Brandon Sanderson has several major projects moving forward at once, and October 2026 is shaping up to be another busy month for one of fantasy’s most prolific authors.
The most immediate news is the approaching release of The Fires of December, Sanderson’s newest standalone Cosmere novel. At the same time, work on the next era of Mistborn continues to make significant progress, the first draft of Sanderson’s Mistborn screenplay is finished, and Apple is developing plans for adaptations of the Cosmere.
There is also fresh activity outside the Cosmere, including the recent publication of Blightfall, the beginning of a new trilogy connected to Sanderson’s Skyward universe.
Here is the latest Brandon Sanderson news as of October 3, 2026.
The Fires of December Releases October 6
The biggest immediate Sanderson release is The Fires of December, a new standalone novel set inside the Cosmere.
Dragonsteel released sample chapters 5 and 6 on October 2, continuing a preview rollout that began in September. More importantly, the ebook and audiobook editions of the novel are scheduled to arrive on October 6, 2026. A wider physical release is planned for December.
The novel is part of Hoid’s Travails, with Hoid serving as the storyteller behind the adventure.
The Fires of December follows a woman named December who lives in a land sustained by strange rivers of demon blood. When she discovers that a catastrophic plague threatens the kingdom, she journeys up the River Violet in an attempt to warn those capable of stopping it.
That premise makes the book particularly interesting for longtime Cosmere readers. Sanderson has frequently used standalone novels to explore unfamiliar corners of his interconnected universe, and The Fires of December appears positioned to introduce another setting while remaining approachable as its own story.
The audiobook is narrated by longtime Sanderson collaborator Michael Kramer.
For readers waiting for Sanderson’s next major Cosmere story, October 6 is now the most important date on the calendar.
Ghostbloods Book 1 Is Now 85% Through Its Second Draft
The longer-term Cosmere news may be even more significant.
Sanderson’s official website currently lists Ghostbloods Book 1 Draft 2.0 at 85% complete.
That is a substantial milestone because Ghostbloods will launch the next era of the Mistborn saga.
Sanderson returned to revisions on the book this summer after working through the initial manuscript and related world-building material. In August, he confirmed that he was back at work on Ghostbloods.
Under Sanderson’s most recently published long-term schedule, the trilogy is currently planned as:
- Ghostbloods Book 1 — December 2028
- Ghostbloods Book 2 — December 2029
- Ghostbloods Book 3 — December 2030
Those dates remain projected rather than immovable publication dates, something Sanderson himself regularly emphasizes when discussing books that far in advance.
Still, an 85% second-draft progress marker is encouraging for readers wondering how the project is developing.
The Ghostbloods era will be especially important because it represents the next major phase of Mistborn after the Wax and Wayne books.
The Mistborn Screenplay Is Finished
Sanderson is also making progress on a very different version of Mistborn.
On July 28, Sanderson announced that he had completed the first draft of the Mistborn screenplay.
His official film and television page continues to list the screenplay as complete, while stressing that completing a script is only one early stage in the much longer process of getting a movie made.
The timing is particularly notable because the screenplay work comes after Apple secured rights to develop Sanderson’s Cosmere for film and television.
The current plan has Mistborn being considered as a feature-film franchise, while The Stormlight Archive is being eyed for television. Sanderson is expected to remain closely involved as a producer and creative consultant.
That level of involvement has long been important to Sanderson when discussing potential adaptations of his books.
There is still no announced release date, director or cast for a Mistborn movie. A completed first screenplay draft should therefore be viewed as meaningful progress rather than evidence that production is about to begin.
Apple’s Cosmere Adaptations Remain One of Sanderson’s Biggest Stories
The Apple deal remains arguably the largest development surrounding Sanderson outside his publishing schedule.
Apple secured screen rights to the Cosmere earlier in 2026 after competitive interest from studios. The two properties receiving the most attention are Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive.
For years, Sanderson has spoken publicly about the difficulty of finding the right adaptation arrangement for his books. The scale of the Cosmere presents an obvious challenge: its stories span multiple planets, magic systems and series while gradually revealing their connections to one another.
If Apple ultimately moves ahead with both Mistborn films and a Stormlight Archive television series, the projects could form the beginning of a much larger interconnected adaptation universe.
But readers should still separate development from production. Neither adaptation currently has a confirmed premiere date.
The most concrete recent step remains Sanderson completing his first Mistborn screenplay draft.
Blightfall Has Officially Arrived
Sanderson also had a major release on September 1.
Blightfall, written with Janci Patterson, launched as the first installment in a new trilogy following characters from the Skyward universe.
Publisher Penguin Random House describes the novel as a new adventure involving the legendary Skyward Flight and its journey to investigate a mysterious alien world. The hardcover edition runs 496 pages, with ebook and audiobook versions released simultaneously.
That makes Blightfall one of Sanderson’s biggest non-Cosmere releases of 2026.
It also illustrates how Sanderson’s publishing schedule continues to expand beyond the projects he writes entirely on his own. His collaborations with Patterson have allowed the Skyward universe to continue while Sanderson spends significant writing time on projects such as Ghostbloods and his adaptation work.
What About The Stormlight Archive Book 6?
Readers looking for the next Stormlight Archive novel should still prepare for a long wait.
Sanderson has previously said that he expects to spend much of 2030 and 2031 working on the sixth book, with late 2031as his anticipated release window if the broader schedule remains on track.
That lengthy gap is deliberate.
Wind and Truth concluded the first five-book portion of the ten-volume Stormlight Archive, giving Sanderson room to focus on the next era of Mistborn, other Cosmere projects and his growing film and television commitments before returning to Roshar.
As always with a project that far away, 2031 should be considered a target rather than a guaranteed release date.
Sanderson Has a Packed Few Years Ahead
Even by Brandon Sanderson standards, his current slate is enormous.
The Fires of December is about to give Cosmere readers a completely new story. Ghostbloods is rapidly progressing through revisions. His first Mistborn screenplay draft is complete. Apple is developing the Cosmere for film and television. And Blightfall has already opened a new chapter of the Skyward universe.
The development worth watching most closely over the next few months may be Ghostbloods. With the second draft already at 85%, the first novel in the next Mistborn era is moving closer to a much more finished form, even though its planned December 2028 publication remains more than two years away.
Before that, however, Sanderson fans have another Cosmere novel almost immediately.
The Fires of December arrives digitally and in audiobook form on October 6, 2026.
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