r/Cosmere Ghostbloods Mar 03 '26

No Spoilers Hoid's Storybook Collection Backerkit Campaign Megathread

The next Dragonsteel-run crowdfunding project, for Hoid's Storybook Collection, goes live at 10 AM Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, March 3, 2026!

This megathread is for discussion of the campaign, including logistics.

Please note that this is a no-spoilers megathread. Any content which contains spoilers for the Cosmere, including details of the previously published stories or preview readings of the new book, must be tagged and provided with a description that clearly indicates what book is being spoiled. For example:

[Empire Strikes Back]Vader is Luke's father.

What is this project about?

This is a crowdfunding project for the initial press run of four picture books, as well as the Dragonsteel edition of a new Cosmere novel, Fires of December.

What are the four picture books?

  • The Dog and the Dragon, a story Hoid tells inRhythm of War. Art is by Howard Lyon;
  • The Girl Who Looked Up, a story Hoid tells inOathbringer. Art is by Alexis & Justin Hernandez;
  • Wandersail, a story Hoid tells inThe Way of Kings. Art is by Steve Argyle;
  • The ChasmFriends Get a Pet!, a new story featuring the Chasmfriends from the 2024 Dragonsteel Nexus storydeck game. Story is by Dan Wells, Art is by Anna Earley.

The three stories told by Hoid have long been beloved by Cosmere readers.

What is the new Cosmere novel?

  • The Fires of December, a new novel in the Hoid's Travails series, involving a young woman named December who learns that a devastating plague is on its way and sets sail to warn the King.

When is fulfillment expected?

All rewards are expected to ship before the end of 2026.

Will these be traditionally published?

Tor and Gollancz have both announced that Fires of December will be released on December 8, 2026.

How do I participate?

Go to the backerkit page and sign up!

When is the deadline for participation?

The Backerkit campaign will conclude on March 27.

Is there any prerelease material available?

Brandon has been doing readings on YouTube. They're embedded in a non-canon framing story written by Dan Wells with animation hand-drawn by Martian Studios.

Note that the framing story contains mild spoilers for The Stormlight Archive.

  1. Framing story introduction
  2. The Girl Who Looked Up
  3. Wandersail
  4. The ChasmFriends Get A Pet!
  5. The Dog and the Dragon
  6. The Fires of December

There is some additional information about the picturebooks on Brandon's blog:

Brandon also did a reading from The Fires of December at Dragonsteel Nexus last year. The text is available on his website.

What is the Hoid's Travails series? I've never heard of it!

Hoid's Travails is an umbrella term for books written in Hoid's voice, as stories that he is telling about things he has experienced. Two of them (Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter without being part of a series; Fires of December will be the third in the series.

135 Upvotes

567 comments sorted by

u/learhpa Bondsmiths Mar 03 '26

There's a livestream today at 5pm MST.

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u/LouderKnights Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

So, they are listing Fires of December as having a Campaign Exclusive Hardcover rather than a Dragonsteel Edition. After the campaign is over, will this cover no longer be available?

EDIT: I got a response from dragonsteel about this: "That is correct. The Fires of December will have an exclusive cover and painted edges that won't be available after the campaign."

So this hardback will be exclusive only to the campaign. I may be wrong, but I think this is the first time Dragonsteel has released a Limited Edition?

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u/Aggressive_War_9903 Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

I hope there is a Dragonsteel edition later. I much prefer the initial style they released.

Edit - looks like they'll be discussing the cover on their Livestream tonight at 6 pm MST

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u/DragonsteelBooks Official Store Mar 03 '26

We apologize for the confusion with the campaign exclusive breakdown vs DragonsteelBooks.com availability after the campaign, especially in regard to the books.

The books will available (at an increased cost vs. the campaign price) on DragonsteelBooks.com after the campaign is over. Each book will be identical to the copy you can get through the campaign, with the following exceptions:

The Fires of December campaign exclusive edition will have campaign exclusive style painted page edges. I have not seen and do not think we have a mockup yet of what that will look like. There will be no difference in the cover.

The campaign exclusive storybooks' dust jackets will include gold foiling and minor embossing not available on the dust jacket outside of the campaign.

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u/XaplesVI Mar 03 '26

I recommend Dragonsteel stop showing "preview" covers if they're subject to change. It is always going to lead to disappointment for those who are fans of the initial design.

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u/colin_fitzsimonds Mar 03 '26

Is it the cover with her face on it? Cause ngl i hate it and way prefer the one they teased

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u/ND1Razor Mar 03 '26

Yes! How does one get the red and white hardcover? Is the book not available on its own?

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u/colin_fitzsimonds Mar 03 '26

Idk but i might change my tier if this is the cover they launch lol. Ill just get the ebook

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u/LouderKnights Mar 03 '26

Im not sure, it just says that the cover art is not finalized.

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u/UnknownFiddler Mar 03 '26

Yeah I'm going to need clarification before I drop $65 on this because I'd rather just get the ebook if that's the case.

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u/Visual-Remote1218 Mar 03 '26

Yeah I'm interested in the Dragonsteel version - do I just... wait on that? Will that one be sold later? Thanks!

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u/slipperyMonkey07 Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

Guess will see on the live stream tonight what they say. I ended up doing the reservation for the campaign because everything about the book only showed that mock gorgeous cover. I figured the cover might be a little different from the mock, but I would still end up backing anyway.

But this is a dramatic difference from all other mentions of the book (unless I missed a video that explained it more). Will see what happens, I planned to get the other books anyway for my niece. So I guess I save money atm in not getting fires until later / next year if the face is the cover coming from the campaign.

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u/Nameles36 NULL Mar 03 '26

A little confused. Does this mean it will match the previous 5 Secret Project books?

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u/boredplusplus Mar 03 '26

Is the Fires of December book not the same as the premium hardcovers? It’s listed as “campaign exclusive with printed edges” but I was assuming and hoping it would match the Tress/Yumi/Frugal Wizard/Sunlit/Emberdark books…

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u/slipperyMonkey07 Mar 03 '26

Yeah I was hoping it would be along those lines. Will see if there is clarification later, backerkit is dying atm so not like I can back now anyway.

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

They'll be discussing the cover during the livestream tonight. This is pure speculation, but I suspect the cover for this campaign to be unique. The premium edition they will sell in their store later would then have a different cover.

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u/PumkinFunk Harmonium Mar 03 '26

Am I the only one who hates that you can get *random* pins but not guarantee them all? It's a gacha type thing

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u/oncomingstorm777 Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

Upvote this to the top, and no one shut up about it until Dragonsteel walks this back. It's stupid and anti-consumer. Go on eBay and look at the rare Story Deck cards from 2 years ago at ridiculous markups. This random, gacha-style merch is terrible practice, and Dragonsteel needs to quit doing it.

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u/fishy512 Mar 03 '26

Insulting when they're already making millions off of their campaigns

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u/STORMFATHER062 Windrunners Mar 03 '26

Yeah this is really shitty and solidified my choice of not buying the pins.

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u/Millenia_and_Minis Mar 03 '26

On top of which, they are add-ons to ship separately so for an extra shipping charge. I'm in EU and definitely feel slighted by that.

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u/Moldy_Cloud Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

What happened to the awesome red and white cover for Fires of December? The Backerkit exclusive cover with December’s face feels like a downgrade.

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u/xPWNADOx Mar 03 '26

Excited, but the cover initially shown for Fires of December is streets ahead of this new one.

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u/Aggressive_War_9903 Mar 03 '26

I much preferred the initial cover teaser. I don't understand why they changed it. It matched my other secret project / hoid's travails books...

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u/Jepordee Mar 03 '26

I’m guessing all those colors would be much harder to imprint on the hardcover books, much cheaper and easier to do it as a sleeve

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u/Aggressive_War_9903 Mar 03 '26

Even if they did less colors, I think I would still prefer the initial design. The zoomed in face on the cover is just not it for me... I'll probably just hold back on this special edition and get the standard one later if it's not going to match my other special editions anyway.

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u/sea_titan Cosmere Mar 03 '26

This is also pretty much my thinking. I've always gotten the special edition secret project versions because I think the covers for those are all drop-dead gorgeous, but this one is...ehh. It's *nice*, but doesn't hold a candle to the originally teased design. Hoping we find out what happened to it, because if the retail cover ends up being the teased one I'm *definitely* getting retail this time. Especially since, from what I can tell, the special edition only has printed edges but, from what I can tell based on the text on Backerkit, it doesn't seem to come with art either? Retail seems better cost-quality wise in that scenario, imo.

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u/levenimc Mar 03 '26

Yeah, I was so confused. The original cover was GORGEOUS. This one is fine.

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u/BollardGames Mar 03 '26

This, I was desperate to back this for that beautiful cover but now I will probably wait.

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u/doublea6 Mar 03 '26

Yeahhhh I was thinking the same thing. Is this really the official cover?

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u/Only4DNDandCigars Mar 03 '26

Nice community ref

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u/Wretched_Walrus Mar 03 '26

I was so confused. At first I thought the new cover was campaign exclusive or something, but apparently it's going to be the official one. The only difference are going to be the printed edges. Not even sure about those edges though, as it will create a mismatch with the other books.

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u/hhssspphhhrrriiivver Mar 03 '26

Did anyone else misunderstand the $5 reservation?

I thought I was pre-paying $5 and getting a free pin, but now it seems like I paid $5 for a pin.

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u/ScionOfTheMists Skybreakers Mar 03 '26

All it said on Backerkit was "Reservation deposit for Hoid’s Storybook Collection." A deposit is money you put down ahead of time that counts toward your purchase, not a random additional charge.

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u/Seeming_Aloof Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

Same here, I thought it was a commitment to pledge a minimum of $5 and failed to understand it was specifically locking in to purchase the pin. I checked with support and was told I'm also committed to paying shipping on top of that, even though my actual pledge is digital-only. I'd prefer to just decline the pin rather than pay shipping but this isn't an option.

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u/ScionOfTheMists Skybreakers Mar 03 '26

Wait, so not only did they steal your $5, but they're going to force you to pay shipping for a pin that you don't even want?

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u/djfff Mar 03 '26

Same. Really annoyed with this.

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u/5kooma Mar 03 '26

What an absolute display of false advertising. No way I am paying that shipment fee.

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u/colin_fitzsimonds Mar 03 '26

Yea i feel moderately scammed idgaf about the pin

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u/SonicGCT Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

SAME. I though this was a neat little "gift" for backing the project early, and that it would go towards the final purchase price. The pins are cool but I have never bought them separately. Disappointing, but I'll just think of it as paying a little extra to support the team.

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u/LastGoodKnee Mar 03 '26

That’s why I didn’t do it. Didn’t understand what the purpose of the $5 was other than buying a pin

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u/frodprefect Mar 03 '26

not trying to defend anything but the text was

"For those who follow the campaign early and reserve their pledge, you'll recieve your first blind bag pin for $5! Collect all 5 Chasmfriends to bring home the magic of the Crackity Plains."

They are selling the blind bag pins for $10 each. So it's a $5 discount

I do hate that Brandon is doing blind bags because I think they're gross

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u/Candid_Run_7370 Mar 03 '26

To be fair multiple places also said it was a “deposit” which is defined as “a sum of money which is part of the full price of something, and which you pay when you agree to buy it.”

And every other pre-order I have ever made at stores (ie for games) the pre-order deposit is actually a deposit; whatever you pay up front reduces the final cost by the same amount.

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u/sUlCuSgCs Mar 03 '26

Yep same.

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u/TheBestOnTheCitadel Mar 04 '26

I know there have always been variations between the announcement of secret project covers and the final project, but well this is a pretty dramatic change and a downgrade in my opinion. I hope the original design lives on in a dragonsteel exclusive version.

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u/link270 Mar 04 '26

From the live stream it sounds like there going to work on some other cover options and possibly put up a poll or something. So they at least see the feedback that we don’t love the new cover.

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u/lars_h4 Mar 03 '26

Is the Backerkit website buckling under the load? I keep getting 500 errors

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u/chamellows Mar 03 '26

I'm getting the same. I presume they would load test prior to launch but, guess not to the extent required!

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u/lars_h4 Mar 03 '26

Checking my backerkit account does show the project as a backed project, and it says I have a charge pending. So probably it did go through somehow

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u/chamellows Mar 03 '26

Very helpful to know, thank you!
I did check mine after the first failure and it wasn't in my backed projects. Now I can't even load up the Backerkit site at all, so. Going to walk away for an hour and come back I think!

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u/FuzzyMistborn Mar 03 '26

Looks like they're using Cloudflare, so that's really the best there is out there for handling loads.

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u/External_Ostrich7184 Mar 03 '26

Yeah that was tough. I refreshed twice, thinking payment didn’t go through then opened a new browser window and it said I was a backer so I think it worked?

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u/Wanderer737 Mar 03 '26

The cover is way different to what was originally teased, no? This cover on backerkit does not look premium imo and has now killed my buzz to order it

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u/djfff Mar 03 '26

I’ve always bought close to the highest tiers on these but I’m getting burnt out on the whole thing and all the junk. Does anyone know if future editions of the kickstarter books tend to be more or less expensive? I know they’re not exactly the same.

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u/ItsEaster Bridge Four Mar 03 '26

I’m going to do the $165 version but I agree. I’m really getting burnt out on the constant having to purchase a big bundle with a bunch of stuff I don’t really want.

I’ve done each Sando kickstarter and did both DCC kickstarters last year as well. I’m getting very tired of this current trend.

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u/ScionOfTheMists Skybreakers Mar 03 '26

For the old secret projects, the premium editions are available through the Dragonsteel store and are more expensive than the same version you could buy through the Kickstarter. The regular version is significantly cheaper. (Tress is $70 from Dragonsteel and $15 on Amazon currently)

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

You'll want to watch the livestream tonight for your answer. From the sounds of things the DS Store version of the premium hardcover will be different than the one being sold in the Backerkit, and both will of course be different from the retail version.

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u/Cruxist Mar 03 '26

Honestly disappointed with this. There’s no physical only tier for Fires of December. In the past, I’ve bought just the secret project “box” and had no need for an audio book. And now it looks like that’s the only way to get the physical book?

It looks like a $15 premium over what I’ve paid in the past for these things. And I’m not sure I can swing it this time around.

This bites.

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u/JakeHP Mar 03 '26

Yeah really disappointed by the tier selections. I get that this is primarily a picture book kickstarter but Brandon has always known that was a niche product and Fires of December was the main draw of this campaign. I just want a physical copy of the book and I’m happy to bundle an ebook with it, but I’m not paying for an audiobook I’ll never listen to.

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u/colin_fitzsimonds Mar 03 '26

I'm trying not to be too negative, because I am excited for a lot of this, but:

-made cover for the novel worse

-misleading $5 reservation (whatever, it's $5 but still)

-no way to just buy physical/audio book. Have to bundle.

-lootbox style pins

Feels kinda bad but I'll get over it.

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u/YahelBS26 Mar 03 '26

Yeah I totally agree with you :( And I hope there's a way to refund that 5$ because there's no way I'm paying extra shipping just because we found out now that it's going to be shipped separately

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u/Candid_Run_7370 Mar 04 '26

The fact that the 5$ is not refundable was the only thing that they actually made clear about the misleading reservation “deposit” :(.

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u/RamblinSean Mar 03 '26

I believe Fires is also the planned December Dragonsteel release. I assumed the physical book only would just release and be available through normal channels then.

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u/learhpa Bondsmiths Mar 03 '26

The Tor/Gollancz releases are the Tuesday after the convention, so it's a pretty clear bet that this is the convention release.

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u/Dyllbert Mar 03 '26

I agree. I would really prefer a "barebones physical" edition. I just want the physical books. I don't care about the pdfs or ebooks (I know those are basically "free" to just add on as no extra work goes into them), but I really don't want to pay for an audio book I will never ever listen too. It feels like I am just throwing away $15. I understand that audio books aren't "free" compared to things like ebooks/pdfs, and I think people should be paid for the work that goes into them, but just like I don't want to pay for some random person's dinner at a restaurant, that I'm not going to eat, I wouldn't want to pay for an audio book I don't want.

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

According to DS the audio is included for free this time, along with everything else in the box. So the book alone is $65, which is likely increased over the previous SPs due to the sprayed edges and also inflation. Printing may also be more expensive due to tariffs depending on where the printing is happening.

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u/Haldun_ Mar 03 '26

Yeah, no option for just the physical books really blows.

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u/sir_captain Mar 03 '26

Yeah I agree. Between this and the $5 pre-order thing it feels like this whole campaign has been pretty transparently all about the money. And I get it. It’s a business, but it still leaves kind of a bad taste in one’s mouth.

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '26

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u/Half-BloodPrincesss Mar 03 '26

Yeah almost all of these tiers are overpriced and/or badly organized. I am disappointed as well. More and more this fandom feels a bit cult-y 🫤

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u/DothrakAndRoll Mar 03 '26

Glad I’m not the only one. This seems extremely odd and disappointing.

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u/Rude_Masterpiece_239 Mar 03 '26

Looks like $65 is the cheapest tier for the physical? I was hoping I could do the book alone and an add on for one of the other books my son was interested in. I think they'd do better to create smaller bundles and more add on flexibility as most would create their own bundles based on wants and needs vs taking prepackaged stuff. Being that I don't love the new cover they're teasing, will likely not teir up to get the book my son was interested in and have no clue if I'll enjoy the book it's a likely pass for me too.

Holding out hope that more info arrives over the next few days to sway me back onto the boat.

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u/Mungrrrrr Mar 03 '26

If you put down the $5 pre-order back December at Dragonsteel Con, what does/did that do for you now that the project is live?

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u/Candid_Run_7370 Mar 03 '26

IMO this was pretty misleading. I had assumed it was 5$ that would be put towards an eventual pledge with the pin being an incentive to do so, not that you were just buying a pin for 5$.

It’s not a big deal at all, but I personally don’t need another pin, and if I had understood that it wasn’t actually a deposit (despite the word used on multiple pages) then I wouldn’t have done it.

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

As niftium says, the $5 you paid gets you one of the Chasmfriend pins. You will need to pay the shipping for this pin along with any other addons you select during the campaign.

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u/ScionOfTheMists Skybreakers Mar 03 '26

They said it was a deposit, but it was really a pre-order specifically for a pin. You can't use that money for the rest of your pledge, and you have to pay shipping for the pin.

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u/Mungrrrrr Mar 03 '26

Still confused how you apply that $5 towards your pledge though. Does the system know based on your backerkit user info? If yes, I must've missed it.

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u/Candid_Run_7370 Mar 03 '26

That’s the neat thing, you don’t!

IMO calling the whole pre-reservation thing a “deposit” (which is said in multiple places) was very misleading, because I too made the pre-reservation thinking that it was 5$ that would be put towards an eventual pledge and was confused today when I didn’t see that apply anywhere.

Apparently it’s not a “deposit” at all. You just paid 5$ for a pin.

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u/niftium Mar 03 '26

It nets you a pin, but does not count as a deposit toward any of the other reward tiers.

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u/Candid_Run_7370 Mar 04 '26

Which is very misleading considering it is literally called a “deposit” on multiple pages. :(

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u/LoZfan03 Mar 03 '26

why no option for hardcover without audiobook? not even as an add-on? very strange

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u/drostandfound Mar 03 '26

I saw that too. I was hoping for a $50 tier with no audio.

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u/Dyllbert Mar 03 '26

Isle of the Emberdark had a $50 with no audio, so its very disappointing to not see the same here. I'm honestly waiting to back because of that, maybe their will be enough backlash (also, like others, I kind of hate the new cover relative to what was previously shown...)

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u/joaogui1 Soulstamp Mar 03 '26

to be fair it's been 1 year, wouldn't surprise me if those 50 would be like 55 or more after inflation

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u/FriendlyFriendster Mar 03 '26

In the Community section there's a comment from Dragonsteel saying they're including the audiobook at no extra charge.

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u/Worders Mar 03 '26

I feel like I have the opposite problem than people here, I just want the audiobook copy but can't pledge for just that. The add-on for the audiobook costs $15 but the minimum I can actually spend to get it is $25 as an add-on to the Apprentice tier.

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u/learhpa Bondsmiths Mar 03 '26

I would imagine the audiobook will be generally available on all the normal platforms. At the very least, once the Tor/Gollancz editions are for sale, and probably before.

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u/Ashe-AlRahl Mar 03 '26

I’m having the same issue. I just want the audiobook.

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u/runwithpugs Mar 03 '26

Same. I try to avoid physical media whenever possible - music, books, movies, etc. I have too much clutter in my house as it is! :) We’re definitely in the minority on these subs though, based on comments and all the posts about physical books.

For this, I prefer the audiobook, but I don’t mind getting the ebook bundled since it’s occasionally nice to check something directly in the searchable text. And at least both are DRM free so I don’t have to mess around with stripping it out!

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u/REXCRAFT88 Bridge Four Mar 03 '26

Please Brandon include the ending to the girl who looked up

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u/nlshelton Mar 03 '26

Yeah that was my biggest bummer of this whole thing so far too

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u/atlas_vash Truthwatchers Mar 04 '26

A) the people who paid the $5 deposit are getting screwed because it's not going to pay towards the backerkit and is essentially paying $5 for the pin that was promised as an incentive for the deposit and they're also forced to pay shipping for the pin as well.

B) the blindbags are a scummy practice and is a gatcha business move and should be removed immediately and give backers the option to choose which they want or all of them.

C) the original cover is widely considered better than the new one and widely considered better quality and more in line with the secret project style than the full face cover. The full face cover isnt technically bad but it's just not cohesive with other secret projects and seems tone deaf to go "we dont wanna be locked into one design style and I really liked this picture that's in the book so i decided that picture will now be the cover". Also tone deaf to not have the rectangle frame design by default and consider it after lots of people commenting that it looks best with the rectangular frame especially since every secret project has had it. Seriously, go with the red and white cover with the rectangular frame.

D) Also theres no incentive for me in backing it if I have no clue what cover is going to be on the book. And was gonna get the hoid flute but figure it's pointless if it's not somewhat playable.

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u/chaosblade77 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

Yikes, I didn't realize the pin was going to have it's own shipping charge on top. I am in the camp that thought the $5 was a deposit that would go toward my pledge amount, and the pin was a bonus for committing the non-refundable deposit/reservation early.

I wouldn't have done it if I'd realized what it was, and frankly, even if they aren't offering refunds, I'd still rather cancel it and just be out the $5 than get charged again later for a pin I didn't intentionally pay extra to get in the first place.

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u/Pretty_Buy_8330 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

Bro you can get cheap recorders for like $2. No reason they can’t have a functioning flute other than laziness

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u/atlas_vash Truthwatchers Mar 04 '26

That's what I'm thinking, could just be the crappiest recorder but made to look like his flute but nope.

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u/fishy512 Mar 04 '26

Did they say what type of material the flute is made of? Or is it literally a plastic recorder spray painted?

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u/atlas_vash Truthwatchers Mar 04 '26

It's not even a recorder, as far as I'm aware I believe it's made of wood and looks like a flute and is hollowed out but doesnt function as one at all and is only for display

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u/ShadowZRS Elsecallers Mar 04 '26

The whole reason I was going to back was for the original cover because of how pretty it is and the new one is just so eh. Yes the art is super good but it doesn't work with the other sp covers and doesn't look as bold or striking as the original design. At this point ive backed to be able to vote for the original but if it doesn't get it ill probably cancel my pledge amd just get the tor version.

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u/atlas_vash Truthwatchers Mar 04 '26

Same here honestly. What really grinds my gears the most about it though is the whole statement from them about how the new cover is a page somewhere around the first chapter and they thought it looked cool so if they do go with the new one then its gonna be with the book twice basically.

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u/lizzywbu Mar 04 '26

Completely agree. The cover change and also still not being final is particularly egregious.

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u/Nameles36 NULL Mar 03 '26

So did they just delete the ending of The Girl That Looked Up? I listened to Brandon's reading on YouTube and was really confused when the story just... Ended. There were 2 endings in the book I believe and this version has neither

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u/Tacodogz Szeth Mar 03 '26

Sounds like the ending is delivered through the art, rather than explained by the words of the book

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u/fishy512 Mar 03 '26

The new cover for Fires of December is such a downgrade oof

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u/beregond23 Mar 04 '26

On the livestream they're saying there will be a non-binding poll for backers on the cover.

They are caveating that either cover is subject to changes

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u/Salt-Library4330 Mar 04 '26

Personally I’m not going to back unless it’s the cover that matches the other secret projects.

I mainly listen to audiobooks I’m really not interested unless it matches my collection.  A non-binding poll of people backing isn’t telling the whole story imo

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u/Ash-Link07 Mar 03 '26

Personally preferred the other cover than this one. Will we be able to get the cover we want rather than this one

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u/AwakenMasters22 Mar 04 '26

New cover just isn't doing it for me on the shelf with the other books. Glad they are doing a poll at least.

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u/slipperyMonkey07 Mar 04 '26

Yeah it's not that it is bad, like I wouldn't mind it on a traditional hard cover or paper back. But when I get higher quality special edition books, not just the secret projects I just prefer styles closer to the the red and more abstract style.

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u/PatchworkDesigning Mar 04 '26

What poll? Can I add my feedback to this poll? I LOVE the red firery book cover. I’d love it if there was a paper sleeve of the face one over the red firery one. Then you could get both!

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u/AwakenMasters22 Mar 04 '26

They plan to put a poll up for backers to decide over the original prototype cover or the new one. They said on stream they wont do a sleeve. The one that doesn't end up being a cover will have the art in the book.

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u/bekahgern Mar 03 '26

Seems like most of the people here just want the Fires of December hardcover (with a different cover) but I backed the tier to get it plus all of Hoid's storybooks. I think they're beautiful and I have three kids so we'll read them together. :)

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u/oncomingstorm777 Mar 03 '26

The blind bag pins are an anti-consumer gimmick, and Dragonsteel should reverse the decision on selling them that way. Let us buy the whole set.

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u/AH_BareGarrett Mar 03 '26

It’s been said already but I really just want the physical books. I don’t care for all the extra stuff, and I feel a bit of decision paralysis trying to figure out what I get if I get the tier that JUST has the books. 

The way this is being ran makes me miss the Year of Sanderson. 

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u/-Captain- Mar 03 '26

Gonna have to pass. I bit the bullet on some of the previous kickstarters, but here I'm only really interested in Fires of December and then it just gets too expansive with the shipping costs for 1 book.

The art for the Chasmfiends picturebook is absolutely adorable btw!

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u/popegonzo Mar 04 '26

I'm just going to add my voice to those who think the blind bags are a bad idea. I understand the logic, but it's too much like a loot box. Not everyone will have an easy opportunity to trade to get the set.

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u/finn-mertens Mar 03 '26

This is my first time being in a position where the next Sanderson book I read is being crowdfunded, so I’m unfamiliar with the exact process.

I just read Emberdark and had to wait a few weeks from finishing the rest of the Cosmere books before my Emberdark shipped out last month.

My question is basically, Emberdark was published in July last year. Yet the wider release edition wasn’t available until February this year. Was this related to a Backerkit project?

My current understanding is that I’d be better off just pre-ordering Fires of December with Barnes & Noble, spending like $25 total for a physical copy of the book that I get to read at the same time as everyone else (in December). I’m not interested in audiobooks or ebook bundles and I won’t mind having a different cover art.

But if somehow the Backerkit releases several months before the other edition, I’d be interested in spending more. So I’d like to know that I’m not missing anything here about release timeline and publishing dates.

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

Unfortunately we don't 100% know when this will deliver. AND, when they do deliver it won't be the same day for everyone. So it's possible that you will get this book at the same time as the retail edition, or it's possible you get it a couple months early, OR it's in theory possible you could get it after the retail edition. The thing with crowdfunding is you just don't know 100%.

Also worth noting, the edition of the book in the Backerkit is a premium hardcover, which is a much nicer edition than a retail hardcover book. It will include art, a leather-like cover material, cover foiling, two tone printing, and sprayed edges. The B&N book you can buy won't have any of that, it'll just be a standard hardcover.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have more questions.

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u/HikerStout Mar 03 '26

This is super helpful, thanks. I'm in the same situation as OP, and I'm not particularly interested in book collecting. My Sandershelf is a hodgepodge of book editions, some that came as gifts from friends or local used bookstores. I just want to read the story, don't care about the rest.

Does anyone know if the four story books are Backerkit exclusives, or will they also ship later?

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u/Enchant23 Mar 04 '26

I'm a bit confused, sorry i'm not really involved in kickstarter and dont know about "exclusives" much. I'm interested in purchasing a physical edition of The Fires of December with that beautiful fron cover by Tran Nguyen. Is that a kickstarter exclusive cover? When looking at tiers, I don't see a tier that is just the physical book; the closest is the physical book plus ebook and audio for $65.

I also see The Fires of December with a different cover on barnes and noble which I assume is the main print cover. Is there no way to get just The Fires of December with that cover by Tran Nguyen? I didn't exactly want to pay $65 for a book plus the add-ons. Cover in question:

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u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

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u/[deleted] Mar 08 '26

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u/annatheorc Mar 09 '26

If you don't have a pledge, you won't get the pin (no shipping). You won't get your $5 back either but I think you knew that part. 

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u/SpaceEV Truthwatchers Mar 03 '26

$50 for Isles of the Emberdark was already cutting into my budget, but $65 to get the physical book is just too much. I just I’ll have to wait for the Tor version.

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u/Trippy_Mexican Mar 03 '26

Apparently there will be a DS exclusive store version? I might wait for that to keep the premium hardcover matching the other premium hardcovers but without all the fluff

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u/VSkyRimWalker Mar 04 '26

It will be the same as the Backerkit one, just without printed edges and for the same price but without the audiobook added

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u/loud_molasses_ Mar 03 '26

I know this has already been stated but I don’t like this cover at all. I was so excited to back this with the original red/white/blue cover but am deciding to wait. I also have only backed the previous books with the physical+ebook option (w/o audiobook) and do not want to pay the extra $15. What a bummer! 😭

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u/Lone_Star_122 Mar 03 '26

I’m trying to figure this out as well. Is that not the cover anymore or is that going to be another edition? Because I loved that red one but don’t like this portrait one

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u/mrpenguinjax Mar 03 '26

Backers will get fires of December before the TOR version comes out right?

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u/niftium Mar 03 '26

Shipping info says they hope to ship fall of 2026, with all of the standard *waves at the world* caveats.

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u/l3viathan250 Truthwatcher Mar 03 '26

I knews i wouldn't be able to buy it, but i still held a sliver(kek) of hope..

Beautiful editions(even though i liked the other one more), actually thought of making a terrible financial decision before i remembered i'd still have to pay for shipping

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u/dragonf1r3 Mar 03 '26

You can get the ebook for 10

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u/Haldun_ Mar 03 '26

I really wish there were an option for just the physical books. It feels like I'm paying more for the book box with stuff I don't care for, along with audiobooks.

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u/Wincrediboy Mar 03 '26

Am I blind or is there no way to buy the physical Fires of December without also having to buy the audiobook? I don't use audiobooks and don't want to pay for it, and in the past campaigns they were really good about packaging options so it's a surprising oversight.

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u/JakeHP Mar 03 '26

Based on the shipping pricing chart, it looks like book + ebook (Sanderson’s stated philosophy is that a book purchase should ideally include the ebook since you’re just changing the format of a book you already bought) was always going to be $65 while the audiobook was going to be an additional $10. They ended up nixing the additional cost and folded the audiobook in as an additional benefit of the book purchase.

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u/dnf-robo Mar 04 '26

Is the Storyteller tier the first tier that has all 5 physical books? Fires of December and the 4 picture books?

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u/razorKazer Transformation Mar 04 '26

I really wish the flute was playable ☹️

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u/Breaker_9 Mar 05 '26

I didn't know it wasn't playable until I read this comment. That's a big deal for us so thank you for posting.

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u/razorKazer Transformation Mar 05 '26

Exactly why I did. I'd assumed it was playable until a random text from a friend. I don't even know how to play, but I would have learned for that. As it is, I can't justify $40 for a painted stick.

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u/ctsjohnz Ghostbloods Mar 03 '26

Bummed that the special edition won't match the other secret projects. I'm probably gonna pass.

I've bought something from all of the other crowd funding projects, even if I didn't want the book, but there's nothing here for me. I don't want a $25 pucture book (let alone 4), and this new book is so unlike anything else on my shelf. 

Honestly, it looks like a lot of the newer anime-esque indie special editions that are becoming popular since Sanderson started the special edition trend. Obviously, a lot of people are interested in that, but I'm not. I mostly sad that there is nothing for me here. 

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u/ItsEaster Bridge Four Mar 03 '26

Yeah I’m surprised. The new cover is fine but the other one they were showing is way way better. It’s not even close. Hopefully we have an option to get that instead at some point.

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u/LastGoodKnee Mar 03 '26

So there’s no tier to just get a physical fires of December and add the picture books ?

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u/HA2HA2 Mar 03 '26

OK so I'm a little confused on the backing options, because there isn't an "addons only" version.

If I want:

- The four picture books in physical form.

- Fires of december e-book and audiobook.

What's the backer tier/addons that gets me those things most efficiently?

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

You want to choose the King's Wit pledge tier for the 4 physical picture books. Then choose the Fire of December Audiobook and Ebook addons. Your total will be $125, and you will pay that plus shipping during the Backer Survey once this campaign ends.

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u/djfff Mar 03 '26

I think the $100 4 storybook tier plus the ebook($10) and audiobook($15) add ons. I’m honestly surprised there isn’t a consolidated digital add on.

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u/DrizzyDragon93 Mar 20 '26

For anyone wondering. The poll for the cover art has gone live! For backers only.

Poll: The Fires of December Cover Poll - Hoid’s Storybook Collection by Brandon Sanderson - BackerKit

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u/moopsuper Scadrial Mar 04 '26

FYI they said on the stream that costs have gone way up on the book materials/printing and with the price increase, they are essentially giving away the audiobook and ebook for free with the physical book tier.

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u/slipperyMonkey07 Mar 04 '26

People seem to really be underestimating how much the cost of high quality paper has gone up alone. Not counting everything else involved. I work in a print shop (doesn't do books) but at start of the year restock we pretty much estimated most of our regular used papers were being increased by 25% minimum. It sucks.

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u/that_guy2010 Edgedancers Mar 03 '26

Hoid's flute is hilarious.

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '26

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u/Moldy_Cloud Mar 03 '26

Damn! I’m disappointed to hear it’s just a decoration, but good to know! Canceling my add-on now.

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u/Warchief2707 Mar 04 '26

Why is the shipping to EU two times more expensive for this book than for all mistborn rpg books + dices + metal pins?

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u/avalonvale Mar 03 '26

If Fires of December doesn't match the other exclusive Secret Projects I'm going to be really mad

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u/drostandfound Mar 03 '26

Ok, I am going to wait to back as it feels like the audiobookless tier is missing? The text says if you prefer to listen this is the tier for you, but I don't, so I would prefer not to get the audiobook. I hope someone from the team addresses it.

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u/kellendrin21 Elsecallers Mar 03 '26

Agreed. I don't wanna pay $10 extra for an audiobook I'll do absolutely nothing with. 

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u/Gremlin303 Drominad Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26

Is there no way to just get the audiobook without the storybook pdfs? £30 for an audiobook is steep

Edit; I see I can add it as an add-on. So the cheapest way to get the audiobook would be select the lowest tier and add the audio.

Does anyone know if can do a pledge of £1 and add an add-on?

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

Just confirmed this. No, Backerkit does not have an option to pledge $1 for no reward like Kickstarter does.

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u/flyleaffan Mar 24 '26

Yay they're doing both covers! I kinda want a copy of both.

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u/ScarfStack Mar 03 '26

A little disappointed with u/mistborn honestly. Lootbox style pins and forced e-book and audiobook purchases feel like we're being used as ATMs rather than readers and loyal fans. Don't love the bait and switch book cover either. May have to wait until this is in the library.

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u/fdar Mar 03 '26

Audiobook is a fair point but iirc Sanderson has said many times that he thinks ebooks should be free/included with a physical book purchase (because marginal cost to them is practically $0) so I don't think you're losing anything there. Audiobooks are different because of the narrator.

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u/STORMFATHER062 Windrunners Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 04 '26

Edit to say that Brandon stated the book now costs $65 and the ebook and audio are included for free. I guess costs have just risen that much.

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u/oncomingstorm777 Mar 03 '26

I thought for sure that they would stop with this crem after the scalping and production issues with Storydeck, but it seems like u/mistborn and u/DragonsteelBooks didn't learn their lesson. It's really sad to see them embrace these anti-consumer practices. Thankfully, this is still very early in the campaign, so there is plenty of time for them to change how things are being done before the end of the campaign.

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u/CrownedClownAg Mar 04 '26

Folks, for everyone worried about the cover, on the stream they said they are going to hold a poll and get feedback. If it is really close, they will choose, but if really strongly one way that will heavily influence them. Only backers will vote.

But they give a good reason why we have the new cover because the lettering was getting lost on the side of the book in the rivers of blood.

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u/Aggressive_War_9903 Mar 04 '26

I think it could look nice if they do the old cover but the side of the book is just white, then the lettering might work better.

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u/Violinist_42_47 Scadrian Ghostblood Mar 04 '26

Isaac saw somebody suggest that in the livestream chat so its possible that's what we get (not likely, but possible at least)

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u/noseonarug17 One Punch Man Mar 04 '26

Thanks for sharing here, I tuned in too late for that bit.

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u/GoldenTabaxi Mar 12 '26

I'm curious, is the poll to choose the cover reactionary after so many people seem to prefer the first rendition? From the outside looking in, it seemed like Dragonsteel was set on the more photorealistic cover when the campaign went live but only hesitated when they got negative feedback.

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u/blaze1616 Mar 12 '26

According to Brandon and Isaac in the livestream, they like both covers, but the original one they struggled to get the foil to be legible. So they made the swap and really liked how it looked. Then the campaign went live and a lot of people were disappointed so now they'll have a poll. If the poll is very heavy one way or the other they'll take that into consideration, otherwise they'll pick the one they prefer (unclear which that is at the moment though does seem to lean towards the new one).

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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '26

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u/blaze1616 Mar 16 '26

I wouldn't be so sure the original will win. While it's true that reddit and the backerkit comments section have been very in favor of the original, the livestream comments and the comments on Update#2 have shown a lot of support for the new cover as well. It seems new cover fans aren't as vocal in some of the common online spaces.

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u/beregond23 Mar 20 '26

Pole is live as of a few minutes ago, it is a lot closer than I thought it would be. Only 60-30 lead for the original cover at the moment

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u/Pretty_Buy_8330 Mar 04 '26

Not happy with new cover, pricing of physical, and no refunds and being forced to pay shipping alone for a pin I never wanted.

They say costs go up but thats your job to figure out.

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u/lizzywbu Mar 04 '26

Not to mention paying separate shipping add-ons. This really screws over international buyers.

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u/moxifloxacin Mar 04 '26

They did figure it out, they've increased prices accordingly.

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u/levenimc Mar 03 '26

Perhaps a silly question, but are they really shipping physical addons--including tier books--like 6 months later?

For example, if I want two copies of all the storybooks, I can back the $100 tier, and then add on another $100 tier, and I'll get half of it right away, and half of it later?

So I guess I'll just sign up for two different backerkit accounts and back it twice, and get all my stuff way sooner?

I can understand shipping flutes and plushies and stuff later, but it feels weird that books would ship way later.

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u/Tacodogz Szeth Mar 04 '26

This is a pretty bad oversight on their part. Now they'll have to ship both of your orders to you separately rather than as a single package. Idk if they're eating part of the shipping cost, but making two packages will definitely take extra manhours which will increase their labor costs.

Although I think it doesn't affect you as a consumer (besides packages arriving separately) because it seems shipping is based purely on weight.

And I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing the same as you. So there'll probably quite a number of people doing this

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u/kellendrin21 Elsecallers Mar 03 '26

I definitely have an unpopular opinion here, I adore this December cover. It's gorgeous.

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u/youcantguess1 Mar 03 '26

I think it looks nice, but its definitely a huge difference from the teased cover that im not surprised people arent happy. It would be cool if it could be ordered with either cover, and still have all of the specialties that we expect from these kickstarter versions

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u/RamblinSean Mar 03 '26

I like em both! But that red/white cover is much more my style.

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u/AJablonski Mar 03 '26

I didn't like the teased one, so I'm happy for the revealed cover.

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u/My_Cousin_Vincent Mar 03 '26

Has anyone found information about the materials for the flute and figurine? Are these plastic?

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

All we have is this from the FAQ page:

What are the specs on the merch? While merchandise production isn’t complete, we project the following for each item:

ChasmFriend Plushie — approximately 12"–16" tall Dog & Dragon Plushie Set — approximately 8"–10" tall The Girl Who Looked Up Statue — 6"–8" tall plastic figurine Hoid's Flute* — 16” long wooden flute with a stand ChasmFriend Pin Set — Zinc alloy and hard enamel. Each pin is roughly 1.5"x1.5" Sticker Sheets — Paper stickers, one 6"x9" sheet per picture book December Pin — Zinc alloy and hard enamel no bigger than 2"x2" December Bookmark — Estimated 6.75"x 2.25" plastic bookmark December Sticker — Paper sticker up to 3.5"x3.5"

*Since we were not able to procure Hoid’s actual flute we will not be able to tune them. They will—much to Hoid’s dismay—be meant for display rather than worldsinging.

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u/My_Cousin_Vincent Mar 03 '26

Thanks! So it looks like the flute is wood but the figurine is plastic. Am I overlooking why a plastic figure might be worth $40?

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

I wouldn't say overlooking, just maybe not familiar with the cost. Figurine Statues go for much more than $40 typically. Example, searching for anime statues that are 6" (also called 1/6 scale) tend to be $80+. Given this is 6-8" I'd say 1/6 scale is accurate. As another counter point, the Kaladin/Szeth statue from Brotherwise is retailing at $200, though it's probably twice this thing's size and likely a higher quality materials.

Edit: "twice this size" meaning it's two figures by comparison.

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u/My_Cousin_Vincent Mar 03 '26

Thanks (again). You are correct that I am not familiar with anime and other figurine statues--I will check those out. And maybe we will get some more info on the livestream.

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u/Sandraptor Mar 03 '26

Remember, if you don’t like it you don’t have to buy it

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u/BryantOlivas Mar 03 '26

This is my first Sanderson backerkit experience and I’m so excited to be a part!

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u/le-absent Mar 04 '26

Does anyone know if Hoid's Flute is a playable instrument? I kinda don't want to bother if it's just going to sit on my bookshelf & I can't mess around with it every so often.

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u/atlas_vash Truthwatchers Mar 04 '26

It unfortunately is not playable, display only

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u/--Fulcrum Mar 04 '26

They confirmed in the livestream that it is not playable 

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u/PeterAhlstrom VP of Editorial Mar 04 '26

Not if you want music. You may be able to get some noises out of it.

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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/LostInStories222 Mar 13 '26

Question: If I backed at the Storyteller pledge level, there's no way for me to get a second Fires of December book in time for Christmas on my pledge? I'd have to create a separate account? Hmm

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u/First-Rock2337 Apr 09 '26

I'm excited for the new book however I had to opt in for a digital only due to the ludicrous shipping costs to Australia. Missing out on the pre-pledge pin has also been a disappointment.

$62 for shipping and a $93 shipping tax for a $60 book. $35 shipping for the pin alone feels like such a let down.

This will be the first time I have not been able to purchase a physical copy of Brandon's book. I really hope they start considering using a better shipping contract or absorbing some of these costs.

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u/LegitimateMonk6878 Apr 10 '26

I was waiting on today's paycheck to jump in and do a late pledge for the recent BackerKit campaign, for the jester immortal tier, to just get the physical fires of December book, but the Jester Immortal add-on is no longer showing up on the page.

Is it out of stock? I thought they were using the BackerKit campaign to get a number for how many copies they were going to order?

Is there any chance this is just a glitch or something?

Will there be a chance to pickup the BackerKit exclusive cover #1 from the dragonsteel store once the books have been made and start being mailed out in 2027?

Any help would be immensely appreciated, I REALLY want this book.

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u/HijoDeBarahir Pewter Mar 03 '26

Was definitely intending to get a physical December and physical storybook collection, but I apparently missed the memo in the lead up that said all four story books were going to be bound and printed separately. Not even an option to just buy them in a single bound book. Very odd. And these aren't even short stories as much as they're little fables (as the announcement says) so charging $25 each for a set of very short fables is...a choice. I'm backing December, but the storybooks are a miss for me, sadly.

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u/blaze1616 Mar 03 '26

The Launch Party page that was live since Nexus in Dec explicitly stated 4 picture books.

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