Common Sense Media Review
By Sage Moreaux
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Swearing and near death in fun but bloody Empyrean stories.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Each THRESHING DAY, the first-year cadets of Basgiath War College prove their mettle by marching onto the field in hopes of bonding a dragon. Join 13 cadets from the Empyrean series, including beloved characters Xaden, Rhiannon, Liam, and more, as they face their own Threshing Day trial. Taking place on Threshing Day over a series of a few years, get an inside view of these characters' hopes, fears, strengths, and weaknesses as they face down a field of fire-breathing dragons.
Is It Any Good?
Action-packed and insightful, this book gives fans a peek inside their favorite characters' heads on one of the most dangerous days of the year. These 13 Threshing Day stories give fans a look at how each character faced down their fears and bonded with their dragon.
This out-of-series short story compilation gives fans something to enjoy between books three and four, without furthering the series' plot. Beautiful illustrations of the dragons add to the enjoyment of the book. While each character's story isn't terribly different, fans of the series will enjoy reading about their favorite characters' quest to bond with their dragon. While the series contains lots of explicit sex, violence, and swearing, this compilation leaves out the on-page sex, with only a few off-hand mentions of romantic entanglements.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different ways each cadet showed courage, perseverance, or teamwork in Threshing Day. How did their past influence their approach?
Why do you think the author wrote 13 stories about characters undergoing the same trial? Did you find it interesting or repetitive?
There's a lot of bloodshed and violent tendencies in this world. Do you think being a soldier during wartime gives people a pass for choosing violence over other methods of problem solving? Why do you think some people like reading books with lots of violence?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy ( Dragons )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Humility , Integrity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Entangled: Red Tower Books
- Publication date : September 29, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 18
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 6, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate