The Empyrean readers will fly back to Basgiath later this year, but likely without the chance to have most of their questions answered.
Back in April 2026, when Rebecca Yarros announced that she would be releasing a new Empyrean series book, which is NOT the fourth book in the pentalogy, many readers speculated that the new book would help further the lore of Violet Sorrengail’s world.
Proving them right, Yarros announced on June 15, Conscription Day, that the new book is called Threshing Day and will feature 13 stories from the POV of as many impactful characters in the series, each about their respective Threshing Day experiences.
One of the 13 will be Xaden Riorson, the male main character of the story and Violet’s significant other, whose story will also be available on Yarros’ official website, similar to the other Xaden POVs from the previous books.
Threshing Day will release on September 29, 2026, the date on which Gauntlet and Presentation Day take place in the series.
After writing the third book, Onyx Storm, Yarros took a break from The Empyrean for health reasons and focused on writing her contemporary romance novel. She also worked on a Fourth Wing graphic novel, which doesn’t have a set release date yet.
What are Conscription Day, Gauntlet, Presentation Day, and Threshing Day?
For those who are new to The Empyrean fandom, Conscription Day is the first day of every academic year at Basgiath War College, when new cadets are required to successfully cross a narrow parapet to be able to join the Riders Quadrant.
At Gauntlet, those who make it through the first 2.5 months attempt to conquer a deadly obstacle course as proof of their strength and agility.
Cadets race up the Gauntlet one by one, and based on the results, the squad with the fastest time earns the privilege of being displayed first to the dragons at the Presentation ceremony that follows, dramatically increasing their chances of a dragon choosing to bond with them.
Threshing Day takes place a couple of days later, on October 1, when the cadets are thrown into a forested valley where a willing dragon either calls upon them to bond for life, or they have to impress one then and there to do so.
There aren’t any deadly consequences for failing, other than general mortification, and the unbonded ones are allowed to try again next year.
What revelations could Threshing Day have for the readers?
Responding to a fan on Instagram, Yarros said that the reason she “needed to write” Threshing Day first had more to do with her burnout and less with the chronology of the series. She has previously clarified that Threshing Day does not interfere with the original series.
However, without naming any characters, she revealed that the new book will give us some “backstory for deeper understanding and a couple of reveals,” but added that it would not be “vital to the enjoyment of book four.”
She also mentioned that there would be only human POVs and none of any dragons’, because “the dragons know too much.”
Yarros’ statement makes it clear that Threshing Day will not divulge too much about the cliffhanger Onyx Storm left us at, but we can still speculate about some of the reveals the new book might have.
What is going on with Dain Aetos and Cath?
In Onyx Storm, while siphoning Dain Aetos to help Brennan Sorrengail save his sister, Mira, Sloane Mairi says, “Someone like you shouldn’t have this much power.”
The fandom has been contemplating what Sloane meant by that. Earlier in Fourth Wing, Dain tells Violet that his dragon, Cath, “channels a pretty significant amount of magic” compared to some other dragons, which he found difficult to adjust to after bonding. The signet he manifests — retrocognition — is also a special and rare one.
The two factors together have led many to believe that either Dain has two signets because Cath was bonded to one of his ancestors, or Cath has lied about his name or age, and is more powerful than he has let on. Dain does not seem surprised by Sloane’s comments, which could mean that, sometime between Fourth Wing and Onyx Storm, Cath may have shared some details we don’t yet know with Dain.
Yarros has previously said that some dragons may be lying about their identities to their riders when the cadets are required to present the names of the dragon they have bonded with to the scribes at Threshing.
It would align with the popular fan theory that the Empyrean, the community of the dragons, has its own secrets and agendas that the magical creatures are not openly sharing with their human riders, even though they have a complementary relationship.
Dain’s Threshing Day POV could tell us how exactly his bonding with Cath happened, and we may even revisit the moment Cath gives Dain his name after their bonding.
Who was Naolin before he “died”?
We know that Naolin was Violet’s dragon Tairn’s previous and ONLY other rider, who allegedly died during the Battle of Aretia (Tyrrish Rebellion) trying to save Violet’s brother Brennan Sorrengail’s life.
Naolin is by far one of the most mysterious characters in the story. Tairn refuses to talk about him, and Brennan does not say much either. The mystery is further thickened by the fact that we are yet to learn even his surname.
There are fan theories that say he could be Violet (and Brennan and Mira’s) grandfather because, to be the first rider of Tairn, who is over 100 years old (unless the dragon lied about it), Naolin should ideally be an older man himself. The act of sacrificing oneself for another rider strongly indicates either a familial bond or a romantic one, which is what some readers are inclined to believe as well.
The most popular theory is that Naolin turned into a venin. But we’re unlikely to get any confirmation about that from Threshing Day, given that it would be a pretty big reveal.
We may, however, find out his full name. We may also see whether Tairn gives Naolin a different name or age than he does after Violet’s Threshing.
Did all Marked Ones get a second signet, and was Bodhi Durran left out?
It is now established that Xaden Riorson and Garrick Tavis have double signets, and some scenes clearly hint that Liam Mairi and Imogen Cardulo have them as well.
There is a mention of Liam wielding ice at the end of Fourth Wing, when his established signet was farsight. In Onyx Storm, Imogen wields stone to save Dain and herself, despite her known signet being memory-wiping.
Readers had enough reason to believe that some members of the Empyrean made a conscious decision to bond with the “marked” descendants of their previous riders so that they manifest two signets.
If we get the POV of a Marked One whose dragon may have let slip something when they bonded, we can eavesdrop on the conversation in Threshing Day.
That brings us to Bodhi Durran, Xaden’s cousin and loyal compatriot.
Yarros has said he “wants what Xaden has,” which many fans have interpreted as Bodhi having feelings for Violet. Some believe Bodhi has an eye for the rank, power, and status Xaden wields as the Duke of Tyrrendor.
Yarros has also said that the venin initiate at the end of Onyx Storm, whom Xaden refers to as his new “brother,” was someone “who feels like whatever they have been given is not enough.” Many think that it’s Bodhi.
In Onyx Storm, Bodhi tells Violet that he does not have a second signet. He could have been lying, of course, because clearly this isn’t a detail the Marked Ones have been sharing, even with their closest friends.
But if it is true, and Bodhi is supposedly the only Marked One who did not get a second signet, it would explain why he is envious of Xaden’s abilities and felt inadequate enough to reach out for more power directly from the source.
How did Violet’s parents fall in love?
This one’s not really a revelation and more of a backstory, but it would be interesting to know more about Lilith and Asher during their Basgiath days. Lilith was a rider, and Asher was a scribe, and they fell in love and had three kids before Asher succumbed to mysterious chest pains shortly after Brennan’s “death.”
We do not know for sure if they fell in love as cadets or if that happened after their graduation. Still, it is safe to assume they were at least acquaintances and spent enough time together to develop a bond, despite being from different quadrants.
A Threshing Day POV of Lilith’s could help us get some insight into their college-time relationship.
Yarros may even give us a little twist by writing a Threshing Day experience from Asher’s POV, who does not participate but worries about Lilith's safety and success from afar. We know that members of the Scribe Quadrant are present at the Threshing for recording purposes, and Asher can easily be one of them as well.
Either way, it would be interesting to know more about Lilith’s bonding with Aimsir, something that Violet has often talked about with reverence.
What happened between Xaden Riorson and Alic Tauri?
The second son of Navarre’s King Tauri, Alic, was killed by Xaden at their Threshing after the prince bullied and attacked Garrick.
He was the brother of the crown prince and heir, Halden, who also happens to be Violet’s ex and the one who cheated on her. It all made things pretty awkward when the three came together in Onyx Storm.
Alic was also Aaric/Camden’s brother, who is Violet’s friend and now a rider and holds a pretty bitter grudge at Xaden.
Yarros has already promised us Xaden’s POV, which means we’ll finally see how exactly the incident went down.
Threshing Day releases wherever books are sold on September 29, 2026.
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