Your first & favourite Sanderson novel

[Young Bard he/him]

I have a theory.

 

Over time, I've spoken on the forums to people who say that there favourite Sanderson series was either the Stormlight Archive, Mistborn,or Warbreaker (fine, it's not a series yet. Who cares).

 

I have a theory, however.

 

My hypothesis: With the exception of Elantris, the first Sanderson novel we read is automatically our favourite.

 

Please answer and explain below. I am genuinely curious to see whether I'm right.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Ookla the Incalculable

[TheMightyLopen he/him]

The first Sanderson novel that I read was Steelheart. But after reading and re-reading the first 2 Stormlight Archive books, it is now my favorite Sanderson series. While I do love the Reckoners series, I just love the characters and the world of Roshar more. 

[natc]

Steelheart first too. Wasn't deliberate, it was random bookstore browsing.

My favorite always fluctuates but Steelheart always ranks high.

[DreamEternal]

I first read mistborn, but I greatly prefer SA.

[Blightsong he/him]

My first was WoK, and my favorite is WoK.

[Curiosity he/him]

You want me to pick a favorite? I'm not sure I can do that. For context, though, I first read Alcatraz and my favorite may be Alcatraz, Elantris, The Rithmatist, Way of Kings, or the Emperor's Soul. 

[Botanica she/her]

Elantris is my first Sanderson book, and I loved it (and everything from Sel). But when compared to SA, which is my third Cosmere series, I'll pick the latter. (So I can prove the exception of Elantris.) The settings of Roshar are just my cup of tea. WoK is my all-time favourite and I can read WoR forever

Edited December 1, 2015 by Botanica

[baby he/him]

First was Steelheart, favorite is warbreaker

[The Sovereign]

First was "The Gathering Storm"
Favorite was "Warbreaker"

Edited December 1, 2015 by Iron Eyes

[Moonskin she/her]

I read Mistborn some years ago and I really loved it; but Stormlight Archive is even better to my taste 

[DSC01 he/him]

The Final Empire was my first Sanderson book, but I like The Stormlight Archive better than Mistborn.

[vividox]

The Final Empire was my first Sanderson book I read, but I think my favorite is Warbreaker (my top 3 are definitely Warbreaker, Words of Radiance, and The Final Empire - number one kind of depends on my mood).

[Khyrindor he/him]

They just keep getting better and better for me. I started with Elantris, and went crazy about how awesome it was. Then the Mistborn series blew my mind, and the WoK blew my mind. And then WoR managed to top it. 

[WeiryWriter he/him]

Technically my first Sanderson book was T he Gathering Storm, but my first solo Sanderson was Mistborn. My favorite is definitely The Rithmatist though.

[Kestrel she/her]

First was Mistborn.

Favorite is Mistborn.

[Guest]

Wrong. My first Sanderson novel was Mistborn and my favorite Sanderson book is by far the Stormlight Archive.

 

Edit: Technically, my first novels were the WoT ones, but I don't count them as true Sanderson stories.

Edited December 2, 2015 by maxal

[Young Bard he/him]

Hmmm...

 

Maybe if we lump Steelheart and WoT as 'exemptions'. They also seem to make up a lot of the number that breaks the rule.

 

That makes sense. Steelheart isn't 'standard' Sanderson, and WoT is not a solo Sanderson.

 

(For reference, that's something for me to work out another time. This poll can remain as it is. It would be too confusing to change now.)

 

My first and favourite: Mistborn

[Skye_Meii she/her]

Well I first read Mistborn and a long line of Sanderson books after that and my favourite one (Warbreaker) was one of the most recent reads… So your theory is not for me

 

/Edit: Now that I think of it, Mistborn was not my fist Sanderson read but the ones from the Wheel of Time. But since they were not his own but "only" finishing Robert Jordan's work, I don't think they count.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Skye_Meii

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

First I read was Mistborn. And I hold The Final Empire as the best one (although Mistborn is the only thing I have completed by Sanderson)...

[Mailliw73 he/him]

First read Elantris, Mistborn was second. Mistborn is my favorite. So I prove the Elantris exception again.

[Silverblade5 he/him]

First was Infinity Blade: Awakening. Fav was WOK.

[Wubdor he/him]

First was Mistborn (FE) and it is indeed my favourite.

[The Ninja Yodeler he/him]

First was "The Gathering Storm"

Favorite was "Warbreaker"

Same with The Gathering Storm. I didnt even realize it was a different author until A Memory of Light. Saw it was Sanderson. Picked up AoL from my library (which has almost all the Cosmere novels, minus Elantris). Loved it. Its been a black hole of Sanderson ever since.

Fav: Toss up. Mistborn series or SA. I really cant choose.

Edited December 4, 2015 by The Ninja Yodeler

[kaellok he/him]

Technically my first Sanderson book was T he Gathering Storm, but my first solo Sanderson was Mistborn. 

Same!  But my favorite series is SA.  Or Warbreaker if I'm in a mood and annoyed about Kaladin being in a mood and having to read about it (it doesn't have to make sense, stop judging me!).  

 

When I first read Warbreaker, I thought it was worse than Mistborn.  But, after some years and multiple re-reads, I just keep liking Warbreaker more and more, while my love for Mistborn decreased ~4%.

[Plaeggs he/him]

My first Cosmere was Mistborn TFE, I think it's still my favourite. SA is pretty awesome too, probably has the best characters but TFE has always just been so satisfying to read. What can I say, I love archetypes. My first Sanderson was Steelheart, found while shelfbrowsing at the local bookstore, but that was before I knew Sanderson existed (In the way that many authors are just names on the cover, I had never heard of him). I started TFE about a year ago and since, have read each big cosmere novel at least twice. I remember distinctly looking up something I saw in Mistborn I didn't understand, making my way onto the Coppermind, and my subsequent discovery that the world of Mistborn was in fact the universe of the Cosmere and that (gasp) there were more of these.