Salt Lake City once again rolled out the red carpet for fantasy fans last week at FanX 2025, where Brandon Sanderson’s spotlight panel filled the Grand Ballroom with laughter, sneak peeks, and a never-before-heard reading (the recording will be on our YouTube channel in a few weeks so you can hear it, too).
If you couldn’t be there in person, here’s your full rundown of the highlights.
Art Reveals and Sneak Peeks
One of the best parts of any Brandon spotlight is the chance to glimpse upcoming projects, and this year’s art reveals were especially exciting.
The Dog and the Dragon: First Look at Hoid’s Stories
We unveiled Howard Lyon’s breathtaking illustration for The Dog and the Dragon, one of the cornerstone works in Brandon’s upcoming Hoid’s Stories crowdfunding campaign, set to launch in 2026. This project will feature a series of beautifully illustrated picture books—crafted with the richness and depth fans expect from the Cosmere’s favorite storyteller.
The Lost Metal Leatherbound: Coming Light Day 2025
Launching October 28 as part of this year’s Light Day celebration, The Lost Metal leatherbound comes with lush endpages by Bryan Mark Taylor and an art piece by Victor Adame Minguez (one of Brandon’s personal favorites from this edition).
Isles of the Emberdark: US and UK Cover Reveal
Both the US and UK traditionally published editions of Brandon’s forthcoming novel, Isles of the Emberdark, were revealed side by side, giving fans their first look at how the story will be visually represented worldwide
A Special Wheel of Time Giveaway
To honor Dragonsteel’s upcoming edition of The Eye of the World, we announced a special giveaway: a hand-forged rendition of Rand’s Heron Marked Blade, created by Black Beard Projects on YouTube. Fans can enter by signing up for the Wheel of Time segment of the newsletter (current subscribers are automatically included), with the winner announced on Koloss Head Munching Day (December 19).
Gems from the Q&A
As always, Brandon’s Q&A ranged from hilarious to heartfelt. Asked whether a kandra could shapeshift into a dragon if it ate one, Brandon clarified that forms don’t carry powers. Just because a kandra ate an Allomancer wouldn’t mean they’d suddenly burn metals. When a fan pushed about harmonium alloys punting powers to others, Brandon deadpanned: “It would blow you up. But if you somehow made it work… RAFO.”
He pitched his version of cozy fantasy in the Cosmere: Wayne and Lopen running a café or tea shop. He also shared his research approach to writing about mental health authentically: googling “what do people get wrong about X” to flag red-flag tropes, because, as he said, “I want to avoid perpetuating problems. I wasn’t seeing enough of that kind of effort in the stories I read growing up.”
When asked if Hoid could ever feel awkward, Brandon pointed to Shallan surprising him with a hug: “He wasn’t expecting that.” He explained Hoid’s showmanship relies on control, so interruptions can throw him.
Other gems included his inspirations for The Way of Kings (slot canyons, Dalinar as “a king’s brother with a nephew who’s a bad ruler,” and the idea of magic returning rather than fading), his spren preferences (least excited: Bondsmith spren; most excited: windspren for trolling his kids), and confirmation that Warbreaker 2 will move forward with flashbacks rather than a prequel.
When the full recording of the panel is available on Brandon’s YouTube channel, we’ll share that here as well so you can experience the full Q&A and reading.
Until Next Time
FanX has become a yearly tradition for Brandon and Dragonsteel, and 2025’s spotlight carried on the energy with new art, big reveals, and plenty of insights. Thank you to everyone who joined us in person—we can’t wait to share even more in the months leading up to Dragonsteel Nexus 2025.
Comments (0)
There are no comments for this article. Be the first one to leave a message!