Towers of Midnight is currently scheduled to be released on November 2nd.

The story takes place in the city of Hallandren, a strange tropical paradise full of odd fruits, unusual cultures, and a religion focused around people who died, then miraculously came back to life. These people, known as… well… gods, live in lavish palaces, give out blessings, and do other god things.

The magic, though, is well thought-out. Rather than making Warbreaker’s  magic a strange, mysterious power, Sanderson has crafted an unusual, unwieldy, rather expensive to use arcane art… and I totally thank him for it.

I don’t wish to spoil, but I do suggest this book. If you haven’t read Sanderson, read it. If you’ve read Wheel of Time and enjoyed it, read this, for this is the author who is finishing the series.

You can pre-order Towers of Midnight on Amazon.

The city of Luthadel, now ruled by King Elend, faces a multitude of problems in the aftermath of the recent revolution. It becomes besieged by the armies of three warlords, seeking the hidden riches of the Lord Ruler as well as an easy land grab. Vin and Elend have their work cut out for them, fighting to keep the parliament from selling the city out to the warlords while avoiding assassination attempts. Meanwhile, the mysterious evil known as the Deepness has returned…

The Well of Ascension is a solid follow-up to its predecessor, providing plenty of plot exposition and character development.

What exactly is The Way of Kings? It’s a lengthy book, roughly twice the size of Elantris or Mistborn, and it will be the first in an epic fantasy series predicted to be of considerable length. (I’ve heard 8-10 books, though the author hasn’t said anything too definite.)

There are thirty magic systems in this world, depending on how you count them, and around six thousand years of history I’ve mapped out. There are dozens of cultures, a continent of enormous scope, and a deep, rich mythology. However, when I say things like that, you have to realize that very little of it will end up in the first book. The best fantasy epics I’ve read begin with a personal look at the characters in the early books, then have a steady expansion into epic scope.

Read Sanderson’s Thoughts on THE WAY OF KINGS for a better overview of what the series is supposed to be.

That ended ten years ago. In a cataclysmic event, the arcane energy of the Elantrians changed. They became powerless and sickly, their hearts stopping and their bodies no longer healing from even minor wounds. The once great city of Elantris became a miserable place of grime and tormented denizens. The Shaod, continued to select new Elantrians. Instead of turning those picked into divine beings, however, it cursed them.

In the ten years the followed, Elantris become something to be ignored. The merchants of Arelon formed an aristocracy and placed a despotic king on the throne in the neighboring city of Kae.

The story follows two main characters: Raoden, the king’s son, who is taken by the Shaod and cast into Elantris within the first chapter, and Sarene, a princess from the neighboring country of Teod, who came to Arelon to marry the prince, and perhaps shake-up Arelon politics a little with her forward-thinking ideals. Raoden seeks to improve the state of living in Elantris with his hope-inspiring leadership, while Sarene attempts to dethrone the king and simultaneously save Arelon from impending destruction by the empire centered around the Derethi religion. The solution to many of their problems is linked to one question: what caused the fall of Elantris?

Brandon Sanderson’s Elantris is a complex story full of twists, intrigue, politics, and none of the traditional fantasy clichés. It’s difficult to describe the story in a way that shows the depth and uniqueness of the book. I think it suffices to say that Elantris is a very enjoyable read and highly recommended.

Also see BookAdvice.net’s take on Elantris.

The blog update includes a press release along with some thoughts from Sanderson.

When Chris Geary emailed me about making a Mistborn movie, I really thought nothing of it—I just assumed it was another nibble that would go nowhere. But then Chris showed how incredibly serious they were—when I was in New York he flew there to meet me and explained his really great and exciting plans for the movie adaptation. When I read Paloppa’s script treatment for the beginning of the story I immediately felt that they truly understood the book and how to adapt it.

It’s a little early to get too excited, seeing as there’s a long path from optioning the rights to the eventual release. However, it’s always great to see serious plans for a fantasy film, especially one as unique as Mistborn.

A thousand years ago a prophesied hero was meant to save the world from a terror called “The Deepness.” He failed. In the ash-filled wasteland that resulted, the Lord Ruler forged an empire that would never fall, an empire that would always be dominated by the one never-aging man: The Final Empire.

In the centuries that followed, every revolt failed miserably in the face of the armies and magic of their oppressor. Until now…

The part of the book that stands out the most is probably the unique and well-planned system of magic. The people who wield it are called “Allomancers,” as their powers come from metals. They ingest small quantities of various elements, and gain specific abilities from the metals. The most flashy of their powers is the ability to pull and push against any metal object in their vicinity. This enables them to leap over tall building by throwing coins to the ground and pushing against them, or to rip blades from their enemies’ hands. Anything metal becomes a potential weapon or means of transport when an Allomancer “burns” the right alloy.

Kelsier is one such Allomancer, one of the powerful and feared Mistborn, but he comes from the serf-like “skaa” class (who are forbidden such power) rather than the nobility. As the story unfolds, his grand plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler is slowly revealed.

The story is mainly shown through the perspective of Kelsier and Vin, a former thief with Allomantic powers that becomes an apprentice of sorts to Kelsier.

I don’t want to give away too much and spoil the story, so we’ll leave it at that. It’s an interesting and atypical fantasy novel, and is definitely worth a read.

In the 27 minute-long MP3, Sanderson talks about how he got into writing, some of the books he likes, and how he ended up writing The Gathering Storm.

The Gathering Storm is different, but not in a bad way. It feels like a Wheel of Time book once you get into it, albeit with writing that flows a little quicker. The characters are the same, the story plays out as expected. It’s definitely Wheel of Time. It’s just a little different.

Things happen. Gathering Storm sees long-expected events to completion, and for once focuses more on Rand and Egwene, who had often taken a back seat to other characters’ escapades in previous books. Egwene’s assault on the White Tower makes progress, and Rand goes through a lot of important character development. Matt and Perrin make short appearances, as do many of the other regulars.

Confrontations abound, and the dynamic scenes keep the pages turning. A few subtle clues hint at what’s to come in the next two books, and true to it’s roots, the story builds up speed until it reaches the brilliant finale and ends on a high note.

I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll leave it at this: The Gathering Storm is one of the better Wheel of Time novels, and Sanderson has done an amazing job. I honestly can’t wait until Towers of Midnight is released next year.