Brandon Sanderson's Blog, page 55

The Accidental Highwayman

I blurbed a book! I know, I know. That doesn’t happen very often these days, but Susan, my YA editor at Tor, approached me with a project she is very excited and passionate about: The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp. And after reading it, I have to highly recommend it—Susan has discovered a gem.

From the back of the book:

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

We’ve seen the story of the servant taking up the master’s mantle before. But the twist caught my attention. Kind of like becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts, only you didn’t mean to, and now all England is looking to put you in prison for the crimes your master committed. Something in between The Princess Bride and The Fugitive with the charm of Stardust and the snark of Terry Pratchett—if he wrote Robert Louis Stevenson fan fiction. The Accidental Highwayman should be judged on its own merits, of course, but comparing it to those books and authors is the best way to give you the feel of this novel in a way that will catch the attention of those readers who will enjoy it the most.

At the beginning of the book, author Ben Tripp purports only to be the editor of notes he found in a chest belonging to one of his ancestors. The story begins in an affected voice meant to sound like something from the eighteenth century, but laced with enough humor and snark that you feel the author is subtly looking at you from behind the words and shooting you an anachronistic wink. Tripp has mastered the balancing act of making the prose sound archaic while at the same time being palatable to modern readers. Take a gander at Tripp’s website—you can tell he’s something of a character.

So, yes, I recommend this book. Like I said to my editor, The Accidental Highwayman is “Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.”

Take a look at what other reviewers have said:

“Readers will root for star-crossed lovers, Kit and Morgana, and delight in their ‘opposites attract’ romance, drawn onward by a rollicking plot…. Fantasy readers, especially fans of Catherynne Valente’s work, will enjoy the author’s elegant turns of phrase. A first purchase for all fantasy collections.” —School Library Journal, Starred Review

“Spells, wishes and fantastical creatures aside, this rollicking yarn owes more to R.L. Stevenson than J.K. Rowling. Kit’s wry voice provides a fine pastiche of old-fashioned tale-telling… enlivened by breakneck pacing, colorful similes and a sly wit aimed at modern sensibilities…. Kit himself is as brave, clever and good-natured an orphan lad as ever buckled a swash. The promise of more adventures to come provides happily-ever-after enough. They can still write ’em like they used to; hurrah!” —Kirkus Reviews

“While the journey isn’t quick, it never grows tedious—danger, magic, and intrigue wait at every turn. Tripp infuses his story with whimsy, humor, and derring-do, and his miniature spot illustrations and handful of lovely full-page pieces add to the overall charm.” —Publishers Weekly

“Tripp builds a richly imagined fantasy world, captured both in Kit’s dry, witty first-person narrative and Tripp’s detailed illustrations. The complex political machinations… make for a compelling and quietly sinister background thrum that builds until the exciting concluding battle, which handily leaves room for more adventures in the planned trilogy. Fans of classic adventure will find plenty to like here.” —Booklist

Want to check out an excerpt? The first two chapters are on Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature, and you can read chapters three through eight on Tor.com

Mitosis audiobook free on Audible

I’m happy to announce that Mitosis (the novelette that takes place between Steelheart and Firefight) has been released as an audiobook. What’s more, Audible is putting it up for free for a limited time.

The talented Macleod Andrews returns as the audiobook’s narrator—and he will return for the Firefight audiobook as well, which comes out in January and which you can preorder here.

Here’s an audio preview for Mitosis. Since the novelette takes place after Steelheart, the preview below contains major spoilers for that book, so be warned! If you haven’t read Steelheart yet, there’s an audio preview for it at the bottom of the post.

Mistborn Trade Paperbacks + New York Comic Con Schedule

Back in May I mentioned the new trade paperbacks for the Mistborn trilogy that were coming out, starting with the first book. Since then, The Well of Ascension was released in August, and The Hero of Ages came out this week.

All three books have gorgeous Sam Weber cover art, and Isaac Stewart drew updated versions of the maps. The three books are shelved in the YA section of the store (next to Steelheart and The Rithmatist), but aside from the cover, maps, and some longstanding typos that my assistant Peter got fixed, they’re identical to the versions shelved in the adult science fiction/fantasy section. If you know teenagers who like to read, this new version might be a good one to give them. Check the “Trade Paper” links in the widget to the upper right, as well as on the Mistborn and The Well of Ascension pages.

This Saturday I will be at New York Comic Con. My schedule is below. I hope to see many of you there! Unfortunately, I’ve heard that Saturday passes are already sold out.

New York Comic Con

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2014

Place: New York Comic Con

Address: Javits Center

655 W 34th St

New York, New York 10001

Schedule:

2:00–3:00 p.m., Tor Booth #2223

Brandon Sanderson Signing

We’ll have plenty of Brandon Sanderson’s titles both old and new available for purchase. Free The Way of Kings/Mistborn sampler with every purchase!

4:00–4:45 p.m., Room 1A18

Villains: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Darth Vader, the Evil Queen, Hannibal Lecter, Nurse Ratched . . . let’s face it, being a villain is way more fun sometimes. Join Waltury Jury & Sarah Fine (Scan), Lexie Dunne (Superheroes Anonymous), Matthew Cody (Villainous), Brandon Sanderson (Steelheart and Firefight), Peter Moore (V is for Villain), and Anna Schumacher (End Times) as they discuss with Anna Jarzab (Tandem) what makes a villain memorable, why we need them, and if the tables were turned, would they be the heroes of their own tales?

5:15–6:15 p.m., Autographing Table 19

Villains: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Author Autographing

Shadows Beneath available in the NaNoWriMo tools StoryBundle

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts in November, and tons of people all over the world will take the challenge to write a 50,000-word novel within the month. To help keep you motivated as you write, I’ll be contributing a Pep Talk this year (also check out my 2011 Pep Talk).

One of this year’s sponsors is StoryBundle, and they’re offering up a bundle of ebooks on writing, available worldwide, for all of you to use to prepare for NaNo.

Among them is the Writing Excuses anthology, Shadows Beneath. As far as I know, this book is the only one that takes you from start to finish in story creation, giving four examples of stories at every step from brainstorming session to final product.

There’s a ton of great advice packed into the pages of every ebook in the bundle. As usual with StoryBundle’s offerings, the books are sold without DRM, meaning that you can read them any way or on any device you like. You can name your own price to pay for the books, and you can choose how much goes to StoryBundle themselves and how much to the authors. You can also choose to send 10% to one of two charities, Mighty Writers or Girls Write Now.

I hope these books are a useful resource for everyone doing NaNoWriMo this year, and for all the rest of you writers out there!

Writing Excuses episodes, Interview with Buzzy Mag & Updates

I’m behind on mentioning the episodes of the Writing Excuses writing advice show that have aired recently. Many of these episodes were recorded in front of a live audience at Westercon and FantasyCon in Salt Lake City.

Science Fiction as Science Education (with Brad Voytek)
What to do when you disagree with your editor (with Peter Orullian)
Writing Instruction (with David Farland)
Training a Critique Group (Kathleen Dalton Woodbury)
Q&A at Westercon (with Peter Orullian)
Publicity for Books (with Patty Garcia)
Understanding Royalties (with Paul Stevens)

It was great recording with all of these luminaries, so I hope you find the episodes useful!

My assistant Peter has updated my Twitter posts archive for September. A highlight: Right now I’m at the Writing Excuses retreat, and I signed at a few bookstores on the way. If you’re traveling, check out these stores:

Signed books in the Salt Lake airport with stickers inside. Simply Books by gate C6. Say hi to Tony for me.
Minneapolis airport! Stealth signed books at bookstores near F5, C12, and on the main concourse! Goodies inside.
I was in Minneapolis for an interview, & managed to slip to a Barnes & Noble in Edina (the Galleria) & signed books there. Stickers inside!
Atlanta airport E gates New York Times Bookstore. Signed books. (Mostly Stormlight/WoT)
I stopped at the Simply Books in the center of the A Gates and signed there too. (Atlanta airport.) Steelheart/Rithmatist, all with goodies inside.

If you follow me on Twitter/Facebook, you’ll see posts like that as I make them, and you’ll have a better chance of picking up signed books if you’re nearby.

I also just sent out a newsletter, for everyone on my mailing list. It includes a sneak peak of the next Stormlight Archive book. If you want to receive the newsletters, tell me your email and check the mailing list box here.

Buzzy Mag sat me down for a video interview where I talk about a lot of different subjects. They have a transcript on their site.

Mistborn ebook on sale

Hey, all. The Mistborn ebook (first book in the Mistborn trilogy, sometimes titled The Final Empire) is on sale for $2.99 at all vendors (in the US)—and I just found out that the sale ends on Sunday the 28th. After that it will go back up to its regular price. See the links on the right.

If you’ve never checked out Mistborn, there’s also a free ebook sampler that has the prologue and first 5 chapters (approximately 100 pages of the paperback), as well as about 200 pages of The Way of Kings. You can get that here: Kindle (US, CA, DE, ES, FR, IT), Nook, iBookstore, Kobo, Dragonmount, Google Play. You can also pick up a free paperback version of this sampler at Barnes & Noble—call your local store to see if they have one.

Though of course, if it’s The Way of Kings that you want to preview, and you’re in the US, the whole ebook is still free (and DRM-free, so you can read it on any device) on iTunes/iBookstore and Kindle. I don’t know how long that will last.

Steelheart paperback release!

This week marks the release of Steelheart as a trade paperback in the US and a mass market paperback in the UK. We received our copies, and they look great! There’s a picture below.

The new paperback cover matches the cover for the sequel, Firefight, and I think it looks great. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but it’s shiny when you move it back in the light.

And what about Firefight? It comes out on January 6th, and you can preorder it here. Editing is all finished, and I just found out that the publisher received advance reading copies (ARCs) of the book today. So it will be going out to reviewers before long. And the lucky winners of the ARC contest back in April will finally get their copies too!

You can read the first three chapters of Firefight in the back of the new trade paperback. And don’t forget the story “Mitosis” that goes between the two books.

The trilogy will conclude in Calamity, which I plan to start writing soon. You can track its progress in the upper-right corner of my website.

If you’re not sure about this whole Steelheart thing, see the introduction below.

Introduction

There are no heroes.

Every single person who manifested powers—we call them Epics—turned out to be evil.

Here, in the city once known as Chicago, an extraordinarily powerful Epic declared himself Emperor. Steelheart has the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, no explosion can burn him. He is invincible.

It has been ten years. We live our lives as best we can. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans who spend their lives studying powerful Epics, finding their weaknesses, then assassinating them.

My name is David Charleston. I’m not one of the Reckoners, but I intend to join them. I have something they need. Something precious, something incredible. Not an object, but an experience. I know his secret.

I’ve seen Steelheart bleed.

Read sample chapters here.

(And by the way, as of this writing, The Way of Kings ebook is still free in the US on the iBookstore and Kindle.)

The Way of Kings Free on iTunes! (Update: And Kindle in the US)

Back in June, Tor approached us and asked if we’d be willing to let Apple give away The Way of Kings for free as part of a promotion to encourage people to update their Apple devices to iOS 8.

I was enthusiastic about the opportunity. I believe that people’s investment of time in a book like The Way of Kings is worth more than their investment of money, and so I’m perfectly happy to give away the book for free as a way of acknowledging this. I responded the same way when Tor wanted to give Mistborn away for free when people signed up for Tor.com during its initial months. I feel that if people read the first book, they will get a good feel for my style. Those who love it will likely want to go pick up the second book. Those who don’t didn’t have to spend money on something to try it out. Everyone wins.

Well, the iOS update is here, and the promotion is more extensive than I thought. The bad news is that it’s only in the US. (Or, at least, you have to have a US-linked iTunes account.) You should have access to some other awesome books in your country, however, free like mine. In the UK, for example, Robin Hobb’s excellent Assassin’s Apprentice is one of the free books. (It is one of my favorite fantasy novels, so you should definitely check it out.)

The good news is that this works on any iOS device, even if you haven’t updated. In fact, you can get it and read it in iBooks on your Mac as well! (Technically you don’t even need an iOS device. I was able to download it on my PC’s iTunes account using this link. Since my Firefox has an epub reader extension—and since Tor books are DRM-free—I was able to open the book in my browser.)

I do want to give a big thank you to the iBooks team for giving us this promotional opportunity. I’ve been a longstanding supporter of iBooks and their reading platform, as I think having them in the market fosters healthy competition. So if you do have an iOS device (or an iTunes account), please go pick up a free book! And please spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and to your friends, encouraging them to grab some free books too!

Brandon

P.S. Now Amazon has decided to make it free as well. I don’t know how long that will last, but you can find it free at this link.

The Way of Kings Free on iTunes!

Back in June, Tor approached us and asked if we’d be willing to let Apple give away The Way of Kings for free as part of a promotion to encourage people to update their Apple devices to iOS 8.

I was enthusiastic about the opportunity. I believe that people’s investment of time in a book like The Way of Kings is worth more than their investment of money, and so I’m perfectly happy to give away the book for free as a way of acknowledging this. I responded the same way when Tor wanted to give Mistborn away for free when people signed up for Tor.com during its initial months. I feel that if people read the first book, they will get a good feel for my style. Those who love it will likely want to go pick up the second book. Those who don’t didn’t have to spend money on something to try it out. Everyone wins.

Well, the iOS update is here, and the promotion is more extensive than I thought. The bad news is that it’s only in the US. (Or, at least, you have to have a US-linked iTunes account.) You should have access to some other awesome books in your country, however, free like mine. In the UK, for example, Robin Hobb’s excellent Assassin’s Apprentice is one of the free books. (It is one of my favorite fantasy novels, so you should definitely check it out.)

The good news is that this works on any iOS device, even if you haven’t updated. In fact, you can get it and read it in iBooks on your Mac as well! (Technically you don’t even need an iOS device. I was able to download it on my PC’s iTunes account using this link. Since my Firefox has an epub reader extension—and since Tor books are DRM-free—I was able to open the book in my browser.)

I do want to give a big thank you to the iBooks team for giving us this promotional opportunity. I’ve been a longstanding supporter of iBooks and their reading platform, as I think having them in the market fosters healthy competition. So if you do have an iOS device (or an iTunes account), please go pick up a free book! And please spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and to your friends, encouraging them to grab some free books too!

Brandon

Tweets September 2014

ArgentSun Mon Sep 01
@BrandSanderson any updates on the Altered Perceptions anthology?

BrandSanderson Mon Sep 01
@ArgentSun It is nearly done. Ebooks should be sent out soon. Hardcovers a few months later.

BrandSanderson Mon Sep 01
Shadows Beneath is on sale this week for Salt Lake Comic Con, in hardcover $20 and ebook $6. link pic

BrandSanderson Tue Sep 02
Here’s my Salt Lake Comic Con schedule for all 3 days! link Also, details on the Magic draft Thursday, and Shadows Beneath

BrandSanderson Tue Sep 02
I’m at the King’s English bookstore tonight for the Brent Weeks signing. How about you? (And yes, I’ll sign my books if you bring them.)

aweSomosaur Tue Sep 02
@BrandSanderson How about coming to the Nordic countries where we simply adore you?

BrandSanderson Tue Sep 02
@aweSomosaur Been to Oslo once. It was great. I would go back for sure.

ZacWelch Tue Sep 02
@BrandSanderson for how long?

BrandSanderson Tue Sep 02
@ZacWelch Probably until 8.

stayawesome Tue Sep 02
@BrandSanderson Hijacking his signing?

BrandSanderson Tue Sep 02
@stayawesome I asked first.

fectin Tue Sep 02
@BrandSanderson …but will you sign other people’s books?

BrandSanderson Wed Sep 03
@fectin Depends on the person…

BrandSanderson Thu Sep 04
The Brandon Sanderson Store was down for a few hours, but is back. Shadows Beneath is $20 during Salt Lake Comic Con. link

BrandSanderson Thu Sep 04
Today #SLComicCon, 3:00 Plotting panel rm 151G, 4:00 signing at WordFire booth #728, 6:00 signing at my booth #2215, 8:00 Magic draft rm 155

BrandSanderson Thu Sep 04
My first #SLComicCon panel starts in a little over an hour. Then signings at 4:00 and 6:00, Magic draft at 8:00. link

BrandSanderson Thu Sep 04
Wax costume at Comic Con! pic

BrandSanderson Thu Sep 04
Vin costume at Comic Con. pic

BrandSanderson Thu Sep 04
Salt Lake Comic Con, my Magic draft starts in an hour. Stop by the Epic table in room 155 to sign up.

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
There’s a cool Infinity Blade fan film being kickstarted. Check it out. link link

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
#SLComicCon today: 12:45 signing booth #817, 2:00 Fantasy panel room 255B, 3:00 signing booth #210, 5:00 Magic Systems panel North Ballroom.

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
#SLComicCon my first signing today starts in half an hour at the Badali Jewelry booth #817. Here’s my full schedule. link

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
David Powell, who makes some of Badali Jewelry’s pieces, is doing armor for the Infinity Blade fan film project. link

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
Kelsier costume too! pic

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this! pic

go_grrtt Fri Sep 05
@BrandSanderson you took a pic of my mistcloak today but the tweet didn’t work… I’d give anything for that picture. Thanks! #SLComicCon

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
@go_grrtt Is this it? pic

tooeleblogger Fri Sep 05
@BrandSanderson We kept missing u@ #SLComicCon today. 12yoDD REALLY wants to meet you- loves Acatraz & Steelheart. Do you have Sat schedule?

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 05
@tooeleblogger I will be at my booth from 4 til 7.

tooeleblogger Fri Sep 05
@BrandSanderson Thank you!! We’ll come along then. Can I bring books for autographs, or is that bad form? I don’t know con etiquette…

BrandSanderson Sat Sep 06
@tooeleblogger Please bring all the books you want! I will have books for sale, but am happy to sign already-bought books.

oeli17 Sat Sep 06
@BrandSanderson After reading&loving Stormlight Archive 1&2, which of your books would your recommend for reading next?

BrandSanderson Sat Sep 06
@oeli17 Original Mistborn series or Warbreaker.

BrandSanderson Sat Sep 06
#SLComicCon 12:30 signing at Wordfire booth #728, 3:00 my Q&A in room 250A, 4:00–7:00 signing at my booth #2215, 7:00 Writing Excuses 250A

BigGiantCircles Mon Sep 08
@BrandSanderson what sort of voodoo/bribery might I attempt in an effort to obtain an advanced copy of Firefight?

BrandSanderson Mon Sep 08
@BigGiantCircles Drop @PeterAhlstrom an email/message and we’ll get you one once we have them.

BrandSanderson Mon Sep 08
I don’t know anything about League of Legends or the upcoming championship, but I DO know who I’m rooting for: link

feelieking Mon Sep 08
@BrandSanderson Have you had a chance yet to try a hand of Bulwark?

BrandSanderson Wed Sep 10
@feelieking Dude, I haven’t. I’m sorry. I can’t remember; did you give me an ecopy?

BrandSanderson Tue Sep 09
My assistant @PeterAhlstrom says you should buy City of Stairs by @robertjbennett, out today. link pic

BrandSanderson Wed Sep 10
Some more cool fan art to show. Thanks, Jason. link

BrandSanderson Wed Sep 10
I need an audiobook! I often let you vote on what I listen to; tonight, I’m just picking Fool’s Assassin. (Sorry. I’m in a @robinhobb mood.)

Jfalcon1387 Wed Sep 10
@BrandSanderson I’m listening to The Hero of Ages, book three of mistborn… but you may have read that one already.

BrandSanderson Wed Sep 10
@Jfalcon1387

JacobWisner1 Wed Sep 10
@BrandSanderson @robinhobb If you end up looking for more, anything narrated by @wilw tends to be good (helps that a lot of it is @scalzi )

BrandSanderson Wed Sep 10
@JacobWisner1 @robinhobb @wilw @scalzi I listened to Redshirts this way, and I agree. The reading was excellent.

BrandSanderson Fri Sep 12
My Sanderson’s First Law essay has been translated into Spanish. link (And here’s the original: link )