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So I started with Way of Kings. Did I spoil anything?


AlexC

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Hello,

   A friend strongly suggested I start reading Brandon Sanderson and said: "read Way of Kings"; which I did (and enjoyed a lot), then moved to Words of Radiance (90% atm)

Checking out what to read next I found various "Reading Order" lists, and in all of them "Stormlight Archive" is in the second half.

So my question is.. Did I start the wrong way with the Cosmere universe? What's the "definitive" reading order list, and how do I get back on track after finishing "Words of Radiance"?

Several lists (and apparently I can't post links) make me think I'm in a good place as "Way of Kings" -> "Words of Radiance" is listed as a possible/recommended reading order start.

So, what do I read next and in what order?

Thanks :)

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13 minutes ago, AlexC said:

Hello,

   A friend strongly suggested I start reading Brandon Sanderson and said: "read Way of Kings"; which I did (and enjoyed a lot), then moved to Words of Radiance (90% atm)

Checking out what to read next I found various "Reading Order" lists, and in all of them "Stormlight Archive" is in the second half.

So my question is.. Did I start the wrong way with the Cosmere universe? What's the "definitive" reading order list, and how do I get back on track after finishing "Words of Radiance"?

Several lists (and apparently I can't post links) make me think I'm in a good place as "Way of Kings" -> "Words of Radiance" is listed as a possible/recommended reading order start.

So, what do I read next and in what order?

Thanks :)

There's no wrong reading order since all his series are their own thing to some degree. But, if what you want is to see how Brandon's Universe, the Cosmere, is slowly being revealed, then I would recommend publication order, since you'll get to see how at first there's nothing but with time, references to other books start appearing and they get bigger with each series.

Something like:

-Elantris

-Mistborn Era 1

-Warbreaker

-Mistborn Era 2

-The Stormlight Archive

with the novellas and short stories wherever you want to put them save some exceptions like Edgedancer which you have to read after Words of Radiance for example.

I'm no expert though, and I myself haven't read everything so maybe someone with more experience can give you a better answer.

 

And welcome to the Shard! I hope you enjoy your stay ^_^

Edited by Eluvianii
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As long as you read each individual series in the right order, everything is good! :D One of the defining things about the Cosmere at the moment is all the stories standing well on their own. There are some things that reappear throughout the whole thing, but they are subtle for the most part, and even if they aren't, you don't have to know where they are from to understand what's happening, and they don't spoil important plot points/reveals. I don't think there's a reading order that wouldn't have you go back and think "oh, so that's where that came from" at one point or another. So you could say, there is no wrong order, and there is, in a way, no right order either, because things will go unnoticed no matter what, it's more of a question which ones.

So, as things stand now, every series can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story!

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There's nothing wrong really with starting Stormlight first, it's just not really recommended due to how much of a behemoth it is. There are references to other books in Stormlight, but it's nothing you'll understand until reading said books. The biggest spoiler for another book is really at the ends of WoR, and even then, it's less of a spoiler and more of a really cool moment that will have less impact without knowledge of something else. 

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3 hours ago, AlexC said:

Hello,

   A friend strongly suggested I start reading Brandon Sanderson and said: "read Way of Kings"; which I did (and enjoyed a lot), then moved to Words of Radiance (90% atm)

Checking out what to read next I found various "Reading Order" lists, and in all of them "Stormlight Archive" is in the second half.

So my question is.. Did I start the wrong way with the Cosmere universe? What's the "definitive" reading order list, and how do I get back on track after finishing "Words of Radiance"?

Several lists (and apparently I can't post links) make me think I'm in a good place as "Way of Kings" -> "Words of Radiance" is listed as a possible/recommended reading order start.

So, what do I read next and in what order?

Thanks :)

I started with Stormlight also, and about the only problem with that is that there are a lot of references that I missed out on. So I will have to go back and re-read them, which is that so much of a problem?

Honestly though, I wish I had started with Mistborn or Elantris and saved Stormlight for last just because of all of the cameos from other books that I didn't get.

How to get back on track? Read Warbreaker. There is so much stuff from that book specifically in Oathbringer.

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4 hours ago, AlexC said:

So my question is.. Did I start the wrong way with the Cosmere universe? What's the "definitive" reading order list, and how do I get back on track after finishing "Words of Radiance"?

I read the first three SA novels before I knew the cosmere existed.  You will be fine.  Some of the WoKs stuff won't make as much sense and you will have to go back and check it if you want the full full story but each series is self contained.  You are going to be fine.  I personally recommend just reading edgedancer and the oathbringer before you move on to something else.  It is a better stopping place then where you are now.  Also welcome to the shard.

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Thanks everyone for your replies. WoR is finished (almost 3am right now :) )

Good to hear that the series are not that bound up together and can be read in different order.

From your suggestions and what I've read on the Cosmere subreddit I think I'll go like this:

Warbreaker -> Edgedancer -> Oathbringer ( or.. skip Oathbringer for now and read it closer to Rhythm of War publication date? ) and then move to Elantris -> Mistborn Era 1 -> Mistborn Era 2 - and various short stories in between.

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18 hours ago, AlexC said:

...or.. skip Oathbringer for now and read it closer to Rhythm of War publication date? 

Pros: You don’t have to wait for RoW after reading OB. Cons: You have to wait for OB. I’m not sure which one would be worse. :P 

Also, it doesn’t look like anyone else has mentioned this so I will - you’ll want to read the short story Secret History after Mistborn E1 (maybe even E2). Don’t even look up a plot summary or cover art or anything. Wait til you’re read the first trilogy. 

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16 hours ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

Do not read Secret History before book 3 of Era 2, if you ask me. There is a twist in Bands of Mourning that will be way less effective if you read SH before it

Nothing to do with the thread but that is a great list you're currently reading!

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Secret History actually fits better between the Eras for me. It doesn’t give too much away because it ends when Era 1 ends. Eleventh Metal can be read after The Final Empire though. Allomancer Jak I read at the end of Era 2, but it doesn’t have to be there.

My personal plan is to reread SA before RoW comes out, but if it's too close together for you to read the series now then already be rereading it in a couple months then don’t do that. If you go through the rest of the cosmere then reread everything again, you will immediately start finding a bunch of hidden stuff.

Anyways, welcome! :D

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I think you're fine to start with TWoK & now WoR. You'll probably get just as much fun seeing characters in other Cosmere books and recognizing them from Stormlight Archives as we got doing the reverse.:D

Overall, the sequence you suggested above looks solid:

On 3/7/2020 at 7:43 PM, AlexC said:

Warbreaker -> Edgedancer -> Oathbringer, and then move to Elantris -> Mistborn Era 1 -> Mistborn Era 2 - and various short stories in between.

... except IMO don't read "Mistborn: Secret History" until after finishing "The Bands of Mourning" (Mistborn Era 2 book 3). Otherwiase (as  @aneonfoxtribute said above), you are cheating yourself out of a huge yelling-dropping-the-book-on-the-floor moment. Also, that follows Brandon's publication order and he has said he did it that way for a reason. Just my opinion, but I'm glad I read TBoM first before M:SH. (Gotta love all these title acronyms, LOL!)

Happy reading!!

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