteen riders. The publisher copy says "your favorite characters and their dragons," and a lot of people read that as Tairn or Andarna getting a chapter. That isn't what this is. You're in the riders' heads, watching the dragons choose them.
The deluxe first edition and the art
The deluxe first edition of Threshing Day comes with sixteen full-color original art pieces by Joe Requeza (@joerequeza.art). For a series with this much fan-art culture, official full-color interior art is a genuine collector's item, and first editions of Yarros books have a habit of selling out fast. If you want the art, buy the first edition rather than waiting.
Editions and price
Threshing Day comes in a deluxe first edition alongside standard hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. The deluxe first edition is the one collectors will want: it includes all sixteen full-color Joe Requeza illustrations and, per the publisher, is "available only in the US and Canada while supplies last." If those illustrations matter to you, get the first edition rather than waiting on a later printing.
Confirmed US pricing is $24.99 for the hardcover, $11.99 for the ebook, and $25.99 for the audiobook. It runs 224 pages.
Release date and where to buy it
Threshing Day went on sale September 29, 2026, and it's available now in hardcover, ebook and audiobook across major retailers. If you're outside the US, watch your local publisher's social media for regional dates.
How it fits the fall 2026 Yarros lineup
Yarros is having a stacked fall, so here's the calendar, straight:
- Threshing Day (Empyrean collection): out now, September 29, 2026
- Peculiar Stars: November 17, 2026, a standalone contemporary romance she calls a "castaway" story ("What would you do if you were stranded for 543 days on a deserted island with your fiancé's cousin?"). Not Empyrean at all.
- Empyrean Book 4: in progress, no release date yet, realistically 2027.
Two books this fall, only one of them a dragon book, and the mainline Book 4 still ahead. For where Book 4 stands right now, see our Fourth Wing Book 4 guide.
My honest take
I'll admit it, I spent months assuming "Not Book Four" would be a somber little novella about the missing twelve hours, and I braced for heartbreak. Threshing Day is a lovelier surprise than that. Thirteen stories, sixteen pieces of full-color art, and Xaden's point of view handed to us like a gift. This is Yarros throwing a party in Basgiath while she writes the book that's going to wreck us all. It's a smart move too. It keeps the fandom fed and loud through the wait without touching Book 4's timeline. If you only buy one edition, make it the deluxe first edition for that Joe Requeza art, because Yarros first editions don't sit on shelves. I went from skeptical to genuinely excited in about the length of one Instagram post.
FAQ
What is Threshing Day in Fourth Wing?
In the Empyrean world, Threshing is the day dragons choose their riders. Cadets walk into the valley and either bond a dragon or don't come out. It's the ceremony the whole series turns on, and it's what the book is named after.
Is Threshing Day Book 4?
No. It's a separate Empyrean collection that released before the mainline Book 4. Yarros is writing Book 4 now and this doesn't change its timeline.
What is in Threshing Day?
Thirteen stories about favorite Empyrean characters and their dragons, centered on Threshing, the day dragons bond their riders. The deluxe first edition adds sixteen full-color art pieces by Joe Requeza.
Is Threshing Day a novella?
Not exactly. It's a collection of thirteen short stories, cataloged as The Empyrean #3.5. Some outlets call it a novella, but it's a story collection rather than a single novella.
What is the "Wing and Claw Collection"?
It's the collection name on the book's official title, Threshing Day (Wing and Claw Collection), within the Empyrean series.
How much does Threshing Day cost?
US pricing is $24.99 for the hardcover, $11.99 for the ebook, and $25.99 for the audiobook.
What is the deluxe first edition?
It's the first printing, featuring sixteen full-color illustrations by Joe Requeza, available in the US and Canada while supplies last.
Whose points of view are in Threshing Day?
All thirteen: Xaden Riorson, Brennan Sorrengail, Dain Aetos, Sawyer Henrick, Sloane Mairi, Imogen Cardulo, Ridoc Gamlyn, Aaric Graycastle, Mira Sorrengail, Liam Mairi, Bodhi Durran, Rhiannon Matthias and Garrick Tavis. Violet Sorrengail doesn't have a story in the collection.
Is Violet in Threshing Day?
Not with a story of her own. Violet is the one main character without a Threshing Day perspective, because her Threshing is the one we already watched, in Fourth Wing.
Are there dragon POVs in Threshing Day?
No. All thirteen stories are told from riders' points of view. The dragons are in them, but you're never inside a dragon's head.
How many pages is Threshing Day?
224 pages.
Why is Threshing Day so short?
Because it isn't a novel. It's thirteen short stories at 224 pages, which works out to roughly fifteen pages each. It was never meant to be Book 4 length.
Is there a Threshing Day audiobook?
Yes. The audiobook released the same day as the hardcover, September 29, 2026, at $25.99.
Is Xaden's story really in it?
Yes. Xaden's story is in the collection, and Yarros also posts it on her own website, so you can read that one story without buying the book.
When did Threshing Day come out?
September 29, 2026. It's out now.
Do I need to read Threshing Day before Book 4?
No, and that's official. Threshing Day isn't required reading for Book 4. It's a companion, not a prerequisite. If you love these characters you'll want it anyway.
What order should I read the Empyrean series?
Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm, then Threshing Day, with Book 4 to follow. New to the world? Start with our complete guide to the Empyrean series. If you need the series in order, here is my complete Empyrean reading guide.
