What Is the Cosmere?
The Cosmere is Brandon Sanderson's shared universe — a collection of planets, each with its own culture, magic system, and series, all existing within the same cosmological framework. The word "Cosmere" refers to a specific region of space within the books' fiction, though most characters within individual series don't know they're part of a larger universe.
The underlying mythology involves a being called Adonalsium — a god-like entity that was shattered long ago, splitting its power into sixteen fragments called Shards. These Shards were taken up by mortals who became godlike themselves, and each one has since shaped the world (called a Shardworld) where it landed. This explains why each Cosmere series feels different: different Shards create different magic systems, different societies, different conflicts.
You don't need to know any of this to enjoy the first book you pick up. The Cosmere mythology is background texture for new readers and a richly rewarding long game for returning ones. Most readers discover what the Cosmere is around book five or six, when a character appears who doesn't belong on the world they're currently reading about.
Shardworlds are the individual planets of the Cosmere. Each has at least one Shard resident, which shapes its unique magic. Roshar (Stormlight Archive), Scadrial (Mistborn), Sel (Elantris), Nalthis (Warbreaker), Taldain (White Sand), and First of the Sun (Sixth of the Dusk) are the main Shardworlds with published works.
The Shards of Adonalsium
Each Shard embodies an aspect of existence — Honor, Ruin, Preservation, Endowment, Devotion, Dominion, Autonomy, and others. The magic systems of each Shardworld are powered by and reflect these Shards. This is why Allomancy (Mistborn) feels entirely different from Stormlight Investiture (Stormlight Archive) — they come from different Shards. Understanding this isn't required, but it makes everything retroactively richer.
Where to Start — For New Readers
The most common mistake new Cosmere readers make is trying to find the "correct" starting point. There isn't one. Each Cosmere series is fully self-contained. What matters is matching your first book to what you want from fantasy.
Start with Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006). It's the best single-volume introduction to what makes Sanderson exceptional: a brilliantly constructed magic system, a heist plot structure, a distinctive world, and an ending that recontextualises everything. It's shorter and faster than Stormlight, and it sets you up perfectly for what the bigger series does differently.
If you want shorter books first
The Emperor's Soul (novella, ~250 pages) is arguably Sanderson's finest single piece of writing — a contained, elegant story about a forger creating a fake soul for a comatose emperor. It's set on Sel (same world as Elantris but standalone) and shows Sanderson at his most precise. Many readers consider it a better introduction than any novel.
If you want to start with the biggest series
The Way of Kings is where the Cosmere's most ambitious project begins. Be prepared: the first 200 pages are slow by Sanderson's standards, and the book is over 1,000 pages. But readers who commit are rewarded with one of the richest fantasy worlds in the genre. Stormlight Archive is where the Cosmere mythology starts to become explicit.
If you want something standalone
Warbreaker is a standalone Cosmere novel (449 pages) with one of Sanderson's best magic systems (Awakening, fuelled by colour and breath), a political intrigue plot, and two sisters on opposite sides of a looming war. It connects meaningfully to Stormlight Archive, which makes it the ideal "second Cosmere book" for Stormlight fans.
| If you want | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best first impression | Mistborn: The Final Empire | Contained, brilliant magic, great ending |
| Shortest entry point | The Emperor's Soul | Novella — masterclass in Sanderson's craft |
| The flagship series | The Way of Kings | Stormlight at its most ambitious |
| Standalone + Cosmere payoff | Warbreaker | Connects to Stormlight, works alone |
| YA-accessible | Elantris | Sanderson's debut — shorter, lighter |
Recommended Cosmere Reading Order
This is the order most experienced Cosmere readers recommend for new readers — balancing story quality, prerequisite knowledge, and the optimal timing for crossover payoffs. It is not publication order (see below) and deliberately spaces out the long Stormlight books.
| # | Book | Series / World | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mistborn: The Final Empire The heist. The magic. The ending. Start here. | Mistborn Era 1 · Scadrial | Entry Point |
| 2 | The Well of Ascension | Mistborn Era 1 · Scadrial | |
| 3 | The Hero of Ages | Mistborn Era 1 · Scadrial | Key |
| 4 | The Emperor's Soul Novella. Sanderson's finest single work. | Sel | Novella |
| 5 | Warbreaker Read before Stormlight Book 2 for best payoff. | Nalthis | Key |
| 6 | The Way of Kings | Stormlight Archive · Roshar | Entry Point |
| 7 | Words of Radiance | Stormlight Archive · Roshar | |
| 8 | Edgedancer Novella. Read between SA Books 2 and 3. | Stormlight · Roshar | Novella |
| 9 | Oathbringer | Stormlight Archive · Roshar | |
| 10 | Dawnshard Novella. Read before Rhythm of War. | Stormlight · Roshar | Novella |
| 11 | Rhythm of War | Stormlight Archive · Roshar | |
| 12 | The Alloy of Law Mistborn jumps forward 300 years. New cast. | Mistborn Era 2 · Scadrial | |
| 13 | Shadows of Self | Mistborn Era 2 · Scadrial | |
| 14 | The Bands of Mourning | Mistborn Era 2 · Scadrial | |
| 15 | The Lost Metal Era 2 conclusion. Major Cosmere payoffs. | Mistborn Era 2 · Scadrial | Key |
| 16 | Wind and Truth Stormlight Book 5 — end of the first arc. | Stormlight Archive · Roshar | Key |
| 17+ | Elantris + sequels, Secret Projects, Era 3… | Multiple worlds | Ongoing |
The first major Cosmere crossover character (Hoid) appears in every series, but readers don't know what he is until later. The first moment that rewards multi-series reading is around Warbreaker + Words of Radiance. By Oathbringer, Cosmere mythology is becoming explicit. By The Lost Metal, it's the point of the book.
Publication Order
Some readers prefer to follow Sanderson's original publication sequence — this is how the Cosmere mythology was intended to unfold, with each book adding a layer to the reader's understanding.
| Year | Book | Series |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Elantris | Standalone · Sel |
| 2006 | Mistborn: The Final Empire | Mistborn Era 1 |
| 2007 | The Well of Ascension | Mistborn Era 1 |
| 2008 | The Hero of Ages | Mistborn Era 1 |
| 2009 | Warbreaker | Standalone · Nalthis |
| 2010 | The Way of Kings | Stormlight Archive |
| 2011 | The Alloy of Law | Mistborn Era 2 |
| 2012 | The Emperor's Soul Novella | Sel |
| 2014 | Words of Radiance | Stormlight Archive |
| 2016 | Shadows of Self · The Bands of Mourning | Mistborn Era 2 |
| 2016 | Edgedancer Novella | Stormlight |
| 2017 | Oathbringer | Stormlight Archive |
| 2020 | Dawnshard Novella · Rhythm of War | Stormlight Archive |
| 2022 | The Lost Metal | Mistborn Era 2 |
| 2023 | Tress of the Emerald Sea · Yumi and the Nightmare Painter · The Sunlit Man · The Frugal Wizard's Handbook | Secret Projects |
| 2024 | Wind and Truth | Stormlight Archive |
The Stormlight Archive — Deep Dive
Stormlight Archive is the flagship Cosmere series and Sanderson's most ambitious project — a planned 10-book epic set on Roshar, a world of massive storms, ancient warriors called Knights Radiant, and a conflict involving a Shard called Odium. Books 1–5 form the first arc; books 6–10 will feature a new central cast.
The second arc (Books 6–10) will shift the central cast to a new generation of characters, with the original cast in supporting roles. No publication dates are confirmed for these books.
Mistborn — Two Eras, One World
Mistborn is unique in the Cosmere for having two complete, distinct reading experiences on the same world (Scadrial). Era 1 is secondary-world epic fantasy; Era 2 is a Western-influenced detective fantasy set 300 years later. They share a history and mythology, but new readers can start with either.
Era 3 (set in a modern Scadrial) and Era 4 (far future) are planned but not yet written. Era 2 ends in a position that sets up these future eras significantly.
Other Shardworlds
Elantris (Sel)
Sanderson's debut novel (2005) and still one of his most accessible. Set in a city of fallen gods who have lost their power. Standalone, with a duology sequel (The Hope of Elantris novella, and the planned Elantris 2: The Forgery). The Emperor's Soul is set on the same world and is a better read — start there and work back to Elantris if you want more Sel.
Warbreaker (Nalthis)
A standalone (2009) with one of the Cosmere's most inventive magic systems: Awakening, powered by Breath (a quantified form of life-force) and colour. Two sisters, a political marriage, gods who don't believe in themselves, and a Returned warrior. Essential reading before Stormlight Book 2 for optimal crossover payoff. Available on Amazon →
White Sand (Taldain)
Available as a graphic novel trilogy. Set on a tidally locked world where one side is always day, one always night. The least essential Cosmere entry and the only one not available as prose (though a prose version exists as a leaked/released document). Skip until you've read the major series.
Arcanum Unbounded — The Cosmere Collection
Arcanum Unbounded (2016) collects Sanderson's Cosmere short fiction — novellas and novelettes from multiple Shardworlds. The key pieces:
- The Emperor's Soul — the most important, and the best piece of Sanderson's writing. Set on Sel.
- Edgedancer — the essential Stormlight novella, following Lift between SA Books 2 and 3.
- Sixth of the Dusk — standalone novella. Set on First of the Sun. Low-key, quietly excellent.
- Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell — dark folklore-adjacent novella set on Threnody. Standalone.
- Mistborn: Secret History — spoiler-heavy Mistborn novella. Read only after finishing Era 1.
Buy Arcanum Unbounded for the collection, but The Emperor's Soul and Edgedancer are also available as standalone ebooks if you want to read them without waiting.
The 2023 Secret Projects
In 2023, Sanderson released four novels funded by a record-breaking $41M Kickstarter campaign. All four are set in the Cosmere and sit at varying levels of connection to the larger universe.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is narrated by Hoid and is a significant Cosmere document as well as a genuinely delightful standalone. Read it after at least Mistborn Era 1 and Stormlight Books 1–2 for best effect. The Sunlit Man is set furthest in the future and is most rewarding for completionist Cosmere readers.
Hoid — The Cosmere's Connective Thread
Hoid (also known as Wit, Cephandrius, Midius, and many other names) appears in every Cosmere novel. He is not the protagonist of any published book, but he is present at pivotal moments across all Shardworlds. Finding him is a game for returning readers.
Hoid predates the Shattering of Adonalsium and has been working toward a long-term goal for the entire span of Cosmere history. His full story is the connective tissue of the Cosmere's eventual conclusion — which Sanderson has confirmed will be a multi-series convergence. His identity, motives, and ultimate plan are revealed gradually across the series; by Rhythm of War and Tress of the Emerald Sea, significant pieces are in place.
He's in every major Cosmere work. In Stormlight he appears as Wit, the king's jester. In Mistborn Era 1 he's a beggar near the start. In Warbreaker he's a storyteller named Hoid. The game of spotting him is a genuine pleasure — resist spoilers until you've found him yourself a few times.
How Long Does the Cosmere Take to Read?
The honest answer: a long time, and that's part of the point. Here are rough page counts for the main series:
| Series | Books | Approx. Pages | Time (at 50pp/hr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistborn Era 1 | 3 | ~2,400 | ~48 hours |
| Mistborn Era 2 | 4 | ~2,200 | ~44 hours |
| Stormlight Archive (Books 1–5) | 5 + 2 novellas | ~6,200 | ~124 hours |
| Elantris + sequels | 2 | ~900 | ~18 hours |
| Warbreaker | 1 | ~450 | ~9 hours |
| Secret Projects | 4 | ~1,600 | ~32 hours |
| Full Cosmere (current) | ~30 | ~14,000+ | ~280+ hours |
Most dedicated readers spread the Cosmere over 2–5 years of regular reading, interspersing Cosmere books with other authors. There is no pressure to read it all — each series ends satisfyingly on its own terms.