The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson—creator of the smash-hit science fiction and fantasy series Skyward, The Stormlight Archive, and Mistborn—comes a new science fiction adventure. Narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.

A man awakens in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?

Note from Brandon:

Sometimes an idea just won’t let go of you for years. The initial seed of this novel was the title that eventually turned into The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. At first there was no story go to with that title, but I wrote it down and kept coming back to it, wondering what that book could possibly be about. Something else I thought about off and on for years was the classic concept of a man waking up in another time and another place, with no idea how he got there. It was when those two ideas came together, and I placed a book with that title into that man’s hands, that this novel was born. I hope you’ll have as much fun with it as I did!

©2023 Dragonsteel, LLC (P)2023 Dragonsteel, LLC

Very Unexpected…

At first, I was very confused and a little disoriented.
The story I was listening to, though immediately capturing my attention and imagination, wasn’t the familiar Sanderson-ish story I had grown to love and, well… you know… expect. If you have read a few of his books, you know what I mean, and by now, I have read quite a few, which is why I am now going through his non- series books.
This is a very different tale, shocking me at times, causing me to check if this was some collaboration with another author, because it was so different.
But different doesn’t necessarily equate with a negative experience, and this story definitely did not in any way disappoint. Different, yes, but every bit a Sanderson tale, as more and more of the story unfolded.
That’s all I’m going to share. I don’t want to spoil or give away any hints to what a fun and delightfully unexpected experience this book holds , I had only read the tittle and nothing else, so I was very pleasantly taken on a ride to an unanticipated world, filled with wonderful characters, Sanderson style.
Narration brilliant, as always.

absolutely love it

great story that keeps you engaged until the end. the performance was great as well.

SO COOL AND ALSO AWESOME

this book had many different objects that really told a story about randon anderson. perhaps most indivudals would think that wizards here are boring however!!!! I am strongly believing in what wizards would say about life. Many indivudals are wrong in their ways. I hjave read innumerable amounts of books and think that this many books have.

Good but not as great as Sanderson other books

It was, of course, entertaining as Sanderson can always create a great tale with good characters. The narrator took longer to be engaging and to connect with. The story was fun.

A nice combination of sci fi and fantasy

I've read most of Sanderson's other books so when I had a road trip coming up I thought this would be the perfect fit since it's a one off adventure. Without any spoilers, the mystery is engaging. We have a main character who doesn't know who he is (in more than one sense). It's a journey of confidence, courage, and bravery.

Things I liked: The divide between technology and magic, the well fleshed out world, similar enough to feel familiar but foreign enough to capture my attention, such a fun journey for the main character, very fulfilling story.

Things I didn't like: The story took a bit to capture my attention and the villains were a little stereotypical. The humor was also a bit hit and miss for me, though I did laugh a few times. There are also these chapter breaks between some story chapters that after a while I ended up skipping. I thought they really bogged down the book.

Overall I loved the story and really enjoyed the journey of all the characters and what they learned. If you've ready Sanderson before, you know well what you're getting. This fits his style very well, especially as he continues to branch more and more into sci fi.

A fantastic good time!

I couldn't stop grinning the entire time I listened. So much fun! You will not be disappointed.

sci-fi/fantasy with a touch of philosophy

This story is a wild mix of fantasy and sci-fi. I enjoyed the ad like sections, which are very funny, but the idea that will stick with me is that we can get into such a mind set we can sabotage our own success. It’s so true, and yet can be impossible of us to see.
This character was fascinating, and I’d love to hear more of his adventures.

Great!

I loved nearly everything about this book! The story was fresh, new and I can’t recall another story in fantasy or scfi that is similar! The combination of futuristic technology meets old gods with a mafia twist was amazing! Great job!

A well balanced Medieval Sci-fi novel

Sanderson masterfully wove elements of Sci-fi into what is effectively a medieval Isekai. Featuring a relatable underdog you can't not root for even when he's not rooting for himself.

Great story. Narrators are fantastic

Story is intriguing and the narrators are fantastic and made listening a lot of fun. Highly recommend