Every Upcoming Book Brandon Sanderson Has Planned
Book five of The Stormlight Archiveis finally out, leaving many readers wondering what Brandon Sanderson books they can expect in the near future. Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere fantasy universe, which contains titles like Mistborn and Tress of the Emerald Sea, has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, with six full-length novels being released in the 2020s so far. Sanderson spoiled his readers with the Secret Project books he wrote during the pandemic, and unfortunately, it's back to business as usual now in the next few years.
Though Brandon Sanderson still has plenty of books to look forward to, there should only be one entirely original Cosmere book coming out between 2025 and 2028, with that being the fifth Secret Project. Sanderson has non-Cosmere novels for readers to look forward to, which his 2024 State of Sanderson blog post explains is a way for him to stray fresh and motivated between monstrous volumes of The Stormlight Archive. There are also many Cosmere books set to be released years in the future, though they weren't given expected release dates in his post.
11 Tailored Realities
Brandon Sanderson's Next Short Fiction Collection
Brandon Sanderson has released collections of short fiction before, with his Cosmere collection Arcanum Unbounded. Tailored Realities, on the other hand, won't be a Cosmere book; instead, it will be a collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novellas. This includes the story Defending Elysium, which is set in the same universe as Skyward.
An original novella in Tailored Realities will be called "Moment Zero," which is a piece that Brandon Sanderson mentions working on in 2024. Tailored Realities will also include the stories Snapshot and Perfect State, and will be published by Sanderson's usual TOR Books, presumably in December 2025.
10 Isles Of The Emberdark
Secret Project #5
Isles of the Emberdark is a new Cosmere novel that Brandon Sanderson teased in early 2024, and it will be the fourth of his Secret Project books. It's meant to have high Cosmere connectivity, expanding on the short story Sixth of the Dusk, which was released in 2014. If it's anything like the other Cosmere Secret Projects, fans will be in for a treat that could have some critical reveals. It's set in the Space Age of the Cosmere, following the protagonist Dusk and a dragon named Starling.
Like the other Secret Projects, Isles of the Emberdark was part of a Backer Campaign connected to the Words of Radiance leatherbound editions. Those who supported the campaign will have their copies in the fall of 2025, before the wider release handled by TOR Books in early 2026.
9 Skyward Legacy Trilogy
Three New Skyward Books Co-Wrote By Sanderson
The first four Skyward books were released between 2018 and 2023, and Brandon Sanderson has been hard at work contributing to the next trilogy. This series is young adult science fiction, and it's set in a separate universe called the Cytoverse, with no connections to the Cosmere. However, for Cosmere fans wanting to see how the author works with science fiction, it's a fun read.
There are three new Skyward books in the planned sequel series, and the first is intended to be released in the Spring or Summer of 2026. Brandon Sanderson is working on this series with co-author Janci Patterson, who's done a signifcant portion of the writing for them will he worked on Wind and Truth. The State of Sanderson post also mentions that Patterson may want to change to a "better name than Skyward Legacy."
8 Mistborn: Ghostbloods Trilogy
The Next Big Cosmere Storyline
The next Mistborn book series is the major release most Cosmere fans will be thrilled about. The Lost Metal concluded the Wax and Wayne series in 2022, beginning the wait for Mistborn's third era, titled "Ghostbloods." This should be one of the most important stories in developing the Cosmere universe so far, with the Ghostbloods being an organization that has appeared in both the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series. The planned release dates are as follows:
Planned Mistborn Books | Release Dates |
|---|---|
Mistborn: Ghostbloods 1 | December 2028 |
Mistborn: Ghostbloods 2 | December 2029 |
Mistborn: Ghostbloods 3 | December 2030 |
Mistborn: Ghostbloods is planned to have a time jump of roughly fifty years following Wax and Wayne, and it'll be set in the early computer era of Scadrial, which will be more globalized than when audiences last saw it. Sanderson intends to write all three volumes of the trilogy before the first is published to ensure "tight continuity" between them, just like he did with the original Mistborn trilogy.
7 Elantris Sequels
Long-Awaited Elantris Sequels
Elantris was Brandon Sanderson's first book, but it's never been the most popular entry to the Cosmere. Even Sanderson will admit that it's not his most well-written novel, but there's still value to the events on the planet Sel that pertain to the rest of his universe. That's why Sanderson is returning to this world with long-awaited sequels, which he plans to have out later in the decade.
Planned Elantris Books | Release Dates |
|---|---|
Elantris 2 | Summer 2029 |
Elantris 3 | Summer 2030 |
2029 and 2030 will be massive years for Cosmere fans, with major books being released every six months. He anticipates the Elantris sequels coming out in the Summer of those years, while the Mistborn books will be out in December. The Elantris sequel should be set ten in-world years after the first book, and Sanderson has made it clear that these books being written and released coinciding with the Mistborn trilogy is purposeful and important.
6 The Stormlight Archive Sequence 2
The Stormlight Archive Will Return In 2031
The Stormlight Archive's second arc is the main book series Cosmere fans will be looking forward to following Wind and Truth's climactic ending. The series is currently planned to have a ten-year in-world time jump leading into the next series, and the real-world wait will be almost as long. As of the State of Sanderson 2024 thread, the author is taking a break from the series and expects the book to be released in December of 2031.
Brandon Sanderson acknowledged that The Stormlight Archive is his opus but admitted that the epic-length novels are taxing on him. They require the most time and dedication, and he needs a refresher before returning to Roshar. There could be some short fiction written in this world, and Rosharans could appear in other books and series, but book 6 won't be available for almost seven years.
5 Warbreaker Sequel
The Long-Awaited Warbreaker Sequel Is Still TBD
Along with Elantris, Warbreaker is an early Cosmere novel that readers haven't gotten to return to the world of. The book is planned to be titled Nightblood, referring to the sword that's since appeared in other Cosmere books, and should directly tie into how characters from Warbreaker began appearing in The Stormlight Archive. Unfortunately, this book is still many years away.
Those who are waiting to return to Nalthis will have to wait until at least the 2030s
The Warbreaker sequel is one of the books Brandon Sanderson barely touched on in his recent post, though he did say it would be one of his focuses after the Elantris trilogy is done. Those who are waiting to return to Nalthis will have to wait until at least the 2030s, though characters may appear in other books sooner than that.
4 The Rithmatist Sequel
The Rithmatist Sequel Is Also TBD
The Rithmatist is another young adult book series written by Brandon Sanderson, with a singular volume that was released in 2013. The story is not set in the Cosmere but rather in a setting much closer to the real world. Regardless of being one of his YA books, it's a rather mature read and one that's been celebrated by his fans, leading to inquiries about a sequel.
The Rithmatist sequel is on Brandon Sanderson's mind, but like with Warbreaker, it will be waiting until much later, at least after the Elantris trilogy. It's surprising to publish a YA book two decades after its predecessor, but if the desire sticks around for it, it seems like a story the author is willing to write.
3 White Sand Novelization
White Sand's Novelization Is Postponed But Could Still Be Soon
White Sand is a Brandon Sanderson story that already exists, at least in graphic novel form. Its three volumes can be purchased in a joint omnibus collection, and they're a fantastic read with some important Cosmere connections to books like The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn. White Sand was an unpublished Brandon Sanderson novel that eventually turned into a graphic novel, and Sanderson plans to re-release it as a full-length Cosmere book with added depth to the original story.
Sanderson originally sought to have this book published in the next couple of years, but he didn't make enough progress in 2024 as he had hoped to. That means the book will be delayed indefinitely. Given that he's already partially done with it, White Sand could easily be out before the end of the decade.
2 Horneater Novella
The Stormlight Archive Novella Should Arrive Before Book 6
The novella Horneater will hopefully be the saving grace for Stormlight Archive fans waiting for the next volume. Like Edgedancer and Dawnshard, Horneater will focus on Rock in his return to his homeland after Oathbringer. With that in mind, it won't provide any updates on Roshar after Wind and Truth, but it could still be a fun read that dives deeper into a beloved supporting character.
Horneater was on Brandon Sanderson's schedule for the end of 2026, but he's pushed it back. It may not be as long as The Stormlight Archive books, but Sanderson novellas are still no joke. Hopefully, he'll find time to get to this one before book 6, as it would be nice to spend a bit of time on Roshar before 2031.
