Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Explained: Books Reading Order & Shared Universe Connections

Fantasy fans, rejoice: Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere is officially coming to the screen, an exciting prospect for anyone who keeps up with the author’s expansive backlist. Of course, doing so is a tall order. Sanderson writes a lot of books, and some of them connect in ways you wouldn’t expect. Others aren’t part of his shared universe at all, complicating things further. Even fans of the author might have a hard time keeping up with it all.

Needless to say, for those new to his books, figuring out where to start can prove an overwhelming task. The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn are well-known enough that readers have heard of them, but that doesn’t mean they understand how they’re connected. And where they fit with everything else is far from intuitive. That’s why we’re breaking down what the Cosmere is, which books it includes, and what order Sanderson suggests reading them in. With adaptations green-lit, there’s no better time to jump in.

What Is the Cosmere? Brandon Sanderson’s Fantasy Universe Explained

Before digging into what it comprises, it’s worth explaining what Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere is. In some ways, it’s comparable to the Marvel Cinematic Universe or DC Universe — just on the page. The Cosmere is an interconnected lineup of Sanderson’s works, spanning everything from full-length novels and novellas to short stories and graphic novels. While most of these projects stand on their own, they’re set on different worlds in the same larger universe. Sanderson’s website explains it best:

“All of my Cosmere books share a single creation myth, a single cosmology, that gives underlying theorem of magic for all these connected worlds. The theorem is not simple — I can’t really encapsulate it in one sentence — but you can map out how the magic all fits together in the Cosmere using this kind of super theorem.“

All of these works stemming from the same cosmology means that there’s overlap across titles. Characters will appear in more than one book or series, and there are other nods and parallels throughout. The backstory of the Cosmere and the deities that exist within it impact the larger picture. And as Sanderson is still writing stories in this shared universe, they could connect more overtly as time goes on. For now, there are plenty of Cosmere books readers can familiarize themselves with, especially ahead of Apple TV’s adaptations.

Every Book in the Cosmere & When It Was Published

At present, Sanderson’s Cosmere contains 18 full-length novels, along with novellas, a collection, and graphic novels. The sprawling fantasy universe kicked off with Elantris in 2005, though it’s not the book most people — including Sanderson himself — recommend starting with. We’ll get into the best reading order later, but these are all the works in the Cosmere, listed by publication date:

• Elantris (2005)
• Mistborn Era 1 (2006-2008)
  • The Final Empire (2006)
  • The Well of Ascension (2007)
  • The Hero of Ages (2008)
• Warbreaker (2009)
• The Stormlight Archive Arc 1 (2010-2024)
  • The Way of Kings (2010)
  • Words of Radiance (2014)
  • Oathbringer (2017)
  • Dawnshard [Novella] (2020)
  • Rhythm of War (2020)
  • Wind and Truth (2024)
• Mistborn Era 2 (2011-2022)
  • The Alloy of Law (2011)
  • Shadows of Self (2015)
  • The Bands of Mourning (2016)
  • The Lost Metal (2022)
• White Sand [Graphic Novels] (2016-2019)
  • White Sand Vol. 1 (2016)
  • White Sand Vol. 2 (2018)
  • White Sand Vol. 3 (2019)
  • White Sand Omnibus (2024)
• Arcanum Unbounded [Story Collection] (2016)
• Tress of the Emerald Sea (2023)
• Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (2023)
• The Sunlit Man (2023)
• Isles of the Emberdark (2025)

The Cosmere books can technically be read in chronological order, even though it’s not suggested. If you go that route, it’s worth keeping a close eye on the release dates, especially when you get to The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn Era 2, which were coming out during the same timeframe.

The Cosmere Reading Order Brandon Sanderson Recommends

Those looking for the best order to read the Cosmere books in are in luck, as Sanderson has weighed in on the topic on his YouTube channel. And really, who would know better than the person who penned this entire universe? Sanderson’s suggested order isn’t too stringent; it allows for some variation in the middle. But he believes readers should start with Mistborn Era 1, then tackle two of his stronger standalones:

• The Final Empire (Mistborn #1)
• The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)
• The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3)
• Warbreaker
• Tress of the Emerald Sea

From there, Sanderson suggests digging into The Stormlight Archive. That’s a hefty commitment, so he does recommend taking breaks in-between. His advice is to start either Mistborn Era 2 or more of his standalones during that time. Both Elantris and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter can be picked up at any point.

Mistborn #4-6 could also go anywhere, but we’d recommend saving The Lost Metal until after Rhythm of War (even if Sanderson doesn’t mention it). He also says The Sunlit Man should be read after the fourth Stormlight Archive book. And his video gives no recommendation for White Sand, but readers seem agreed that reading it before Rhythm of War is best. Isles of the Emberdark is the newest, so that should be saved for last.

Finally, most of the stories in Arcanum Unbounded can be picked up whenever, but there are a couple of novellas Sanderson called out as necessary. His intent is for readers to get to Edgedancer, which is part of the collection, after Words of Radiance. Likewise, Dawnshard — which is published on its own — should be read after Oathbringer. And he doesn’t mention it, but Mistborn: Secret History is good to dig into after The Bands of Mourning. That’s also in Arcanum Unbounded.

With all that in mind, here’s the recommended reading order for the rest of the Cosmere (which you can tweak based on the notes above):

• The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1)
• Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2)
• Edgedancer (Novella in Arcanum Unbounded)
• Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3)
• Dawnshard (Novella)
• The Alloy of Law (Mistborn #4)
• Shadows of Self (Mistborn #5)
• The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn #6)
• Mistborn: Secret History (Novella in Arcanum Unbounded)
• Elantris
• Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
• White Sand
• Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4)
• The Lost Metal (Mistborn #7)
• The Sunlit Man
• Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive #5)
• Isles of the Emberdark

Future Books Planned for the Cosmere

If your head is spinning from this breakdown of the Cosmere, you’re not alone. And although Sanderson’s universe is already a lot to take in, it’s not over yet. There are more books planned, including new legs of the Mistborn saga and Stormlight Archive series.

Most of the upcoming Cosmere books don’t have specific release dates, though Sanderson often talks about them. But The Fires of December, which will follow Hoid, is set for later this year. And the first installment of Mistborn Era 3 is expected to come out in 2028. However, Sanderson noted in his 2025 State of the Sanderson that his writing could be delayed because of his adaptation work.

The author is also planning sequels for Warbreaker and Elantris, more Stormlight Archive books, and a prose version of the White Sand graphic novels. His 2025 update teases other ideas, but he noted that “none are promised.” Sticking to what’s actually in the pipeline, here’s what to expect in the future:

• The Fires of December (2026)
• Mistborn Era 3: Ghostbloods (2028)
• Elantris 2 & 3
• A Warbreaker sequel
• White Sand novel
• The Stormlight Archive Arc 2

Which Cosmere Books Are Being Adapted for the Screen?

Looking at the list of Cosmere books, it’s a lot to adapt — and there’s no telling if Apple TV will get to all of it. The company seems to have secured the rights to the entire universe though, so any of Sanderson’s works listed here are probably fair game.

The first two projects planned are, understandably, adaptations of Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive. Not much is known about either just yet, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple is looking to turn Mistborn into a series of films. Meanwhile, The Stormlight Archive will become a TV show. The big screen is an ideal choice for Sanderson’s most cinematic story, while Stormlight is too long to be anything but a TV series. Both give Sanderson fans a lot to look forward to (as if they don’t have enough headed their way already).

Have you read the Cosmere? What reading order would you recommend? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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