Threshing Day, the latest entry in the Empyrean series released Sept. 29, is a novella in the Fourth Wing universe. It features 13 short stories, each one focused on a character from the mainline books. The first chapter focuses on Brennan Sorrengail, Violet and Mira’s older brother. It gives us some insight into the family as a whole and Brennan’s love life. But most striking of all is that it confirms something about Brennan that fans have theorized for quite some time.
This article contains major spoilers for Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Threshing Day (Chapter 1).
Even though Brennan was not physically present for most of his sisters’ lives (at least the periods that we’ve seen), Brennan was able to help Violet and Mira during their time in the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College through The Book of Brennan. It’s essentially a private survival manual he wrote specifically to help his sisters when they undertook the same challenges he did.
After Violet bonds with the dragon Tairn, she eventually learns about “the one who came before” — Tairn’s previous rider, Naolin. His siphon signet allowed him to redistribute energy, but when he attempted to use it to resurrect a fallen rider in battle, it killed him. That rider was Brennan. To much of the world, Brennan did die. But as we learn at the end of book one, he survived and took an alias.
At the start of Iron Flame, Violet questions Brennan on how he’s alive, which leads to a conversation that sparked the popular fan theory that he and Naolin were more than just friends willing to die for one another:
“I glimpse a rune-shaped scar on his palm before he grips the edge of the table. ‘Naolin… He was—’ His jaw flexes.
‘Tairn’s previous rider,’ I suggest slowly, wondering if he was more than that to Brennan.”
Naolin gave his life to save Brennan’s. These kinds of sacrifices happen fairly often in the Empyrean books, and it’s always when the two characters share a strong bond. Naolin and Brennan may have just been close comrades in arms, but even Violet wonders if there was more to it than that. There’s also something rather fitting about Tairn bonding with Violet if his previous rider had a close connection with her brother.
While many characters are open about their sexuality in the Empyrean books, that is not the case with Brennan. However, in Threshing Day, we finally get confirmation that Brennan is queer. Before he finds Marbh in the forest, Brennan parts ways with a male rider named Flynn Ennis. Brennan’s narration confirms that the two have been romantically involved. Brennan also expresses fear about losing Flynn during the Threshing:
“I give him a curt nod and a quick half smile to assuage the fear shining in his eyes. We spent a night together a few weeks ago, but I can’t let anything I feel for him sway me from my years of preparation for this moment. Especially when he’s making a stupid choice.”
The confirmation that the older Sorrengail sibling is queer provides further evidence for the popular shipping of Brennan and Naolin. If they were indeed lovers, then that recontextualizes Naolin’s sacrifice entirely.
In addition to suggesting a possible intimate connection between Naolin and Brennan, this short story also provides a deeper look into the Sorrengail family dynamic. We get to spend a little bit of time with their father, Asher Sorrengail. He visits Brennan during the Threshing.
“[Asher] walks away, disappearing into the trees with an ease that makes me wonder how many times he’s faded into other backgrounds of perilous situations in the name of his research.”
From the conversations between Brennan and his father, and previous mentions of him in the Fourth Wing books, it is clear that Asher Sorrengail is a mysterious individual. Additionally, the way he talks about his wife unveils a soft side that is rarely seen through Violet’s point of view.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Rebecca Yarros were feeding us breadcrumbs for a prequel focused on the Sorrengail parents. There also seems to be a lot left to uncover regarding Brennan and Naolin’s relationship. Because Naolin isn’t even around when Brennan’s story in Threshing Day takes place, we don’t know for sure if they were actually romantically involved. Yarros can greatly expand this universe in whichever direction she chooses at this point. With so many complex character and pair histories, the possibilities are endless when it comes to Fourth Wing spin-offs.
