Threshing Day is a collection of thirteen stories, and Rebecca Yarros’s official page lists it under the Empyrean series with no book number. For a next read, Dragonflight and His Majesty’s Dragon are dragon-rider books, and The Poppy War is set in a brutal military academy.
Every pick is for adult readers, and each entry lists its main content warnings.
Threshing Day Read-Alikes by Group
Dragons and their people
1. His Majesty's Dragon
Naomi Novik
A dragon bonds with its rider, and the two train and fight together during wartime. Battle violence runs through the story, so check it before handing it to a younger reader. Skip it if the bond is not what drew you in.
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2. Dragonflight
Anne McCaffrey
A rider bonds with a dragon, and then a threat tests both of them. The story is built around a rider and a dragon, which fits readers who want that partnership. Battle violence and sexual content appear, so keep it for adult readers. Skip it if you want a military college setting.
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3. Dragonsbane
Barbara Hambly
The story follows a dragon-hunting quest. Violence and battle scenes are part of it, so it suits adult readers. Skip it if a bond between a rider and a dragon is what you loved most.
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4. Dragon Keeper
Robin Hobb
The story centers on outcasts and dragons, and the emotional build is slow. Readers who want a slower build with dragons should look here. The book carries some violence and mature themes, so it suits adult readers. Skip it if you want fast action from the first chapter, because the build takes its time.
Find it on AmazonDeadly trials, academies and secret societies
5. The Poppy War
R.F. Kuang
Students at a brutal military academy are tested to the breaking point. It matches the brutal, competitive military college that the Empyrean series is set in. The violence is graphic, and it includes torture, sexual violence and heavy drug use, so keep it for adult readers only. Skip it if the dragon bond is what you loved.
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6. Red Rising
Pierce Brown
A science-fiction novel set in a ruthless academy, where a young man infiltrates the elite and faces trials that decide who rises. Graphic violence and some sexual content appear throughout, so keep it for adults. Skip it if you want dragons.
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7. Nevernight
Jay Kristoff
An assassin academy runs deadly trials, and the heroine is fierce, wry and morally gray. The book has graphic violence and explicit sexual content, so keep it for adults. Skip it if you want a military setting, since this one is about assassins.
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8. Ninth House
Leigh Bardugo
A sharp, dark tone runs through a story built around a secret society. The book includes graphic violence, drug use and sexual assault, so it is for adult readers. Skip it if you want dragons, because the society and its school are the focus.
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9. The Atlas Six
Olivie Blake
Six rival students compete for a place in a secret society through dangerous tests. The book includes sexual content and violence, so keep it for adults. Skip it if you want one heroine’s story, since six rivals share the focus.
Find it on AmazonRomance, ensemble casts and banter
10. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas
A fae-world romantasy with enemies-to-lovers tension and a fierce, bonded heroine. Readers who want romance alongside danger should look here. The book contains explicit sexual content and graphic violence, so keep it for adults only. Skip it if you want military training, since the fae world is the setting.
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11. The Priory of the Orange Tree
Samantha Shannon
Dragons, a large ensemble cast and a political adventure built around a queen and a threat. Readers who loved dragons but want a wider cast will find the focus spread across many characters. It includes sexual content and graphic violence, so keep it for adults. Skip it if you want one rider and one dragon, since the cast is wide.
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12. Gideon the Ninth
Tamsyn Muir
Sharp banter and a deadly trial-like competition run through a tight, sardonic ensemble. Readers who want trial-like competition with sharp banter should look here. The book has graphic violence and some innuendo, with little explicit sex, so keep it for adults. Skip it if you want an earnest tone, since the banter sets the mood.
Find it on AmazonWhere Threshing Day Sits in the Empyrean Series
Rebecca Yarros’s official page calls Threshing Day “Thirteen unforgettable stories. One Legendary Day.” and lists it under the Empyrean series. The same page lists Fourth Wing as Empyrean Book 1 and Iron Flame as Book 2 and gives Threshing Day no book number, so it is a story collection and is not book 4. See books like Fourth Wing for more of the main series.
Empyrean Features and Matching Read-Alikes
- Dragon riders, the setting of the Empyrean series: start with His Majesty’s Dragon or Dragonflight.
- A brutal, competitive military college, as in Empyrean: start with The Poppy War or Red Rising.
- Adult content: the Empyrean series warning lists blood, intense violence and sexual activities shown. For romance and heat, start with A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Picking the Next Book by What You Loved Most
If you came to Empyrean for the dragon riders, begin with His Majesty’s Dragon or Dragonflight. If you came for the military college, begin with The Poppy War, which tests students to the breaking point, or Red Rising, which runs ruthless trials.
If you want romance with danger, try A Court of Thorns and Roses. For a wider cast, try The Priory of the Orange Tree. Gideon the Ninth fits readers who want sharp banter from a tight ensemble. If you still cannot choose, the What Should I Read quiz can narrow the field.
Content Notes for Younger and Sensitive Readers
Every title here is marked for adult readers. The Empyrean series warning on the official page covers war, battle, hand-to-hand combat, blood, intense violence, brutal injuries, death, poisoning, graphic language and sexual activities shown. Several picks here carry graphic violence or explicit sexual content, so check each entry before handing a book over.
Violence runs through all three groups, and The Poppy War, Nevernight, Ninth House and A Court of Thorns and Roses carry violent or sexual content. A younger reader needs a different starting point; try the Books Like the One You Just Finished hub.
What to Read Once You Finish These
The next step depends on which group held you. Start with the Books Like the One You Just Finished hub if none of these twelve fit. Books like Red Rising is the next stop if the trials were the highlight. Threshing Day is also one of the 20 nominees in the Romantasy category of the opening round, so see the 2026 Goodreads Choice Awards Romantasy nominees for the full list.
If the heroine and the bond in A Court of Thorns and Roses hooked you, the books like A Court of Thorns and Roses page picks up that thread.
