The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England – Brandon Sanderson (2023)

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson, published in 2023, is a satirical, genre-blending novel that combines science fiction, fantasy, and meta-humor into a narrative about identity, memory, and misplaced ambition. Set within a futuristic framework where individuals can purchase access to alternate Earth-like dimensions, the story follows a man who awakens in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is – only a mysterious handbook, shredded pages, and vague instincts to guide him. This book is part of Sanderson’s “Secret Projects” initiative and showcases his flair for imaginative world-building, humor, and emotional depth in an unconventional setting.

Plot Summary

In a burnt-out patch of an unfamiliar field, a man awakens without memory. No name, no past, only instincts honed by a life he cannot recall and a mild dislike of swimming. Around him, the scorched earth bears a silhouette in his shape. Clad in mismatched clothing – jeans beneath a tunic and cloak – he stumbles toward a nearby village, confused and alert. The only clue to his origin is a scorched page from a handbook labeled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. As he pieces together fragments of the manual, it becomes clear – he has purchased a dimension, a medieval-themed world curated by a futuristic corporation. This realm, dubbed Earth-lite™, is his playground, though it seems something went terribly wrong with his arrival.

Voices nearby prompt him into hiding, instincts guiding his movements like muscle memory. His caution is well-placed. The villagers, dressed in archaic clothing, speculate about the scorched field and his human-shaped imprint. They speak modern English with old-world cadence, unaware of surveillance. When they retreat, he slips into the village under the shroud of night, stalking the pages of his handbook scattered by the wind. They offer fragmented advice and dubious reassurances about interdimensional travel, strongly implying that memory loss, disorientation, and existential dread are all part of the budget package.

His first meaningful encounter comes when two villagers ambush him. One swings a knife, which fails to pierce his arm. The other knocks him unconscious with a plank. He wakes hanging upside down in a timber hall, arms bound, brain pulsing with confusion and flickering images of a lost past. A young woman, Sefawynn, and her younger brother, Oswald – or Wyrm – interrogate him with ritual poetry, believing him to be an aelv, a supernatural entity. When their boasts have no effect, suspicion takes hold. Sefawynn, a skop by trade, deduces that he is a scammer attempting to exploit village superstition.

Despite the threat of exposure, he plays along. His instincts sharpen with each passing moment. He speaks with the eloquence of a grifter, deflects suspicion with charm, and conceals his augmentations – subdermal armor, nanites, enhanced reflexes – all remnants of a more advanced life. Yet none of this brings back his memory. He does not know why he is here or what he hoped to achieve.

While the village’s lord, Ealstan, debates what to do with this supposed spirit, two riders arrive. One of them is Ulric Stromfin, a brute with the face of a hammer and the menace of a bad memory. The man knows Ulric. More importantly, Ulric knows him – and wants him dead. The presence of Ulric collapses any hope of a safe introduction. This place is not merely a distant simulation. It is a battleground, and Ulric is hunting something.

When Ulric kidnaps Oswald in the night, killing a guard in the process, the fragile stability crumbles. Sefawynn, crushed by guilt and rage, demands a horse and prepares to give chase. She will recite boasts and ballads, invoking magic and myth to bring her brother back. Her belief in the old ways is absolute. But she does not know Ulric – or what he is capable of.

Amid the chaos, the man recovers more pages from his handbook and studies them. The truth unfurls in fragments. This realm is not the past, but a parallel evolution. No time travel is involved. His memories come in flashes – a voice named Jen, a woman who believed in the humanity of history, who once dreamed of visiting a dimension like this. Her presence is a gaping wound in his chest, a pain without context.

The pages suggest he bought this dimension – or was sent here. There were options for luxury packages, with servants and mansions, but his was the frugal option, barebones and unpredictable. He begins to suspect that his arrival was no accident, but an escape. Perhaps he was running from something. Perhaps from himself.

He follows Sefawynn to the lord’s manor, claiming to be under her spell. She crafts a fiction to protect him – he is a bound spirit, subdued by her words. The villagers believe it, for now. But as the truth strains at the edges of the performance, his awareness of Ulric deepens. Ulric, like him, carries technology, power, and intent. He is not a random traveler. He is part of the man’s past, and possibly his future.

As Sefawynn departs for Wellbury, determined to rescue her brother, the man lingers in the village. He reads more of the handbook, pages now mysteriously arranged, almost as if unseen hands guide their order. He is warned repeatedly not to disturb the wights – the ancient spirits of the land – yet their presence clings to him. The offerings of milk and berries left in the courtyard vanish, pages move, lamps flicker. Something else is watching.

Gradually, he confronts the painful truth. He had come here with a purpose, fueled by loss and perhaps guilt. Jen is gone. Her dream lives only in this world, where he now walks like a ghost of himself. Whatever life he left behind is unreachable. But this realm, for all its danger, might offer redemption. The people here are not simulations. Their stories are not set. His role – whether conqueror, trickster, or protector – is still undecided.

Ulric remains a shadow, dragging the past into the present. The man must choose whether to run or to reclaim the person he used to be – if not in memory, then in action. For now, he sorts his scattered thoughts, watches the candles gutter, and prepares to step into a world that has become less of a game and more of a reckoning.

Main Characters

• The Narrator (Unnamed Protagonist): A man suffering from amnesia who wakes up in a burning field dressed like a cosplayer in a strange medieval-like world. His narration is laced with sarcastic humor and reviews of his experiences, suggesting a former life steeped in critique or media. Though he initially sees himself as a lost tourist, he gradually discovers he has advanced augmentations, military instincts, and a murky past involving loss and possible violence. His journey is one of rediscovering not just identity but purpose and morality.

• Sefawynn: A sharp-witted, brave, and fiercely independent poet known as a “skop.” Initially suspicious of the narrator and convinced he’s a scam artist or supernatural creature, she becomes a reluctant ally. Her relationship with her brother, Oswald, reveals her depth and emotional stakes, and she emerges as a central moral compass of the story.

• Oswald (Wyrm): Sefawynn’s younger brother, playful and naive, who serves as comic relief but also as a vessel of innocence and familial love. His kidnapping becomes a pivotal event that drives the emotional urgency of the narrative.

• Lord Ealstan (Little Father): The local lord of the village Stenford. A pragmatic man caught between tradition and the unknown, he is initially skeptical but respectful of Sefawynn and fearful of the protagonist’s perceived supernatural identity.

• Ulric Stromfin: A threatening figure from the protagonist’s past who appears in this dimension as well. His presence suggests that interdimensional travel is more entangled and dangerous than the handbook implies. He is a violent force and antagonist, emblematic of the narrator’s buried past.

Theme

• Identity and Memory: Central to the novel is the protagonist’s struggle to piece together who he is. His fragmented memories, instincts, and augmentations create a tension between who he was, who he is pretending to be, and who he might become. This theme unfolds with poignancy and humor, reflecting on the human need for coherence and meaning.

• Capitalism and Commodification: The very premise of buying a “personal dimension” as part of a commercial package satirizes modern consumerism. Through parodying travel brochures and corporate disclaimers, Sanderson critiques how experiences, history, and even entire realities are reduced to marketable products.

• Colonialism and Ethical Responsibility: The novel playfully but pointedly asks whether “owning” a dimension is ethical. It challenges the idea of being a godlike figure in a less advanced society, and raises uncomfortable parallels with historical imperialism – all while never losing its satirical tone.

• Reality vs. Illusion: The protagonist constantly questions whether he’s in a theme park, simulation, or a real alternate world. This blurring of lines between authentic and artificial underlines modern anxieties about perception, media, and self-deception.

• Humor as Survival: Much of the book’s charm stems from the protagonist’s sardonic commentary and star-rating review system. His humor, while often flippant, becomes a coping mechanism to deal with trauma, fear, and guilt.

Writing Style and Tone

Brandon Sanderson adopts an unconventional and highly engaging narrative style in The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook, merging first-person introspection with in-universe corporate excerpts, FAQ entries, and marginalia. The protagonist’s voice is snarky, self-aware, and emotionally layered, often breaking tension with biting humor or absurd reviews of trees and hiding places. This stream-of-consciousness technique is balanced with tight pacing and a layered world that unfolds with each chapter.

The tone of the book is playful yet melancholic, combining laugh-out-loud moments with deep emotional resonance. Satirical elements mock corporate culture, historical reenactments, and even traditional fantasy tropes, while still building a sincere emotional arc around grief, redemption, and human connection. Sanderson’s mastery lies in making the reader care deeply about characters while constantly surprising them with tonal shifts, from absurd comedy to poignant introspection and thrilling action.