Let’s Talk About ‘Threshing Day’

Rebecca Yarros’ new book Threshing Day was released on Sept. 29. I obviously had to get my copy right away, so I ran to the local Target after class to snag one. As much as I wish I could talk about all 13 stories, I don’t have enough time, so I’ll do a deep dive into a few of my favorites instead.

I enjoyed how Yarros showed us that Brennan, much like Violet, felt pressured by the immense legacy of the Sorrengail name. I think this pressure shows how he became the great leader he is in the series and why he’s so compassionate, since he wants to live up to both his parents’ legacy. We also get one of our first glimpses of what Asher Sorrengail was like when he interacts with Brennan on the Threshing field before he enters the forest. His dad ends up giving him his bracelet that he wears every day. I feel like there’s significance here because Asher even twists it, like he always does, before giving it to Brennan. This makes me wonder if there might be a protection rune of some kind in the bead itself, and that could be the reason Brennan survived the rebellion. If there is, in fact, a rune in the bead, then that could mean that Asher had bonded a dragon, which is why he could be on the Threshing field. 

Once Brennan enters the forest, he decides to climb a tree to get a better view of the fields. It’s in this tree that he meets his dragon, Marbh. Brennan is confused because he thought he was going to get a dependable green, but I think Marbh’s unpredictability reflects the potential Yarros is trying to bring out in Brennan. Working with a dragon described as unpredictable requires a certain kind of finesse that Brennan clearly possesses, giving readers a closer look at the specific bond between dragon and rider that we haven’t seen before. While talking to Marbh before mounting him, he keeps referring to him by his last name and explains it by saying, “You have yet to earn a first name while your last overpowers it,” showing how Brennan, at this point, is letting his heritage overshadow his individuality.  Marbh even makes mounting him into a game; although Brennan believes it to be an ultimatum, Marbh says, “Everything is a game if you’re smart enough to see the board,” which plays into how Brennan is a master tactician. 

In Xaden’s story, before even entering the field, he pulls aside the other Marked Ones to make sure that none of the other cadets are behind them so that they have a better chance of surviving until they make it to the flight field. When Professor Kaori joins them seconds later, he discusses the dragons they should avoid because their riders were killed by separatists in the rebellion to give them a fighting chance. We haven’t seen support to this degree in the series before from any of the professors, but it gives readers a better insight into how they don’t agree with what the monarchy has done to these children, who had no part in their parents’ actions. Yarros also highlights how, even though Xaden is the same age as the cadets he’s speaking to, he feels a great responsibility for their survival because his father’s leadership has left them in their current situation. 
Xaden and Garrick enter the field together and are almost immediately cornered by Aaric. Aaric is, in my opinion, a very arrogant and self-centered person who fails to consider the fact that he doesn’t own any of the lands that he claims because he isn’t the king or even the first in line. Also, Aaric couldn’t figure out that Xaden and Garrick were secretly communicating the entire time he was forcing them to walk through the forest. In the end, his own stupidity to try and claim Sygael, who clearly doesn’t want him, is his downfall because it enrages Xaden, finally pushing him to kill Aaric without regard for the consequences of killing an heir to the throne. It is on this field where Xaden bonds with Sygael, who forces him to admit his plans for the future of the current Navarrian government. Honestly, she’s just as much of a diva here as she is in the series because when he questions her judgment due to her mating bond with Tairn, she practically says that he has no control over who she bonds with and that he can learn to deal with it. 

Imogen’s story was very interesting because not only did she bond during the presentation, but her dragon also claimed a fake name. It makes me wonder: if one dragon lies about their name, are others doing the same? 
As she’s walking through the forest, she runs into Garrick, who begged Xaden to let him watch over her during Threshing, and who she’s attracted to. Imogen buries this attraction because she thinks that everyone she loves will always end up dying, as a result of losing her mother and sister in the same night. Also, in Garrick’s story, he mentions how Imogen has lost more than most, which could just refer to the loss of her mom and sister. However, I think there’s something we still don’t know about Imogen’s past that may have been erased from the records that the scribes and the rider who transcribed the story. She’s been attempting to distance herself all year to hopefully push him away enough that she loses her attraction to him, which, in her mind, will keep him safe. Garrick is persistent, though, and keeps trying to woo her with his “charms.” He even goes so far as to say, “Say the word and I won’t so much as look at another woman,” which had me screaming into my pillow because of how smooth the line was. When her dragon finally lands in the clearing, Imogen storms up and starts arguing with her about the fact that she knows that Glane is lying about her name and age because she was her grandmother’s dragon before her. Her dragon decides to channel Imogen’s signet before they even reach the flight field because she got “impatient.” 
Aaric has an interesting story because he entered the quadrant under a fake name to evade the notice of his father, the king, and he doesn’t care how long it takes to find his dragon; he just wants to prove that he can. His main goal when entering the forest is to track down and bond with the blue clubtail that Kaori mentioned beforehand. Once he comes into contact with Molvic, he reacts similarly to his brother Alic before him, attempting to claim the dragon before he has claimed him. This obviously doesn’t go over well, seeing as Molvic tries to incinerate him. When Aaric attempts to reason with him, claiming that he intends to earn his power and earn Molvic’s respect, he gains more traction. We also get to see Aaric’s treasonous thoughts and his anger towards how his family is just sitting back and watching as Venin ravages the borders and neighboring nations like Poromiel. He finally can bond with Molvic when he says, “‘And I will promise you, I will die before I stand on the side of complicity.’ I take a steadying breath. ‘You must know: I intend to tear this kingdom apart.’” This gives us a good look into how he wants to abandon his corrupt family and right their wrongs in hopes of fixing their corrupt nation. 
We know that we can completely trust all of the information transcribed in each story because it was written by a rider rather than one of the scribes, who are known for altering records. We are also introduced to the true personality of each character that we don’t get to see from Violet’s point of view.

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