Mistborn Era 1 Books in Order
Mistborn Era 1, also known as the original Mistborn trilogy, consists of three books: Mistborn: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages, all written by Brandon Sanderson. These books tell the story of a world covered in ash, ruled by a tyrannical god-king, and a group of rebels attempting to overthrow him.
Mistborn - The Final Empire
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark. Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot. But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed. Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.
Published: 2006
The Well of Ascension
The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler—the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years—has been vanquished. But the hero who masterminded that triumph is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street thief who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves. As a key figure in recent events, she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her. Stopping assassins may keep Vin's Mistborn skills sharp, but it's the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn't run itself, and Vin and the other members of the crew who lead the revolution must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won't get easier with three armies - one of them composed of ferocious giants - now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler's hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal. As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.
Published: 2007
The Hero of Ages
Who is the Hero of Ages? To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness—the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists—is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed. The Emperor now searches for clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that might allow him to save the world. Meanwhile, Vin is consumed with guilt over recent events, as a mystic force known as Ruin has been unleashed upon the world. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. The heroes can't even discuss their plans openly, lest Ruin learn their strategies!
Published: 2008
Cosmere Reading Guide
A comprehensive guide to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere Universe
The Cosmere Reading Order: A Complete Guide to Brandon Sanderson's Universe
Last updated: July 2025
Series Overview
The Cosmere has over 20 published books across multiple series, with another 20+ planned.
Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere is the most ambitious connected fantasy universe in modern literature—think Marvel Cinematic Universe but for epic fantasy books. Each series takes place on different planets within the same universe, sharing an underlying magic system and featuring subtle (and increasingly less subtle) crossovers between worlds.
The main reading order challenge is the sheer complexity of interconnections. Unlike a simple series, the Cosmere spans multiple planets, magic systems, and timelines. Readers debate whether to prioritize publication order, internal chronology, or thematic connections. With books like The Sunlit Man jumping thousands of years into the future and Mistborn: Secret History revealing behind-the-scenes events, the "correct" order depends entirely on what experience you want.
The Cosmere is ongoing with massive expansion planned. Wind and Truth (Stormlight Archive book 5) was released December 2024, concluding the first arc. Upcoming releases include Isles of the Emberdark (2025), Mistborn Era 3: Ghostbloods trilogy (late 2020s), and Elantris sequels.
Reading Order Complexity Level: COMPLEX - Interconnected universe with debates
Quick Answer (The Reading Order at a Glance)
For first-time readers, here's the recommended Cosmere reading order:
- Mistborn: The Final Empire
- The Well of Ascension
- The Hero of Ages
- The Way of Kings
- Words of Radiance
- Edgedancer (novella)
- Oathbringer
- Dawnshard (novella)
- Rhythm of War
- Wind and Truth
- Warbreaker
- The Emperor's Soul (novella)
- Elantris
- Mistborn: The Alloy of Law
- Shadows of Self
- The Bands of Mourning
- Mistborn: Secret History (novella)
- The Lost Metal
- Tress of the Emerald Sea
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
- The Sunlit Man
Why this order? It balances accessibility with connection payoffs—starting with the most beginner-friendly series while building toward the increasingly interconnected later books.
Why Reading Order Matters
Reading order in the Cosmere matters more than in most fantasy universes, but perhaps not in the way you'd expect.
First, the connections between series grow exponentially as you progress. Early books like Mistborn and Elantris stand almost entirely alone, while later entries like The Lost Metal and The Sunlit Man feature explicit crossovers that assume knowledge of multiple series. Reading out of order won't necessarily spoil major plot points, but you'll miss the "aha!" moments when characters or concepts from one world appear in another.
Second, Sanderson designed the Cosmere to reward rereaders. The mysterious character Hoid appears in nearly every book, but his significance only becomes clear once you've read enough to piece together the larger puzzle. Magic systems that seem unique to each world actually follow underlying rules that become apparent through comparison.
Finally, publication order roughly follows Sanderson's own evolution as a writer. Starting with later, more polished works might make earlier books feel disappointing, while beginning with Elantris (his debut) means experiencing his growth alongside the universe's expansion.
Complete Reading Order Options
Publication Order
The purist approach, following Sanderson's releases:
- Elantris (2005)
- Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)
- The Well of Ascension (2007)
- The Hero of Ages (2008)
- Warbreaker (2009)
- The Way of Kings (2010)
- The Alloy of Law (2011)
- The Emperor's Soul (2012)
- Words of Radiance (2014)
- Sixth of the Dusk (2014)
- Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (2015)
- Shadows of Self (2015)
- The Bands of Mourning (2016)
- Edgedancer (2016)
- Oathbringer (2017)
- Dawnshard (2020)
- Rhythm of War (2020)
- The Lost Metal (2022)
- Tress of the Emerald Sea (2023)
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (2023)
- The Sunlit Man (2023)
- Wind and Truth (2024)
Recommended First-Timer Order (Series Groupings)
This approach reads complete series together for narrative satisfaction:
Start with Mistborn Era 1:
- The Final Empire → The Well of Ascension → The Hero of Ages
Then Stormlight Archive (with novellas):
- The Way of Kings → Words of Radiance → Edgedancer → Oathbringer → Dawnshard → Rhythm of War → Wind and Truth
Standalone/Preparation Books:
- Warbreaker → The Emperor's Soul → Elantris
Mistborn Era 2 (with Secret History):
- The Alloy of Law → Shadows of Self → The Bands of Mourning → Secret History → The Lost Metal
Secret Projects:
- Tress of the Emerald Sea → Yumi and the Nightmare Painter → The Sunlit Man
Remaining Novellas:
- Sixth of the Dusk → Shadows for Silence
Cosmere-Aware Order (Maximum Connections)
For those who want every reference to land perfectly:
- Elantris (introduces worldhopping concept)
- The Emperor's Soul (same world, introduces Seons)
- Mistborn Era 1 (trilogy)
- Warbreaker (critical for Stormlight)
- Stormlight 1-5 (with novellas in publication order)
- Mistborn Era 2 books 1-3
- Mistborn: Secret History
- The Lost Metal
- Sixth of the Dusk
- Shadows for Silence
- Secret Projects in order
Individual Book Summaries
Mistborn Era 1
The Final Empire: A thief named Vin discovers magical powers and joins a crew planning to rob and overthrow the immortal emperor. This heist fantasy introduces Allomancy (metal-based magic) and sets up major Cosmere concepts about gods and power.
The Well of Ascension: Political intrigue dominates as our heroes try to establish a new government while multiple armies besiege their city. Character development takes center stage, though the pacing slows compared to book one.
The Hero of Ages: The apocalyptic conclusion reveals the true nature of the world's gods and magic. This book's ending has massive implications for the entire Cosmere, introducing concepts that appear throughout later series.
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings: Sanderson's epic fantasy masterpiece introduces Roshar, a storm-ravaged world where magical swords and armor make warriors nearly invincible. Multiple viewpoints including depressed soldier Kaladin and scholarly Shallan weave together across 1,000+ pages.
Words of Radiance: Shallan takes center focus as ancient magics return to the world. Features one of fantasy's great climactic sequences and introduces important crossover elements from Warbreaker.
Edgedancer: Lift, a thirteen-year-old thief with strange powers, gets her own adventure between books. Essential for understanding certain plot points in Oathbringer.
Oathbringer: Dalinar's past is revealed through flashbacks while the world unites against an ancient enemy. The Cosmere connections become explicit, with major crossovers and revelations about the universe's structure.
Dawnshard: Rysn, a minor character from earlier books, sails to a mysterious island and discovers an ancient weapon. Required reading before Rhythm of War for full context.
Rhythm of War: Science and magic collide as characters discover the fundamental laws underlying Roshar's magic. Features the most extensive Cosmere crossovers yet, including direct connections to Mistborn.
Wind and Truth: The climactic finale of Stormlight's first arc, with the fate of the entire Cosmere hanging in the balance. Major character destinies are resolved while setting up the future of the universe.
Standalone Cosmere Works
Elantris: Sanderson's debut follows a prince afflicted with a magical disease that transforms him into a living corpse. The magic system based on drawing symbols showcases Sanderson's innovative approach to fantasy.
Warbreaker: Two sisters deal with arranged marriages, gods who returned from death, and a sentient sword that really wants to destroy evil. Critical reading before Stormlight Archive due to character crossovers.
The Emperor's Soul: This Hugo Award-winning novella features magical forgery that can rewrite object histories. Considered one of Sanderson's best works despite its brevity.
Mistborn Era 2
The Alloy of Law: 300 years after Era 1, the Western-inspired sequel features lawman Wax using Allomancy and guns to fight crime in an industrializing world.
Shadows of Self: A shapeshifting killer threatens the city while Wax confronts his past. The Cosmere connections deepen with hints about the broader universe.
The Bands of Mourning: A search for mythical artifacts leads to trains, airships, and revelations about the Southern Continent. Sets up massive implications for the Cosmere's future.
Mistborn: Secret History: A companion novella revealing what really happened during Era 1. Contains major spoilers but essential Cosmere lore—read after Bands of Mourning.
The Lost Metal: The Era 2 finale features interdimensional threats and explicit Cosmere crossovers, including appearances by characters from other series.
Secret Projects
Tress of the Emerald Sea: A lighthearted fairy tale narrated by Hoid about a girl who sails seas made of spores to rescue her love. Most accessible Secret Project for newcomers.
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter: Two people from different worlds swap bodies and must solve each other's problems. Features significant Cosmere lore despite its standalone nature.
The Sunlit Man: Set thousands of years in the future, a character from earlier books runs from planet to planet. Requires extensive Cosmere knowledge for full appreciation.
Common Questions FAQ
Can I start with The Stormlight Archive instead of Mistborn? Yes, but it's not recommended. Stormlight books are 1,000+ pages each and slower-paced than Mistborn. However, if you prefer epic fantasy to heist stories, starting with The Way of Kings works fine—just read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance.
What is the Cosmere collection Arcanum Unbounded? A collection containing most Cosmere novellas plus essays about each world. Best read after completing most series, as the essays contain spoilers. The stories themselves fit better when read in their suggested positions.
Do I need to read everything to understand individual series? No. Each series stands alone narratively. Cosmere connections are bonuses, not requirements. However, later books (especially post-2020) assume more Cosmere knowledge.
What about White Sand? The graphic novel adaptation is canonical but not essential. The prose version will eventually be released. Most readers skip it without missing anything crucial.
Should I read Mistborn Era 2 before finishing Stormlight? Either approach works. Era 2 is complete while Stormlight's second arc won't begin until 2031+. Reading Era 2 earlier means certain Stormlight references land better.
Is there a reading order for maximum emotional impact? Read Mistborn: Secret History immediately after The Hero of Ages for the biggest emotional punch, but this spoils elements of Era 2. There's no perfect answer—choose based on your preferences.
Reading Tips
The Cosmere rewards attention to detail. Keep notes on mysterious characters, unexplained phenomena, and strange quotes. That random storyteller or beggar might be more important than they appear.
What to expect: Complex magic systems with scientific rules, detailed worldbuilding, avalanche endings where everything comes together, and increasingly connected storylines. Books range from 300-page novellas to 1,200-page epics.
Managing the complexity: Don't stress about catching every connection on your first read. The Cosmere community loves discussing theories and explaining references. The 17th Shard forums and Coppermind wiki provide spoiler-marked resources for deeper dives.
Consider Sanderson's own advice: "Start with Mistborn or Elantris if you're a fantasy reader, Steelheart or Skyward if you're not." Remember that his non-Cosmere works like Skyward and The Rithmatist are excellent but completely separate.
Most importantly, enjoy the journey. The Cosmere's beauty lies not in solving its mysteries but in experiencing diverse worlds united by hope, determination, and the idea that broken people can still choose to be heroes.
Ready to begin your Cosmere journey? Start with [Mistborn: The Final Empire →] and prepare for an adventure spanning worlds, millennia, and the fundamental forces of creation itself!