The Knights of Crystallia [Dramatized Adaptation]

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians [Dramatized Adaptation] #3

by Brandon Sanderson

When Alcatraz and Grandpa Smedry make a pilgrimage to the Free Kingdom city of Crystallia, the Smedry home base, Alcatraz is shocked to see that he is, in fact, a legend. When he was a baby he was stolen by the Evil Librarians, and his mother, a Librarian herself, was behind the whole scheme. Now, with his estranged father, who is acting indeed strange, Bastille, who has been stripped of her armor, and Grandpa Smedry, who is, as always, late to everything (that's his Talent), Alcatraz tries to save a city under siege. From who? Why, the Librarians of course!

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Young Adult, Magic

5 pages, Audiobook

Published December 5, 2017

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Panda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook (6 hours) narrated by a full cast, including:
Alejandro Ruiz
Carolyn Kashner
Chris Genebach
Eric Messner
Sakile Lyles
Evan Casey
Zeke Alton
Bruce Rauscher
Terence Aselford
Kimberly Gilbert
Marni Penning
Scott McCormick
Steven Carpenter
Yasmin Tuazon
Eva Wilhelm
Nanette Savard
Richard Rohan
Ken Jackson
Bradley Smith
Tony Penny
Ryan Carlo Dalusung
Colleen Delany
Jason B. McIntosh
Dani Stoller
David Jourdan

This is the fully scored and full cast GraphicAudio version of Recorded Books Inc.'s audiobook.
This series has two versions of audiobooks for each volume, the GraphicAudio version and the regular Recorded Books Inc. version with a solo narrator and no scoring. Both are excellent.
I love all of the bells and whistles, and as that version was available, after reading a volume of each version, I went forward with the GraphicAudio version for the remainder of the series.

I love the way that Brandon Sanderson broke up the series into shorter books, each with it's own adventure and location.

As this was written with young adults in mind, the shorter story is easier to read. As an adult, I love the pacing and how each book feels like an episode in a series. I realize that episodes aren't generally 7 hours long, but they really do feel bite sized. It may be that Sanderson's novels are generally much longer as are many fantasy authors so 7 hours instead of 24 + hours, is significant.

The pacing, and the overall experience, the activity, the characters, the world... there is just so much going on, as they say, time flies when you are having fun.

And I am having fun!

Next! Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens Dramatized Adaptation

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed "Alcatraz vs. the Knights of Crystallia". I liked the world-building, the newly introduced characters were fun as always, and the allusion to a popular fantasy series was fun too.

I'm looking forward to continuing with the series.

[Rachel Betts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite book in the series so far. We get to see Nalhalla, meet more of the Smedry clan, and learn more about the evil Librarians. (If I spelled anything wrong, it's because I'm listening to the audio books 🤣)

[Patrick Trent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alcatraz's zany adventures continue. It was OK. Sanderson is trying to be funny. It is just not that funny.

[Ashley Wendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously, still one of the most cleverly written middle grade series. I wish I could get more of my students to read it!

[Melenide · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

[Marie Ronk · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wasn't so sure about this one, it wasn't quite as good as the previous one. And then there were a few very brilliant twists that I could not help but love.

[Janae · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so funny!! 4.5 🌟

[Karissa Blum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good continuation!

[Kristen Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the second one more, but loved all the new characters in this one!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

another fun part of this storyline. very fun to listen to with the kids. funny, adventurous, witty and good character development