Reading Order for the Uninitiated

[StarrFall]

I have a few friends whom I've convinced to dive into the Cosmere with me, and I've put together a reading list for them to help guide them through the various books in dependency order while attempting to keep momentum in a given star system where it makes sense.  I want to set my friends up for maximum enjoyment and appreciation of the Cosmere at large, not just the individual stories, and since Sanderson fans are so thorough I thought the community would quickly help me address things I may have forgotten since my last read

 

1. Mistborn: The Final Empire
   1. Dependencies: None
2. Mistborn: The Well of Ascension
   1. Dependencies: The Final Empire
3. Mistborn: The Hero of Ages
   1. Dependencies: The Well of Ascension
4. White Sand: Volume 1 (illustrated)
   1. Dependencies: None
5. Mistborn: The Eleventh Metal (short)
   1. Dependencies: The Hero of Ages, White Sand: Volume 1 (not strictly necessary but introduces "author" of Arcanum Unbounded)
6. Elantris
   1. Dependencies: None
7. The Hope of Elantris (short)
   1. Dependencies: Elantris
8. The Emperor's Soul
   1. Dependencies: None
9. Stormlight: The Way of Kings
   1. Dependencies: None
10. Stormlight: Words of Radiance
    1. Dependencies: The Way of Kings
11. Warbreaker
    1. Dependencies: None
12. Mistborn: The Alloy of Law
    1. Dependencies: The Hero of Ages
13. Mistborn: Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (short)
    1. Dependencies: The Allow of Law (included therein as a series of interludes that look like newspaper clippings)
14. Mistborn: Shadows of Self
    1. Dependencies: The Allow of Law
15. Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning
    1. Dependencies: Shadows of Self
16. Mistborn: Secret History
    1. Dependencies: The Bands of Mourning, White Sand: Volume 1
17. Sixth of the Dusk (short)
    1. Dependencies: The Bands of Mourning (not strictly necessary but recommended; could really be read at any time)
18. Stormlight: Edgedancer (short)
    1. Dependencies: Words of Radiance
19. Stormlight: Oathbringer
    1. Dependencies: Edgedancer, Warbreaker, Mistborn: Secret History
20. White Sand: Volume 2 (illustrated)
    1. Dependencies: White Sand: Volume 1
21. White Sand: Volume 3 (illustrated)
    1. Dependencies: White Sand: Volume 2
22. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (short)
    1. Dependencies: None, read at any point

 

Notes?

[+ILuvHats he/him]

Just a few things:

1. I’d move White Sand Vol. 1 by the other graphic novels, towards the end. I know that you want to introduce them to Kriss, but honestly I don’t think it’s too necessary. More importantly, it’s generally agreed that the graphic novels weren’t the best executed, so if it’s early on, it might put them off, especially if they have high expectations after reading Mistborn Era 1.

2. I’d put Warbreaker before SA. I missed out on the Nightblood reveal since I read WB after WoR, and I’ve wished ever since that I’d read them in a different order. 

3. Honestly, I wouldn’t put an order to the short stories at all. I’d just say “read whenever you want, as long as it’s after X.”

[Karger he/him]

4 minutes ago, Ooklidean Geometry said:

1. I’d move White Sand Vol. 1 by the other graphic novels, towards the end. I know that you want to introduce them to Kriss, but honestly I don’t think it’s too necessary. More importantly, it’s generally agreed that the graphic novels weren’t the best executed, so if it’s early on, it might put them off, especially if they have high expectations after reading Mistborn Era 1.

Agreed.

4 minutes ago, Ooklidean Geometry said:

3. Honestly, I wouldn’t put an order to the short stories at all. I’d just say “read whenever you want, as long as it’s after X.”

Also agreed.

I also think you should keep SA together mostly.  It is the most complex and they may loose track of some characters.  Finally I have to stress this.  The maximum enjoyment is going to depend on the reader.  You should have more then one reading list and be prepared to make changes as you go depending on who likes what and for what reasons.

[StarrFall]

The part I omitted was an explanation that they could really move any of those that don't have dependencies around as they see fit, and further that my intention was to stack these so that I don't accidentally reveal something I shouldn't when they want to come and talk to me after finishing a title (ex: revealing the origin of the "sky people" in 6th of the Dusk to someone who hasn't read the origin story of the sky people from 6th of the Dusk).  I have read everything and can't remember what happens when, so am always hesitant to talk about crossover stuff they just read about for fear of spoilering the unread crossover story.

Agreed on White Sand; it is lackluster comparatively and the "crossover awareness value" is almost nil.  Also, were I to keep SA together then it should probably be moved to the end of the list since Oathbringer has the most crossover to date, ya?

[StarrFall]

15 minutes ago, Ooklidean Geometry said:

2. I’d put Warbreaker before SA. I missed out on the Nightblood reveal since I read WB after WoR, and I’ve wished ever since that I’d read them in a different order. 

One of the folks this list is for did the same thing, and it was the motivator for this list/post .  I made sure it was situated prior to Oathbringer for that reason, though no reason they can't read it before ever dipping into SA.

Edited November 27, 2019 by StarrFall

[Karger he/him]

6 minutes ago, StarrFall said:

Agreed on White Sand; it is lackluster comparatively and the "crossover awareness value" is almost nil.  Also, were I to keep SA together then it should probably be moved to the end of the list since Oathbringer has the most crossover to date, ya?

So far just putting it after Warbreaker is all that is really necessary.

[StarrFall]

27 minutes ago, Ookla the Prolific said:

So far just putting it after Warbreaker is all that is really necessary.

True, for the most part. I did personally did get value out of having read Secret History prior to Oathbringer and there is the appearance of the 17th Shard in Oathbringer (or maybe WoR) to consider.  Secret History nicely introduces the Cognitive Realm and Oathbringer deals heavily in that, and discussing the 17th Shard would essentially require that they have read almost everything released up until their reveal in SA, as the dependencies are all over the place there.

Edited November 27, 2019 by StarrFall

[Karger he/him]

16 minutes ago, StarrFall said:

True, for the most part. I did personally did get value out of having read Secret History prior to Oathbringer and there is the appearance of the 17th Shard in Oathbringer (or maybe WoR) to consider.  Secret History nicely introduces the Cognitive Realm and Oathbringer deals heavily in that, and discussing the 17th Shard would essentially require that they have read almost everything released up until their reveal in SA, as the dependencies are all over the place there.

I got great enjoyment out of reading SA first then Mistborn then Elantris and Warbreaker.  I finished with arcanum unbound and then White Sand.  I personally enjoyed that reading order even if it makes no sense organization wise.  You can get payoffs both by thinking "ohhhhh so that's what that was" and by "aha I know what that is!"  I personally prefer the former others prefer the latter.  Perhaps you should make two lists with these different principals in mind.

[StarrFall]

3 minutes ago, Ookla the Prolific said:

You can get payoffs both by thinking "ohhhhh so that's what that was" and by "aha I know what that is!"  I personally prefer the former others prefer the latter.  Perhaps you should make two lists with these different principals in mind.

That is an excellent point, I may do that. 

[Karger he/him]

Just now, StarrFall said:

That is an excellent point, I may do that. 

Thank you.

[aneonfoxtribute]

My personal reading order, as recommended to me by someone else (and as edited by myself when the library was being uncooperative, but mostly his) and I really like, was Era 1-Elantris-Way of Kings-Warbreaker-Words of Radiance-White Sand 1&2-Alloy of Law-Arcanum except Secret History-Shadows of Self-Bands of Mourning-Oathbringer

[Kingsdaughter613 she/her]

On 11/27/2019 at 10:49 AM, Ooklidean Geometry said:

Just a few things:

1. I’d move White Sand Vol. 1 by the other graphic novels, towards the end. I know that you want to introduce them to Kriss, but honestly I don’t think it’s too necessary. More importantly, it’s generally agreed that the graphic novels weren’t the best executed, so if it’s early on, it might put them off, especially if they have high expectations after reading Mistborn Era 1.

2. I’d put Warbreaker before SA. I missed out on the Nightblood reveal since I read WB after WoR, and I’ve wished ever since that I’d read them in a different order. 

3. Honestly, I wouldn’t put an order to the short stories at all. I’d just say “read whenever you want, as long as it’s after X.”

The later volumes were better executed than the first, thankfully. In part because we got a better artist. (The first one gave me a headache!) Also, later books did more ‘showing’; the first book insisted on telling us EVERYTHING. It drove me absolutely nuts.

My reading order: Mistborn Era1. Elantris (+Hope of) and Warbreaker. The Emperor’s Soul. SA + Edgedancer. White Sand prose. Mistborn Era 2. Reread Era 1 while inserting SH at the appropriate points; this will happen while waiting for the next SA book. Read the rest of AU. (Note: Alomancer Jak should be read AFTER BoM and SH. It reads rather differently after.) White Sand GN. Aether of Night.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Kingsdaughter613

[fammann]

When I started reading the cosmere books I used this diagram as a reference. 

[fammann]

It is outdated by now but it’s a good starting point in my opinion. 

My reading order was quite chaotic. I mostly don’t like to read two books in a series in a row. 

Mistborn Final Empire 

Elantris

Well of Ascension 

Hero of Ages

Way of Kings

Warbreaker

Words of Radiance

Arcanum Unbounded 

Oathbringer

Alloy of Law

The bulk of Arcanum Unbounded I read were I put it in the order but some stories I read earlier. 

[fammann]

Oh I forgot White Sand. I read that at the same time as Oatbringer.