How to Read the Cosmere: A Beginner’s Guide to Brandon Sanderson’s Epic Universe

Cosmere
July 29, 2025•3 min read

With the release of Isles of the Emberdark, now is the perfect time to dive into Brandon Sanderson’s sprawling Cosmere universe. If you're just discovering it, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of books and wondering where to start. This guide will walk you through the key rules and recommendations to help you read the Cosmere in a way that’s both enjoyable and spoiler-free.

⚠️ Note: This isn’t a strict, numbered reading order. Instead, think of it as a map with key signposts to guide your journey.

Rule #1: Read Each Series in Order

Let’s start with the obvious: always read each series in order. Don’t skip ahead or jump around within a series — for example, reading Mistborn 1, then Mistborn 3 without Mistborn 2 would make things confusing and ruin major plot points.

There are two distinct Mistborn eras:

  • Era 1: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages

  • Era 2: Set a few hundred years later, including The Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, The Bands of Mourning, and The Lost Metal

Always read Era 1 before Era 2 — otherwise, you'll miss crucial context and character development.

Rule #2: Be Careful with Mistborn: Secret History

The novella Mistborn: Secret History isn’t obviously placed in the timeline, but it should be read after The Bands of Mourning (book 3 of Era 2). Reading it earlier will spoil major plot reveals.

Rule #3: Read Warbreaker Before Words of Radiance

While this isn’t a strict rule, you’ll likely have a more satisfying experience if you read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance (book 2 of the Stormlight Archive). There are tie-ins between the two, and it’s more enjoyable to catch those connections naturally.

Rule #4: Where to Fit in Edgedancer and Dawnshard

These are two important novellas in the Stormlight Archive and should be read in the following order:

  • 📚 Edgedancer – after Words of Radiance (Book 2)

  • 📚 Dawnshard – after Oathbringer (Book 3)

That puts the Stormlight Archive timeline as:

  1. The Way of Kings

  2. Words of Radiance

  3. Edgedancer

  4. Oathbringer

  5. Dawnshard

  6. Rhythm of War

  7. Wind and Truth

Rule #5: Some Books Are More Cosmere-Aware Than Others

As the Cosmere expands, later books start to tie together the different series more tightly. For example:

  • The Lost Metal (final book of Mistborn Era 2) and

  • Wind and Truth (Stormlight book 5)

...both contain inter-series references. You don’t need to read all the Cosmere books before tackling them, but the more you've read, the more "aha" moments you'll enjoy.

Rule #6: Save These for the End

Two of the newest releases — The Sunlit Man and Isles of the Emberdark — are set far into the Cosmere’s future. They heavily reference earlier events and characters, so it’s best to read them after you've become familiar with the wider universe.

What About the Standalones?

Books like Elantris, Warbreaker, The Emperor’s Soul, and Tress of the Emerald Sea can mostly be read at any point. However, many readers enjoy sprinkling them between the larger series like Stormlight to break things up.

⚠️ Note: White Sand, a graphic novel, is also part of the Cosmere — but you can read it anytime, or skip it entirely if graphic novels aren't your thing.

My Personal Cosmere Reading Order

Here’s the order I followed — everything made sense and flowed well:

  1. Mistborn Era 1:

    • The Final Empire

    • The Well of Ascension

    • The Hero of Ages

  2. Elantris

  3. The Emperor’s Soul

  4. Warbreaker

  5. Stormlight Archive:

    • The Way of Kings

    • Words of Radiance

    • Edgedancer

    • Oathbringer

    • Dawnshard

    • Rhythm of War

    • Wind and Truth

  6. Short Stories:

    • Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell

  7. Mistborn Era 2:

    • The Alloy of Law

    • Shadows of Self

    • The Bands of Mourning

    • Mistborn: Secret History

    • The Lost Metal

  8. Other Cosmere Books:

    • Tress of the Emerald Sea

    • Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

    • The Sunlit Man

    • Isles of the Emberdark

Final Thoughts

There’s no one right way to read the Cosmere, but following these rules will help you avoid spoilers and enhance your reading experience. Whether you’re in it for the epic worldbuilding, clever magic systems, or hidden connections, you’re in for an unforgettable journey.

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