Which Brandon Sanderson Novella Takes Place Before Mistborn Era 2?

Honestly, I check his channels like someone's checking a train schedule — when Brandon posts a new 'State of Sanderson' I stop whatever I'm doing and pay attention. As of my last deep-dive in June 2024 there wasn't a publicly confirmed date for a brand-new Brandon Sanderson novella. He tends to announce specifics on his newsletter, YouTube livestreams called 'State of Sanderson', or on brandonsanderson.com, and sometimes novellas show up tucked into collections (think 'Arcanum Unbounded' or one-offs like 'The Emperor's Soul'). So if you're waiting for a precise day, it might not exist yet — but there are reliable places that will light up the moment he or his publisher says something official. From being in the fandom long enough, I can tell you how this usually plays out: Brandon juggles huge series and short works, and publication timing depends on editing, cover art, printing schedules, and sometimes tie-ins with special editions or Kickstarter projects. He also occasionally releases shorter works through anthologies, digital exclusives, or as extras for collectors, so a new novella could appear in a few different formats. Realistically, if he’s mentioned working on a short project in a livestream, expect an announcement a few months before publication — they rarely spring a printed novella on the community with zero notice because of marketing and preorder logistics. If you want a practical plan: subscribe to his newsletter at brandonsanderson.com, follow his YouTube for 'State of Sanderson', and join a couple of fan communities or a Discord — those places almost always catch publisher listings or preorder links fast. I also keep a wishlist on my usual bookstore sites so I get alerts when a listing goes live. The waiting is part of the fun for me; I love the little flurry of speculation and cover reveals that comes just before a release, and honestly it makes finally holding the book feel like more of a reward.

If you want a single Sanderson novella to dive into that actually feels like a complete meal, start with 'The Emperor's Soul'. I picked it up on a rainy afternoon years ago, curled up with a mug of tea, and was surprised at how emotionally satisfying and intellectually neat it felt in such a short space. It's a compact showcase of his strengths: a tight, original magic system (forging — rewriting an object's history), a morally complex protagonist, crisp prose, and a twisty-but-closed plot. Plus, it won the Hugo, which is a nice little badge that it resonates beyond just fan circles. What I loved most was how Sanderson treats ideas like art, identity, and redemption without wasting words. Shai, the protagonist, is equal parts thief, artist, and philosopher; watching her work under pressure is like peeking into an artisan's mind while also getting a thrilling caper. The worldbuilding is economical but evocative — you get enough cultural flavor to feel grounded, but nothing distracts from the central conflict. If you like stories where magic has rules and those rules matter to the stakes, this is a textbook example of why people rave about his craft. If you’re sorting by mood: choose 'The Emperor's Soul' for a literary-feeling fantasy novella with emotional payoff. If you want something more experimental or modern, try 'Snapshot' (a speculative, detective-like short) or 'Legion' (a strange, introspective character piece). Avoid 'Mistborn: Secret History' as your first Sanderson read unless you've already gone through the Mistborn trilogy — it leans hard on existing knowledge. But for a first taste that’s quick, polished, and memorable, bring 'The Emperor's Soul' with you on a long commute or a lazy afternoon; it’s the kind of book that makes you pause and scribble down a line or two that sticks with you afterward.

I still smile thinking about how tightly 'The Emperor's Soul' wraps a whole world into a tiny, satisfying package. I read it on a weekend when I wanted something that wouldn't bog me down like a doorstop novel, and what hit me was how complete the story feels despite being novella length. Yes, it absolutely works as a standalone: you can dive straight into the book, meet Shai and the emperor, learn the rules of Forgery, and walk away with a full emotional throughline. There’s no need to have read anything else to understand the plot, the stakes, or why the art-of-changing-souls idea is so fascinating. That said, if you’re the sort of person who loves little connections, there are delightful Cosmere breadcrumbs sprinkled in. The setting is the same planet as 'Elantris', and some names and a certain wandering storyteller show up across Sanderson’s universe, but those are cameo-level things — not required reading. If you enjoy how concise the novella is, you might later try 'Arcanum Unbounded' where this and other short works are collected, or pick up 'Elantris' if you want more of Sel’s broader cultural background. For the core experience, though, 'The Emperor's Soul' stands on its own very well. Besides the worldbuilding, the book’s strongest notes are its themes: identity, authenticity, art versus forgery, and the ethics of changing a person. Shai is such a memorable protagonist—witty, brilliant, morally complex—and the magic system is both precise and poetic. If you want a quick Sanderson fix that’s clever, emotionally grounded, and leaves you thinking about what it means to remake someone, this is probably the best place to start. Every time I reread it I find another tiny line that makes me pause, which is exactly what I want from a short story.

If you want a signed Brandon Sanderson novella, I get the excitement — signed Cosmere stuff feels like a tiny collectible treasure. The first place I always check is his official site (brandonsanderson.com/bookstore). He often sells signed bookplates and, from time to time, signed or signed-and-numbered editions of novellas directly through his store or special drops tied to events. I’ve snagged a signed bookplate there before and stuck it in a pristine copy of 'Legion' — it’s a cheap, legit way to get his signature without paying collector prices. For more formal signed or limited editions, keep an eye on small presses like Subterranean Press and PS Publishing. They’ve produced limited or signed runs of Sanderson novellas in the past — I’m thinking of special releases for things like 'Snapshot' and some of his shorter works. Those sell out fast, but they pop up secondhand on sites like AbeBooks, Biblio, and Alibris. I once spent a lazy Sunday trawling Biblio and found a nice Subterranean copy in like-new condition; patience and setting saved searches really help. If you’re okay buying used, eBay and the Amazon marketplace are obvious options, but be picky: ask for photos of the signature and check seller ratings. Signed bookplates are another route — sometimes sold separately on the official site or by sellers on Etsy — and they’re often personalized, so ask if the signature is personalized or blank if that matters to you. Also don’t forget Kickstarter and convention routes: Sanderson’s special edition Kickstarters and his convention signings historically included signed copies or signature options, so if another campaign launches or he announces tour dates, those are prime opportunities. A few quick tips from my own hunts: always request provenance photos (a clear shot of the signature, and any numbering or COA), check the edition details (publisher, ISBN, limited/numbered?), and factor shipping and customs into the cost if you’re outside the seller’s country. Collector shops and forums (Reddit’s Sanderson communities, or Facebook groups for signed books) can also tip you off to listings or swaps. Good luck — happy hunting, and I hope you nab a copy that makes you grin on opening night.

I get asked this a lot in book groups and during conventions, and my quick-but-honest take is: no, not every Brandon Sanderson novella takes place in the Cosmere. A healthy chunk of his shorter works absolutely are Cosmere stories — you can see that in pieces that show up in 'Arcanum Unbounded' or that include familiar Cosmere touches like worldhoppers, certain metaphysical hints, or characters who pop up across books. 'The Emperor's Soul' and 'Edgedancer' are two great examples of novellas that sit squarely in the Cosmere; they feel like tiny windows into the big, interconnected world he’s building. But he also writes a lot of stuff that’s completely separate. The 'Legion' novellas and 'Snapshot' are standalone, contemporary/Weird-Fiction-type pieces that don’t tie into the Cosmere mythos. He’s done game tie-ins and YA/standalone projects that live outside that shared universe as well. A good rule of thumb I use: if Hoid (or other known worldhoppers) makes an appearance, or if the story references concepts like Shards or the cosmology that links Roshar, Scadrial, Sel, etc., it’s probably Cosmere. If it reads like modern speculative fiction, a tie-in, or a tight single-world mystery without those signals, it probably isn’t. If you want to check a title quickly, I usually consult his official bibliography or scan the table of contents of 'Arcanum Unbounded' — that collection is basically his Cosmere short-fiction hub. I also enjoy spotting the little Easter eggs: the same oddly-named horse, a passing mention of a strange power, a name that pops up in later novels. It’s like treasure hunting for nerds — and I’m always delighted when I find a thread that ties a tiny tale back into the big tapestry.

Okay, here’s the long-winded fan-geek breakdown I always give people when they ask about Sanderson novellas. I tend to think in word counts rather than pages, because publishers love to change typefaces and margins. Still, if you want a rough page estimate: most of Brandon Sanderson’s works that are marketed as novellas fall somewhere between about 100 and 200 pages in typical mass-market or trade paperback formatting. For example, pieces like 'Legion' and 'Snapshot' often land on the shorter end — think around 100–140 pages — while 'The Emperor's Soul' usually ends up nearer the 150–200 page mark depending on the edition. A lot of the variance comes from whether the story is sold solo, bundled in a collection like 'Arcanum Unbounded', or printed with large type for a deluxe edition. If you want a slightly nerdier breakdown: the novella length in words is usually in that 20,000–50,000 word window (definitions vary, but that’s a useful working range). Using a ballpark of 250–300 words per printed page, that gives you the 80–200 page range I mentioned. So when someone tells me they’re going to try a Sanderson novella on a weekend, I usually recommend planning on around 3–8 hours of reading — shorter if you’re a speed reader, longer if you like to pause and savor worldbuilding details (I’m guilty of the latter). One more practical tip from my bookshelf: check whether the novella is bound alone or anthologized. In 'Arcanum Unbounded' the shorter works are collected and page counts shift because of introductions, maps, or extra content. Also, digital and audiobook runtimes give you another useful metric — audiobooks often list total listening hours, which gives you a real sense of commitment without the guesswork of formatting. Personally, I love starting with 'The Emperor's Soul' if I want a full, satisfying short read, and picking 'Legion' or 'Snapshot' when I want a quick, weird detour into Sanderson’s experiments with form and voice.

I get why this question pops up so often — Sanderson puts out so much short stuff that it’s easy to lose track. From my bookshelf and earbuds experience, yes: a lot of Brandon Sanderson’s novellas do have official audiobook releases. Fan favorites like 'The Emperor's Soul', 'Legion', and 'Edgedancer' are available in audio form, and several others were either released as standalone audiobooks or included in the audio edition of a collection like 'Arcanum Unbounded'. If you follow his publisher releases, you’ll notice the big ones usually get produced by professional audiobook houses and narrated by the familiar voices that read his longer Cosmere books. Where I look first: Audible, Apple Books, Libro.fm, and library apps like Libby/OverDrive or Hoopla. Those platforms often list both standalone novella audiobooks and collection editions. A useful trick I’ve used is checking the table of contents on the audiobook version of 'Arcanum Unbounded' — it often collects several shorter Cosmere pieces and will show whether a particular novella was officially recorded. Also keep an eye on the publisher (like Macmillan Audio) and the official Brandon Sanderson website/newsletter; he or his team usually announces audio releases and narrators there. If you had a specific novella in mind, tell me the title and I’ll point you to the exact audio edition and where I’ve seen it available. I’ve tracked down weird formats for collectors before (single-release audiobooks, audiobooks bundled in special editions, and the occasional exclusive release), so I’m happy to help you find the most convenient version for listening — or recommend a narrator if you care about voice style.

Back when I was hunting for more of Sanderson’s worldbuilding, I stumbled into the whole Wax storyline and fell in love with the tone shift. The character you’re asking about, Wax, is the protagonist of the Era 2 Mistborn books that kick off with 'The Alloy of Law'. That book opens the Wax-and-Wayne arc — it’s got a fun western-detective vibe, lots of metal-based magic (coinshots and ironpullers!), and Wayne’s ridiculous quips that still make me snort on a quiet subway. Technically, 'The Alloy of Law' and its follow-ups are full novels, not short novellas, but a lot of folks casually call them novellas or short novels because they feel brisk and pulpy compared to the original Era 1 trilogy. If you want the full scope of Wax’s story, read 'The Alloy of Law', then 'Shadows of Self', and then 'Bands of Mourning'. Together they build a cool blend of mystery, politics, and bittersweet humor. One little personal tidbit: the first time I read 'Bands of Mourning' late at night, I kept flipping pages hoping for Wayne to pull another ridiculous plan—his energy is the heart that keeps Wax from going stoic. Also, for clarity: 'Mistborn: Secret History' is a related novella that reveals hidden layers of the Cosmere, but it doesn’t really spotlight Wax; it’s more of a Kelsier-focused tie-in to the original trilogy. If you’re trying to track down a short story specifically labeled a Wax novella, you won’t find one that’s just a standalone Wax short that’s widely published. Instead, dive into the Era 2 novels I mentioned — they’re fast, character-rich, and where Wax lives and grows. If you’ve only done Era 1, be ready for a tonal shift; it’s one of my favorite genre mashups Sanderson’s done and it reads like a pulp western detective novel set in a magic-steampunk city, which is delightfully weird and addictive.