Brandon Sanderson Confirms New Release Timeline For Stormlight Back Five
Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive is among the most ambitious fantasy sagas ever written, with its sprawling world of Roshar and enormous cast of characters cementing the series as one of the defining works of modern fantasy. The fifth and most recent installment, Wind and Truth, released in December 2024, bringing the first major arc to a close and leaving fans facing what was sure to be a lengthy wait for the story’s continuation.
Fortunately, Sanderson fans have plenty to look forward to while they wait, including the upcoming Stormlight Archive Apple TV adaptation. He’s also working on a Mistborn movie screenplay, which he’s been making significant progress on in recent weeks, alongside several other novels set within his interconnected Cosmere universe.
However, longtime readers are eager to hear when they’ll finally get their hands on the next actual Stormlight Archive book. And they’re in luck, as Sanderson just delivered an official update this week that outlines his plans for the series’ remaining five installments, collectively known as the “Back Five,” also offering a clearer picture of when fans can expect them to arrive.
<<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/brandon-sanderson-the-stormlight-archive-series.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
</figure>
Brandon Sanderson has confirmed that work is beginning on the next chapter of The Stormlight Archive, offering fans a much clearer timeline for the series’ remaining five books. In his November 3 weekly YouTube update, the bestselling fantasy author revealed that he’s already begun outlining Book 6, with plans to add a new progress bar to his website to track its development in the coming weeks.
More importantly, Sanderson confirmed that he intends to begin writing the sixth novel in January 2028, just over a year from now. Throughout 2027, he’ll be working intermittently on the outline for Book 6 alongside the overarching plans for Books 6 through 10, i.e., the “Back Five.”
“My goal is to start writing Stormlight 6 not this January, but the January after,” Sanderson says, adding that he wants to be ready to hit the ground running when the time comes. Of course, Sanderson has plenty of other projects occupying his attention before then. His primary writing priority for 2027 is finishing the second and third installments of Ghostbloods, the upcoming trilogy that’s expected to begin releasing in December 2028, with subsequent books planned for 2029 and 2030.
As for The Stormlight Archive, Sanderson previously outlined a projected December 2031 release window for Book 6 in his 2024 State of the Sanderson update. He subsequently reiterated that expectation in December 2025 and even as recently as his 2026 Halloween stream, explaining that the enormous novels typically require about two to three years to write: “I imagine you’ll get two in a row pretty quickly,” he said, “maybe three in a row. Not one a year but one every two years, and then you’ll probably get the last two a little after.”
His latest announcement provides further reassurance that the previously established 2031 release timeline remains achievable, despite his increasingly busy schedule and Hollywood commitments. However, that remains a projected window rather than a confirmed publication date, and there’s always a chance things don’t go exactly according to plan, especially for someone as busy as Sanderson.
<<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/stormlight-archive-update-5-image-from-official-website.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
</figure>
For readers who’ve been waiting since Wind and Truth concluded the original “Front Five” Stormlight Archive arc in December 2024, the latest announcement is an encouraging one. Although the next novel is still several years away, Sanderson is finally laying the groundwork for the long-awaited return to Roshar.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.