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Long ago, a being known as Adonalsium was shattered into 16 powerful Shards. The Shards were split up amongst 16 individuals, who gained godlike powers. Together, they created a new universe. From the creative mind of Brandon Sanderson, Cosmere is a literary universe filled with strange worlds, imaginative characters, and some of the best science fantasy stories you’ll find in literature.  

If you’ve ever wanted to get into Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere but weren’t sure where to start, Popverse has you covered. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about reading the books in order, how they’re connected, and all of your other burning questions about the Cosmere.

How to read Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere in release order

Brandon Sanderson wrote Elantris, his first Cosmere novel, back in 2005. Since then, he’s been pretty busy expanding the Cosmere universe with more novels, short stories, novellas, and even graphic novels. If you want to read all of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere novels in release order, here’s how to do it.

• Elantris (2005 novel)
• The Hope of Elantris (2006 short story)
• The Final Empire (2006 novel)
• The Well of Ascension (2007 novel)
• The Hero of Ages (2008 novel)
• Warbreaker (2009 novel)
• The Way of Kings (2010 novel)
• The Alloy of Law (2011 novel)
• The Eleventh Metal (2011 short story)
• The Emperor’s Soul (2012 novella)
• Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (2013 novella)
• Words of Radiance (2014 novel)
• Sixth of the Dusk (2014 novella)
• Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (2014 short story)
• Shadows of Self (2015 novel)
• Secret History (2016 novella)
• White Sand I (2016 graphic novel)
• The Bands of Mourning (2016 novel)
• Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection (2016 anthology)
• Edgedancer (2015 novella)
• Oathbringer (2017 novel)
• White Sand II (2018 graphic novel)
• White Sand III (2019 graphic novel)
• Dawnshard (2020 novella)
• Rhythm of War (2020 novel)
• The Lost Metal (2022 novel)
• Tress of the Emerald Sea (2023 novel)
• Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (2023 novel)
• The Sunlit Man (2023 novel)
• Wind and Truth (2024 novel)
• Isles of the Emberdark (2025 novel)

How to read Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere in chronological order

One thing to keep in mind is that Cosmere isn’t a series, it’s a literary universe where multiple stories are happening on different worlds. As such, some novels are connected, while others are telling different stories on the other side of the galaxy. Don’t worry, consider this section your atlas to the many storylines populating Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere. The following section breaks down the different series within the Cosmere literary universe, and how to read each of these series in order. If a novel or short story isn’t in this section, it’s because it’s a standalone story and not part of a larger series.

Mistborn

First Era

• The Final Empire
• The Well of Ascension
• The Hero of Ages

Second Era

• The Alloy of Law
• Shadows of Self
• The Bands of Mourning
• The Lost Metal

The Stormlight Archive

• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance
• Oathbringer
• Rhythm of War
• Wind and Truth

Secret Projects 

• Tress of the Emerald Sea
• Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
• The Sunlit Man
• Isles of the Emberdark

White Sand 

• White Sand I
• White Sand II
• White Sand III

 

Do I have to read Cosmere in order?

No, you don’t have to read the Cosmere books in order. Cosmere isn’t a series, it’s a literary universe comprised of multiple series. You might want to read each book of the Stormlight Archive series in order, but it doesn’t matter if you read those before you read standalone books like Elantris or Warbreaker. If you aren’t sure which books are connected, please refer to the chronological section of the guide. If you read everything in order then you’ll have a deeper understanding of the larger universe, but it’s not essential.

What planet is Hoid from?

According to a question and answer session with Brandon Sanderson, Hoid (and the other Shardholders) are from the planet Yolen. Located in the Yolish system, Yolen is the planet where humans first appeared. According to Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection, Yolen’s radius and gravitational pull is similar to Earth’s.

Does Earth exist in Cosmere?

No, Earth does not exist in Cosmere. In fact, Brandon Sanderson has gone on record saying that Earth will never be included in the Cosmere series. “Earth did not exist in the Cosmere. Humans existed on Yolen (and other planets) before the shattering of Adonalsium, and it is assumed Adonalsium created them,” Sanderson says during an AMA. “From a writing perspective, stepping back, I feel like other book series (like the Wheel of Time, Pern, Shannara) really covered the idea of, ‘This is Earth and/or Earth people in another dimension/after an apocalypse/or far in the future.’ It's been a common enough theme in fantasy that I felt I wanted not to touch on it. So, there are no plans to connect the Cosmere to Earth in any way.”

In other words, don’t expect to see Earth anytime soon. However, there are so many interesting new worlds to discover and explore, so you’ll hardly miss it.

When is Brandon Sanderson’s next Cosmere book coming out?

The next book set in the Cosmere universe is Horneater, a novella focusing on the character Rock. The novella will take place during the events of Rhythm of War, which means it could be considered book 4.5 of the Stormlight Archive series. As of this writing, the release date hasn’t been announced, but the novella is expected to be published sometime in 2026.

Which Cosmere book should I start with?

It depends on what your tastes are. Brandon Sanderson’s official website has a section dedicated to helping new readers figure out which book they should start with. Sanderson suggests starting with Elantris if you’re new to fantasy, and The Final Empire if you’re a seasoned Fantasy Reader. If you like romance, then Warbreaker is the best book to start with.

As long as you’re not starting from the middle of a series, you should be good to go. There is no wrong way to start your Cosmere journey, so grab a book, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

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