- Brandon Sanderson releases a TikTok-exclusive starter pack for new readers.
- The pack includes "Tress of the Emerald Sea," "The Emperor's Soul" and "Mistborn."
- The books feature new covers and descriptions and are available on TikTok via Dragonsteel's account.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is nothing if not prolific. With over 50 published books (some of them weighing in at 1,000-plus pages), it can be daunting for new readers to know where to dive in.
Sanderson is aware of this — and he wants to help.
"I have quite the repertoire," the author said in a recent TikTok video. "And I realize that's a little intimidating. People go to my shelf in the bookstore, and they see like a wall of Sanderson books, and it scares them off."
That is why Sanderson said that he is releasing a new "starter pack" of his work, aimed at first-time Sanderson readers — and, more specifically, at BookTok.
What is the Brandon Sanderson TikTok starter pack?
Sanderson's new "starter pack" includes three of his already published books: "Tress of the Emerald Sea," "The Emperor's Soul" and "Mistborn."
The three books are being sold together in a set, with new, exclusive covers. And, for now, readers can only purchase them through TikTok.
"TikTok, I made this for you," Sanderson captioned his video announcing the new set.
Of the three books that Sanderson is including in the set, two of them ("Tress" and "The Emperor's Soul") are both stand-alone novels, meaning that they can be read independently of the rest of his work. "Mistborn" is the first book in a trilogy, but Sanderson said in the video that it can be read on its own, too.
"You can read them in any order," Sanderson said in the video. "They are meant to be read on their own."
In addition to the new cover art, the descriptions on the back cover of each book are also new, and written by Sanderson.
"There's not a traditional summary," Sanderson said about the new descriptions, in a separate video posted by the TikTok account of his publishing company, Dragonsteel Books. "More it's me talking about why I came up with this book, what the mood and feel of the book is."
Each book also has a section on the back cover that begins, "Start here if," as another way to guide first-time readers. For example, on the back of "Tress of the Emerald Sea," it says, "Start here if you favor a whimsical storyteller tone, with a dash of humor and a slight fairy tale feel."
For now, the books can only be bought on TikTok, through Dragonsteel's account page. But Sanderson said in his "Weekly Update" video on Wednesday that the set eventually would be available to purchase through other avenues.
Sanderson will also be doing a TikTok live on Thursday at 7 p.m. MST to answer questions and discuss the new "starter pack."
"I thought this (starter pack) might be a wonderful way for people who have heard of my books to be able to give me a try," Sanderson said.
