Cosmere reading order
Start here
The Final Empire
2006
Cosmere reading order: start with Mistborn: The Final Empire or The Way of Kings. Pick one door. Skip the 40-book spreadsheet.
Short answer · Start here
Mistborn: The Final Empire — or The Way of Kings
Sanderson’s on-ramp page names both. Pick one series and finish its first novel. Do not open a publication-order Cosmere chart first. That chart is how people postpone book one for a year.
Short version of the two-door rule: Where to start the Cosmere. For Era 1 vs Era 2 on Scadrial, see Mistborn: Era 1 or Era 2?. This page is only “which planet first?”
This is not a complete Cosmere reading order. Those lists argue with each other, go stale, and turn The Final Empire into homework. We already have focused guides for the two doors most readers mean:
Use those for the internal order, novellas, and Secret History. This page only answers “which planet first?”
Two official doors
| Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Final Empire | 2006 | Mistborn Era 1, book one. Also sold as Mistborn. The shorter Cosmere door. | |
 The Way of Kings | 2010 | Stormlight book one. The long Cosmere door. |
House rule:
- Choose Mistborn if you want a finished trilogy before anyone mentions a second era.
- Choose Stormlight if you want the big series Sanderson is in the middle of, and you accept a long first book.
- Do not read both first chapters “to decide” and then neither.
Sanderson also lists Elantris, Warbreaker, and The Emperor’s Soul as possible starts. They are real doors. They are not required before Mistborn or Stormlight.
Optional single-volume Cosmere books
Read these after you like at least one series, not as preparation.
| Title | Year | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 Warbreaker | 2009 | Standalone Cosmere novel. Useful later; not Stormlight homework. | |
 Elantris | 2005 | First published Cosmere novel. A door, not a prequel to Mistborn. | |
 The Emperor's Soul | 2012 | Novella. A craft sample, not a series. | |
 Tress of the Emerald Sea | 2023 | Secret project. After you already like the Cosmere, not before The Final Empire. | |
 Yumi and the Nightmare Painter | 2023 | Secret project. Same rule. | |
 The Sunlit Man | 2023 | Secret project. Spoils more if you have no Cosmere context. |
Arcanum Unbounded is a collection, not Cosmere book 2. White Sand is another shelf. Skyward is not Cosmere. See the Skyward guide.
Common mistakes
- Opening a 40-title spreadsheet and postponing The Final Empire.
- Reading Warbreaker first because a forum said you “have to” before Words of Radiance.
- Starting Stormlight novellas first because they are shorter.
- Treating the secret projects as Cosmere book one.
What to read next
- Mistborn Era 1 and 2 — If you picked the shorter door, this is the full Era 1+2 order including Secret History.
- Stormlight Archive — If you picked the long door, including Edgedancer and Dawnshard.
- The Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan) — If you want another finished long epic Sanderson also touched.
- The Books of Babel (Josiah Bancroft) — If you want a finite climb and no interconnected-universe homework.
- Warbreaker, after one series. If a later book made you curious about a specific trick.
FAQ
Do I need the whole Cosmere?
No. Sanderson is explicit: series are sequential inside themselves. Tidbits are optional.
Mistborn or Stormlight first?
Either. This house slightly prefers Mistborn Era 1 if you want a complete argument sooner.
Is Skyward Cosmere?
No.
Where does Secret History go?
On the Mistborn page, not here.
Sources
- Brandon Sanderson, “Where do I start?” — official Cosmere doors. Opened 2026-09-13.
- Brandon Sanderson, The Cosmere — author Cosmere hub. Opened 2026-09-13.
Common questions
Asked about this shelf
- Where to start Mistborn: Era 1 or Era 2?
The Final Empire (2006) — Era 1
- Where to start the Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
- Where to start the Cosmere
Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006) — or The Way of Kings (2010)
Same shelf
