The Ultimate Fantasy Lover’s Guide to Reading Brandon Sanderson Books

These days, it's nearly impossible to exist as a fantasy reader without being told to give Brandon Sanderson books a try. But, with so many series and standalones to choose from, not to mention a whole universe, there's a good chance you feel too overwhelmed to start. Luckily, we've gathered all the information you need to explore the Cosmere and beyond in this helpful Brandon Sanderson book guide.

Who is Brandon Sanderson?

Brandon Sanderson is a New York Times best-selling author of high fantasy, science fiction, and young adult novels. He's best known for the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive books, with many of his titles taking place in the same universe called the Cosmere. With over 71 published novels and more on the way, Sanderson is often considered one of the most prolific fantasy writers of all time.

Recurring Elements in Brandon Sanderson Books

From The Way of Kings books to Mistborn and beyond, almost every single genre of Brandon Sanderson's books includes:

• Intricate magic systems
• Detailed world-building
• Well-defined characters
• Strong plots
• Themes of hope, community, and adversity

Is there a Correct Order for Reading Brandon Sanderson Books?

Technically, there is no "right" order in which to read Brandon Sanderson novels—though every superfan has their staunch beliefs. If you ask Sanderson himself, he often suggests starting with the original Mistborn trilogy and continuing each series in sequential order, rather than jumping around between series. The genius part of writing within one universe is that you can really start with whichever series catches your eye or gets you out of a reading slump!

Which Wheel of Time Books Did Brandon Sanderson Write?

When author Robert Jordan passed away before completing his epic Wheel of Time series, his family and editor asked Brandon Sanderson to complete the series. He wrote the three final books while closely adhering to the many notes and outlines Jordan left behind. He is credited with writing:

• The Gathering Storm
• Towers of Midnight
• A Memory of Light

What is the Cosmere?

The Cosmere is Brandon Sanderson's fictional universe in which the majority of his fantasy novels take place. Though different books are set on different planets, the stories are all connected by the same history, cosmology, and often, magic systems, dictated by the Cosmere. Within the universe, characters and events across different series can be subtly or overtly connected, leaving fun Easter eggs for readers who have read every single title.  

Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Books

The Brandon Sanderson books that take place in the Cosmere offer something for every kind of fantasy lover. With compelling main characters and hard-and-fast magic rules, these Cosmere series and standalones are sure to keep you on the hook:

The Mistborn Trilogy in Order

If you like dark fantasy, political intrigue, and an epic scope, then you'll love dedicating your time to reading the Mistborn books. Warning—there may be slight spoilers ahead:

#1: Mistborn: The Final Empire

In Mistborn: The Final Empire, we learn that long ago, a hero tried to save the world—and failed. Ever since, the wasteland of ash and mist has been controlled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. But as a new uprising emerges, built by the ultimate caper, a brilliant criminal mastermind, and Vin, a street urchin who must learn to harness the power of a Mistborn, hope is born again.

#2: The Well of Ascension

As you read the Mistborn books in order, you'll continue with The Well of Ascension, where the successful uprising has ended the thousand-year reign of the Lord Ruler. Together, Vin, the former street urchin turned powerful Mistborn, and Elend Venture, the young nobleman in love with her, must build a new society in the ashes of a destroyed empire. But as tensions grow and the ancient legend of the Well of Ascension provides a glimmer of hope, it becomes clear that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part—surviving the aftermath is the real challenge.

#3: The Hero of Ages

Having fulfilled the prophecy released the power gathered in the Well of Ascension, Vin must face the consequences of unleashing a destruction-driven, godlike being, Ruin, on the world in The Hero of Ages. Having narrowly escaped death by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture searches for any help left behind by the Lord Ruler that could help them fight back. Legend speaks of a hero, but how could they trust another prophecy? To make up for being tricked, Vin must unravel the truth and become the Hero of Ages before Ruin wipes out all life on their beloved planet, Scadrial.

#3.5 Mistborn: Secret History

After attempting to rob the Lord Ruler's palace, Kelsier was sentenced to die mining the Pits of Hathsin. To the shock of the Final Empire, he instead arose as a powerful Mistborn and inspired a revolution, his name and deeds becoming legend. But was that really the end of his tale? Rethink everything you knew to be true of Mistborn with this risky tale of truth.

Insider tip: While it was published between novels in the second era of Mistborn, it's suggested that you read the Mistborn: Secret History after finishing the original trilogy, as it contains spoilers.

Discover The Wax & Wayne Series in Order

In The Wax & Wayne series, we return again to Scadrial, the Mistborn world, hundreds of years after the events in the original trilogy. Once you've finished the first three (and a half), you can continue on to what fans refer to as Mistborn Era 2:

#1: The Alloy of Law

Three hundred years after the trials, tribulations, and successes of both Kelsier and Vin, the two are now part of history and myth, and the world of Scadrial is teetering on the edge of modernity in The Alloy of Law. In the Roughs, frontier lands, the old magics are simply a tool used by those who establish order and justice.

One such lawman is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn, who can use Allomancy to push on metals and Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After 20 years spent in the Roughs, tragedy has forced Wax to return to the city of Elendel, reluctantly putting away his guns and assuming the duties as the head of a noble house. But when a gang of Allomancers turns to kidnapping and robbery, Wax learns that the elegant mansions of the metropolis can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains he hails from.

#2: Shadows of Self

As Wax adjusts to the wealthy homes and steel-framed skyscrapers of Elendel in Shadows of Self, he's learning quickly just how helpful his crime-fighting skills are in the big city. But in a new terrain, being a talented Twinborn with Allomancy and Feruchemy will not suffice. The bustling and optimistic society faces its first test of terrorism and assassination, intending to stir up religious conflict and labor issues to destabilize the city they've worked so hard to build. Together, Wax, his eccentric sidekick Wayne, and the brilliant young Marasi must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife halts Scadrial's progress in its tracks.

#3: The Bands of Mourning

Hardly anyone believes The Bands of Mourning, mythical metal minds once believed to grant anyone who wears them the powers of the previous owner, the Lord Ruler, at their command, actually exist. That is, until a kandra researcher returns to Elendel with images that seem to resemble the Bands and writings in a language no one can read. Wax is recruited to travel to the southern city of New Seran to investigate, discovering hints along the way that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the mysterious organization known as The Set.

#4: The Lost Metal

For years, Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization known as The Set, with his sister and late uncle among their leaders, since they first started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their blood. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner Wayne discover stockpiled weapons headed to the Outer City of Bilming, and Wax realizes The Set may already have a new and dangerous explosive weapon, the three set course to put an end to the conflict.

But when an immortal kandra serving Scadrial's god Harmony reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of the Set-worshipped god, Trell, and Marasi is recruited by off-worlders with strange abilities, Wax must decide whether or not he can set aside his rocky relationship with God to be the hero Scadrial needs. If he doesn't, the planet and its millions of occupants will come to a calamitous ruin in the final Mistborn: Wax & Wayne book, The Lost Metal.

Delve into The Stormlight Archive Books in Order

Sometimes referred to as The Way of Kings books, after the first installment in the series, The Stormlight Archive is a fan-favorite among Brandon Sanderson book lovers. Once you've finished Mistborn Eras 1 and 2, continue on with this two-arc series.

Note: The Stormlight Archive isn’t complete yet – the first arc of five books is out, and the second arc, affectionately called the “Back Five,” is in the works.

#1: The Way of Kings

With incredibly powerful storms frequently sweeping the rocky terrain, cities in the world of Roshar are built only where the topography allows. It's been centuries since the Knights Radiant fell—but their mystical Shardblade swords and Shardplate suits of armor remain, giving the ability for ordinary men to transform into near-invincible warriors. Men have traded, fought, gone to war, and died over these weapons.

One such war rages on the Shattered Plains, with ten armies fighting separately against a single foe, where Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. Struggling to save the men around him and understand the leaders who consider them expendable, Kaladin wishes for more. Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands another army, taking after his late brother, the king, in his fascination with the ancient text called The Way of Kings. With overpowering visions of ancient times and the long-dead Knights Radiant, he can't help but doubt his sanity.

Across the ocean, Shallan, an untried young woman, dreams of training under the famed scholar, notorious heretic, and Dalinar's niece, Jasnah—but her motives are less than pure. As she plans a dangerous theft, her research uncovers the secrets of the Knights Radiant and the real reasons for the violent war.

#2: Words of Radiance

No one expected a lowly "darkeyes" military slave like Kaladin to survive the war, much less be given the controversial command of the royal bodyguards. Charged with responsibility in Words of Radiance, Kaladin must master remarkable new powers linked to his honorspren, Syl, and work hard to protect the king and Dalinar from common perils and the threat of the Assassin, Szeth, who has been murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar.

Newly burdened with the task to prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and stop the civilization-ending chaos to follow, Shallan follows her own difficult yet parallel path. The secrets she seeks can be found at the Shattered Plains, but getting there is more difficult than she first imagined.

Meanwhile, with shrinking numbers and years of Alethi attacks wearing them down, the Parshendi are making a life-altering decision in the Shattered Plains. Convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, they risk everything on a gamble with the supernatural forces they used to fear. The possible consequences could tear the world of Roshar apart.

#2.5: Edgedancer

When reading The Stormlight Archive books in order, you can't skip novellas like Edgedancer. Three years ago, Lift asked a goddess to stop her from growing older. Now, the barely teenage Knight Radiant finds that time stands still for no one. The young Azish emperor may have granted her safe haven from the executioner she knows as Darkness, but court is suffocating her free spirit. When she hears Darkness is hunting down people with budding powers, like her, in Yeddaw, Lift can't help but seize the opportunity to become their champion and save them all.

#3: Oathbringer

In Oathbringer, the third volume in The Way of Kings books, Dalinar Kholin's victory proves fleeting as the world faces a new threat with the return of the vengeance-seeking Voidbringers. When the enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with devastation and chaos, they awakened the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement.

Desperate to warn his family of the upcoming storm, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the parshmen may be completely justified in their rage. Meanwhile, nestled high above the storms in the mountain tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar is hellbent on uncovering the wonders of the Knights Radiant, unearthing dark secrets as she goes.

Soon, Dalinar realizes his holy mission to reunite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow-minded unless all of the nations of Roshar can stand together and put his blood-soaked past behind them. If he can’t, even the Knights Radiant's glorious restoration will not be able to halt the end of civilization as they know it.

#3.5: Dawnshard

Dawnshard, a hefty novella, is a must-read for fans of The Stormlight Archive books.

When a ghost ship is discovered and its crew presumed dead after attempting to reach the island of Akinah, Navani Kholin must send an expedition to ensure the land hasn't fallen into enemy hands. Since Knights Radiant can't fly too close without their Stormlight being mysteriously drained, the voyage must be by sea.

Without the use of her legs, all would be lost for shipowner Rysn Ftori. Luckily, gaining the companionship of Chiri-Chiri, a Stormlight-ingesting winged larkin long thought to be extinct, she's found a reason to live. When Chiri-Chiri falls ill and Rysn learns the only hope for recovery is found on Akinah, she, along with one-armed Windrunner, Lopen, accepts Navani's quest to sail into the perilous storm and uncover the secrets of the hidden island city—before the wrath of its ancient guardians causes their planet’s demise. The fate of the entire Cosmere depends on it.

#4: Rhythm of War

After a year of fighting a brutal war against the enemy invasion, Rhythm of War finds Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant having gained no real advantage—and the threat of a betrayal by their ally Taravangian looms in the distance. When Navani Kholin's scholars come across new technological discoveries that begin to change the face of the war, the escalating arms race may challenge the very core of Radiant ideals, tearing apart the secrets of the ancient tower that was once thought of as the heart of their strength.

Inside the Knights Radiant, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his new role and watch his Windrunners face their own problems. As more deadly Fused awaken to wage war on the world of Roshar, fewer and fewer honorspren are willing to bond with humans, decreasing the number of Radiants. Together, Adolin and Shallan must lead the coalition's envoy to the stronghold of Lasting Integrity to either convince the spren to join the fight against the evil god Odium or face utter failure.

#5: Wind and Truth

In the long-awaited climax to the first arc of The Stormlight Archive, Wind and Truth is filled to the brim with high-fantasy mastery. The Knights Radiant have only 10 days to prepare for Dalinar Kholin and the evil god Odium to fight for the future of Roshar in a contest of champions—and the sudden ascension of backstabbing Taravangian has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues worldwide—Adolin in Azir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah in Thaylenah. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade, accompanied by Kaladin as he faces his own inner demons and does the same for the famously insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

Simultaneously, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain must work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the ancient Knights Radiant killing their spren and in the enslavement of the singer race. As Dalinar and Navani search for a way to defeat Odium's champion in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility intertwine in utter chaos, the fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.

Embrace the White Sand Graphic Novels

For fans of graphic novels, good news! The Cosmere continues with illustrated adventures in Sanderson’s White Sand series. On the planet of Taldain, legendary Sand Masters are able to harness arcane powers to manipulate the sand to their will. But after they are slaughtered in a sinister conspiracy, the sole survivor, Kenton, must forge an unlikely allyship with Khriss, a Darksider with secrets of her own. Read all three tomes today:

• White Sand Volume #1
• White Sand Volume #2
• White Sand Volume #3

What About All the Standalone Cosmere Books?

That's right, after you're done binging the Mistborn books in order, savoring The Stormlight Archive, or reading The Lord of the Rings for the millionth time, you have plenty of fun, one-off fantasy titles to explore. These novels can be enjoyed without reading Brandon Sanderson's biggest book series or at any point in between:  

Elantris

If you're searching for a way to start the Cosmere books in order, but can't commit to a full series, many experienced Sanderson fans recommend his first published standalone novel, Elantris, set on the planet of Sel. The former capital city of Arelon, Elantris, was once renowned as a place of wonder and magic. It fell into ruin due to a mysterious power of the Shaod, which transformed its inhabitants into immortal beings cursed to suffer constant pain and decay. When Princess Sarene of Teod arrives in Arelon's new capital, Kae, for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, she finds that he has died and she is now considered his widow.

With both Teod and Arelon under threat, she decides to use her new status to counter the will of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for himself. But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspects the truth about Prince Raoden. After being struck by the same curse that wiped out Elantris, he was exiled by his father to the dark city, where he tries his best to help those trapped there and bring hope back to Arelon.

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Fans of fairytales will love the standalone Cosmere novel, Tress of the Emerald Sea. The only life Tress has known, living on her island home surrounded by an emerald-green spore-ocean, has been filled with the simple joys of collecting cups sailors bring in from faraway lands and listening to stories from her friend Charlie. But when Charlie’s father takes him on a voyage to find an appropriate bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and see the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. With pirates and danger all around, can Tress leave her easy life behind and find her own place sailing on a ship where a single drop of water means instant death?  

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

In Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, we meet two unlikely heroes who must work together to save their worlds from destined disaster. Yumi, who has lived her life in strict obedience to obtain the power to summon spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society, longs to live for even a day as a normal person. Painter, an outsider, patrols the dark streets dreaming of one day being a hero. When they're suddenly flung together, Yumi and Painter must reconcile their past and present to right the wrongs in their lives, unraveling the mystery of what brought them together before it's too late.

The Sunlit Man

For years, Nomad's strategy for putting distance between himself and the relentless Night Brigade has been skipping through the Cosmere from one world to the next. But now, in The Sunlit Man, with his powers too depleted to escape, he finds himself trapped on the planet of Canticle, a land where the deadly sunlight kills anyone who stops moving long enough to get caught in it. As he flees the sunrise, Nomad finds himself mixed up in the power dynamics of a heartless tyrant and the brave rebels attempting to defy him, forcing him to confront his past and fight for more than just his survival.

Warbreaker

In Warbreaker, every person is born with the power of one Breath that can be sold or collected by others and used to Awaken objects or corpses for one's personal bidding. It is said that a few individuals return from death as gods, lacking all memories of their moral life, gifted with the power of thousands of Breaths, and enthroned in the Court of Gods in Hallandren's capital. To the princesses of Idris, Vivenna and Siri, this claim is blasphemy, but when one is wed to the God King of their nation's enemies in an attempt to reach peace, the other finds she must rely on Breath-using mercenaries to rescue her sister from her monster of a husband.

Lightsong the Bold, a lesser god, starts investigating murders in the Court, uncovering haunting clues of his own forgotten past. He is one of four who control the army of Awakened Lifeless soldiers, and when one faction incites an invasion of Idris, going against a marriage treaty, his vision of bloodshed becomes prophecy. Can the new queen, unaware of her sister's upcoming rescue attempt, persuade Lightsong before her homeland is destroyed?

What is the Next Book in the Cosmere Universe?

With an expected release date of February 3rd, 2026, Isles of the Emberdark, is sure to satisfy Sanderson's fanbase. Since he was a child, Sixth of the Dusk has worked as a trapper of Aviar, the supernatural birds his people bond with, on the deadly island of Patji. One night, he forces his people into a losing race to modernize before they can be conquered by the Ones Above—but they may just lose themselves in the effort. Determined to save everyone he loves, Dusk sets off into the emberdark beyond a mystical portal to find his people's salvation with only a canoe, his birds, and the grit required of a Patji trapper.

Somewhere else in the emberdark is a young dragon chained to a human form, Starling, on the starship Dynamic. Deep in debt and on the brink of losing their freedom, she is set on saving her crew. When Starling finds an ancient map to a hidden portal, she jumps at the chance to explore the lucrative discovery, becoming unlikely allies with Dusk as the two search for independence amongst poisonous politics, perilous bargains, and the echo of a dead god.

Brandon Sanderson’s Standalone Books Outside of the Cosmere

If you'd rather pick a quick read instead of committing to powering through the Cosmere books in order, grab one of these standalone titles on your favorite audiobook service or online through Bookshop.org:

• The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
• The Rithmatist (best for fantasy readers looking for YA)
• Dark One: Forgotten (audio series written with Dan Wells)

Discover Brandon Sanderson's Cytoverse Books

If you prefer sci-fi books over high fantasy, step away from reading the Cosmere books in order and delve into his more dystopian Cytoverse universe with the Skyward Series:

#1: Skyward

In Skyward, Spensa's world has been under attack for decades, and becoming a pilot hero has been her dream since she was a little girl. But her fate is forever intertwined with her father's, a pilot who committed suicide years ago when he abruptly deserted his team. No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, but fate works in mysterious ways. Getting into flight school may be a long shot, but she's determined to fly, whatever it takes.   

#2: Starsight

Spensa may have finally made it to the sky in Starsight, but the truths she learned about her father in the process were crushing. The rumors were true—he was nothing more than a coward who deserted his flight during battle against the Krell and attacked his own team. Spensa is sure of two things: there's more to the story, and that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. But despite everything she knew about the world proving to be a lie, she's willing to travel to the end of the universe to save humankind if she needs to.  

#3: Cytonic

After proving herself to be one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and saving her people from extermination at the hands of the alien species of Krell, Spensa's life in Cytonic as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. After traveling lightyears from home to infiltrate the Superiority, a governing galactic alliance determined to dominate all human life, a galaxy-wide war has broken out. She knows that no matter how many pilots the DDF has, there is no defeating this enemy or their Delvers—but if Spensa can figure out what being Cytonic means, she may be able to face the terrifying mission of entering the Nowhere and save the universe as she knows it.

#4: Defiant

Defeating all odds, Spensa made it out of the Nowhere—but what she saw in the space between the stars when she came face to face with the Delvers and learned about her Cytonic gifts has changed her forever. But the Superiority didn't stop its fight for dominance when she was gone—her team, Skyward Flight, was able to hold Winzik off in the meantime, but it's only a matter of time until humanity falls. How far is Spensa willing to go for victory if it means losing herself and everyone she loves in the process? Find out in Defiant, the final Skyward book.

What Novellas are included in Skyward Flight?

Once you've finished the enticing Skyward series, continue the story with Skyward Flight, a collection of three novellas. This Brandon Sanderson book includes:

• Sunreach
• ReDawn
• Evershore

A List of Brandon Sanderson's Novellas:

Many of the short stories penned by Brandon Sanderson take place in the Cosmere—but not all of them. Some can be found in the Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection, while others are published on their own or as bonus chapters within special editions. His novellas, outside of the ones mentioned above, include:

• Defending Elysium (Skyward)
• The Hope of Elantris (Elantris)
• The Eleventh Metal (Mistborn)
• The Emperor's Soul (Elantris)
• Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Episodes 28 through 30 (Mistborn)
• Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (Threnody)
• Sixth of the Dusk (First of the Sun)
• Legion
• Snapshot
• Perfect State
• Firstborn

Does Brandon Sanderson Write Books for Kids?

Although he may be better known for the Mistborn series and The Way of Kings books, Brandon Sanderson's kids' books have found just as much success! If you're looking to introduce your young reader to one of the world's most popular authors, consider grabbing one of these series the next time you're at our Rochester, MI, bookstore:

The Reckoners Series

In a post-apocalyptic world where an orbiting cosmic phenomenon known as the Calamity turns random people into superhumans, the Epics are way out of line. Determined to defeat Steelheart, young David Charleston will stop at nothing—even when it means turning to a shadowy group of rebels called the Reckoners. Luckily, they just might need David, too.

Brandon Sanderson's young adult superhero novels are ideal for readers aged 12-15. If your kid loves graphic novels, introduce them to this series:

• #1: Steelheart
• #1.5: Mitosis
• #2: Firefight
• #3: Calamity
• #4: Lux (exclusively available on audiobook)

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Series

Recommended for kids ages 10 and up by the author himself, the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series revolves around Alcatraz Smedry and his small band of freedom fighters, who operate against the Evil Librarians —a secret cult that rules the world. With talking dinosaurs, sentient romance novels, and winding labyrinths, this lighthearted series is a great way to excite your young reader on a Make Your Own Yoto Card or IRL:

• #1: Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians
• #2: The Scrivener's Bones
• #3: The Knights of Crystallia
• #4: The Shattered Lens
• #5: The Dark Talent
• #6: Bastille vs. The Evil Librarians

The Most Boring Book Ever

Written by Brandon Sanderson and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, The Most Boring Book Ever is just what it sounds like—boring! Don’t peek behind the cover! Don’t look at the pictures! Stay focused on your mundane life and definitely, whatever you do, don’t follow along with the exciting adventure the boy is experiencing—even if there are dragons and marauding airships galore! Grab this epic fantasy picture book for your kiddo today.

Hopefully, with our expert breakdown, entering the Cosmere (or one of Sanderson's other universes) doesn't feel so daunting! Join a Mistborn series book club or swing by our local bookstore to grab the title that enticed you the most. We can't wait to see you at Novel!