The timeline for Mistborn era 3 isn’t what I expected it to be, but it could end up benefiting the narrative. Beyond the current Mistborn books, Brandon Sanderson intends to continue the story on Scadrial with at least two more eras. The next, titled Mistborn: Ghostbloods, is planned for a December 2028 release, and while that’s still years away, it leaves plenty of time to speculate on what the story will look like. The author provided some fresh information in his annual State of Sanderson blog post to fuel the conversation.
Like many fans of the Cosmere universe, the original Mistborn trilogy holds a special place in my heart. It’s the first book that rekindled my love for reading again as an adult, providing the sense of wonder that I experienced reading Harry Potter as a child. That being said, I wasn’t as fond of era 2. Overall, the aesthetic just wasn’t for me, and I failed to get as invested in any of the characters as I did with Vin, Sazed, and Kelsier. I’m really hoping the Ghostbloods trilogy changes that, and the recent update is one that excites me.
The Time Skip Between Mistborn Era 2 & Era 2 Is A Lot Shorter Than I Expected
The Next Time Jump Will Be Roughly 50 Years
The time jump between Mistborn eras 1 & 2 is over three hundred years, and while it’s impressive to see Brandon Sanderson develop the world in terms of technology and culture, it left me mostly yearning for those rare pieces of era 1 connections. In the State of Sanderson announcements, Sanderson wrote that Mistborn: Ghostbloods “will follow, as the title indicates, the Ghostbloods and their activities on Scadrial, some fifty years or so after the end of Era Two.”
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Though previously I only expected the time jump to be about eighty years, decreasing it to fifty makes a huge difference. Technology will begin to change at a more rapid pace going forward, so the world will evolve faster than in era 2, but it still won’t be as drastic of a difference up front. It may not seem like a great many years, but it’s significant in some important ways, and I’m honestly really excited about the prospects of this announcement.
Mistborn Era 3’s Timeline Will Make Ghostbloods’ Setting A Lot Less Jarring
Scadrial Will Be Way More Familiar Than It Was After The Previous Time Jump
Mistborn: Ghostbloods is intended to take place in an era similar to the real world’s early computer technology period. With that in mind, there will be waves of technology on Scadrial that didn’t exist in The Lost Metal, plus whatever Brandon Sanderson cooks up that combines technology with Mistborn’s magic systems. Not to mention, when we last saw Scadrial, a conflict between Northern and Southern Scadrial was brewing, so the new trilogy could thrust us into the middle of an already established cold war.
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Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Era 3 Plan Could Help Ghostbloods Top The Original Trilogy
Brandon Sanderson has an interesting strategy for writing Mistborn: Ghostbloods, which could help it rival his beloved original trilogy.
Sanderson has already proven to be excellent at developing his worlds over time, finding fun ways to integrate previous concepts into technological advancements. Still, it can be jarring to dive into a book series you know to find that everything has changed, so having as many points of familiarity as possible helps to keep the story from being too jarring, at least at first. Having some familiar characters, aside from Kelsier and Harmony, would be a terrific way to cushion readers as they get to know the new faces.
Ghostbloods’ Surprising Timeline Opens The Door For Crossovers With Era 2
The Children Of Era 2’s Protagonists Could Appear In Mistborn: Ghostbloods
Occurring fifty years after Wax & Wayne means the door is open for more direct crossovers. Wax & Wayne featured distant descendants of characters from the original trilogy, as well as the immortal characters who survived, but the three-century time jump never allowed for what Ghostbloods can offer. Surely, Wax and Steris will have perished, but there’s a possibility for someone like Marasi Colms to appear as an elderly woman. Not to mention, these characters could have children or grandchildren living during this time.
I’m excited to see characters who have been directly affected by the previous wave of protagonists
Kelsier should be a more prominent character in this saga, so there’s already some familiarity there. Beyond that, I’m excited to see characters who have been directly affected by the previous wave of protagonists, either through their cultural impact or being genetically related. This isn’t to say I won’t be interested in the new characters who come about, but developing these longer-term connections helps the narrative feel more like Mistborn. The world of Scadrial was fascinating, but it’s the characters and themes of found family that made me fall in love with the story.
Mistborn
The Mistborn series, created by Brandon Sanderson, is a high-fantasy saga set in the world of Scadrial, where magic is powered by metals through a system called Allomancy. The series focuses on political intrigue, heists, and the battle between good and evil. The first trilogy, Mistborn: The Final Empire, follows the struggle to overthrow a tyrannical ruler, the Lord Ruler. Later books in the series, including Era 2, take place hundreds of years after the events of the original trilogy, expanding the story into new settings with new characters, all while maintaining connections to the original storyline.
Books:
Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)
Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (2007)
Mistborn: The Hero of Ages (2008)
Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011)
Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015)
Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning (2016)
Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022)
- Created by
-
Brandon Sanderson
- Character(s)
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Vin
, Kelsier
, Sazed
, Marsh
, Elend Venture
, Waxillium “Wax” Ladrian
, Wayne
, Steris Harms
