Elantris
Standalones2005
A cursed prince is exiled into the fallen god-city of Elantris on the world of Sel.
Cosmere Reading Order
Brandon SandersonOngoing22 books
Full shelf in publication order below: all 22 Cosmere books so far, from Elantris (2005) to Wind and Truth (2024). New readers usually pick a path rather than starting at book one. Read Secret History after The Bands of Mourning, not earlier.
Updated August 2026
Ways to read Cosmere
Pick a path. The first one works for most people.
Publication Order
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Mistborn Era One2006
A street thief joins a crew plotting to overthrow an immortal tyrant with metal-fueled magic.
The Well of Ascension
Mistborn Era One2007
Vin and Elend struggle to hold a city, and an empire, after the Lord Ruler's fall.
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn Era One2008
The trilogy's endgame, as the world itself unravels under the mists and ash.
Warbreaker
Standalones2009
Two princesses, a reluctant god, and Breath-based magic on Nalthis, in a self-contained novel.
The Way of Kings
Stormlight Archive2010
The Stormlight Archive opens on storm-wracked Roshar with Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar.
The Alloy of Law
Mistborn Era Two2011
Mistborn Era Two begins: Allomancy meets railroads and revolvers with lawman Waxillium Ladrian.
The Emperor's Soul
Standalones2012
A Hugo-winning novella about a Forger compelled to rebuild an emperor's soul, set on Sel.
Words of Radiance
Stormlight Archive2014
Stormlight's second volume, as the Knights Radiant begin to re-form.
Shadows of Self
Mistborn Era Two2015
Wax and Wayne hunt a shapeshifting killer through Elendel's streets.
The Bands of Mourning
Mistborn Era Two2016
The hunt for the Lord Ruler's legendary metalminds pushes Era Two toward its biggest revelations.
Mistborn: Secret History
Mistborn Era Two2016
A companion novella that reframes the original trilogy. Read it only after The Bands of Mourning.
Edgedancer
Stormlight Archive2016
Lift's novella between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer. Also collected in Arcanum Unbounded.
Arcanum Unbounded
Collections2016
Collected Cosmere short fiction with cosmology notes. Read stories individually after each parent series.
Oathbringer
Stormlight Archive2017
Dalinar's past and the Desolation's return dominate Stormlight's third volume.
Dawnshard
Stormlight Archive2020
A Stormlight novella charting a voyage to the storm-shrouded island of Akinah.
Rhythm of War
Stormlight Archive2020
Stormlight's fourth volume, a war of science, sieges, and minds on Roshar.
The Lost Metal
Mistborn Era Two2022
Era Two's finale, where Scadrial's fate entangles openly with the wider Cosmere.
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Standalones2023
A girl sails oceans of deadly spores to rescue her love, narrated with fairy-tale charm.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Standalones2023
A ritual dancer and a nightmare painter swap lives across two linked worlds.
The Sunlit Man
Standalones2023
A fugitive hops worlds ahead of his pursuers and lands on a planet where daylight melts stone.
Wind and Truth
Stormlight Archive2024
The fifth Stormlight volume closes the first major arc of the Archive.
How Cosmere is structured
Standalones · 6 books
Self-contained novels on different worlds; no series homework required.
Mistborn Era One · books 2–4
Vin and crew topple the Lord Ruler in a finished trilogy on Scadrial.
Mistborn Era Two · 5 books
Wax and Wayne centuries later; read Secret History after The Bands of Mourning.
Stormlight Archive · 7 books
Epic Knights Radiant saga on Roshar; slot Edgedancer between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer.
Collections · book 14
Shorter fiction gathered in Arcanum Unbounded, including cosmology essays.
Before you start
The Cosmere is Brandon Sanderson's shared universe: Stormlight, both Mistborn eras, and standalones on worlds like Roshar, Scadrial, Sel, and Nalthis. Each series works alone, but they share one cosmology (Shards, Investiture, Hoid wandering through), and the cross-links go from fun Easter eggs early on to actual plot fuel the further in you get.
Publication order of every Cosmere novel and collection is listed below, and it works fine. Most new readers still do better starting with a finished arc: Mistborn Era One first, not Elantris. Stormlight and Mistborn each have their own pages if you want the series-level detail.
Two placement traps trip people up constantly. Mistborn: Secret History spoils the original trilogy and one Era Two beat. Read it after The Bands of Mourning, not earlier. Arcanum Unbounded gathers shorter works; read its stories individually after each parent series, not cover to cover early. Edgedancer belongs between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer if you are doing Stormlight with the novellas.
Sub-Series
Alternate Reading Paths
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Cosmere books are there?
Twenty-two published volumes in the list below, counting novels and discrete novella editions. Do not count Arcanum Unbounded stories twice if you already read them separately.
Where should I start with Cosmere?
Mistborn: The Final Empire for most people: a finished trilogy with a clean magic system. The Way of Kings if you want the giant epic first, or Tress of the Emerald Sea for a light one-book taste.
Should I read Arcanum Unbounded cover to cover?
No. Especially not Secret History early. Read each story after its parent series.
When should I read Mistborn: Secret History?
After The Bands of Mourning. Read it earlier and you spoil the original trilogy plus an Era Two reveal.
Is the Cosmere finished?
No. Wind and Truth closes Stormlight's first arc; Mistborn Era Three and the rest of Stormlight are still ahead.
Related Series
Stormlight Archive reading orderBrandon Sanderson
Mistborn book orderBrandon Sanderson
Wheel of Time book orderRobert Jordan
Kingkiller reading orderPatrick Rothfuss
Realm of the Elderlings book orderRobin Hobb
Song of Ice and Fire book orderGeorge R.R. Martin
Malazan book orderSteven Erikson
First Law reading orderJoe Abercrombie