Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Read Order [ALL Cosmere books]
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Brandon Sanderson’s books form a sprawling, expansive fictional universe full of Easter eggs and secret connections. But it’s so big and full that it’s hard to choose a reading order!
Introduction to Cosmere Reading Order
With so many different ways of grouping Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books together most fans of this epic fantasy collection have their own personal Cosmere reading order which just makes sense to them. And that’s great! I’ve got one, too. But for newer fans or people looking to jump in, choosing their first Cosmere book and after that where to continue their Cosmere journey can be a very difficult proposition.
After all, is it better to start with Mistborn Era 1 and follow it immediately with Era 2, or move on to something like Elantris or Warbreaker? Or is the actual best way to follow the in-universe chronological order? Sanderson’s suggested reading order is the publication order, which is a great way to do it too.
But for me personally, I like to read in the the chronological order.
But here I’m going to give two different approaches to the reading order: one that keeps related series together as much as possible, and another which groups books and series according to the chronological order in-universe.
Fair warning – there’s a lot to get through. But fortunately this list doesn’t include Sanderson’s non-Cosmere books!
Series Together Reading Order – great for jumping in
I like this reading order because it keeps together related stories and settings without too much jumping around, and really lets me sink into the settings a bit more. Whenever I finish a book I immediately want more of this, please! And the series together reading order gives just that.
Mistborn Era 1
Mistborn Era 1 is a great jumping on point for the Cosmere books. Mistborn: The Final Empire was the first of Brandon Sanderson’s books that I read, followed up immediately by its two sequels.
Mistborn: The Final Empire
A fun, fantasy heist novel with great worldbuilding!
The Well of Ascension
Darker in tone than its predecessor, The Well of Ascension follows on from the events of Mistborn: The Final Empire.
The Hero of Ages
The stunning conclusion to Mistborn Era 1!
The Eleventh Metal
Technically a prequel, this is best read after Era 1. Included within Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection.
Mistborn Era 2
A direct sequel to Era 1, Mistborn era 2 jumps forward in time and focuses on a whole new set of characters and events.
The Alloy of Law
This is a great introduction to Wax and Wayne, protagonists of Era 2, and gives a whole new look at the future of Scadrial.
Allomancer Jak
One of a few short stories set in the Cosmere universe, Allomancer Jak is a fun tale centering on a side character from the world of Wax and Wayne.
Shadows of Self
Shadows of Self is where era 2 hits its stride, for me and many readers, and it’s a great book.
The Bands of Mourning
A really great book that expands both the lore and the characters of era 2.
Mistborn: Secret History
It’s tempting to read Secret History before Mistborn Era 2, since it’s technically part of Era 1, but in my opinion it’s best enjoyed after reading most of Era 2’s Wax and Wayne series.
The Lost Metal
A fitting end for Mistborn era 2, The Lost Metal ties up some hanging plot threads and leaves others for the future.
Elantris
Comprising a novel, a novella, and a short story, the Elantris stories are quite the varied read.
Elantris
As Brandon Sanderson’s first book, Elantris lacks some of the polish of his later works, making it not necessarily the best jumping in point.
The Hope of Elantris
One of several short stories in the Cosmere, and a great look at events that really round out Elantris.
The Emperor’s Soul
An interesting look at another part of the world of Elantris, The Emperor’s Soul is a tightly-packed novella well worth the read.
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
A short story set in the troubled world of Threnody, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is a unique short story with a lot of charm.
Sixth of the Dusk
Sixth of the Dusk is the novella set furthest in the Cosmere timeline, making it a very interesting read. Tantalising without much in the way of spoilers!
White Sand Omnibus (Volumes 1 – 3)
These graphic novels are a bit different from other books in the Cosmere, being presented in the graphic novel format without Sanderson’s usual prose. But they’re great books and part of the greater Cosmere, and offer a neat look into a rich setting with some fantastic characters.
The art in these graphic novels is fantastic and a great option for any fantasy reader looking for more richly realised visuals of Sanderson’s fantastic settings.
Arcanum Unbounded essays
Various bits and pieces that give great insights into parts of the Cosmere. Well worth a ready for megafans!
Warbreaker
A great standalone book set on the world of Nalthis, Warbreaker is a self-contained story that’s really important for later Cosmere lore. It has a great magic system, too.
The Stormlight Archive
The sprawling epic fantasy tale set in a unique world with an awesome magic system, The Stormlight Archive is an absolutely essential part of any Cosmere reading order.
The Way of Kings
Words are powerful things, and The Way of Kings takes this concept to new heights. A fantastic introduction to the world of Roshar, featuring a great cast of characters and a quest for the ‘most important words a man can say’.
Words of Radiance
A great follow-up to The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance builds on it and delivers on everything the first book promised.
Edgedancer
A novella set in the world of The Stormlight Archive, Edgedancer follows a young Knight Radiant on her personal journey.
Oathbringer
My personal favourite book from The Stormlight Archive, Oathbringer is a fantastic book and a great journey.
Dawnshard
The second Stormlight Archive novella, Dawnshard follows a character from the interludes of the main books on an interesting quest.
Rhythm of War
Packed full with Cosmere lore, Rhythm of War is a great book that’s hard to put down.
The Sunlit Man
The last secret project to be released, The Sunlit Man takes place in the future of the Cosmere and features never-before-seen planet. A must-read!
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
A unique, stand-along Cosmere book, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is a great story with two unique magic systems.
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Written in a totally different style to Sanderson’s other books, Tress of the Emerald Sea has a fairytale charm all its own. Dripping with references and Easter eggs, this is a Cosmere book best enjoyed by more seasoned Sanderson fans. It makes a decent enough jumping in point since it’s more or less self-contained, but some of the references and cameos will be missed.
RELATED: Tress of the Emerald Sea: Brandon Sanderson book review
In-Universe Chronological Order – very immersive
Much of this reading order is speculative, but to me, it makes a lot of sense. This reading order tries to trace the timeline of the Cosmere through the currently released books.
White Sand Trilogy
A graphic novel trilogy, White Sand is the earliest point in the Cosmere. It’s also a fun departure from the usual prose, giving a nice look at some great visuals. If you aren’t the biggest fan of the graphic novel format, Brandon Sanderson has said he wants to do a prose version at some point. But that’s probably a long way off!
Elantris, The Hope of Elantris, The Emperor’s Soul
These stories are some of the earliest in the Cosmere as well as being some of Sanderson’s earlier work. Set on the world of Sel, The Emperor’s Soul takes place after the main action in Elantris.
Mistborn Era 1
The whole of the original Mistborn trilogy takes place quite early on along the Cosmere series timeline, which feels strange given how influential it is!
Warbreaker
Warbreaker and its unreleased sequel take place after era 1 of the Mistborn series but before The Stormlight Archive.
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
Harder to place, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell appears to take place somewhere here along the timeline.
The Stormlight Archive (Book 1 to 5, including novellas)
According to Brandon Sanderson, The Stormlight Archive’s first half takes place before Mistborn era 2.
Mistborn Era 2
According to Brandon Sanderson, the second Mistborn series takes place after the first half of the Stormlight Archive, in the gap between books 5 and 6.
The Sunlit Man [speculative]
Due to events in book, The Sunlit Man confirmed to be quite late in the Cosmere universe, making it come later in this Cosmere reading order. Exactly where it comes is harder to place.
Tress of the Emerald Sea [speculative]
Again due to events in book, Tress of the Emerald Sea clearly occurs later on in the Cosmere timeline. When exactly is harder to determine.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter [speculative]
The same as with the other Cosmere secret project novels, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter takes place later on in the Cosmere timeline, so these three books could be read in other combinations than the suggested order in this list.
Sixth of the Dusk
So far, Sixth of the Dusk is the furthest point along the timeline of the Cosmere universe, although this will change eventually.
