Brandon Sanderson has a new book out, and he is struggling to tell anyone what it is about. In a short new video titled "Why You Should Read The Fires of December," the fantasy author explains that his latest Cosmere novel, The Fires of December, is nearly impossible to pitch without ruining the surprises, so he is asking readers to try the first two chapters instead.
Sanderson posted the five-minute video on his official YouTube channel last week (October 15th). You can watch it below:
A Book That Is Hard To Pitch
Sanderson is usually able to sum up his books in a single line, but he says this one is different. "It's a very difficult book to pitch. That is because anything past chapter two is a spoiler. In fact, chapter two itself is a spoiler," he explained.
Rather than give away the story, he wants readers to go in fresh. "I am a storyteller. I love the surprise, I love the twists and turns," Sanderson said, adding that he wants people to experience this book in particular with a sense of discovery. His pitch is simple: "If you read the first two chapters, I think you will know why you should read The Fires of December."
He also admitted that authors have to be careful about overselling their work. He does not want to call it the best thing ever and give readers an expectation they carry into the book, preferring that they go in organically and enjoy the ride.
A World Built On The Corpse Of A Demon
While he avoids the plot, Sanderson was happy to talk about the setting. He said he tries to do something different with the worldbuilding in each of his books and series, and "this world is built around the idea of the corpse of a demon."
That demon is an ancient giant creature that the people of the world call the Megalith. "It's the size of a small mountain," Sanderson said. It was slain long ago, and it now bleeds colorful rivers filled with magical power that run through the kingdom. Life is built around those rivers, from the warmth they bring to the way people travel on them, and small demons born from the body are pieces of the ancient creature that died.
The people of the capital have found another use for it. "In the capital, they mine the demon. They dig into it because its body has calcified into this sort of crystalline material that is very useful," he explained. "I love this idea because it feels very magic realism to me." Sanderson described the result as both utilitarian and mystical, and said the Megalith really drove a lot of what he did with the story.
The Book He Was Not Supposed To Write
The other reason Sanderson wants people to read it is personal. "I wasn't supposed to write this book," he said. He had other projects scheduled, but the idea would not leave him alone. Sometimes, he explained, writing an idea out simply gets it out of his system, but that did not happen here.
He wrote the first chapter, which introduces the title character, December, in a single day. When he read it back the next morning, he knew he was onto something. "I can't let go of this. I have to go on right now," he recalled thinking. "So I cleared my schedule."
From there, every chapter had the same goal: to be worthy of that opening. Sanderson said the rest of the book needed the usual revisions, but the first chapter barely changed at all and is basically as he wrote it that first day, apart from some mild touches.
A Good Place For New Readers To Start
Sanderson also made a point of recommending the book to people who have never read his work. "If you've never tried a Brandon Sanderson book before, this is one of the best places to start," he said.
That makes sense given how it fits into his wider universe. The Fires of December is a standalone Cosmere novel and part of Hoid's Travails, a line of standalone tales narrated by the worldhopping storyteller Hoid that can be read in any order. The official synopsis follows December, a young woman in a land sustained by rivers of demon blood, who learns that a devastating plague is coming. She sets sail up the River Violet to warn the king's court, joined by a chatty priestess and a fledgling fashion designer, and must deal with skeptical officials, court intrigue, and a roguish count.
The ebook and the audiobook, narrated by Michael Kramer, were released earlier this month (October 6th) through Dragonsteel Books, with the ebook illustrated by Tran Nguyen. A Tor hardcover follows on December 8th and is available to preorder now. For anyone who wants to try before buying, the first eight chapters are free on Sanderson's YouTube channel as an audiobook and on Dragonsteel's Cognitive Realm blog.
Have you started The Fires of December yet, and did the first two chapters hook you the way Sanderson promises?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.