Reading order
The Empyrean Books in Order: When I Recommend Reading Threshing Day
I recommend the three main novels first, followed by the thirteen-story companion. Here is why I would keep that order.
My recommended order
Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm, then Threshing Day
Read the main novels in publication order, then the companion collection: Fourth Wing (book 1), Iron Flame (book 2), Onyx Storm (book 3), and Threshing Day. Finish Onyx Storm before the collection to protect yourself from spoilers. Threshing Day is thirteen short stories, not the fourth main-series novel.
A first trip through the Empyrean works best with Violet in Fourth Wing. The novels introduce the dragons, friendships, and wider conflict as her story develops. I prefer to let that sequence do its work before returning to the riders' beginnings in Threshing Day.
An earlier setting can still reveal information that a later novel takes time to disclose. That is why I follow the main reading order instead of trying to arrange the collection chronologically. The publisher also recommends saving Threshing Day until after Onyx Storm because it contains spoilers. By then, the cast has the context that makes these character stories more rewarding.
The choices
The order I would follow
These notes describe each book's role without revealing its ending.
1
Fourth Wing
Start here: main novel 1
Violet enters Basgiath War College, where survival, training, and dragon bonding introduce the central relationships and the rules of the world. This is the starting point I favor because unfamiliar details arrive through immediate problems she has to solve.
Buying decision: Choose Fourth Wing first, even if the collection's shorter format seems inviting. Its academy story supplies the foundations that make the companion more rewarding.
2
Iron Flame
Continue with main novel 2
The second novel develops the loyalties and conflicts established in Fourth Wing. Training, political secrets, and relationship pressure take on a broader role. Its expansion is an important part of the main sequence before either the next novel or the companion.
Buying decision: Iron Flame comes immediately after Fourth Wing. It assumes the first novel's developments and expands their consequences.
3
Onyx Storm
Read main novel 3 before the collection
The third novel carries the central saga into a wider world of travel, alliances, and dragon questions. Completing it gives the ensemble's beginnings more context and keeps later information from arriving out of order.
Buying decision: Finish Onyx Storm before opening Threshing Day. Earlier settings in the collection do not make it a spoiler-free prequel.
4
Threshing Day
Optional companion, not main novel 4
Thirteen short stories turn toward familiar riders and the trials that lead to their dragon bonds. The changing perspectives are the attraction for me: the ensemble receives more attention while the central story remains with the main novels.
Buying decision: This is where I suggest returning to the riders and dragons. Fourth in the reading list means an optional companion step, not a numbered fourth novel.
Side by side
Main novels and companion at a glance
The novels carry the central story forward; the collection returns to the riders' beginnings. That distinction keeps my reading order straightforward.
| Book | Role | When I would read it | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fourth Wing | Main novel 1 | First | Violet, Basgiath, and the first dragon bonds |
| Iron Flame | Main novel 2 | After Fourth Wing | The central story expands beyond its academy foundations |
| Onyx Storm | Main novel 3 | After Iron Flame | The continuing saga and a wider dragon world |
| Threshing Day | Optional companion | After Onyx Storm | Thirteen character stories, rather than main novel 4 |
Why I would not begin with Threshing Day
The short-story format makes the collection a smaller commitment, but the novels provide the more satisfying introduction. Fourth Wing develops Violet's academy story while teaching the reader how the world works. Threshing Day changes the person at the center repeatedly, and I enjoy those shifts most once the riders are familiar.
Nor does the collection summarize the novels. Its different perspectives add to the relationships and conflicts that the main books take time to develop.
Is the companion essential?
Threshing Day is a worthwhile optional addition for an invested Empyrean reader. I appreciate the attention it gives to characters and their dragons, and saving it until after the main novels keeps that return in its proper place.
If catching up with the main plot is your priority, finish the novels first. My Threshing Day review explains what the companion adds; the books like Threshing Day guide offers other directions afterward.
Why Threshing Day is not book four
Threshing Day revisits the riders' dragon-bond beginnings through thirteen short stories. The fourth main-series novel is a separate continuation of the central saga after Onyx Storm. Placing the collection fourth on a reading list does not change that distinction.
The main series remains ongoing. I look to the author's announcements for future titles and publication dates; the companion's release does not establish either for the next novel.
How I would return to the novels afterward
Another visit to Basgiath begins with Fourth Wing and follows the same sequence. The early friendships and dragon bonds develop within Violet's story again, with the companion's perspectives alongside them. That is the route I suggest if these beginnings have renewed your interest in the novels.
My Fourth Wing vs Iron Flame comparison covers the sequel's changes in romance, training, and politics. It is useful when deciding whether to continue after book one; the order itself is set out above.
Xaden's Threshing Day, free on Rebecca Yarros's website
Rebecca Yarros also shares an official free Xaden POV bonus. His perspective is a useful extra alongside the novels and companion. I suggest saving it until you are caught up, since it reveals events and relationships.
Quick answers
Questions readers ask before buying
Should I finish Onyx Storm before Threshing Day?
Yes. The publisher advises reading the collection after Onyx Storm because it contains spoilers, even though its stories concern earlier dragon-bond beginnings. That order also gives the characters their fullest context.
Is Threshing Day a prequel?
It is a companion collection that looks back at familiar riders' beginnings. Earlier events do not make it the best first book or remove later spoilers.
Is Threshing Day the fourth Empyrean novel?
No. It is a collection of thirteen stories, not the main-story continuation after Onyx Storm. Fourth in this reading list means the fourth recommended step.
Where should a new Empyrean reader start?
Start with Fourth Wing, then Iron Flame and Onyx Storm. My suggestion is to save Threshing Day for afterward, when the riders and their dragon bonds are familiar.
When was Threshing Day published?
The collection launched on September 29, 2026, including the UK deluxe edition. The Australian and New Zealand deluxe editions followed on September 30. Edition dates vary, so the collection's launch should be distinguished from a later printing or format.
Sources
Sources for this guide
Order, series status, and official starting-point claims were checked against these author and publisher pages on October 13, 2026.
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