| Author | Brandon Sanderson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Tran Nguyen |
| Cover artist | Tran Nguyen |
| Language | English |
| Series | Hoid's Travails |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Published | October 6, 2026 |
| Publisher | Dragonsteel Entertainment, Tor Books |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover, e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 384 (Tor Books hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-1250462657 |
The Fires of December is a 2026 fantasy novel by American author Brandon Sanderson, set in his Cosmere fictional universe. Published by Dragonsteel Entertainment and scheduled for commercial publication by Tor Books, it is part of Hoid's Travails, a grouping of standalone Cosmere novels narrated by the character Hoid.
The novel takes place in a kingdom sustained by rivers of demon blood. December, an orphaned foundling, grows up in a society that expects her to conform to conventional social roles. Following a transformative experience, she discovers that a catastrophic plague threatens the kingdom and will cause the blood rivers to deteriorate. Seeking to warn the royal court, she travels upriver accompanied by a priestess and a young fashion designer, encountering political intrigue and a count who becomes involved in her quest. Determined to prevent the disaster, December travels up the River Violet to warn the king's court. Accompanied by a talkative priestess and an aspiring fashion designer, she must convince skeptical royal officials of the impending danger while navigating political intrigue. Her journey also brings her into contact with a count who may prove important to both her mission and her personal life.
Sanderson announced The Fires of December as a new Cosmere project at Dragonsteel Nexus in December 2025. He described it as a story narrated by Hoid and is the third installment of an anthology series under the name Hoid's Travails, following Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.
Sanderson explained that the novels in Hoid's Travails are standalone stories set on less prominent worlds in the Cosmere and can be read in any order. He also stated that The Fires of December takes place earlier chronologically than Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.
Sanderson first publicly read from The Fires of December during his keynote speech at Dragonsteel Nexus in 2025. He subsequently published an excerpt from the novel on his official website on February 27, 2026, and announced that the book would be included in the Hoid's Storybook Collection crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit. The collection also included four illustrated picture books.
The Dragonsteel premium edition was distributed to crowdfunding backers beginning September 15, 2026. The novel's digital editions were released commercially on October 6, 2026, while the US Tor Books hardcover is scheduled for publication on December 8, 2026.
The Dragonsteel edition of the novel was illustrated by Tran Nguyen. Its audiobook edition is narrated by Michael Kramer.