Brandon Sanderson is officially working on the next generation of the Mistborn saga, and it may be one of the biggest changes the series has seen yet.
After concluding the Wax and Wayne era with The Lost Metal, Sanderson is jumping forward once again for Mistborn Era 3, a new trilogy currently known as Ghostbloods.
The bad news is that fans still have a significant wait ahead of them. The good news is that Sanderson is already deep into the project, and we know much more about the next Mistborn books than we did just a few years ago.
Here is everything we know about the next Mistborn book, including its expected release date, setting, story, characters, and Sanderson’s plans for the complete Ghostbloods trilogy.
When Is the Next Mistborn Book Coming Out?
The first book in Mistborn Era 3: Ghostbloods is currently scheduled to be released in December 2028.
Sanderson reaffirmed that timeline in his latest State of the Sanderson update, describing 2028 as a fairly firm target for the first Ghostbloods novel.
His current projected Mistborn schedule is:
- Ghostbloods Book 1 — December 2028
- Ghostbloods Book 2 — December 2029
- Ghostbloods Book 3 — December 2030
An exact release day has not yet been announced.
That means readers should currently consider December 2028 the release window rather than a finalized publication date.
What Is the Next Mistborn Book Called?
The individual title of the next Mistborn novel has not been publicly announced yet.
What we do know is that Sanderson is calling the third major era of Mistborn Ghostbloods.
So you may see the upcoming novel referred to as:
Mistborn Era 3 Book 1
or
Ghostbloods Book 1
Until Sanderson and his publishers reveal an official title, those are the safest names to use.
Brandon Sanderson Is Already Working on Ghostbloods Book 1
There has also been encouraging progress on the actual manuscript.
Sanderson’s official website currently lists Ghostbloods Book 1 Draft 2.0 at 27 percent, meaning the first draft is already behind him and revisions on the novel are underway.
That is important because Sanderson isn’t planning to rush the trilogy out as soon as its first book is finished.
Instead, he has taken a much more ambitious approach to Mistborn Era 3.
Sanderson Wants to Write the Ghostbloods Trilogy Before Releasing It
One of the most interesting things about the next Mistborn era is how Sanderson plans to write it.
Rather than finishing Book 1, publishing it and then beginning the sequel, Sanderson has said his goal is to write all three Ghostbloods novels before the first one reaches readers.
It is similar to the approach that benefited the original Mistborn trilogy.
Having the complete story available during revisions gives Sanderson and his editorial team an opportunity to improve continuity, plant foreshadowing and make sure developments in later books line up correctly with earlier ones.
For a series as complicated as the Cosmere has become, that could be incredibly important.
It also explains why fans have to wait until 2028 even though Sanderson has already made substantial progress on the first novel.
The upside is obvious: if everything stays on schedule, readers could get one new Mistborn novel every December from 2028 through 2030.
When Does Mistborn Era 3 Take Place?
Mistborn Era 3 will take place approximately 50 years after the end of Era 2.
That means Scadrial will look radically different from the world readers experienced with Wax, Wayne, Marasi and Steris.
Mistborn has always been unique because Sanderson allows its world to technologically develop between different eras.
Era 1 was largely an epic fantasy.
Era 2 combined fantasy with an industrializing society, guns, trains, early automobiles and other technology.
Era 3 will push Scadrial even further forward.
Mistborn Era 3 Will Have 1980s-Style Technology
Sanderson has described the setting of Ghostbloods as roughly comparable to the 1980s, including early computer-age technology.
That opens up some fascinating possibilities.
Allomancy, Feruchemy and Hemalurgy won’t disappear simply because technology has advanced. Instead, one of Mistborn’s most interesting ideas has always been seeing how its magic systems interact with new inventions.
Era 2 introduced gunslingers using Allomancy, metal-powered combat and technologically advanced transportation.
Era 3 could potentially combine the Metallic Arts with computers, electronics, surveillance, modern weapons and rapidly developing communications technology.
Sanderson has even described this period of Scadrial as having a cyberpunk-style influence.
It should make Ghostbloods feel substantially different from both previous Mistborn eras while remaining unmistakably part of the same world.
What Will Mistborn Era 3 Be About?
The biggest clue is right in the name.
Ghostbloods will focus heavily on the mysterious organization known as the Ghostbloods and its activities on Scadrial.
Cosmere readers already know that the Ghostbloods have become increasingly important across Sanderson’s interconnected universe.
They aren’t limited to Mistborn either.
The organization has played a significant role elsewhere in the Cosmere, most notably in The Stormlight Archive.
That makes Mistborn Era 3 particularly exciting because the larger Cosmere is becoming increasingly interconnected.
Sanderson has been gradually moving toward a point where planets, magic systems and organizations can no longer remain isolated from one another.
Ghostbloods appears positioned to play an important role in that transition.
Will Old Mistborn Characters Return?
Yes, although Sanderson hasn’t revealed everyone who will appear.
He has teased that the new trilogy will feature new characters as well as some familiar characters from Mistborn’s past.
In particular, he has hinted at the return of characters who can survive much longer than ordinary humans.
That’s one of the advantages of Mistborn’s structure.
Most ordinary characters from earlier eras may be gone by the time the next story begins, but Scadrial contains immortals, kandra and other characters whose unusual abilities allow them to survive across generations.
Fans should therefore expect Era 3 to contain connections to earlier Mistborn stories without simply becoming another adventure starring the Era 1 or Era 2 cast.
Sanderson Has Already Read Part of Ghostbloods Publicly
Fans have even gotten their first taste of the new era.
At the 2025 World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle, Sanderson gave the first public reading from Ghostbloods.
During the event, he discussed his plans for Era 3 and explained how Mistborn was always designed to evolve technologically over time.
The reading also confirmed that Ghostbloods isn’t merely a distant concept anymore.
The next Mistborn era is actively being written.
Why Is Mistborn Era 3 Taking So Long?
Waiting until 2028 may feel surprising considering how quickly Sanderson is famous for writing books.
But there are several reasons.
The biggest is his decision to develop the Ghostbloods trilogy as a connected project instead of publishing each installment immediately after completing it.
Sanderson wants enough time to revise the entire series with its full storyline in mind.
These aren’t expected to be short books either.
Sanderson previously estimated that the Ghostbloods novels could be around 200,000 words each, placing them closer in scale to the books of the original Mistborn trilogy than the shorter Wax and Wayne installments.
He is also balancing numerous other Cosmere and non-Cosmere projects.
And because the Cosmere itself has become increasingly interconnected, continuity is more important than ever.
Ghostbloods Could Be One of the Most Important Cosmere Series Yet
Mistborn Era 3 arrives at a fascinating point in Sanderson’s larger Cosmere plan.
The first major arc of The Stormlight Archive ended with Wind and Truth, and Sanderson has temporarily shifted much of his attention toward Mistborn.
At the same time, the Cosmere is gradually moving away from relatively isolated fantasy worlds and toward greater interaction between planets.
Scadrial is one of the most technologically important civilizations in that future.
The Ghostbloods themselves are already involved in events that reach beyond a single planet.
Put those two things together and Mistborn Era 3 could serve as an important bridge between the fantasy-heavy early Cosmere and the more science-fiction-oriented stories Sanderson has planned for its future.
What Comes After Mistborn Era 3?
Ghostbloods will not be the final stage of the Mistborn saga.
Sanderson’s long-term plan has always involved advancing Scadrial through multiple technological eras.
Eventually, Mistborn is expected to reach a much more futuristic, space-age setting.
That is where one of Sanderson’s most ambitious concepts becomes clear.
Readers began in The Final Empire with ash falling from the sky, medieval-style cities and an immortal tyrant.
Eventually, descendants of that civilization could be traveling between worlds.
And throughout that transformation, the Metallic Arts remain part of the society’s history, religion, science and technology.
Few fantasy series attempt anything on that scale.
Do You Need to Read The Stormlight Archive Before Ghostbloods?
Probably not.
Mistborn should remain understandable as its own series, and Sanderson generally designs his books so readers don’t need to complete every Cosmere novel beforehand.
However, readers who have finished both Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive will almost certainly recognize more connections involving the Ghostbloods and the wider Cosmere.
At minimum, readers should finish Mistborn Era 1 and Era 2 before jumping into Ghostbloods.
And anyone wanting the complete picture should also read Mistborn: Secret History.
What Mistborn Books Should You Read Before Era 3?
If you want to prepare for Ghostbloods, this is the ideal reading order:
Mistborn Era 1
Mistborn Era 2
Additional Mistborn Reading
- Mistborn: Secret History
- The Eleventh Metal
- Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
Of those additional works, Secret History is especially useful for readers interested in the larger Cosmere connections surrounding Mistborn.
The Next Mistborn Book Is Still Years Away — But Ghostbloods Is Finally Becoming Real
The wait for another full Mistborn novel is going to be long.
But after years of hearing Sanderson discuss Era 3 as something he eventually planned to write, Ghostbloods is finally an active project.
The first novel is currently planned for December 2028, followed by the second book in December 2029 and the trilogy finale in December 2030.
And the setting alone makes this one of Sanderson’s most intriguing upcoming projects.
A 1980s-inspired Scadrial filled with Allomancy, Feruchemy, early computers and the Ghostbloods has the potential to feel unlike anything else in the Mistborn saga.
Considering how dramatically Sanderson reinvented the world between Era 1 and Era 2, fans should expect another major transformation when Mistborn finally returns.
For now, December 2028 is the date Mistborn fans should have circled on their calendars.
FAQ
When is the next Mistborn book coming out?
Brandon Sanderson currently plans to release Ghostbloods Book 1, the beginning of Mistborn Era 3, in December 2028. An exact publication date has not yet been announced.
What is Mistborn Era 3 called?
Mistborn Era 3 is called Ghostbloods. It is planned as a three-book series.
What is the Ghostbloods Book 1 release date?
Ghostbloods Book 1 is currently scheduled for December 2028.
When will Ghostbloods Book 2 be released?
Sanderson’s current schedule lists Ghostbloods Book 2 for December 2029.
When will Ghostbloods Book 3 be released?
The third Ghostbloods novel is currently projected for December 2030.
When does Mistborn Era 3 take place?
Ghostbloods takes place roughly 50 years after Mistborn Era 2 in a version of Scadrial with technology comparable to the 1980s.
Has Brandon Sanderson started writing Mistborn Era 3?
Yes. Sanderson has completed the initial drafting stage of Ghostbloods Book 1 and his official website currently lists Draft 2.0 as in progress.
Does Mistborn Era 3 have an official Book 1 title?
No individual title for Ghostbloods Book 1 has been officially announced yet.
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