Cosmere reading order without splitting SA?

[Tiprix]

I want to get into Cosmere and have been crafting a reading order for myself. Most of it has been pretty clear but I have one problem. I love to binge long series without splitting them and would like to do the same with Stormlight Archive but I'm confused about the best place to read it in relation to Mistborn era 2. The main 3 options I consider are (assuming I read Secret History instantly after Bands of Mourning):

1. SA after whole era 2
2. SA between Band of Mourning and The Lost Metal
3. SA before era 2

I am leaning towards option 1 since it's the one recommended on this sub's chart. My main priority is avoiding spoilers since I know there exist some between both series. Secondary priority is understanding connections. Are there any pros and cons of these options you can explain without any spoilers? Big thanks in advance!

[Treamayne]

Welcome to the Shard. Please consider an Intro Post to let us know what you have or have-not read (whichever list is shorter). Also, please consider checking out the Sharder FAQ for some useful forum info and tips. 

4 hours ago, Tiprix said:

I want to get into Cosmere and have been crafting a reading order for myself. Most of it has been pretty clear but I have one problem. I love to binge long series without splitting them and would like to do the same with Stormlight Archive but I'm confused about the best place to read it in relation to Mistborn era 2. The main 3 options I consider are (assuming I read Secret History instantly after Bands of Mourning):

1. SA after whole era 2
2. SA between Band of Mourning and The Lost Metal
3. SA before era 2

I am leaning towards option 1 since it's the one recommended on this sub's chart. My main priority is avoiding spoilers since I know there exist some between both series. Secondary priority is understanding connections. Are there any pros and cons of these options you can explain without any spoilers? Big thanks in advance!

I'm a big fan of giving people enough information to make an informed decision; so I wholeheartedly support your endeavor. 

Copied from my Reading Order Post - here are the considerations for Stormlight Archive:  

On 2/24/2023 at 4:31 PM, Treamayne said:

Stormlight Archive Reference notes:

Spoiler

Books and their references - Labelled as:

• Major - Important references impacting story,
• Minor - References that clarify story,
• Easter Egg - Tidbits that are just interesting when you notice, but not impacting story.

Some Major and Minor references also have Easter Eggs, but titles are listed in their highest classification only.

1. Way of Kings has references and/or cameos from:
   • Major: None
   • Minor: None
   • Easter Egg: Elantris, White Sand, Mistborn Era 1
2. Words of Radiance has references and/or cameos from:
   • Major: Warbreaker
   • Minor: None
   • Easter Egg: White Sand, Mistborn Era 2, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, and multiple Curiosities[1]
3. Oathbringer has references and/or cameos from:
   • Major: Warbreaker
   • Minor: Elantris
   • Easter Egg: White Sand, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, Mistborn (both Eras)
4. Rhythm of War has references and/or cameos from:
   • Major: Warbreaker, White Sand, Elantris
   • Minor: Sixth of the Dusk, Mistborn (both Eras)
   • Easter Egg: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
5. Wind and Truth
   • Major: Warbreaker, Elantris
   • Minor: Sixth of the Dusk, Mistborn Era 1
   • Easter Egg: White Sand

 [1] - If you are not aware of Sanderson Curosities:

Spoiler

They are the "unpublished" works he has made available for fans. In the Cosmere, that is primarily:

• White Sand Prose
• Aether of Night[1]
• Way of Kings Prime
• Dragonsteel Prime[1]

 

The most critical one is a mutual spoiler - RoW and TLM. Just be clear, you are fine with breaking up Mistborn Era 2 - it's only Stormlight Archive you do not want to break apart? If so, then based on the above I would recommend:

Spoiler

• Before Era 2 or Stormlight Archive (in preferred order):
  • Elantris, Warbreaker, The Emperor's Soul, Mistborn Era 1, Sixth of the Dusk, White Sand (preferred version), Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.
• Mistborn Era 2
  • Alloy of Law
  • Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
  • Shadows of Self
  • Bands of Mourning
• Mistborn Secret History
• Stormlight Archive
  • The Way of Kings
  • Words of Radiance
  • Edgedancer
  • Oathbringer
  • Dawnshard
  • Rhythm of War
  • Wind and Truth
• Era 2
  • The Lost Metal

That should minimize spoilers while maximizing the chance of recognizing Minor references and Easter Eggs. 

Hope that helps

[Tiprix]

15 hours ago, Treamayne said:

Welcome to the Shard. Please consider an Intro Post to let us know what you have or have-not read (whichever list is shorter). Also, please consider checking out the Sharder FAQ for some useful forum info and tips. 

I'm a big fan of giving people enough information to make an informed decision; so I wholeheartedly support your endeavor. 

Copied from my Reading Order Post - here are the considerations for Stormlight Archive:  

The most critical one is a mutual spoiler - RoW and TLM. Just be clear, you are fine with breaking up Mistborn Era 2 - it's only Stormlight Archive you do not want to break apart? If so, then based on the above I would recommend:

  Hide contents

• Before Era 2 or Stormlight Archive (in preferred order):
  • Elantris, Warbreaker, The Emperor's Soul, Mistborn Era 1, Sixth of the Dusk, White Sand (preferred version), Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.
• Mistborn Era 2
  • Alloy of Law
  • Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
  • Shadows of Self
  • Bands of Mourning
• Mistborn Secret History
• Stormlight Archive
  • The Way of Kings
  • Words of Radiance
  • Edgedancer
  • Oathbringer
  • Dawnshard
  • Rhythm of War
  • Wind and Truth
• Era 2
  • The Lost Metal

That should minimize spoilers while maximizing the chance of recognizing Minor references and Easter Eggs. 

Hope that helps

Thank you very much! To be exact, I don't wanna split Era 2 Either, but I figured since books 1-3 of era 2 combined are shorter than one stormlight book, might as well reread them after stormlight and before the lost metal. I've heard each era 2 book is pretty standalone so I guess Bands of mourning has a closed ending.

[Treamayne]

8 minutes ago, Tiprix said:

I've heard each era 2 book is pretty standalone so I guess Bands of mourning has a closed ending.

Mostly (Very slight non-plot spoilers)

Spoiler

There's also a time-skip between BoM and TLM

 

8 minutes ago, Tiprix said:

I've heard each era 2 book is pretty standalone

Generally speaking, Brandon does a good job separating book-arc from series arcs, and each book (SA and Mistborn) does get closure for its book plots. 

Edited November 3, 2025 by Treamayne
Clarity/SPAG

[Hoids4thApprentice he/him]

On 11/2/2025 at 1:47 PM, Tiprix said:

I want to get into Cosmere and have been crafting a reading order for myself. Most of it has been pretty clear but I have one problem. I love to binge long series without splitting them and would like to do the same with Stormlight Archive but I'm confused about the best place to read it in relation to Mistborn era 2. The main 3 options I consider are (assuming I read Secret History instantly after Bands of Mourning):

1. SA after whole era 2
2. SA between Band of Mourning and The Lost Metal
3. SA before era 2

I am leaning towards option 1 since it's the one recommended on this sub's chart. My main priority is avoiding spoilers since I know there exist some between both series. Secondary priority is understanding connections. Are there any pros and cons of these options you can explain without any spoilers? Big thanks in advance!

I think Treamayne has done a great job in explaining the potential spoilers and connections between the Stormlight books and the rest of the Cosmere.

I would have some differences in the recommended reading order though, based on your wanting to read long series straight through while avoiding spoilers, but also being able to understand connections and what I consider to be an influential extra factor. 

I started reading Cosmere in 2010. As a result, I devoured Mistoborn era 1, Elantris, Warbreaker, Way of Kings and Alloy of Law in that order within months of each other. All of these books, together with the White Sand Omnibus and the Emperors Soul, are very light in Cosmere connections.  So, you are not going to get any spoilers for later work if you read these first (and if you choose to read the chronologically early stories from Arcanum Unbounded: Hope of Elantris (straight after Elantris); and 11th Metal after Mistborn Era 1 ). They will also tee you up for catching later connections in the rest of Mistborn era 2 and Stormlight. (I'll come to my recommendations for reading Sixth of the Dust and Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell later). 

While I understand that your 3 main considerations in forming your reading order are: reading related series in sequence; avoiding spoilers; and understanding connections. I do think that (independent of actual publication order), the nature of Brandon's writing has changed since the early days. Personally, I think you will give yourself the maximum enjoyment if you take this into account as neither the full five book ark of Stormlight nor era 2 of Mistborn read as cleanly in their series order as they do if you account for the changes in how Brandon's conception of the Cosmere evolves while he is writing.

As a result I would recommend the following order if you choose to stick to reading a Secret History after the Bands of Mourning:

• Mistborn Era 1: The Final Empire; The Well of Ascension; The Hero of Ages (and the the 11th Metal).
• Elantris (and Hope of Elantris)
• Warbreaker
• The Emperors Soul
• White Sand Graphic Novel Omnibus
• The Alloy of Law (and Allomancer Jack and the Pits of Eltania)
• Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance (followed by Edgedancer) 
• Oathbringer
• Shadows of Self
• Bands of Mourning
• Mistborn a Secret History
• (Dawnshard preceding) Rhythm of War
• Wind and Truth
• The Lost Metal 
• The Secret Projects: Sunlit Man, Tress of the Emerald Sea, Yumi and the Nightmare Paitner, Isles of the Emberdark)

Sixth of the Dusk is from a much later time in the Cosmere than any of the others and personally (despite it not having any real spoilers for other books until the Sunlit Man and The Isles of the Emberdark) I wouldn't read this until after Oathbringer and before Dawnshard (if then). I would actually skip this altogether and read Isle of the Emberdark after the Stormlight Archive and Lost Metal (as above) without reading Sixth of the Dusk first.

I know you have made a decision to read Mistborn a Secret History after Bands of Morning to avoid the (minor) spoilers contained in Secret History for the former book. For me, I found the Secret History to be hugely confusing when I read it after Bands of Mourning as the whole narrative of a Secret History is interlaced with the events of the original era 1 trilogy. In my re-reads, I have always read it straight after Mistborn Era 1. If you were to reconsider where you read the Secret History, I would recommend:

• Elantris (and Hope of Elantris)
• Warbreaker
• The Emperors Soul
• White Sand Graphic Novel Omnibus
• Shadows for Slience in the Forests of Hell
• Mistborn Era 1: The Final Empire; The Well of Ascension; The Hero of Ages (and the the 11th Metal).
• Mistborn a Secret History
• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance (followed by Edgedancer) 
• Oathbringer
• The Alloy of Law (and Allomancer Jack and the Pits of Eltania); 
• Shadows of Self
• Bands of Mourning
• (Dawnshard preceding) Rhythm of War
• Wind and Truth
• The Lost Metal 
• The Secret Projects: Sunlit Man, Tress of the Emerald Sea, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, Isles of the Emberdark

Both reading orders take into account 2 internal time jumps within Mistborn era 2 (Between Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self and between Bands of Morning and Lost Metal) and between Oahbringer and (Dawnshard then) the Rhythm of War in Stormlight. Both mine and Treamayne's recommendation for reading the Lost Metal after Wind and Truth is (as you probably know) based on the fact that Wind and Truth takes place before the Lost Metal in the wider Cosmere chronology,