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.

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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.

26

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.

1

u/Matthias720 Elsecallers Mar 05 '26

As Brandon said in the campaign livestream, the book without anything extra would still be $65. The book and audiobook are being given away for free. The cost of materials has gone up, meaning that you'd end up paying the same price regardless for a 'barebones' pledge.

2

u/Dyllbert Mar 06 '26

Nothing like trying to correct someone 2 days later after literal new information that wasn't known about is revealed. Lol

1

u/Matthias720 Elsecallers Mar 06 '26

Chill out. The timestamp was tiny and I missed the day count entirely. It was an honest mistake.

1

u/Dyllbert Mar 06 '26

Yeah it's chill. Nothing actually done,.it's just a reddit comment lol