Fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe are receiving the latest offerings from his massive Dragonsteel Entertainment campaign on BackerKit, including a premium hardcover edition of The Fires of December and the illustrated Hoid’s Storybook Collection.
According to a hands-on report for IGN, an early backer who supported the “Storyteller” tier at launch received digital versions—ebooks, PDFs, and audiobook—all on Sept. 15, followed by physical books, stickers, pins, and other rewards on Oct. 5.
The Fires of December Premium Hardcover
The Fires of December is the third book in what Sanderson calls “Hoid’s Travails,” a trilogy that also includes Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. The novel functions as a standalone Cosmere story: its protagonist, December, arrives on a new planet with her own plot, while connecting to the other two tales through their shared narrator—the Worldhopper known as Hoid.
The premium hardcover features custom art with gold trim that backers describe as “much prettier in person than it was in pictures.” Backers had selected between two cover art options for December, and the edition also contains colored text and illustrations throughout by artist Tran Nguyen.
“The way the golds, reds, blues, and purples work together to make this world leap off the page is very well done,” the report notes, calling the book “a worthy addition to any Sandershelf collection.”
Brandon Sanderson Cosmere book
The writer has only read the first handful of chapters but says the opening left them hooked. The first chapter reportedly recalled one of their favorite PS5 games, Returnal. A preview of the first few chapters is available on Sanderson’s YouTube channel.
For those who missed the BackerKit campaign, standard editions of the ebook, audiobook, and physical book remain available—though not the premium hardcovers. Digital versions became accessible on October 6, with the physical edition releasing December 8, 2026.
Hoid’s Storybook Collection Picture Books
The Hoid’s Storybook Collection brings to print illustrated chapters where Hoid tells stories to teach Kaladin and Shallan in the Stormlight Archive. The four picture books feature distinct artistic styles: Howard Lyon illustrated The Dog and the Dragon, Alexis and Justin Hernandez did The Girl Who Looked Up, Steve Argyle handled Wandersail, and Anna Early worked on The Chasm Friends Get a Pet.
“The art in The Dog and the Dragon and Chasm Friends is whimsical and playful, while the Wandersail and the Girl Who Looked Up are both epic fantasy illustrations worthy of the world of Roshar,” the report observes.
The writer called The Dog and the Dragon, a chapter from Rhythm of War, “one of my favorite chapters I’ve read in any book,” noting that a fully illustrated version can now be shared with family and friends without requiring them to first read through thousands of pages.
“The premium hardcover of The Fires of December is truly a work of art worthy of any shelf,” the report concludes, adding that the four picture books are “exactly what Stormlight Archive fans have imagined them to be.” The writer says they look forward to sharing the stories with their children in the coming days.
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