The "Best" Cosmere Reading Order

[Thaidakar the Ghostblood he/him]

 It  has been a long debated topic on what Cosmere reading order is the best. Many have been proposed since the beginning of time till now. which order is the best? they all say it's one or another... But they are all wrong.

Every single one of them is wrong.

There are many things wrong with their orders. They don't have connections well done, they don't maximize series cohesion for the new reader's enjoyment. They often choose one over the other.

You see, the greatest Cosmere reading order is the one I have produced over long trial and error. Only I could create this spectacular and entirely amazing reading order. It took me an eternity. An eternity that lasted half an hour of thinking about this over the past two years. I have come up with one of the best, if not the best, reading order that brings together story cohesion and connections in a nice bow.

I have prioritized figuring this order out because my friends are reading the Cosmere. I, as the book dealer, want to give them the best quality order for the best quality of books to help their addiction- I mean... journey along. In the end, I have come upon two orders with only slight differences.

One where the short stories are almost all read together, in the other the stories are spread out. If you are borrowing Arcanum Unbounded, I recommend that you go with the first order. If you own Arcanum Unbounded, I recommend the latter. The best order is the latter, but the first one works just as well for enjoyment.

Hint for new readers: pay attention to those epigraphs.

(fair warning, I put slight explanations of each story in front of each one as if this were a pitch to a new reader. For the more important ones, I put in more detailed descriptions)

The first:

Spoiler

1. Elantris. (Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Edition. Trust me, you'll love me for suggesting that edition.) This books is overhated. It's a wonderful novel. It's the first Cosmere novel-and the first novel Brandon ever-published. It deserves its place as the first novel to be read.
2. The Mistborn Original Trilogy. (The Final Empire (you can't stop me from using that title). Well of Ascension. Hero of Ages.) This trilogy is one of the greatest of all time. It sets up the future themes of the Cosmere nicely and introduces important aspects of the Cosmere.
3. Most of the Short Stories in Arcanum Unbounded. (Arcanum Unbounded is the novel.) The short stories in this novel are sooo gooood. The ones that I recommend avoiding are Edgedancer, which will be read in a few entries, and Mistborn: Secret History, which will be read directly after Mistborn book six. these short stories show the world of the Cosmere in detail, showing off just how big the Cosmere really is.
4. White Sand. (White Sand Omnibus) This is necessary for connections. Can't say much about the omnibus, since I've only read the crappy volumes 1-3.
5. Warbreaker. this novel has a lot of things. Romance, politics, zombies... This is a great novel that has a fair amount of connections with the other books, especially...
6. The Stormlight Archives books 1-2.5 (The Way of Kings. Words of Radiance. Edgedancer.) These books are sooo good. They're connected deeply with the other novels. These are the first books in a ten book series. This series takes place upon the world of Roshar.
7. Mistborn (era two/Wax and Wayne) books 4-6, Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, and Mistborn: Secret History. (Alloy of Law. Shadows of Self. Bands of Mourning. Mistborn: Secret history and Allomancer Jak (and the pits of eltania) (both are in Arcanum Unbounded)) These are thee first books in Mistborn Era two. It's been 300 years since the first trilogy and the world has evolved into an early 1900s era. If you want to mix things up, read some of these between reading Stormlight novels. Allomancer Jak is a satirical story set in this era about an adventurer. It can be read at any time during this series. Secret History should be read after book 6, the Bands of Mourning. 
8. Stormlight Archive books 3, 3.5, 4. (Oathbringer. Dawnshard. Rhythm of War). These novels continue the epic Stormlight Archive. Dawnshard is a short story about a side character. 
9. Mistborn book 7. Era Two Finale. (The Lost Metal). This novel is the finale in the Wax and Wayne series. It's chock full of connections, a bit too full. It has a lot of fun elements from other novels in its own series and outside of it.
10. (These next three are interchangeable, though this is the specific order I recommend.)
11. The Sunlit Man. This stand alone story is adjacent to Stormlight. It is very, very reference filled. Probably the most Cosmere aware book so far. It's really good. Just make sure you remember your sky breakers from your wind runners.
12. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. This novel is a fun stand alone in the style of an anime with references to a lot of different stories, but especially Stormlight. 
13. Tress of the Emerald Sea. This story is also a stand alone. It's really good and has a lot of references!

The second order (the novella order):'

Spoiler

1. Elantris. (Elantris: Tenth Anniversary Edition. Trust me, you'll love me for suggesting that edition.) This books is overhated. It's a wonderful novel. It's the first Cosmere novel-and the first novel Brandon ever-published. It deserves its place as the first novel to be read.
2. The Hope of Elantris. this takes place during the climax of Elantris.
3. The Mistborn Original Trilogy and the Eleventh Metal. (The Final Empire (you can't stop me from using that title). Well of Ascension. Hero of Ages. The Eleventh Metal (A short story in arcanum Unbounded).) This trilogy is one of the greatest of all time. It sets up the future themes of the Cosmere nicely and introduces important aspects of the Cosmere. The short story takes place directly before the trilogy, but should be read at least after book one.
4. White Sand. (White Sand Omnibus) This is necessary for connections. Can't say much about the omnibus, since I've only read the crappy volumes 1-3.
5. Warbreaker. this novel has a lot of things. Romance, politics, zombies... This is a great novel that has a fair amount of connections with the other books, especially...
6. The Stormlight Archives books 1-2.5 (The Way of Kings. Words of Radiance. Edgedancer.) These books are sooo good. They're connected deeply with the other novels. These are the first books in a ten book series. Edgedancer is a novella about a side character who will become a main character in book six of the series.
7. Mistborn (era two/Wax and Wayne) books 4-6, Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, and Mistborn: Secret History. (Alloy of Law. Shadows of Self. Bands of Mourning. Mistborn: Secret history and Allomancer Jak (and the pits of eltania) (both are in Arcanum Unbounded)) These are thee first books in Mistborn Era two. It's been 300 years since the first trilogy and the world has evolved into an early 1900s era. If you want to mix things up, read some of these between reading Stormlight novels. Allomancer Jak is a satirical story set in this era about an adventurer. It can be read at any time during this series. Secret History should be read after book 6, the Bands of Mourning. 
8. The Emperor's Soul. (A short story in Arcanum Unbounded.) This short story takes place in the same world as Elantris.
9. Sixth of the Dusk. (A short story in Arcanum Unbounded.) This is a story set in the future of the Cosmere on a fascinating world.
10. Stormlight Archive books 3, 3.5, 4. (Oathbringer. Dawnshard. Rhythm of War). These novels continue the epic Stormlight Archive. Dawnshard is a short story about a side character. 
11. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. (This is a short story from Arcanum Unbounded.) this short story takes place on a spooky planet. This is the most horror of any of the Cosmere so far and is a great entry. This explores more of the cosmere!
12. Mistborn book 7. Era Two Finale. (The Lost Metal). This novel is the finale in the Wax and Wayne series. It's chock full of connections, a bit too full. It has a lot of fun elements from other novels in its own series and outside of it.
13. (These next three are interchangeable, though this is the specific order I recommend.)
14. The Sunlit Man. This stand alone story is adjacent to Stormlight. It is very, very reference filled. Probably the most Cosmere aware book so far. It's really good. Just make sure you remember your sky breakers from your wind runners.
15. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. This novel is a fun stand alone in the style of an anime with references to a lot of different stories, but especially Stormlight. 
16. Tress of the Emerald Sea. This story is also a stand alone. It's similar to the princess bride and has some epic references! It's a 9/10 novel.

Hey, I had a lot of fun putting that together (despite the fact that I had to rewrite the whole list once because spoiler boxes can be ridiculous). I'd be glad for feedback, especially on where to put some of the short stories. otherwise, I think I did a good job, as my arrogant intro might suggest. I was doing my best Daniel Greene impression.

As Sean Astin once said, "Go reading!"

 

[The flying spider he/him]

Those interested in a reread order with the most connections, @Treamayne suggested the following and its been great (currently in the middle of way of kings) note yumi and sunlit man aren't there so you can ask him were to fit those. 

Starter. Still best to begin at the beginning:

• Elantris
• Hope of Elantris*

• MISTBORN ERA 1

  • The Eleventh Metal*

    Mistborn: The Final Empire 1

    The Well of Ascension 1

    The Hero of Ages 1

    Mistborn: Secret History* (Integrated)

• Warbreaker (reversals Connection based on this WoB) 1,2

Trell Connections

• AU Essay: Taldain*
• White Sand (Omnibus)
  • White Sand (Prose - optional but this is what I just finished GN and Prose back-to-back. I recommend it for most people but not everyone 3)
• MISTBORN ERA 2

  • The Alloy of Law

    AU Essay: Scadrial*

    Allomancer Jak*

    Shadows of Self

    The Bands of Mourning

Stormlight Archive with integrated support:

• The Emperor's Soul* (Refresh Realmatics before SA when Spren and the Cognitive become so important)
• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance
  • AU Essay: Roshar*
• Edgedancer*
• AU Essay: Threnody*
• Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell* (refresh uses of Silver before it is important in Oathbringer and RoW)
• Oathbringer
• AU Essay: Drominad*
• Sixth of the Dusk* (refresh Aviar before the scenes with Mraize's Chicken)
• Tress of the Emerald Sea

Ghostbloods Connections:

• Rhythm of War
• AU Essay: Sel* (Refresh on the Dor before TLM's purified Dor)
• The Lost Metal

[Treamayne]

5 hours ago, Thaidakar the Ghostblood said:

Hey, I had a lot of fun putting that together (despite the fact that I had to rewrite the whole list once because spoiler boxes can be ridiculous). I'd be glad for feedback, especially on where to put some of the short stories. otherwise, I think I did a good job, as my arrogant intro might suggest.

Despite the (presumed) humor-by-hyperbole, your lists are interesting. But I still maintain there is no one "perfect reading order" - especially for new readers. As @The flying spider mentioned above, the best bet is to make sure they are aware of the considerations that may inform their decision (my new reader list is here).

I eventually crafted my own epub (Cosmere Guide) that I send to friends to help them understand the Cosmere, introduce the major shard worlds and help them decide what best fits their preferences. Here's the summary of my Reading Order suggestion from that document:

Spoiler

As previously mentioned, this suggested reading order is a very personal preference and I doubt any two readers of the Cosmere would agree 100% on the things mentioned below. Therefore, this guide will simply suggest a starting point (or four) and you can reasonably assume that after those four items, remaining entries can be read in any preferred order. Possible spoilers will be noted for later works when those warnings may help inform your decision of what to read next.

1. Start with either Elantris (if you prefer a slightly more cerebral and political work with most action in the climax) or the original Mistborn Trilogy (The Final Empire, Well of Ascension, Hero of Ages). if you want a more action oriented introduction to the Cosmere.
2. Continue in the Cosmere with other option from above- either Elantris or Mistborn Era 1. You can also take this opportunity to continue those stories with their associated short fiction—Hope of Elantris and Eleventh Metal, respectively.
   • Note: Hope of Elantris takes place immediately after Elantris; but Eleventh Metal is a prelude to Mistborn:The Final Empire.  The Eleventh Metal may be read any time after reading the first Mistborn book (it can even be read before The Final Empire, but there may be some things that don't quite make sense without the context the novel provides).
3. We recommend you continue with Warbreaker. While it may be read at any time before Stormlight Archive, some impact will be lost (reversals) if you wait too long after Mistborn and Elantris to read it.
4. The Emperor's Soul is the next logical step. Not only is it a Hugo award winning novella, but it lays out some foundational aspects of the Cosmere and its magic system(s) in a simple and relatable way making it a cornerstone to understanding "the stories behind the stories" in the greater Cosmere.

 

Everything else can generally be read in its in-world order (as shown on the Cosmere Index), except where noted below.

• Arcanum Unbounded: Scadrial Essay—Do not read before Alloy of Law. Spoilers for the entire first trilogy.
• Mistborn: Secret History—Chronologically set during the events of Era 1 Mistborn. However, it has spoilers for all three of those books, as well as Bands of Mourning. It is not recommended to read before Bands of Mourning.
  • If it has been a while since you read the first trilogy, you may want to consider rereading that before reading Secret History as well.
• White Sand—Read any time after The Emperor's Soul and before Bands of Mourning/Stormlight Archive. Also, consider reading this before the essays in Arcanum Unbounded (the in-world author of the essays is introduced in this story - she is also the "author" of the Ars Arcanum at the end of each novel). Not really a spoiler, but it does provide some context for later Mistborn and SA stories.
• The Lost Metal (Mistborn Era 2)—Should not be read before Rhythm of War (Book 4 of the Stormlight Archive).
• Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell—Read before Oathbringer (Book 3 of the Stormlight Archive)
• Sixth of the Dusk—Read before Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Worldhoppers—This is the term for people that move between worlds in the Cosmere. Some indications that a character on-screen (other than recognizing their name, when that has not been changed) may be a worldhopper include (but are not limited to):
—Malaproprisms or vocabulary that does not fit the context/setting
—Similes and metaphors from a different setting
—Descriptive similarity exemptions (looks or seems like [race/culture] except [feature/reason]).

Here is the WoB regarding Warbreaker Reversals (and why I recommend Warbreaker back-to-back with Mistborn):

Spoiler

Brandon Sanderson

Annotations to Chapter Fifteen - Part One

I've spoken on the reversals in this book. Well, one thing I realized after the fact is that the novel is—in a lot of ways—about reversals of my own writing. Things I've done before, but taken the opposite direction. Almost like I need to react against myself and explore things in new ways, particularly in cases where (like the Lord Ruler) I did things that were more conventional to the genre.

I think that's why this book has so much resonance with my previous books. Or maybe it doesn't really, and I'm just seeing something that doesn't exist. A lot of my ideas in writing, however, come from seeing something done in a movie or a book (or even in one of my own books) and wondering if I could take it a new and different direction. I hope that doesn't make me feel like I'm repeating myself.

Warbreaker Annotations (Sept. 23, 2010)

And here is my Cosmere Index from that Document:

Spoiler

COSMERE BY
BRANDON SANDERSON

THE COSMERE

ARCANUM UNBOUNDED (Anthology)
Stories from this collection are marked with an asterisk
Planet essays for each region are new content

THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE

The Way of Kings

Words of Radiance

AU Essay: Roshar*

Edgedancer*

Oathbringer

Dawnshard

Rhythm of War

MISTBORN ERA 1

The Eleventh Metal*

Mistborn: The Final Empire

The Well of Ascension

The Hero of Ages

Mistborn: Secret History*

MISTBORN ERA 2

The Alloy of Law

AU Essay: Scadrial*

Allomancer Jak*

Shadows of Self

The Bands of Mourning

The Lost Metal

NALTHIS

Warbreaker

SEL

Elantris

AU Essay: Sel*

Hope of Elantris*

The Emperor's Soul*

TALDAIN

AU Essay: Taldain*

White Sand Graphic novel (Omnibus)

THRENODY

AU Essay: Threnody*

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell*

DROMINAD

AU Essay: Drominad*

Sixth of the Dusk*

SECRET PROJECTS

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

The Sunlit Man

For those who really dislike the Graphic Novel as a medium, I have previously suggested a few options regarding White Sand:

Spoiler

On 7/20/2023 at 5:21 PM, Treamayne said:

If you just don't fancy Graphic Novels, have you considered the (noncanon) Prose version or the (canon) Audiobook?

• The Prose version is a free download when you join the Sanderson Newsletter (if you already have joined, check the very first "welcome" email for the link).
  • While some details are not canon, the important bits that are referenced elsewhere (so far) are all present and it is enough to give you a frame of reference
  • You could then read the thread in the White Sand forum that discusses the changes from the noncanon Prose and the Canon GN
• The Audiobook is (supposedly - I have not listened to it) the best version because it has both the changes to make it canon, and the description(s) that can be . . . lacking. . . in the Graphic Novel. 
  • My friends that dislike the GN tried this and spoke highly of it
• If the problem is GN availability, note that the Omnibus edition re-release is now available. 
  • The Omnibus is a significant improvement over the original GN trilogy

On 7/21/2023 at 4:20 PM, Treamayne said:

Summary:

• If you like AudioBooks, the Audio book is generally considered the best of both worlds
• If you like GNs, the GN is fine and canon
• If you like neither of the above, the Prose is fine (I didn't find it quite as painful as LewsTherin did) - and you can easily read one of the many "comparison" threads to learn what changed for the Canon.

Also, please note that the Coppermind's White Sand Summary has since been updated for the Omnibus, for those that want to read the Prose, then read this summary to learn the "changes." Khriss' Journal (Ars Arcanum) has also been updated for the Omnibus. There is also a (slightly dated) Thread enumerating the changes from Prose to GN.

Hope that helps

[Immortal Platypus he/him]

man. Ya'll put way too much effort into this. I just ask, "What have you read?" then say a book that comes off the top of my head afterwards  

[PrestoTheMagnificent]

I would personally just read them in release order. That's probably the safest way to do it, learning as everyone else did.

[The Sibling she/her]

On 10/25/2023 at 11:49 AM, PrestoTheMagnificent said:

I would personally just read them in release order. That's probably the safest way to do it, learning as everyone else did.

This makes sense to me because then you experience things in the same way the older fans have, but I think that most order have pros and cons. I kind of wish I could go back and do it again. I would read almost everything before I read Stormlight and then maybe I could figure things out on my own and I wouldn't have to have all the connections pointed out to me. 

[PrestoTheMagnificent]

1 minute ago, The Sibling said:

This makes sense to me because then you experience things in the same way the older fans have, but I think that most order have pros and cons. I kind of wish I could go back and do it again. I would read almost everything before I read Stormlight and then maybe I could figure things out on my own and I wouldn't have to have all the connections pointed out to me. 

Yeah. Without the internet and reading this in a bubble, I probably wouldn't have made the connections between series. I didn't even realize Zahel was Vasher, for Harmony's sake.

[Treamayne]

On 10/25/2023 at 11:49 AM, PrestoTheMagnificent said:

I would personally just read them in release order. That's probably the safest way to do it, learning as everyone else did.

While this is normally a solid idea - and I cannot speak for anybody else - The main reason why I worked out reading suggestions is the large number of friends and coworkers that come to the Cosmere through one of the stories (which is almost never Elantris - the theoretical start point). Usually the conversation goes like this:

• Hey, have you read Stormlight/Mistborn/Warbreaker?
  • Sure
• I didn't understand <concept or mechanic>
  • Well, did you know this is related to <Cosmere list>?
• Uh, no. . . 

I've known people who's first Cosmere readings were Way of Kings, Sixth of the Dusk, Alloy of Law, Shadow of Self, Warbreaker, The Thrill (OB Excerpts from Unfettered II); not to mention Elantris or Mistborn:TFE. In the latter, it's usually fine - easy to explain. But many of the others require a bit more description and delicacy (to balance enticing details against spoilers). 

The coworker that started with Way of Kings actually ended up "shuffling" series thanks to book size and worry over missing connections. IIRC Something like:

WoK > Warbreaker > WoR > Edgedancer > Elantris > Oathbringer (etc.)

So, I can agree that publishing order is rather valid in most circumstances (with some audience considerations) - it's just not always an option, and having a reference can help navigate those shoals. . . 

 

[CR0N0S.LXIII]

So, before answering the question "which is the best reading order", let us ask ourselves: "which is the best REreading order".

 

And I think that would be a chronological order. That way you can see the things as they happen in the Cosmere, without temporal jumps, and it becomes more clear the causes and consequences of the Cosmere events.

 

That being said, a pure chronological order should start with... White Sand. Which is definitely problematic if we are looking for a reading order for someone who is new to the Cosmere. So, the pure chronological order should be readapt for someone who starts from zero.

 

The best novel to introduce someone to the Cosmere depends on that someone, what he likes to read, whether he enjoys more seeing magic combats unfold, or is more interested in characters relations and all that. But I think there are, basically, 3 possible first Cosmere books: Elantris, The Final Empire, Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Some of you might be asking about Tress. The thing is: the story is quite good, the narration is superb, and in a kinda subtle way it shows you that there are a lot of weird things in this universe (we see a kandra, a dragon, an Ire, a spaceship, and hear about Sazed/Harmony (I don't remember exactly), other planets, shards...). For a reader that is gonna be intrigued about all the mysteries in this fictional universe, Tress would be a great way of getting him interested.

 

So, we need three best reading orders:

 

Starting with Elantris:

Spoiler

1. Elantris.

2. The Hope of Elantris.

3. The Emperor's Soul.

4. The Final Empire.

5. The Eleventh Metal.

6. The Pit of Ascension.

7. The Hero of Ages.

8. Secret History (it has to be read, in any way, before Rythm of War. Since we are reading RoW before Bands of Mourning any way, no reason not to read Secret History right after The Hero of Ages)

9. Warbreaker.

10. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

11. The Way of Kings.

12. Words of Radiance.

13. Edgedancer.

14. Oathbringer.

15. Dawnshard.

16. Rythm of War.

17. The Sunlit Man. SPOILERS FOR THE SUNLIT MAN: 

Spoiler

The fact that Sigzil is the protagonist, and that we learn something as important as the fact that he was a Dawnshard bearer, I think is reason enough to read this right after Stormlight Archive.

18. Alloy of Law.

19. Alomant Jak and the Pits of Eltania.

20. Shadows of Identity.

21. Bands of Mourning.

22. The Lost Metal.

23. Tress of the Emerald Sea.

24. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

25. Sixth of Dusk.

26. White Sand.

 

Starting with The Final Empire:

Spoiler

1. The Final Empire.

2. The Eleventh Metal.

3. The Pit of Ascension.

4. The Hero of Ages.

5. Secret History (it has to be read, in any way, before Rythm of War. Since we are reading RoW before Bands of Mourning any way, no reason not to read Secret History right after The Hero of Ages)

6. Elantris.

7. The Hope of Elantris.

8. The Emperor's Soul.

9. Warbreaker.

10. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

11. The Way of Kings.

12. Words of Radiance.

13. Edgedancer.

14. Oathbringer.

15. Dawnshard.

16. Rythm of War.

17. The Sunlit Man. SPOILERS FOR THE SUNLIT MAN: 

Spoiler

The fact that Sigzil is the protagonist, and that we learn something as important as the fact that he was a Dawnshard bearer, I think is reason enough to read this right after Stormlight Archive.

18. Alloy of Law.

19. Alomant Jak and the Pits of Eltania.

20. Shadows of Identity.

21. Bands of Mourning.

22. The Lost Metal.

23. Tress of the Emerald Sea.

24. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

25. Sixth of Dusk.

26. White Sand.

 

Starting with Tress of the Emerald Sea:

Spoiler

1. Tress of the Emerald Sea.

2. Elantris.

3. The Hope of Elantris.

4. The Emperor's Soul.

5. The Final Empire.

6. The Eleventh Metal.

7. The Pit of Ascension.

8. The Hero of Ages.

9. Secret History (it has to be read, in any way, before Rythm of War. Since we are reading RoW before Bands of Mourning any way, no reason not to read Secret History right after The Hero of Ages)

10. Warbreaker.

11. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

12. The Way of Kings.

13. Words of Radiance.

14. Edgedancer.

15. Oathbringer.

16. Dawnshard.

17. Rythm of War.

18. The Sunlit Man. SPOILERS FOR THE SUNLIT MAN: 

Spoiler

The fact that Sigzil is the protagonist, and that we learn something as important as the fact that he was a Dawnshard bearer, I think is reason enough to read this right after Stormlight Archive.

19. Alloy of Law.

20. Alomant Jak and the Pits of Eltania.

21. Shadows of Identity.

22. Bands of Mourning.

23. The Lost Metal.

24. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

25. Sixth of Dusk.

26. White Sand.

 

White Sand comes last in all three because... well, it's White Sand.

So whaddaya think?

[Treamayne]

1 hour ago, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

So, before answering the question "which is the best reading order", let us ask ourselves: "which is the best REreading order".

We discuss the differences between an "first reading order" and a "Re-Reading order" here. The latter should never influence the former, because the considerations between them are very different. Also, Secret History is best re-read integrated.

1 hour ago, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

That being said, a pure chronological order should start with... White Sand. Which is definitely problematic if we are looking for a reading order for someone who is new to the Cosmere. So, the pure chronological order should be readapt for someone who starts from zero.

1 hour ago, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

White Sand comes last in all three because... well, it's White Sand.

This sounds like somebody who has not read the White Sand Omnibus and/or is making decisions on old/outdated information. We discuss the various ways to enjoy White Sand here, but the Omnibus is probably not a bad Cosmere First Book. 

• It has been fixed
• it introduces concepts easily, and the reader can be introduced to the idea that there is more happening in the background than it first seems at the same time that Duchess Khrissalla is making similar conclusions.
• It avoids much of the jargon that can permeate many Cosmere series (Investiture, Shard, etc.) while impying their existance and inviting the reader to learn more. 

1 hour ago, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

Some of you might be asking about Tress. The thing is: the story is quite good, the narration is superb, and in a kinda subtle way it shows you that there are a lot of weird things in this universe (we see a kandra, a dragon, an Ire, a spaceship, and hear about Sazed/Harmony (I don't remember exactly), other planets, shards...). For a reader that is gonna be intrigued about all the mysteries in this fictional universe, Tress would be a great way of getting him interested.

Tress might not be a bad start as a re-read order, but I would not recommend any new reader to start with that as their first-ever Cosmere book

• The number and variety of references to other works is too high for a first time reader
• The setting is too far forward in the Cosmere's future and will set unrealistic expecations on the rest of the books
• Very little is explained in text, because it relies an a lot of reader's prior Cosmere knowledge

1 hour ago, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

So whaddaya think?

I think Book 2 of Mistborn Era 1 is "Well of Ascension" (not Pits), and Book 2 of Era 2 is "Shadows of Self" (not Identity - Sixth of the Dusk, Allomancer Jak, etc.)

Not a bad effort, but I still maintain that the best order is no order - simply provide the reasonably intelligent person with whom you are recommending books a starting place and enough information to make informed descisions on the rest of their Cosmere Journey

[CR0N0S.LXIII]

15 hours ago, Treamayne said:

This sounds like somebody who has not read the White Sand Omnibus and/or is making decisions on old/outdated information. We discuss the various ways to enjoy White Sand here, but the Omnibus is probably not a bad Cosmere First Book. 

• It has been fixed
• it introduces concepts easily, and the reader can be introduced to the idea that there is more happening in the background than it first seems at the same time that Duchess Khrissalla is making similar conclusions.
• It avoids much of the jargon that can permeate many Cosmere series (Investiture, Shard, etc.) while impying their existance and inviting the reader to learn more. 

So since I'm new to sharing the Cosmere with the internet I'm confused about this. By "White Sand Omnibus" you mean the version that compiles all three volumes into one "book"? Cause that's the White Sand version I read. And I read it like months ago, so outdated information shouldn't be an issue (but lack of information could be).

My concern with White Sand is not the content, but the form. Is a comic, and if you enjoy books but not comics (which I think happens to the majority of readers in the Western World), having a comic in the middle of a books saga is... weird. Not necesarily bad, but weird. And if you are a reader of other fantasy sagas or other books, and I try to get you interested in the Cosmere, it doesn't seem like a good idea to make you change to a format that maybe you don't like or haven't tried ever.

Plus, I think is good to leave White Sand for the end, when you have commited so much to the Cosmere that you can't leave one piece of it unread (and still I know of people that has read the Cosmere, and even reread it, but never touched White Sand).

So basically, I don't think White Sand is horrible, is just different and reading it in between of the rest of the books... feels weird to me.

Spoiler

Tress might not be a bad start as a re-read order, but I would not recommend any new reader to start with that as their first-ever Cosmere book

• The number and variety of references to other works is too high for a first time reader
• The setting is too far forward in the Cosmere's future and will set unrealistic expecations on the rest of the books
• Very little is explained in text, because it relies an a lot of reader's prior Cosmere knowledge

Yes, number and variety of references is too high for a first time reader to understand them. But that's the point, you don't need to understand them to enjoy TotES. And for a particular kind of reader that enjoys extense lore by itself, seeing that there is already a lot of lore on this universe could be a motivation to want to get more deeply onto it. I think this is one of the reasons that make Star Wars so popular and develop such a huge fanmade universe, and I believe it was a conscious strategy why George Lucas.

That being said not all readers are gonna enjoy TotES as a Cosmere first book, true.

 

15 hours ago, Treamayne said:

I think Book 2 of Mistborn Era 1 is "Well of Ascension" (not Pits), and Book 2 of Era 2 is "Shadows of Self" (not Identity - Sixth of the Dusk, Allomancer Jak, etc.)

Yeah, that comes from reading all the books in spanish. Both Well and Pit would be translated into the same spanish word "pozo", Shadows of Self was translated as "Sombras de Identidad" cause there is no other word in spanish for "Self"... Sorry about that.

 

As a fun fact on this, Warbreaker is translated into spanish as "El Aliento de los Dioses", which stands for "The Breath of the Gods". No idea why, is the only Cosmere book whose title was completely changed when translated into spanish.

15 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Not a bad effort, but I still maintain that the best order is no order - simply provide the reasonably intelligent person with whom you are recommending books a starting place and enough information to make informed descisions on the rest of their Cosmere Journey

Honestly, I believe this is true. Reading order only makes sense if you are starting this journey on your own and don't have a friend or someone to supply one.

Edited November 8, 2023 by CR0N0S.LXIII

[Treamayne]

On 11/8/2023 at 7:56 AM, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

Yeah, that comes from reading all the books in spanish. Both Well and Pit would be translated into the same spanish word "pozo", Shadows of Self was translated as "Sombras de Identidad" cause there is no other word in spanish for "Self"... Sorry about that.

As a fun fact on this, Warbreaker is translated into spanish as "El Aliento de los Dioses", which stands for "The Breath of the Gods". No idea why, is the only Cosmere book whose title was completely changed when translated into spanish.

No worries, I guessed it was a translation thing, which is why I added the information on Coppermind and Arcanum to you introduction post, in case you wanted an easy way to confirm English titles and names, or search information. There is also a Spanish Language Version, but I thought the English links would hlep if you were trying to use the translated terms and needed to look something up. 

On 11/8/2023 at 7:56 AM, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

So since I'm new to sharing the Cosmere with the internet I'm confused about this. By "White Sand Omnibus" you mean the version that compiles all three volumes into one "book"? Cause that's the White Sand version I read. And I read it like months ago, so outdated information shouldn't be an issue (but lack of information could be).

Sorry, I don't assume people have found the Omnibus, since it is so new. Usually when people express an opinion of "it's just White Sand" in a manner that makes it seem forgettable or an afterthought, it is because the only read the Prose or part of the original GN and just don't realize there are multiple options available. 

I don't know if you read the link I provided or not, but I discuss options for those that do not enjoy graphic novels (see below). Obviously, if you are recommending this option to somebody, it would be because they do like that medium, and they understand it is (so far) the only Cosmere entry as a graphic novel. At the risk of hubris, I'll just quote myself from the other post:

Spoiler

On 7/20/2023 at 5:21 PM, Treamayne said:

If you just don't fancy Graphic Novels, have you considered the (noncanon) Prose version or the (canon) Audiobook?

• The Prose version is a free download when you join the Sanderson Newsletter (if you already have joined, check the very first "welcome" email for the link).
  • While some details are not canon, the important bits that are referenced elsewhere (so far) are all present and it is enough to give you a frame of reference
  • You could then read the thread in the White Sand forum that discusses the changes from the noncanon Prose and the Canon GN
• The Audiobook is (supposedly - I have not listened to it) the best version because it has both the changes to make it canon, and the description(s) that can be . . . lacking. . . in the Graphic Novel. 
  • My friends that dislike the GN tried this and spoke highly of it
• If the problem is GN availability, note that the Omnibus edition re-release is now available. 
  • The Omnibus is greatly improved over the original three volume set, has a number of fixes and changes, brings back the prologue with Khriss' team crossing the Border Ocean and includes an "Ars Arcanum" that is spread throughout the book in a manner similar to the Fabrial notes in Stormlight Archive - bringing back much of the worldbuilding that was missing from the original Volumes. 

On 11/8/2023 at 7:56 AM, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

Yes, number and variety of references is too high for a first time reader to understand them. But that's the point, you don't need to understand them to enjoy TotES. And for a particular kind of reader that enjoys extense lore by itself, seeing that there is already a lot of lore on this universe could be a motivation to want to get more deeply onto it.

I would want to hear from somebody that actually read this as their first book to see feedback, but I think much of it would just be confusing and offputting. The story is still delightful, of course, but I have known people to walk away from the Cosmere for reading the wrong book early, without context, and just deciding it wasn't worth feeling confused over. I think the majority of this would depend heavily on the person to whom this was suggested - while it might be viable to a small number of people I still do not think it is a viable starting place for a majority of new-to-Cosmere readers. 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Treamayne
SPAG

[Thaidakar the Ghostblood he/him]

On 11/7/2023 at 11:03 AM, CR0N0S.LXIII said:

So, before answering the question "which is the best reading order", let us ask ourselves: "which is the best REreading order".

 

And I think that would be a chronological order. That way you can see the things as they happen in the Cosmere, without temporal jumps, and it becomes more clear the causes and consequences of the Cosmere events.

 

That being said, a pure chronological order should start with... White Sand. Which is definitely problematic if we are looking for a reading order for someone who is new to the Cosmere. So, the pure chronological order should be readapt for someone who starts from zero.

 

The best novel to introduce someone to the Cosmere depends on that someone, what he likes to read, whether he enjoys more seeing magic combats unfold, or is more interested in characters relations and all that. But I think there are, basically, 3 possible first Cosmere books: Elantris, The Final Empire, Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Some of you might be asking about Tress. The thing is: the story is quite good, the narration is superb, and in a kinda subtle way it shows you that there are a lot of weird things in this universe (we see a kandra, a dragon, an Ire, a spaceship, and hear about Sazed/Harmony (I don't remember exactly), other planets, shards...). For a reader that is gonna be intrigued about all the mysteries in this fictional universe, Tress would be a great way of getting him interested.

 

So, we need three best reading orders:

 

Starting with Elantris:

  Hide contents

1. Elantris.

2. The Hope of Elantris.

3. The Emperor's Soul.

4. The Final Empire.

5. The Eleventh Metal.

6. The Pit of Ascension.

7. The Hero of Ages.

8. Secret History (it has to be read, in any way, before Rythm of War. Since we are reading RoW before Bands of Mourning any way, no reason not to read Secret History right after The Hero of Ages)

9. Warbreaker.

10. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

11. The Way of Kings.

12. Words of Radiance.

13. Edgedancer.

14. Oathbringer.

15. Dawnshard.

16. Rythm of War.

17. The Sunlit Man. SPOILERS FOR THE SUNLIT MAN: 

  Reveal hidden contents

The fact that Sigzil is the protagonist, and that we learn something as important as the fact that he was a Dawnshard bearer, I think is reason enough to read this right after Stormlight Archive.

18. Alloy of Law.

19. Alomant Jak and the Pits of Eltania.

20. Shadows of Identity.

21. Bands of Mourning.

22. The Lost Metal.

23. Tress of the Emerald Sea.

24. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

25. Sixth of Dusk.

26. White Sand.

 

Starting with The Final Empire:

  Hide contents

1. The Final Empire.

2. The Eleventh Metal.

3. The Pit of Ascension.

4. The Hero of Ages.

5. Secret History (it has to be read, in any way, before Rythm of War. Since we are reading RoW before Bands of Mourning any way, no reason not to read Secret History right after The Hero of Ages)

6. Elantris.

7. The Hope of Elantris.

8. The Emperor's Soul.

9. Warbreaker.

10. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

11. The Way of Kings.

12. Words of Radiance.

13. Edgedancer.

14. Oathbringer.

15. Dawnshard.

16. Rythm of War.

17. The Sunlit Man. SPOILERS FOR THE SUNLIT MAN: 

  Reveal hidden contents

The fact that Sigzil is the protagonist, and that we learn something as important as the fact that he was a Dawnshard bearer, I think is reason enough to read this right after Stormlight Archive.

18. Alloy of Law.

19. Alomant Jak and the Pits of Eltania.

20. Shadows of Identity.

21. Bands of Mourning.

22. The Lost Metal.

23. Tress of the Emerald Sea.

24. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

25. Sixth of Dusk.

26. White Sand.

 

Starting with Tress of the Emerald Sea:

  Reveal hidden contents

1. Tress of the Emerald Sea.

2. Elantris.

3. The Hope of Elantris.

4. The Emperor's Soul.

5. The Final Empire.

6. The Eleventh Metal.

7. The Pit of Ascension.

8. The Hero of Ages.

9. Secret History (it has to be read, in any way, before Rythm of War. Since we are reading RoW before Bands of Mourning any way, no reason not to read Secret History right after The Hero of Ages)

10. Warbreaker.

11. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

12. The Way of Kings.

13. Words of Radiance.

14. Edgedancer.

15. Oathbringer.

16. Dawnshard.

17. Rythm of War.

18. The Sunlit Man. SPOILERS FOR THE SUNLIT MAN: 

  Reveal hidden contents

The fact that Sigzil is the protagonist, and that we learn something as important as the fact that he was a Dawnshard bearer, I think is reason enough to read this right after Stormlight Archive.

19. Alloy of Law.

20. Alomant Jak and the Pits of Eltania.

21. Shadows of Identity.

22. Bands of Mourning.

23. The Lost Metal.

24. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.

25. Sixth of Dusk.

26. White Sand.

 

White Sand comes last in all three because... well, it's White Sand.

So whaddaya think?

Sorry for taking months to respond, I haven't checked threads I've started in a long time.

My only problem with the orders you have presented is that you have Era 2 after Stormlight books three and four, those have some things that you can only catch after around Shadows of Self, if not Bands of Mourning. Namely in the epigraphs, which I find important and always tell new readers to check out. But that's basically it.