Filipino digital illustrator Joe Requeza brought the dragons of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean fantasy universe to life, illustrating creatures featured in the author’s new novella, “Threshing Day.”

The novella, released Sept. 29, 2026, is an installment ahead of the much-anticipated fourth major novel in Yarros’ bestselling Empyrean series.

“Threshing Day” returns readers to the brutal and competitive world of a military college for dragon riders, where lightning wielder Violet Sorrengail, shadow master Xaden Riorson and their fellow riders face another nonstop fantasy adventure against the human dark wielders known as Venin.

Requeza, a digital illustrator based in the Philippines, specializes in fantasy illustrations and works closely with authors to visualize characters, creatures and worlds from their stories.

According to his book biography, Requeza spends his time away from drawing enjoying coffee and hunting for rare collectibles. He also describes himself as having a bad habit of reading words in reverse.

His work on “Threshing Day” has also caught the attention of Filipino fans of the series, with BookTok creators and readers on TikTok quickly sharing the news as a welcome piece of Filipino representation in the globally popular fantasy franchise.

The Empyrean series began with “Fourth Wing,” followed by “Iron Flame” and “Onyx Storm.” The books have built a large international following, particularly on BookTok, where fans regularly discuss the series’ dragons, romance, characters and twists.

With “Threshing Day,” Requeza joins the creative team helping expand the visual world of Yarros’ dragon-riding saga — giving Filipino fantasy art a place in one of the most closely followed fantasy series of recent years.