The Cosmere is expanding on two fronts at once. While Brandon Sanderson continues work on bringing Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive to Apple TV, the author has also released a brand new novel set in the same shared universe, The Fires of December, and he has a very unusual sales pitch for it.
In a video posted to his official YouTube channel last week, Sanderson admitted that the book is almost impossible to describe without giving the game away.
The Book Sanderson Refuses To Spoil
"It's a very difficult book to pitch. That is because anything past chapter two is a spoiler. In fact, chapter two itself is a spoiler," Sanderson said. Instead of a one-line summary, he asks curious readers to try the opening for themselves, promising that "If you read the first two chapters, I think you will know why you should read The Fires of December."
What he will discuss is the setting, which has a striking visual hook that screen fans will appreciate. "This world is built around the idea of the corpse of a demon," he explained. The slain creature, known as the Megalith, is so large that "It's the size of a small mountain," and its body bleeds colorful, magic-infused rivers across the kingdom. Sanderson added that "In the capital, they mine the demon," since its remains have turned into a useful crystalline material.
The novel also came together in an unusual way. "I wasn't supposed to write this book," Sanderson said, explaining that he wrote the first chapter in a day, read it back, and could not stop. "I can't let go of this. I have to go on right now," he remembered thinking, before adding, "So I cleared my schedule."
Another Piece Of The Cosmere Puzzle
For newcomers, the Cosmere is the shared universe that connects most of Sanderson's adult fantasy, including Mistborn and Stormlight. The Fires of December is a standalone entry in Hoid's Travails, a run of tales narrated by the worldhopping storyteller Hoid that can be read in any order. The story follows December, a young woman who learns a plague is coming for her land and sails up the River Violet to warn a skeptical royal court.
Sanderson believes it is an ideal entry point for anyone who has not read him. "If you've never tried a Brandon Sanderson book before, this is one of the best places to start," he said. The ebook and Michael Kramer-narrated audiobook arrived from Dragonsteel earlier this month (October 6th), with Tor's hardcover following on December 8th. The first eight chapters are also free to listen to on his YouTube channel.
Where The Apple TV Adaptations Stand
That new reader funnel could matter a great deal in the coming years. Back in January, Apple TV closed a deal for the screen rights to the Cosmere after a competitive bidding process, revealing that Mistborn is being developed as a feature film franchise and The Stormlight Archive as a television series. Sanderson will write, produce, and consult, and he has approvals over the adaptations, a level of control that is rare for any author in Hollywood.
Blue Marble Pictures, led by Theresa Kang, is attached to executive produce Stormlight. Even after Blue Marble moved its TV first-look deal to Fifth Season over the summer, the Cosmere adaptations remained in the works at Apple.
In a YouTube video after the deal was announced, Sanderson confirmed he will be a co-showrunner on the Stormlight series. He also asked fans to be patient, saying at the time that nobody was attached to the projects yet, and that the plan to make Mistborn as films and Stormlight as a show could still change during development.
The biggest milestone so far came in July, when Sanderson announced that the first draft of the Mistborn screenplay was finished, timed to the 20th anniversary of the first book's publication. He described it as just an early step in a very long process. Earlier this month, he told Collider that Apple has given him notes on that draft, that he is now working on revisions, and that Stormlight is still searching for a showrunner, with Sanderson personally interviewing candidates. He also expects to have a writing partner on the series.
No director, cast, production start, or release date has been announced for either project.
A Busy Few Years Ahead
Sanderson is juggling all of this alongside a packed publishing schedule. In his last State of the Sanderson update, he said the first book of the next Mistborn era, Ghostbloods, is firmly set for 2028, and he warned that Hollywood work would require him to pause writing at times so he could stay closely involved in the adaptations.
For screen fans, that means a long wait for Vin, Kelsier, and Kaladin. In the meantime, The Fires of December offers a fresh way into the universe that Apple is betting on.
Which Cosmere story are you more excited to see on screen first, the Mistborn movie or The Stormlight Archive series?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.