Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson is expanding his Cytoverse with a new science fiction trilogy, the first installment of which, Blightfall, is set to release on September 1. Co-written with Janci Patterson, the novel picks up decades after the original Skyward series, focusing on established characters Arturo and Sadie.
Arturo, who has been a part of the Cytoverse since the initial Skyward novel, now leads the Defiant Defense Force. His mission involves escorting diplomats to a previously isolated human settlement on a new planet for a first-contact scenario. However, the mission takes a dangerous turn when Arturo's team is ambushed, leaving them stranded on an unfamiliar and hostile world where old adversaries are present. To escape, Arturo and Sadie will need to forge new alliances.
Sanderson and Patterson previously collaborated on the Skyward Flight novella trilogy, which bridged the events between Sanderson's 2019 novel Starsight and 2021's Cytonic. Blightfall introduces a new narrative arc for the Cytoverse, continuing the story beyond the events of the core series.
In addition to the new book, Sanderson is also developing a television pilot based on Skyward. The show is being produced by Tomorrow Studios, the same company behind Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece, and is currently in its early stages of development.
Polygon has provided an exclusive excerpt from Blightfall, offering a glimpse into the perilous situations the characters face. The prologue depicts Arturo in a dire predicament, plummeting toward a dangerous alien planet, his only hope resting on his hyperslug, Naga, and the possibility of receiving permission to teleport to safety before crashing into the deadly forest below. The narrative highlights the immediate danger and the responsibility Arturo feels towards his stranded team.