The Best Cosmere Reading Order For 2025 (No Spoilers)

The Cosmere is a fictional universe created by American author Brandon Sanderson. It’s currently made up of seventeen novels, six novellas, three short stories, and a graphic novel. With so many books, it can be both intimidating and confusing for new readers to dive into this amazing universe. So in this video, I’ll be going over the best Cosmere reading order that will allow you to start this reading journey with confidence.

GET THE BOOKS:
Mistborn Era 1:

The Stormlight Archive:

Mistborn Era 2:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow EtC on Social Media:

Artist Attribution:
Isaac Stewart - Cosmere Constellation, Roshar Map
Caio Santos - Luthadel, Tress
LaMaery - Scadrial Mists, Vin, Tress
gar_leyva - The Lord Ruler, Elantrian, Painter
Ben McSweeney - Nobles and Skaa
Dealunart - Kelsier
Julio Cesar Oliveira Rocha - Riot
Robin COSTET - Elantris
u/0roborus - Elantris
LittleGreyDragon - Hopeless of Elantris
Daniel Marco - Elantris Protagonists
Shuravf - Shai
BotanicaXu - The Emperor’s Soul Cast, Khriss and Kenton
zoethatcher_art - Siri and Vivenna
Bryan Mark Taylor - T’Telir
llsnart - The God King
Dan Dos Santos - Warbreaker Endpaper
ModelManntastic - Sandmaster
Julius Gopez - White Sand Attack Scene
Sakina Minnis - Highstorm
Miguel Sastre - Stormlight War of Reckoning
Artur Mosca - Kaladin Bridgeman
vargasni - Dalinar
Michael Whelan - Shallan
Connor Chamberlain - Patji, Silence
Kekai Kotaki - Dusk
SpiralofDragon - Silence
Kevin Keele - Silence and William, Wax
Unknown - Wax, Wayne, and Marasi
Marc Simonetti - TLM Spanish Cover
Howard Lyon - Tress and Charlie, Tress at the wheel, The midnight sea
Aliya Chen - Yumi, Yumi and Painter
Diego Lopez - Nomad
Ernanda Souza - Elegy, Nomad, TSM Front Endpaper
pbfanart - Allomancer Jak Cover

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:33 - Mistborn Era 1
2:15 - Elantris
3:23 - The Emperor’s Soul
3:50 - Warbreaker
4:22 - White Sand
5:37 - The Stormlight Archive
6:36 - Sixth of the Dusk
7:03 - Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
7:37 - More Stormlight
8:32 - Mistborn Era 2
10:04 - Even More Stormlight
10:17 - Tress of the Emerald Sea
10:48 - Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
11:09 - The Sunlit Man
11:38 - Isles of the Emberdark

Music Used:
Relaxing Green Nature (slowed version) by David Fesliyan
Elven Forest by David Renda

[ExploringTheCosmere]

Reading Order:
*1) Mistborn Era 1:*
- The Final Empire
- The Well of Ascension
- The Hero of Ages
- The Scadrian System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- Eleventh Metal (short story found in Arcanum Unbounded)

*2) Elantris and Related Stories:*
- Elantris
- The Selish System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- The Hope of Elantris (short story found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- The Emperor’s Soul (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded)

*3) Warbreaker*

*4) White Sand* (Either graphic novel (Omnibus version), audiobook, or free prose *not completely canon):
- Vol. 1
- Vol. 2
- Vol. 3
- The Taldain System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded)

*5) The Stormlight Archive (Books 1-4):*
- The Way of Kings
- Sixth of the Dusk (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here to pick up on later connections)
- The Drominad System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here)
- Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here to pick up on later connections)
- The Threnodite System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here)
- Words of Radiance
- Edgedancer (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- The Rosharan System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- Oathbringer
- Dawnshard (novella)
- Rhythm of War

*6) Mistborn Era 2:*
- The Alloy of Law
- Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (Short Story found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- Shadows of Self
- The Bands of Mourning
- Mistborn: Secret History (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded)
- The Lost Metal

*7) The Stormlight Archive (Book 5):*
- Horneater (novella, likely won't be released until summer 2027)
- Wind and Truth

*8) Tress of the Emerald Sea*

*9) Yumi and the Nightmare Painter*

*10) The Sunlit Man*

*11) Isles of the Emberdark* (Set to release early 2026 (even earlier if you were part of the crowdfunding campaign))

[bambuu_]

I think Secret History is an amazing way to get proper closure on Era 1 while also leaving you looking for clues and expecting exciting things in Era 2 and other future books. That alone for me is a reason good enough to recomend reading it after Hero of Ages.

People tend to suggest to read after Bands of Mourning but reality is if you read Stormlight 1 through 4 before Era 2 (which is the best order as per fandom consensus) you already get spoiled on the biggest "surprise" in Secret History anyway. Unless people don't pay attention and ignore obvious clues (such as when they call this one character "the lord of scars"..like, come on)

If you read Bands of Mourning first, it feels pretty much like a cliche, one of those "A-HA! This person is baaack, we are resurrecting a "dead" character to save the plot" moments...and it falls so much more flat imo considering the level of foreshadowing you get accustomed to in Sanderson´s other works, specially SA and Era 1

[zackphelps]

I appreciate this list, I read warbreaker between way of kings and words of radiance. This was the perfect spot for Warbreaker!

[RebelToons]

As someone who is almost done with the Cosmere, I think this list is almost perfect! My only suggestion is Sunlitman before Wind and Truth, only because Sanderson himself recommended it and intended the book be read before Wind and Ttuth. Everything else is spot on and I wish I had this reading order before I started

[mtverv]

Exploring the Cosmere this is a very good list for people who prefer to read Series straight through. I personally put Warbreaker right before Words of Radiance, break up Stormlight Archive with the Mistborn Era 2 books, put Secret History right after Era 1, and put the Secret Projects before Wind and Truth. That’s just me though…

[AzaJabar]

I think you should read Era 2 after Wind and Truth.

[mrgreenguy]

I disagree with your placement of secret history. I think everything is so much more fresh in your mind right after reading era 1 and that way you won't need to read mistborn era 2 before wind and truth

[Rincewind]

Really nice list, the list made so you don't miss any references, but if you move secret history so late you miss alot of hints that "spoiler" is alive

[maceface]

Personally, I kind of intersperse Era 2 within Stormlight, because in some strange way, it makes it feel more like a connected universe. Also, I have always been a fan of publishing order for any series, since each reference and bit of information is revealed in the order the Author originally intended. Anyone who reads The Magician's Nephew before The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe can fight me.

[CationJONES]

YES Secret History after Bands of I agree, if I read secret history before BoM I wouldn't have been floored by BoM's plot reveal

[ctom]

I read Secret History after Bands of Mourning and I really wish I had read it after Era1 instead. Personally the twist that it "spoils" wasn't a cool twist to me but a "really? we're doing that?" and so getting the explanation beforehand works much better for my taste.

My only other major disagreement with this order is that I think Sunlit should be read before Wind and Truth. I don't think reading it after is a huge deal but I do think that before should be the recommendation.

Also the big gap between RoW and WaT makes me think that a suggestion of Era 2 entirely before Stormlight could work.

Also glad to see the mention of the White Sands Graphic Audio. I really do think it's the best way to consume that work currently, at least until Brandon's prose version is out (as a big Graphic Audio stan I hope they do an updated release, though I don't think it's likely)

[jasonbailey]

Great video. I agree with your placement of Sunlit Man. I figured out who Nomad's travel companion was as soon as they were introduced in W&T which was a mild spoiler that he would be separated from who they were with in W&T. Anyway, I think I'll follow this reading order when I do my next re-read.

That said, I wouldn't be too hung up about reading order when you dive into Sanderson. "World Hoppers" (the characters who appear in multiple series) like to change their name from planet to planet (i.e. Hoid, Roamer, Dust, The King's Wit, Imperial Fool of the Rose Empire, Topaz, Drifter, Cephandrius, Lunu'anaki, Cephandrius Maxtori, Midius are all one person). If they do keep their name, they were likely a side character whose name (if you have a normal memory) you forgot within a few months of reading their first series and didn't realize they were in the other serires until you do a re-read or watch a video where it's pointed out.

[ChaosActual]

As a new reader just now approaching the end of Era 1 of Mistborn, this has been the most appealing suggested reading list I have seen so far, with only one flaw.

There is no way I can be bothered to read the individual short stories at different times in Arcanum Unbounded.

Would someone be so kind as to tell me when I could read it all at once with a minimum of spoilers and missed references?

[milesstone]

I would love to see your reading order for Sanderson's complete works.

[serenity]

I've read Mistborn era 1, Elantris, Warbreaker and The Way of Kings, can I read Tress and Yumi now? Or I should really wait until the end??? 🤔

[fakjbf]

The biggest thing about the placement of Secret History is whether or not you’ve been spoiled for what the premise is. If you know the secret when finishing Hero of Ages, go ahead and read the short story then. If you don’t know the secret then save it for after Bands of Mourning so you get the cool moment at the end.

[timjackson]

I only disagree with one thing. I feel like Sunlit man should be read before WAT. It makes the reveals in both books more fun imo. Certain character identity reveals wouldn’t be as impactful and I feel like they would be more obvious if you read WAT first.

[riotheretriever]

CAN I READ MISTBORN ERA 2 AFTER MISTBORN ERA 1

[Ritsuchan]

Wait, didn't Brandon say that Wind and Truth should be read after The Sunlit Man?

[BarkhaBarkha-uf]

Wait. So ur suggesting I read book 5 of stormlight before the secret projects ????