French release of Threshing Day
Hugo Roman published the French version of Threshing Day, a collection of 13 short stories set in the universe of The empyrean, on October 14. Translated by Karine Forestier and Emmanuelle Casse-Castric, the book is priced at 19.95 euros in hardcover and 9.99 euros digitally. Sales and rankings
The volume ranks 2nd in the NielsenIQ BookData/Livres Hebdo Top 20, with more than 21,500 copies sold. It is not presented as the fourth book of the series but as a "companion" title, with each story exploring the day of Threshing, a decisive trial where characters face their dragons according to an implacable rule: not to die. Publisher's perspective
According to Arthur de Saint-Vincent, CEO of Hugo Publishing, "nearly 40 percent of the print run" has been sold, which itself is equivalent to about 80 percent of the total print run. The publisher states that 20,000 copies remain in stock, though the title is temporarily out of stock at Electre, which the publisher attributes to "a customer order issue" rather than a reduced print run. Retail performance
Retailers report positive initial sales. The title is out of stock in the stores of Lille (Nord) and is already among the best sellers of Fnac in its first week of release, with a "librarians' favorite" designation. On Amazon.fr, it ranks 16th in the general book chart. Publishing format
Unlike previous books in The empyrean series (launched by Fourth Wing in 2024), which were published in collector's edition and softcover, Threshing Day is only published in a hardcover edition, mirroring the American version. The publisher sees this as a strategic change, aiming to address both collectors and readers with different preferences. Previous sales challenges
The third book in the series, Onyx Storm, sold 12,000 copies in softcover in three days but only a third of its 60,000 collector's editions. Hugo Roman had to "act quickly and well" in the face of a very demanding audience regarding the translation and production. UK release and future plans
In the United Kingdom, the book first appeared on September 29 in a limited deluxe edition (silver spine, 16 color illustrations), then in standard edition on October 13. The fourth volume of The empyrean, originally scheduled for 2026, will be published in 2027, without a specific date announced so far. Market context
The collection, started earlier and completed by Rebecca Yarros in parallel, allows "to maintain the community" until the adaptation of the series by Amazon. In France, each previous volume still sells 1,000 to 1,500 copies per week. The publisher notes that "what prints, is a bit more the series than the author's name," expressing satisfaction with this start in a context of market contraction (-6 percent in value since the beginning of the year according to NielsenIQ BookData) worsened by recent student protests. International success
Internationally, Threshing Day sold 857,802 printed copies in the first week in the United States according to Circana BookScan, cited by Publishers Weekly.
