The Way of Kings
Main novels2010
Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar navigate war on the Shattered Plains and buried histories.
Stormlight Archive Reading Order
Brandon SandersonOngoing7 books
Stormlight Archive is best read in publication order: all 7 Stormlight Archive books so far, from The Way of Kings (2010) to Wind and Truth (2024). Open The Way of Kings and keep going. Edgedancer after Words of Radiance; Dawnshard after Oathbringer and before Rhythm of War.
Updated August 2026
Best read in publication order
Words of Radiance
Main novels2014
The war intensifies as Radiant powers emerge and the Parshendi threat deepens.
Edgedancer
Novellas2016
Lift's story between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer. Read after Words of Radiance.
Oathbringer
Main novels2017
Dalinar seeks unity against Odium while past sins and alliances are tested.
Dawnshard
Novellas2020
A voyage to the storm-shrouded island of Akinah. Read after Oathbringer and before Rhythm of War.
Rhythm of War
Main novels2020
Human and singer forces clash as fabrial technology and espionage reshape the war.
Wind and Truth
Main novels2024
The fifth volume closes the first five-book arc. Books six through ten are still ahead.
How Stormlight Archive is structured
Before you start
The Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson's big Roshar epic: stone, highstorms, oaths, and Knights Radiant. Planned as ten volumes; five main novels are out since 2010, with Wind and Truth (2024) closing the first major arc. Each doorstopper centers different viewpoints while pushing one huge plot forward.
The five novels plus two novellas are listed below in publication order. Stormlight sits in the Cosmere with Mistborn and the rest, but you can read it on its own without homework. Edgedancer slots after Words of Radiance; Dawnshard after Oathbringer and before Rhythm of War.
Start with The Way of Kings. World and systems build slowly on purpose; later books assume you remember earlier payoffs. Novels-only works; novellas deepen side arcs without changing the main spine. Open book one and commit to the climb. These are long books. Budget the time, trust the slow build, and do not bounce just because the first hundred pages are laying brick.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Stormlight Archive books are there?
Five main novels and two novellas published. Ten novels planned in total.
Where should I start with Stormlight Archive?
The Way of Kings. Primary cast and the Shattered Plains start there.
Should I read Edgedancer and Dawnshard?
Optional but worthwhile. Edgedancer after Words of Radiance; Dawnshard after Oathbringer and before Rhythm of War.
Is Wind and Truth the end?
End of arc one. Ten Stormlight novels are planned; books six through ten are still ahead.
Do I need to read Mistborn before Stormlight?
No. Stormlight stands alone. Warbreaker is a separate Cosmere novel helpful before later crossovers, not required to start.
Related Series
Mistborn book orderBrandon Sanderson
Cosmere reading orderBrandon Sanderson
Wheel of Time book orderRobert Jordan
Malazan book orderSteven Erikson
Realm of the Elderlings book orderRobin Hobb
Kingkiller reading orderPatrick Rothfuss
Song of Ice and Fire book orderGeorge R.R. Martin
First Law reading orderJoe Abercrombie