Brandon Sanderson is going into detail to explain the delay for his latest Mistborn trilogy, and why fans need to be patient!
It’s hard to find a current more prolific fantasy writer than Brandon Sanderson. In a field where too many fantasy authors take years or more to put out a new book, Sanderson is basically the Stephen King of fantasy in how quickly he puts out novels, novellas and short story collections.
From completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time epic to his own works like The Stormlight Archive, Elantris, Skyward, Legion, and more, Sanderson keeps fans entertained. Probably his best-known work is the Mistborn series, drawing fans into the magical interconnected fantasy universe of the Cosmere.
Sanderson planned the series in "Eras," with each taking readers to a different time period in the world of Scadrial. After Era 2 concluded with 2022's The Lost Metal, fans are naturally excited to see the kickoff for the next iteration. The first Mistborn trilogy was set in a post-apocalyptic Renaissance-inspired fantasy world; the second brought readers into steampunk modernity. Mistborn Era 3 will be set in a version of the world based on the 1980s, with all the technology that entails. However, the new trilogy is not going to arrive until 2028, and Sanderson is explaining why.
Why is there such a long wait for Mistborn Era 3?
In a recent YouTube video update, Sanderson acknowledged the fans’ questions about the next Mistborn book and how it’s taking longer than his usual lightning-fast pace. However, the author insists that taking his time is critical to make this new trilogy work.
Sanderson pointed out the double-edged sword of his writing speed is that his publishers put pressure to get works by more famous authors out quicker, which can mean making deadlines over the quality of the story.
"The way that publishing works is very similar to the way that a lot of entertainment works, where your top-selling titles do tend to form the bulk of your income, which you use to fund releasing the rest of your books, hoping to get more and more top-selling titles," Sanderson said. He went on to explain that over time, his success has led to his publishers releasing his titles very quickly after he turns them in in order boost their overall sales in a given quarter, which he believes is "detrimental...to the way our business works." With Mistborn Era 3 he's taking a much slower approach to give fans the best story he can.
"People still take a lot of time on the projects, but they feel rushed, and I feel rushed, and it's just not a good place to be in," he added. "So, now that I'm in the position where I have the power to determine when my release dates are, I'm like, 'For years, we've been saying we need to claw this time back. And this is the time to claw it back.' I want to finish Ghostbloods 1 this year ... I'm writing Ghostbloods 1 in 2025, and then it will have three years until it needs to come out. But it is the best way to make sure that this is all sustainable going forward. It will also have the advantage of... theoretically, I will have the third one's first draft done before the first one actually has to come out, and so, I can make sure the continuity all works through all three books. It's something that I did on the first trilogy that I want to try again on this one."
While the delay may be annoying for fans, the idea that Sanderson can finish writing the final book in the trilogy by the time the first novel is published is great news. Sanderson knows firsthand the dangers of a work outliving an author, thanks to his relationship with Robert Jordan, who had completed eleven books in The Wheel of Time saga when he passed away in 2007. He left behind detailed notes that Sanderson used to complete the last three books in the saga.
Sanderson likewise knows a few fantasy authors who have taken years to get a new entry in their own stories out. He doesn’t want to leave fans hanging so long for new books. The way it's planned now, book 2 of the new trilogy can be out a year or so after the first, with the third following shortly after.
Sanderson is keeping busy in the meantime, of course. His Tailored Realities short story collection is coming out on December 9, and his standalone Cosmere novel Isles of the Emberdark is finally getting a wider physical release in February 2026. That’s not to mention any other stories he can provide, so the wait for the continuation of Mistborn should be worth it.
h/t Screen Rant