“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”
― Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
When someone mentions the phrase “fantasy novel” to you, it’s likely that Brandon Sanderson comes to mind. An avid reader and accomplished author, Brandon Sanderson has written over 70 books, including full-length novels, novellas, short story collections, and graphic novels. These works range from children’s picture books (coming soon) to 450-thousand-word adult novels in the Stormlight Archive. While most authors settle on one audience to write for, Brandon’s writing encompasses multiple genres and target age groups.
Brandon Sanderson has been compared to authors like George R. R. Martin, Frank Herbert, and J. R. R. Tolkien in terms of his skill in worldbuilding and characterization. These words are not given lightly, as such authors are considered legends in the world of science fiction and fantasy. Today we are diving into the world of Sanderson, from the beginning of his writing career to his current empire of high fantasy.
Education And Early Career
So, Brandon Sanderson started off as many of us do – on a completely different educational path than where he ended up. He attended Brigham Young University for his undergraduate studies, beginning as a biochemistry major with the goal of becoming a doctor. It wasn’t until after he took time off for missionary work in South Korea that he realized that he missed having time for writing, and he didn’t miss anything about biochemistry. When he returned from his missionary work, he switched his major to English. During those years as an undergrad, he wrote 7 novels.
After graduating undergrad, Sanderson continued his studies at BYU as a graduate student. He worked through the English program with a focus on creative writing and, during his time as a graduate student, wrote 5 more novels. About halfway through graduate school, a representative from Tor Books called and told him that he wanted to buy the rights to his adult fantasy novel Elantris. This was followed by the purchase of several of his other novels – the first 3 books in his Mistborn series and the first 2 books in The Stormlight Archive series.
Once he finished his graduate studies, Sanderson was asked to teach the creative writing class that he had taken at BYU during his undergraduate studies. The class focused on science fiction and fantasy techniques in creative writing, and even though his schedule was becoming quite busy with all the books he was writing and publishing, he said that he loved the class and has continued teaching it.
Early Works
As mentioned previously, Sanderson’s first novel, Elantris, was received with high praise and led to the acquisition of his Mistborn series as well as The Stormlight Archive. Elantris is a standalone fantasy novel set in a prison-city for people who have been contaminated by a dangerous disease. It follows 3 characters as they navigate the political and magical happenings in that city and uncover what truly happened to their city to make it the way it is. While Elantris is not Sanderson’s best work, it is his first work and is highly commendable.
In 2009, Warbreaker was published. Warbreaker is a novel that is set in the same universe as many of his books, called The Cosmere. Set in a warm, bright, and tropical environment, Warbreaker follows 4 characters in a world where color and “breath” are magical. Each of these characters has their own unique character arc and motivations.
Lightsong wants to be a hero because he is perceived as one. Siri rebelled against her father and is set to marry a God. Vivenna wants to save Siri from the fate she has rebelliously chosen, and Vasher… well, Vasher has his own motivations. Warbreaker is a phenomenal story with a slight romance subplot and a unique magic-system. Now that the majority of the Stormlight Archive has been released, it is recommended that you read Warbreaker after The Way of Kings.
Completing The Wheel Of Time
By 2007, Brandon Sanderson had been making waves in the world of fantasy books for several years and was asked to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. Robert Jordan passed away unfortunately before he had a chance to finish the books. Jordan’s wife was his editor, and she handpicked Sanderson to get the job done. A Gathering Storm was published in 2009, Towers of Midnight in 2010, and the final book in the series, A Memory of Light, in 2013.
Fans of the Wheel of Time series were a bit apprehensive at first about having a different author complete the series that they held so dearly, especially after the passing of the author being unexpected. After the release of A Gathering Storm, however, many fans were impressed by the contribution that Sanderson made and were thankful that he went into the project with the goal of honoring Robert Jordan’s work and wishes for the series.
Common critiques with Sanderson picking up the series included that his writing voice was just different enough from Jordan’s to make a difference – Sanderson has a very direct and straightforward style of writing, whereas Robert Jordan loved to write nuanced prose. A Memory of Light was received very well, and fans often note that the battle sequences were very impressive. Fans of the series were also happy to see how Sanderson wrapped up the arcs of beloved characters in the series and resolved major plotlines.
Mistborn
The Mistborn Saga is Brandon Sanderson’s first series and consists of multiple “eras.” Mistborn Era 1 and 2 are completed, while Mistborn Era 3, titled Ghostbloods is slated to begin in 2025. The Mistborn saga is known for it’s magic system, complex characters, and richly detailed world. As his writing skills have developed over the years, the Mistborn series has grown alongside him, becoming what is probably his most popular series of books.
One of the things that attracts readers to Mistborn is its unique magic system. In the world of Mistborn, magic users are known as Allomancers – people who can ingest and use different types of metal to gain magical abilities. There are two types of Allomancers in the Mistborn saga. Mistings can use just a single type of metal to gain power, but Mistborns can use any type of metal.
Another thing that draws people into the Mistborn saga is its intricate politics and heist plot. In Era 1 we follow Vin, a young allomancer and Kelsier, an experienced mistborn who takes her under his wing into his crew of thieves. This group of thieves and rebels has a detailed heist plan to overthrow their emperor. The political intrigue in Mistborn is detailed and complex, with twists and turns at every corner. Mistborn Era 2 follows a new set of characters and a new storyline.
The central themes of Mistborn are emphasized greatly by the characters and their internal struggles and growth. One of the things that readers like the most is that Mistborn really focuses on the theme of hope and finding it in times of despair. Characters like Kelsier and Vin aid in Sanderson’s storytelling by existing as characters who aren’t afraid of growth.
The Stormlight Archive
With the first book clocking in at almost 400,000 words and each subsequent novel in the series being around 400k or higher as well, the Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson’s largest scale project to date. The Stormlight Archive is intended to be a 2 era series, with the first era wrapping up with the 5 book titled Wind and Truth, releasing in December 2024.
The first era follows several major characters through all 5 books – each of them having their own unique character arc. It is unknown who the second era of Stormlight Archive books will follow, but knowing Sanderson, it is likely that Era 1 characters will at least make appearances by name.
Not only is the Stormlight Archive Brandon Sanderson’s biggest project, but it is arguably his best work as of now. Because of the scale of these books and the world they are set in, the complexity of the storylines is more obvious than in previous works. However, Sanderson’s worldbuilding expertise is made even more evident when reading the Stormlight Archive after reading some of his other works, such as Warbreaker, because it takes place in the same overarching universe as many of his works, called the Cosmere.
The Stormlight Archive focuses on highly complex and relevant themes such as the ethics of slavery, the prevalence of mental illness, and how to process trauma. These themes invite readers to take part in nuanced conversations about topics that are relevant to “real life” – another reason the Stormlight Archive is so well received.
Secret Projects And The Year of Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is a busy man. It might seem like he never stops writing, and honestly, fans question whether he sleeps or not. In 2023, he hosted “The Year of Sanderson” in which he released 4 “secret projects” – each of which was a standalone novel that could be read on its own. 3 of these novels take place within the Cosmere, meaning that they had cameos by beloved characters from his other Cosmere works such as Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive.
The Secret Projects were launched on Backerkit with a goal of 1 million dollars. With 185,341 backers, the Secret Projects were received extremely well and exceeded the monetary funding goal by 40 million dollars. The Secret Project novels were released quarterly for 1 year in 2023 along with swag boxes of exclusive merchandise themed for each of the novels.
A fan favorite from the Secret Project books is Tress of the Emerald Sea, which is a cozy fantasy novel unlike anything Sanderson has written before. With the “cozy fantasy” subgenre becoming a favorite amongst TikTok creators, Tress of the Emerald Sea has become a staple in the booktok community.
Other Secret Projects from 2023 are titled Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, The Sunlit Man, and The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook For Surviving Medieval England (the latter of which is the only non-cosmere project released that year).
In March of 2024, Sanderson announced a 5th secret project that is Cosmere connected, titled Isles of the Emberdark which is expected to release in early 2025.
The Cosmere
The overarching universe in which many of Brandon Sanderson’s books and series take place is called The Cosmere. On his website, Sanderson says “All of my Cosmere books share a single creation myth, a single cosmology, that gives underlying theorem of magic for all these connected worlds. The theorem is not simple–I can’t really encapsulate it in one sentence–but you can map out how the magic all fits together in the Cosmere using this kind of super theorem”.
The thing that fans love about the Cosmere is that it means that there is interconnectivity between series, standalones, and short stories. Characters from different books show up in unexpected places. It gives fans a sort of treasure hunt to participate in, in which the treasure is the character cameos and little pieces of information about the overall mythology within the world. These characters who appear in different books outside of their own are called “world hoppers.” One notable world hopper shows up in almost every Cosmere book – which leads fans to wonder if that character is who the Cosmere is truly about.
Sanderson has mapped out a long-term future for the Cosmere that spans decades and multiple book series – including a series he refers to as “the Dragonsteel series,” which will dive into the nature of the Cosmere itself. While we know he has plans to visit this series, there is no information on when that will happen.
Other Works And Projects
Beyond prose novels, Sanderson has also written a 3-volume graphic novel series called White Sand. White Sand takes place within the Cosmere and follows characters Kenton and Khriss – the latter of whom holds secrets. Khriss is another world hopper who will be explored in later works, most notably in a prose novel that Sanderson intends to write about the White Sand universe.
Outside of the Cosmere, Brandon Sanderson still creates stories. One of his more notable non-Cosmere projects is the Skyward series – a young adult science fiction series which follows a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot during a time when her planet is at war with a dangerous alien race. The Skyward Series has 4 books and 3 novellas.
Another notable series outside of the Cosmere is Sanderson’s Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. This is a middle-grade series written early on in his career. It follows a 13 year old boy and his group of friends as they fight against a cult of evil librarians.
In February of 2024, he announced his first picture book, titled The Most Boring Book Ever, a picture book in which the words are very boring and the pictures are full of epic adventures. This picture book is expected to release later in 2024.
Writing Style And Techniques
Brandon Sanderson is known for his distinctive writing style and use of techniques such as worldbuilding and deep characterization. He creates richly detailed worlds in which a reader can invest themselves and feel as if they are a part of that world. Each of Sanderson’s worlds comes with its own history, politics, sociology, and mythology that immerse readers wholeheartedly.
When writing his fantasy series, he often refers to “Sanderson’s Laws of Magic,” which guide his creation of magic systems within his novels. These guidelines that he sets for himself allow his magic systems to be intricately detailed and believable, leading to opportunities for problem-solving and plot development through magic.
Characterization is another one of Brandon Sanderson’s strong suits. In fact, despite his master worldbuilding, some fans would argue that characterization is his strongest skill. Take notable character Kaladin Stormblessed, for example. Kaladin struggles with intense feelings of depression and hopelessness throughout the Stormlight Archives. This makes his rise to leadership and heroism all the more compelling and believable – because he must work for it. His successes are not just handed to him.
Plotting and pacing are yet another skill that Sanderson has seemingly mastered. Even over the course of 400,000 words and 1200 pages, a book like The Way of Kings does not feel long. The pacing of the book is impeccable, and the plot picks up speed at just the right moments. Sanderson uses a technique that fans call “the Sanderlanche,” in which the plot hits its apex near the final few hundred pages, and the moment you reach it, you won’t want to put your book down.
Influence And Impact
Brandon Sanderson’s influence and impact on his fanbase through his multifaceted worldbuilding, intensely relatable characters, and consistent interaction with his fans has made him one of the most revered contemporary fantasy authors to date.
His consistent release schedule ensures that readers are frequently engaging with new material – something that many authors have difficulties keeping up with at a pace like Sanderson’s. This reliability has built a strong sense of anticipation and loyalty amongst fans.
Sanderson is also known for his frequent interaction with fans through YouTube videos, TikToks, and blog posts. He regularly updates fans on his project progress through his blog and social media, as well as progress bars on his website homepage. He participates in fan conventions, book signings, and Q+A sessions, all of which foster the relationship he has with his fans. He also hosts his own annual book conference called Dragonsteel Nexus – during which this year, the final book in the first era of The Stormlight Archive will be released.
His contributions to the educational system through his courses at Brigham Young University have inspired and educated a new generation of writers. Brandon Sanderson’s dedication to teaching, in spite of his insanely busy schedule is just one more thing to admire him for. His willingness to share his knowledge and techniques has earned him respect and admiration from across the board.
Brandon Sanderson Is Timeless
Brandon Sanderson’s journey from an aspiring writer to a leading figure in modern high fantasy is a testament to his dedication, creativity, and influence. His education at BYU not only shaped his early career but laid the foundation for him to mentor and teach a new generation of future writers. Without this foundation as a student, would Sanderson be the author that he is today?
Completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series was a monumental task that tested Sanderson’s skill and perseverance. Despite the pressure and high expectations, he managed to honor Jordan’s legacy while leaving his own mark – an impressive feat earning him high praise from both fans and critics.
Through the Cosmere, he cements his reputation with novels like Mistborn and The Way of Kings. Their unique magic systems, intricate plots, and deep and relatable themes provide unique reading experiences that keep fans anticipating each new release. Each of his new projects adds to the legacy he is building for himself the modern fantasy genre.
The annual Dragonsteel Conference with fans has opened another avenue to interact with Brandon Sanderson, and his active engagement with his fan community has created a vibrant and supportive environment for fantasy lovers. Brandon Sanderson’s impact on the fantasy genre is profound and enduring. He is dedicated to his craft, innovative storytelling, and active community involvement. As he continues to expand the Cosmere and explore new creative avenues, Brandon Sanderson’s influence is bound to grow.
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