what should I read now?

[tomi832]

well, 2 and a half hours ago I finally finished the first mistborn trilogy (yay me...I actually cried a bit at the epilogue).

I wanna dive into more of Cosmere, so what should I do? My friends told me that I should really try out Stormlight Archive although I know there are many more stories...Elantris went out even before Mistborn and its from Cosmere so should I read it first? what's the best way to dive into?

Many thanks to anyone who helps

[Andy92]

I started with the Mistborn trilogy and went into Stormlight Archive next. The Way of Kings is my favorite Sanderson book so I obviously highly recommend it. Your other options include the Era 2 Mistborn books starting with The Alloy of Law. These books take place on the same planet as the first trilogy a few hundred years later with new characters. If you'd rather read a standalone book next, try Warbreaker. I personally didn't read Elantris for a while, and it's not something you have to read next. In my opinion it's not as exciting as his other books, but it's still a decent read. 

[Dunkum]

I'd personally recommend Warbreaker, I think.  Mistborn era 2 incorporates a bit more cosmere stuff into it.  not so much that you'd be lost if you hadn't read anything else, but enough that having a better foundation when you get to it will help you catch things that might otherwise go over your head.  Stormlight is good, but is unfinished, and Elantris, as Andy92 says above, isn't quite as exciting as the other books (still pretty good, everything is relative here).

[king of nowhere]

there isn't a "mandatory" reading order. while cosmere books are interconnected, the connections are so thin that they have nothing to do with the main plot, and only concern some hidden cosmere plot that we haven't figured out yet. So, go ahead and read whatever you can grab first

[tomi832]

1 hour ago, Andy92 said:

I started with the Mistborn trilogy and went into Stormlight Archive next. The Way of Kings is my favorite Sanderson book so I obviously highly recommend it. Your other options include the Era 2 Mistborn books starting with The Alloy of Law. These books take place on the same planet as the first trilogy a few hundred years later with new characters. If you'd rather read a standalone book next, try Warbreaker. I personally didn't read Elantris for a while, and it's not something you have to read next. In my opinion it's not as exciting as his other books, but it's still a decent read. 

 

41 minutes ago, Dunkum said:

I'd personally recommend Warbreaker, I think.  Mistborn era 2 incorporates a bit more cosmere stuff into it.  not so much that you'd be lost if you hadn't read anything else, but enough that having a better foundation when you get to it will help you catch things that might otherwise go over your head.  Stormlight is good, but is unfinished, and Elantris, as Andy92 says above, isn't quite as exciting as the other books (still pretty good, everything is relative here).

 

15 minutes ago, king of nowhere said:

there isn't a "mandatory" reading order. while cosmere books are interconnected, the connections are so thin that they have nothing to do with the main plot, and only concern some hidden cosmere plot that we haven't figured out yet. So, go ahead and read whatever you can grab first

 

ok, so I think that I'll start with warbreaker (if I'll find it in the library) since its not a series (although I've seen that there is a small sequel, but its a short story and not a novel), and then I'll start with Stormlight. Thank you all!

btw, is there any other good Cosmere books beside what you've already told me here?

[Calderis]

19 minutes ago, tomi832 said:

 

 

 

ok, so I think that I'll start with warbreaker (if I'll find it in the library) since its not a series (although I've seen that there is a small sequel, but its a short story and not a novel), and then I'll start with Stormlight. Thank you all!

btw, is there any other good Cosmere books beside what you've already told me here?

https://brandonsanderson.com/warbreaker-introduction/

Right there is a link to the free html version of Warbreaker on Brandon's website. 

And people's favorites differ... But they're all good. In my opinion, Elantris is the Weakest story, but the main Antagonist Hrathen is one of my favorite characters ever. 

After you've read Warbreaker and Elantris, I would personally say, because it contains pretty much everything else, to get Arcanum Unbounded, under two caveats. First having read the Mistborn trilogy, the main spoilers of Secret History your good on. There are some more minor spoilers through the end of Bands of Mourning in Era 2 though. Second DO NOT read Edgedancer until after SA. 

So yeah, read Elantris and Warbreaker, then either Era 2 and SA before Arcanum Unbounded to be safe, or pick it up and skip Edgedancer (and optionally SH) until after you've read those. 

[tomi832]

1 hour ago, Calderis said:

https://brandonsanderson.com/warbreaker-introduction/

Right there is a link to the free html version of Warbreaker on Brandon's website. 

And people's favorites differ... But they're all good. In my opinion, Elantris is the Weakest story, but the main Antagonist Hrathen is one of my favorite characters ever. 

After you've read Warbreaker and Elantris, I would personally say, because it contains pretty much everything else, to get Arcanum Unbounded, under two caveats. First having read the Mistborn trilogy, the main spoilers of Secret History your good on. There are some more minor spoilers through the end of Bands of Mourning in Era 2 though. Second DO NOT read Edgedancer until after SA. 

So yeah, read Elantris and Warbreaker, then either Era 2 and SA before Arcanum Unbounded to be safe, or pick it up and skip Edgedancer (and optionally SH) until after you've read those. 

so it's better to read Warbreaker and Elantris before Stormlight Archive (that's SA right?)? or it doesn't really matter even in the cosmere universe?

[Calderis]

2 minutes ago, tomi832 said:

so it's better to read Warbreaker and Elantris before Stormlight Archive (that's SA right?)? or it doesn't really matter even in the cosmere universe?

I just listed them first because comparatively they're short reads and stand alone. The order really isn't important. 

[tomi832]

46 minutes ago, Calderis said:

I just listed them first because comparatively they're short reads and stand alone. The order really isn't important. 

 

ok thanks!

[Andy92]

I would suggest:

Warbreaker

The Way of Kings

Words of Radiance

Mistborn Era 2

Elantris 

Arcanum Unbounded 

[StrikerEZ]

5 hours ago, Andy92 said:

I would suggest:

Warbreaker

The Way of Kings

Words of Radiance

Mistborn Era 2

Elantris 

Arcanum Unbounded 

This order's pretty good, though I'd read Elantris after Warbreaker instead. 

EDIT: For clarification, that's because there's a little tidbit from Stormlight that makes more sense with Elantris knowledge. However, you can really read it in any order. I actually read Elantris before any of the other Cosmere books after Mistborn and I read Era 2 Mistborn before Stormlight, so it doesn't really matter when you read it.

Edited June 11, 2017 by StrikerEZ

[The One Who Connects]

The order you read them in isn't a big deal for two reasons

1. Brandon wants them to be largely self-contained series.
2. You won't notice most of the easter eggs from other books until you're on a reread anyway.

Small tidbits of extra info is that Warbreaker is meant to have a proper sequel at some point, and Elantris is meant to be a trilogy in the near-ish future

[Andy92]

2 hours ago, StrikerEZ said:

This order's pretty good, though I'd read Elantris after Warbreaker instead. 

EDIT: For clarification, that's because there's a little tidbit from Stormlight that makes more sense with Elantris knowledge. However, you can really read it in any order. I actually read Elantris before any of the other Cosmere books after Mistborn and I read Era 2 Mistborn before Stormlight, so it doesn't really matter when you read it.

Nothing wrong with that either, my personal bias just tends to not recommend Elantris as much as the other books. It's a decent story but you can tell it was his first published work. I usually recommend it to people who are wanting to dive into the Cosmere more, so for the OP it fits anywhere on a reading timeline really. 

For curiosioty, which SA tidbit are you referring to? I can't think of it offhand. (You can spoiler tag it or PM me). 

[The One Who Connects]

28 minutes ago, Andy92 said:

For curiosity, which SA tidbit are you referring to? I can't think of it offhand. (You can spoiler tag it or PM me). 

Kolo? If more is necessary, the reference in question is:

Spoiler

in Ishikk's Interlude, one of the the individuals he meets with is Galladon

[Andy92]

38 minutes ago, The One Who Connects said:

Kolo? If more is necessary, the reference in question is:

  Reveal hidden contents

in Ishikk's Interlude, one of the the individuals he meets with is Galladon

Oh yeah, duh. My mind was thinking towards the magic systems and Shards. Thanks. 

[Kingsdaughter613]

Since you've just finished Mistborn, if you don't mind minor spoilers, read SH first, as well as the Eleventh Metal. Then read Warbreaker (it's free on Brandon's site) followed by Elantris and ES. Now read all the other short stories + Era2 Scadrial. Note that Sixth of the Dusk should be read last. The reread SH. Now read the Stormlight Archive + Edgedancer. Once done, ask Brandon for a copy of White Sand and read that. 

SH is a funny one, since it rightfully belongs with Era 1. But it does have minor spoilers for BoM. Since you just finished Mistborn I'd say it is worthwhile to read it anyway; that's just me though! SH also has a TON of Cosmere stuff; that's why you reread it once you know more about the three realms and Investiture.

I don't know how fast a reader you are, but if you time it right you should finish WoR and Edgedancer just as Oathbringer is being released. That's why it's last right now.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Kingsdaughter613

[CaptainRyan]

On 6/11/2017 at 3:53 PM, The One Who Connects said:

You won't notice most of the easter eggs from other books until you're on a reread anyway

Warbreaker is the big exception to this in my opinion. I always recommend to people that they read Warbreaker before Stormlight Archive as there is one mind-numbingly obvious easter egg and one less obvious, but still fairly noticeable, easter egg.

[Everstorm Entropy]

I also started with the Mistborn trilogy.  On a whim, I picked up The Way of Kings about a year later and fell head over heels.  Now I can't get enough of the Cosmere and am trying to catch up on all of the works to fill in the gaps.  This is what was recommended to me (and what I'm currently working on getting through):

Mistborn Trilogy

Way of Kings

Warbreaker

Words of Radiance

Elantris

Mistborn 2nd Trilogy

Arcanum Unbound

Whitesand

Though I'm sure there are many ways you could go about reading his works, since they're all very enjoyable as standalone stories/trilogies.  I'd certainly recommend reading Warbreaker in between WoK and WoR for some really awesome tie-ins.

 

[S4S]

I have already posted this in another form, but I think this applies just as well...

I started of with Mistborn, then Warbreaker, Stormlight Archive, Elantris, Mistborn Era 2, Secret History, then Emporer's Soul/Arcanium Unbound. After looking back, I would suggest:

1. Warbreaker

2. Elantris then Emporer's Soul (ES is optional but still good short read)

3. Mistborn Era 1

4. Mistborn Era 2 (up to BoM)

5. Secret History from AU (don't read Edgedancer yet)

6. Stormlight Archive (up to WoR)

7. Edgedancer from AU

I would also recommend Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell and Sixth of the Dust too if you want to take a break somewhere in this list.

I also went to one of Sanderson's book signings and he said the upcoming books for the Cosmere will also be coming out in this order (could be subject to change):

Spoiler

Stormlight 3
Mistborn 2.4
Stormlight 4
Elantris 2
Stormlight 5
Mistborn 3.1

Rithmatist 2 will be included somewhere in this upcoming list.

 

This is my personal list for those just barely beginning their journey into the Cosmere. Hope it helps!

Your humble servant...

Shadows4Silence