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Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere in Order
Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere is a shared universe spanning the Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, and standalone novels. There is no single "correct" order, but two paths dominate: strict publication order and the widely endorsed recommended reading order.
Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere in Order: complete list
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Why this order?
There is genuinely no single "right" way to start the Cosmere, and that is the most important thing to understand before you pick up a book. The novels are designed to be read in multiple sequences, with several valid entry points. Brandon Sanderson himself has named the original Mistborn trilogy, Elantris, and Warbreaker as good places to begin, and the community is split between them. If you want momentum and a tight, complete trilogy, start with Mistborn Era 1. If you prefer a single standalone before committing, Elantris or Warbreaker both work.
Publication order and recommended order diverge in a few telling places, which is why we list both. Reading by release date (Elantris 2005, then Mistborn, then Warbreaker, then the Stormlight and Wax & Wayne books interleaved) mirrors how longtime fans actually experienced the universe and how the author's craft visibly matured. The recommended order instead groups the series so you read each one straight through, and it deliberately slots Warbreaker before The Way of Kings because Warbreaker plants subtle character and magic-system seeds that pay off in Stormlight without spoiling anything.
The interconnection is the whole point of the Cosmere, but it is mostly background early on. The standalone novels and the "Secret Projects" (Tress of the Emerald Sea, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, The Sunlit Man) reward existing Cosmere knowledge, so they generally land better later, with The Sunlit Man in particular being best saved until after you've read more of the universe. The recurring traveler Hoid appears across nearly every book, and the deeper cross-series payoffs accelerate once you reach the back half of the Stormlight Archive.
Our default is publication order because it is the safest, most spoiler-free path and requires no decisions. But if you specifically want the smoothest series-by-series experience with the strongest Stormlight setup, switch to the recommended order. Both finish at the same place with Wind and Truth (2024), the midpoint capstone of the ten-book Stormlight Archive.
Timeline 2005-2024
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2005 Elantris
- 2006 Mistborn: The Final Empire
- 2007 Mistborn: The Well of Ascension
- 2008 Mistborn: The Hero of Ages
- 2009 Warbreaker
- 2010 The Way of Kings
- 2011 The Alloy of Law
- 2012 The Emperor's Soul
- 2014 Words of RadianceSixth of the Dusk
- 2015 Shadows of Self
- 2016 The Bands of MourningEdgedancer
- 2017 Oathbringer
- 2020 Rhythm of WarDawnshard
- 2022 The Lost Metal
- 2023 Tress of the Emerald SeaYumi and the Nightmare PainterThe Sunlit Man
- 2024 Wind and Truth
Where to play it today
- Bookshop.org (print, supports independent bookstores)
- Audible (full unabridged audiobooks; Stormlight narrated by Michael Kramer & Kate Reading)
- Amazon / Kindle
- Barnes & Noble
- Dragonsteel Books (Sanderson's own store, signed and special editions)
- Local libraries via Libby/OverDrive
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for The Cosmere.
Cameos & crossovers
Characters from The Cosmere who also show up elsewhere. see the full character atlas →
- Hoid
Cosmere's immortal worldhopper; appears across nearly every Sanderson series as the secret connective thread.
Frequently asked questions
How many Cosmere books are there?
As of 2026 there are 14 mainline Cosmere novels plus several novellas. This list covers the 21 core entries fans usually mean: Elantris, the Mistborn Era 1 trilogy, Warbreaker, the five published Stormlight Archive novels, the four Mistborn Era 2 (Wax & Wayne) novels, the three Secret Project novels, and four key novellas (The Emperor's Soul, Sixth of the Dusk, Edgedancer, and Dawnshard). The universe is planned to span dozens more books.
Where should I start reading the Cosmere?
The most common recommendation is Mistborn: The Final Empire, because it is a self-contained trilogy with a satisfying arc. Elantris and Warbreaker are also author-endorsed standalone starting points. Avoid starting with the Secret Projects or The Sunlit Man, which reward prior Cosmere knowledge.
Does the Cosmere have to be read in order?
No. Each series stands largely on its own, so you can read Mistborn, Stormlight, Elantris, and Warbreaker in different sequences. The cross-series 'Cosmere' connections are mostly background early on and become more rewarding the more you've read, which is why we offer both a publication and a recommended order.
What is the difference between publication order and recommended order?
Publication order follows release dates and is fully spoiler-safe. The recommended order groups each series so you read it straight through, and it places Warbreaker before The Way of Kings because Warbreaker sets up character and magic-system details that enhance the Stormlight Archive.
Is Wind and Truth the end of the Stormlight Archive?
No. Wind and Truth (2024) is Book 5 and the midpoint finale of the planned ten-book Stormlight Archive. It closes the first major arc; a second set of five books is planned for the future.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, coppermind.net, tlbranson.com, brandonsanderson.com, thepopverse.com
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