Brandon Sanderson Shares Exciting Update on Blightfall: Skyward Fans ‘Will Like This Book’

Brandon Sanderson‘s most recent weekend update video gives us an update on his much-awaited new Cytoverse book, Blightfall. The first book in a new Riftwake spinoff trilogy, written with Janci Patterson, lands on September 1. Sanderson further tells us what to expect from this book, which kicks off his latest trilogy.

He used the update to talk about how long the book has been in the works, what it means for the wider Cytoverse, and why fans of Spensa’s story should feel at home with it. It is his most significant update, but he also touched upon the Skyward TV show, Mistborn‘s screenplay, and another book that will be released this year.

What Brandon Sanderson Said About the New Cytoverse Book Blightfall?

Brandon Sanderson | Credits: DavidPMaynard, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brandon Sanderson knew he would be away this weekend, so he recorded a video a week ago for one reveal. Blightfall is the reason why. The book has been a long time coming. He shared, “Janci and I have been working on these books for three years, I think, at this point. And we’ve done a ton of work.”

The reason he kept going came down to a simple attachment to the world he built in Skyward. He shared that he “didn’t want to leave Skyward behind,” adding that he “wanted to do more Skyward.” He also reassured anyone who worried a spinoff might feel like a different animal, sharing, “I did a lot of work on this book. If you like the Skyward series, you will like this book.”

He also revealed that he and co-writer Janci Patterson have both signed a run of numbered editions, though the numbering itself is still pending, and those are part of a bundle that comes with a new slug plushie. He shared, “I’m really hoping people enjoy this new entry in the Cytoverse.”

Is the Skyward TV Show Happening?

Brandon Sanderson | Credits: Ceridwen, licensed under CCA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When talking about Blightfall, Brandon Sanderson shared that one of the reasons he was excited to take the Skyward series forward was the upcoming TV show. He shared that a “television show is in the works and it’s going really well.” For anyone catching up, the adaptation was announced in May 2026 (via Deadline).

Tomorrow Studios, the outfit behind Netflix’s live-action One Piece, is bringing Skyward to television. Sanderson is writing the pilot script alongside Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. The husband-and-wife pair are best known for their work on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and they also co-created the award-winning Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

All three are executive producing along with Tomorrow Studios chiefs Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements. The source material gives them plenty to work with. Skyward follows Spensa Nightshade, a young pilot on a planet under constant alien attack, who wants to fly for the defense force and clear her father’s name at the same time.

What is still missing is the practical stuff. There is no network or streamer attached publicly yet, no casting news, and no release window. So Sanderson’s “going really well” is currently the freshest signal fans have.

Brandon Sanderson’s Updates on the Cosmere Universe and Other Books

Brandon Sanderson | Credits: Nihonjoe, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the Cosmere side, Brandon Sanderson noted that he finished the Mistborn screenplay last week, which lines up with the film adaptation of that series moving ahead. One Cosmere project he did not touch on at all is the Stormlight Archive TV series, which is in development at Apple TV. It is expected to adapt The Way of Kings, and the first season is set to run ten episodes.

He also revealed that his other book series, Reckoners, is getting a brand new cover. The new paperback editions are arriving on August 4. He also retold the origin of the idea, noting that he landed on the same “what if superheroes were evil” premise around the same time as the creator of The Boys, back in the early-to-mid 2000s. He wrote a prologue for Steelheart, sat on it for years, and finally wrote the full book around 2011.

Finally, The Fires of December is close. Sanderson said the crowdfunded copies are only a few months out from shipping, and he showed off the bundle item, which was a handcrafted glass figurine of a cat character from the book. There is plenty of stuff on the horizon for Sanderson fans to be happy about.

Which of these Sanderson works are you the most excited for? Let us know in the comments below!