Company acquires exclusive audio rights to fantasy and sci-fi author’s forthcoming novellas

Landover, MD, August 8, 2022—RBmedia, the largest audiobook publisher in the world, today announced an exclusive agreement with Mainframe, LLC to publish Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive novellas “Dawnshard” and “Edgedancer.” “Dawnshard” will be publicly released for the first time, and Mainframe and RBmedia will be debuting an all-new recording of “Edgedancer.” These are the latest audio releases in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Hugo Award–winning fantasy and sci-fi author Brandon Sanderson.

This news follows on the heels of Sanderson’s record-breaking Kickstarter campaign to fund four novels he wrote during the pandemic. “Dawnshard” was also initially funded via Kickstarter and had previously only been available to backers of that campaign. Sanderson said, “We’re in a truly golden era—for writers and storytellers, for science fiction and fantasy, and for innovative models that allow writers to connect directly to their audience. The opportunities of this era still require selection of good partners. RBmedia has been an important audiobook partner for me and has helped expand my universe of listeners around the world. I’m looking forward to continuing the partnership with ‘Dawnshard’ and the re-release of ‘Edgedancer.’”

Bridging the gap between the full-length Stormlight Archive novels, these stories take a deeper look at several characters in the saga and bring them to the forefront.

Troy Juliar, Chief Content Officer for RBmedia, said, “Brandon’s Cosmere—his interconnected world and characters—is already viewed as one of the most important contributions to fantasy storytelling. It will only grow in importance and audience appeal because of his unique talents and vision. We are delighted to continue working with Brandon and Mainframe on these epic titles and get the audiobooks to as many listeners as possible.”

Mainframe is a spoken-word entertainment and production company founded by Brandon Sanderson and Max Epstein, Sanderson’s longtime creative and business partner in Hollywood, to tell compelling original stories in audio-first formats.

“Dawnshard” and “Edgedancer” will be published by RBmedia’s flagship audio brand, Recorded Books, in fall 2022. The company will also publish “Forgotten” and “Prophetic Histories,” the first two installments in Sanderson’s upcoming Dark One fantasy audio saga releasing in 2023. Brandon Sanderson audiobooks published by Recorded Books through this deal will be available in North America wherever audiobooks are sold.

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About RBmedia

RBmedia is the largest audiobook publisher in the world. With nearly 60,000 exclusive titles, our audiobooks continually dominate key literary awards and bestseller lists. The company’s powerful digital retail and library distribution network reaches millions of listeners around the globe—at home, in the car, and everywhere their mobile devices go. Our titles are available on leading audio platforms, including Audible, iTunes, Google Play, Audiobooks.com, OverDrive, Hoopla, and many more. RBmedia is owned by KKR, a leading global investment firm. Find out more at rbmediaglobal.com.

About Mainframe, LLC

Mainframe, LLC is a spoken word entertainment and production company founded by Brandon Sanderson and Max Epstein to tell compelling original stories in audio-first formats. The partnership emerged out of Brandon and Max’s shared desire to tell unique stories that touch audiences in ways beyond that of the written word. 

About Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is the most popular fantasy author of his generation and one of the top-selling authors in audio currently publishing today. He has sold over 25 million copies of his work, including over 5.5 million copies in audio. His ongoing Stormlight Archive and Mistborn series have sold many millions of copies in print, eBook, and audio. His other published works include the Skyward, Reckoners, and Alcatraz YA series, “Elantris” (2005), “Warbreaker” (2009), the Hugo Award–winning novella “The Emperor’s Soul,” and many more.