Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Welcome back! Today we’re talking about two recent releases by Brandon Sanderson, Isles of the Emberdark, and Dragonsteel Prime. These books were part of the Kickstarter campaign two years ago, for the Words of Radiance Leatherbound back in May 2024.
Isles of the Emberdark was the illusive 'Fifth' Secret Project. It’s a sequel to a short story, Sixth of the Dusk, published back in 2014. This book is about a primitive planet that’s made first contact with an advanced spaceship society from another world. Yes, it’s fantasy and sci-fi at the same time. The advanced people want to occupy their world, while the locals want to keep their independence.
Dragonsteel Prime is a Sanderson Curiosity from about 2001. It’s a non-canon rough draft that exists mostly for diehard fans, or for those curious about the writing process. It is a flawed novel in many ways; the book itself acknowledges that in the opening author’s note. But it offers fascinating insights into the mysterious character of Hoid, his world of Yolen, and the Cosmere on a whole.
Buy MY books here: michaelcronk.com
To support the channel, check out my patreon and my shop:
patreon.com/c/CronkTheBookGuy
rainbowspaceunicorn.com
Instagram @cronkthebookguy
00:00 Intro Song
00:22 Overview of Emberdark and Dragonsteel
02:19 Why I'm Late to This Review
03:59 Isles of the Emberdark - The Concept
04:52 Worldbuilding & Timeline
08:01 Characters - Leading and Supporting
12:34 Plotlines x3
15:43 Themes
17:10 Final Thoughts - Is the Ending worth it?
17:48 Dragonsteel - The Concept
18:56 Is it even worth reading?
22:45 Worldbuilding & Timeline
25:03 Characters and Plots
26:39 A Writing Example
27:24 The Best Part of the Video
Welcome back! Today we’re talking about two recent releases by Brandon Sanderson, Isles of the Emberdark, and Dragonsteel Prime. These books were part of the Kickstarter campaign two years ago, for the Words of Radiance Leatherbound back in May 2024.
Isles of the Emberdark was the illusive 'Fifth' Secret Project. It’s a sequel to a short story, Sixth of the Dusk, published back in 2014. This book is about a primitive planet that’s made first contact with an advanced spaceship society from another world. Yes, it’s fantasy and sci-fi at the same time. The advanced people want to occupy their world, while the locals want to keep their independence.
Dragonsteel Prime is a Sanderson Curiosity from about 2001. It’s a non-canon rough draft that exists mostly for diehard fans, or for those curious about the writing process. It is a flawed novel in many ways; the book itself acknowledges that in the opening author’s note. But it offers fascinating insights into the mysterious character of Hoid, his world of Yolen, and the Cosmere on a whole.
Buy MY books here: michaelcronk.com
To support the channel, check out my patreon and my shop:
patreon.com/c/CronkTheBookGuy
rainbowspaceunicorn.com
Instagram @cronkthebookguy
00:00 Intro Song
00:22 Overview of Emberdark and Dragonsteel
02:19 Why I'm Late to This Review
03:59 Isles of the Emberdark - The Concept
04:52 Worldbuilding & Timeline
08:01 Characters - Leading and Supporting
12:34 Plotlines x3
15:43 Themes
17:10 Final Thoughts - Is the Ending worth it?
17:48 Dragonsteel - The Concept
18:56 Is it even worth reading?
22:45 Worldbuilding & Timeline
25:03 Characters and Plots
26:39 A Writing Example
27:24 The Best Part of the Video
