Brandon Sanderson’s The Fires of December is now available as an ebook, with the public digital release arriving on October 6, 2026. The audiobook is out the same day, giving readers two ways to start the new Cosmere novel ahead of its December hardcover release.
Dragonsteel confirmed the timing in its latest sample-chapter update. If you’ve been waiting to read the book without backing the crowdfunding campaign, you can now pick up The Fires of December on Kindle.
The hardcover follows on December 8
Tor lists the general hardcover edition for December 8, 2026. That puts the ebook and audiobook about two months ahead of the bookstore hardcover, so the format you choose will determine whether you can read it now or wait for that edition.
This is the public digital launch following the earlier release to campaign backers. It also explains why reviews and reader reactions have already appeared while the general hardcover is still up for preorder.
A standalone Cosmere story told by Hoid
The Fires of December follows a young woman named December in a land whose people depend on colorful rivers of demon blood. When she learns that a devastating plague is coming, she travels up the River Violet to warn the king’s court.
A priestess and a young fashion designer join her journey. Reaching the court brings another set of problems: officials who may not believe her, political maneuvering, and a count whose role in her mission could become personal.
Hoid narrates the novel, which belongs to the Hoid’s Travails collection of standalone stories. Tor says those books can be read in any order. December’s story is complete on its own, even though readers familiar with the wider Cosmere will recognize more of the terminology and connections.
For a closer look before buying, our spoiler-free review of The Fires of December covers December, the worldbuilding, Hoid’s narration, and how the book works for readers coming to it without a long Cosmere reading list.
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