The Best Cosmere Reading Order For 2025 (No Spoilers)

[@007Rincewind]

Really nice list, the list made so you don't miss any references, but if you move secret history so late you miss alot of hints that "spoiler" is alive

[@ApoMelon]

Agreed

[@Seomus]

I read Secret History before Bands of Mourning (I think that might be when it was released) and it made me twig on certain things in that story that I doubt I would have without it.

[@ApoMelon]

@@Seomus secret history was released 4 days after bands of mourning. Secret history is originally intended to be read after bands of mourning. Sorry can you elaborate what you meant by “twig”?

[@Seomus]

@@ApoMelon What was going on clicked in my mind.

[@ApoMelon]

@@Seomus interesting order ! So you knew he was alive and by reading bands of mourning the malwish people kept referring to the lord ruler saving them. I’m assuming you understood who they actually meant since you had knowledge of secret history?

[@jasonbailey9139]

Great video. I agree with your placement of Sunlit Man. I figured out who Nomad's travel companion was as soon as they were introduced in W&T which was a mild spoiler that he would be separated from who they were with in W&T. Anyway, I think I'll follow this reading order when I do my next re-read. That said, I wouldn't be too hung up about reading order when you dive into Sanderson. "World Hoppers" (the characters who appear in multiple series) like to change their name from planet to planet (i.e. Hoid, Roamer, Dust, The King's Wit, Imperial Fool of the Rose Empire, Topaz, Drifter, Cephandrius, Lunu'anaki, Cephandrius Maxtori, Midius are all one person). If they do keep their name, they were likely a side character whose name (if you have a normal memory) you forgot within a few months of reading their first series and didn't realize they were in the other serires until you do a re-read or watch a video where it's pointed out.

[@ctom42]

I read Secret History after Bands of Mourning and I really wish I had read it after Era1 instead. Personally the twist that it "spoils" wasn't a cool twist to me but a "really? we're doing that?" and so getting the explanation beforehand works much better for my taste. My only other major disagreement with this order is that I think Sunlit should be read before Wind and Truth. I don't think reading it after is a huge deal but I do think that before should be the recommendation. Also the big gap between RoW and WaT makes me think that a suggestion of Era 2 entirely before Stormlight could work. Also glad to see the mention of the White Sands Graphic Audio. I really do think it's the best way to consume that work currently, at least until Brandon's prose version is out (as a big Graphic Audio stan I hope they do an updated release, though I don't think it's likely)

[@007Rincewind]

I really didn't like the Graphic Audio of the Comic book. I like the cartoon more. Graphic audio is super for the books.

[@mtverv]

Exploring the Cosmere this is a very good list for people who prefer to read Series straight through. I personally put Warbreaker right before Words of Radiance, break up Stormlight Archive with the Mistborn Era 2 books, put Secret History right after Era 1, and put the Secret Projects before Wind and Truth. That’s just me though…

[@CationJONES]

YES Secret History after Bands of Mourning!!!!! I agree, if I read secret history before BoM I wouldn't have been floored by BoM's plot reveal

[@milesstone7032]

I would love to see your reading order for Sanderson's complete works.

[@ExploringTheCosmere]

Unfortunately I haven't read any of his other works except for Legion a long time ago. What's your favorite non-cosmere Sanderson book?

[@Ritsuchan95]

Wait, didn't Brandon say that Wind and Truth should be read after The Sunlit Man?

[@ExploringTheCosmere]

You're right; he did say that in a video months before WaT was released. But after reading WaT, I think TSM is best read after WaT. Already having read TSM took away the uncertainty of a character's plot line in WaT, making the stakes not feel as high. (I probably should have mentioned this in the video) You definitely can read it beforehand, but it's not the preferred spot imo.

[@007Rincewind]

@@ExploringTheCosmere actually two if you count when Nomad guess that he sees "spoiler", after that scene I assumed "spoiler" would survive W&T

[@joshuabaudin]

I think is a good order that way. Knowing (vaguely) what will happen to the character made me feel their struggles more

[@jasonbailey9139]

@@007Rincewind you didn't really think *spoiler* would die, did you? I was more interested on how he survived. Too pivotal a character to die. Speaking of death. There are a lot of people who complain that [insert any of several spoiler characters] didn't stay dead. They claim Sanderson can't kill characters. But there are several protaganists and beloved characters who are truly dead. The ones who aren't dead are key to the Cosmere narrative and we just got their backstories before their main stories. I'm quite OK with at that.

[@ExploringTheCosmere]

Get a free audiobook with an Audible Premium Plus trial: www.audibletrial.com/etc Reading Order: *1) Mistborn Era 1:* - The Final Empire - The Well of Ascension - The Hero of Ages - The Scadrian System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) - Eleventh Metal (short story found in Arcanum Unbounded) *2) Elantris and Related Stories:* - Elantris - The Selish System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) - The Hope of Elantris (short story found in Arcanum Unbounded) - The Emperor’s Soul (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) *3) Warbreaker* *4) White Sand* (Either graphic novel (Omnibus version), audiobook, or free prose *not completely canon): - Vol. 1 - Vol. 2 - Vol. 3 - The Taldain System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) *5) The Stormlight Archive (Books 1-4):* - The Way of Kings - Sixth of the Dusk (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here to pick up on later connections) - The Drominad System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here) - Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here to pick up on later connections) - The Threnodite System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) (Not Stormlight related, but read it here) - Words of Radiance - Edgedancer (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) - The Rosharan System Essay (found in Arcanum Unbounded) - Oathbringer - Dawnshard (novella) - Rhythm of War *6) Mistborn Era 2:* - The Alloy of Law - Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (Short Story found in Arcanum Unbounded) - Shadows of Self - The Bands of Mourning - Mistborn: Secret History (novella found in Arcanum Unbounded) - The Lost Metal *7) The Stormlight Archive (Book 5):* - Horneater (novella, likely won't be released until summer 2027) - Wind and Truth *8) Tress of the Emerald Sea* *9) Yumi and the Nightmare Painter* *10) The Sunlit Man* *11) Isles of the Emberdark* (Set to release early 2026 (even earlier if you were part of the crowdfunding campaign))

[@Seomus]

I think Tress should be read before Lost Metal because it gives some info on Aether.

[@palemoonlight96]

Great video man, is the also announced Horneater novella the same as ember isles or something different?

[@ExploringTheCosmere]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Those are two separate stories: Horneater is a Stormlight novella that should be read between Rhythm of War and Wind and Truth. I didn't mention it in the video because Brandon pushed the release date back to sometime around summer 2027. Isles of the Emberdark is a novel that is going to release early 2026 (and even earlier for people who bought it through the crowdfunding campaign). It's not related to Stormlight.

[@neiliusflavius]

​@@ExploringTheCosmereor at least as unrelated to Stormlight as anything future Cosmere can be.

[@shyampadia]

secret history should be right after hero of ages. This is cursed man

[@adampaseur1190]

So you would not recommend reading the comers completely chronologically? I am on storm light book 5 without having read mistborn era 2 and from my understanding, era 2 is after storm light 5

[@Seomus]

Chronologically it is. It gives context to the Ghostbloods and there leader Thaidakar. That's why it's recommended to read it early.

[@brett_zesty]

Genuinely it doesn't matter, they both give each other a ton of context so read whichever feels right to you

[@ExploringTheCosmere]

There's one name drop in WaT that really makes me recommend reading MB Era 2 first. Without that single name drop, I probably would have recommended reading WaT right after RoW. But remember, there's no truly "correct" way to read the Cosmere. Journey Before Destination. It will be enjoyable no matter how you read it. I actually started my own Cosmere journey with Stormlight back in 2017 before I even knew that the Cosmere was an interconnected universe. The order I list in the video is what I would recommend to people who are just starting the Cosmere and want to have the best chance to catch every reference/connection/easter egg on their first read.

[@adampaseur1190]

@@Seomus the thing is, I figured out who thidakar is before I think I was supposed to and I think he’s revealed in MB era 2

[@jasonbailey9139]

You do it the way you want. As long as you read series in order you'll be fine. Honestly people put *WAY TOO MUCH* emphasis on orders, not being spoiled, easter eggs, and the like. Read the story that captivates you. Then move on to another series. You'll likely fall in love with the books and do a re-read after you're all caught up and you will find those easter eggs and find a new enjoyment on the re-read. Hot take: Honestly, I am not a fan of Mistborn/Scadrial (and I'm disappointed it's the planet where 1/2 the Cosmere will happen) and would never recommend it as a starting point. (I'm not saying I hate it, but if it weren't for its Cosmere connections, I'd likely never re-read any of those books.) I am in the minority on this point. I even resented Era 2 because it meant that Stormlight Archive wasn't being written (which is irrational because he wrote those books while SA books were being edited). I'm hoping now that Cosmere connection gloves are off, I'll be able to enjoy Era 3 more than era 2...and with an ending scene of W&T taking place in era 2, I'm actually tempted to go back and re-read that book knowing when those books take place in relation to Stormlight Archive Anyway, you can start your journey wherever you like and enjoy the Cosmere. This reading order is great, but I'd follow it for a re-read rather than the first time through since you've already started. I plan to use it for my third Cosmere re-read while we wait for Ghostbloods.