How to Navigate the Brandon Sanderson Cosmere Series Timeline

Books:

• White Sand Vol. 1
• White Sand Vol. 2
• White Sand Vol. 3

Believed to beryllium acceptable archetypal chronologically, the White Sand graphic novels instrumentality spot connected Taldain, a godforsaken satellite wherever individuals tin beryllium trained to go Sand Masters. Following a antheral named Kenton who is grooming to beryllium one, the 3 volumes absorption connected him trying to get to the bottommost of who was down a astonishment onslaught that killed galore of the different Sand Masters. White Sand ran from 2016 to 2019 and is based connected a manuscript that was 1 of Brandon’s earliest works, with an excerpt of this aboriginal penning included successful the Arcanum Unbounded collection. You tin expect that occasional easter ovum oregon motion to White Sand successful aboriginal books, but not arsenic overmuch arsenic different entries (yet) successful the Cosmere.

Elantris - World: Sel

Books:

• Elantris
• The Hope of Elantris
• The Emperors Soul

Taking spot connected the satellite of Sel, Elantris was Sanderson's archetypal published work, released backmost successful 2005. Due to assorted factors successful aboriginal books, it is assumed that Elantris takes spot precise aboriginal successful the timeline of the Cosmere books. The communicative follows a fewer antithetic viewpoints, including the crown prince Raoden, of a kingdom known arsenic Arelon, his soon-to-be bride Princess Sarene, and the precocious clergyman Hrathen. The namesake of the book, 'Elantris' is the sanction of a metropolis that, years earlier the book, a cataclysm known arsenic the Reod robbed the Elantrians of their astir god-like powers and magic, and near them arsenic to what could lone beryllium described arsenic sentient zombie-like people.

Elantris plays astir with the thought of what happens erstwhile a world's magic strategy simply breaks, and nary 1 knows however to hole it. It is simply a amusive work with its just stock of surprises and twists. While we cognize that Sanderson is readying 2 sequels for Elantris, arsenic of 2025, this remains a stand-alone novel, but not the lone 1 acceptable successful the satellite of Sel.

The Hope of Elantris (Arcanum Unbounded)

The Hope of Elantris takes spot during the events recovered astatine the extremity of Elantris with an purpose to capable successful immoderate gaps and moments successful the story, providing further context. As such, this perfectly should not beryllium work earlier finishing Elantris; instead, enjoyed arsenic a small other dessert afterwards. To further sweeten the deal, successful summation to being included successful the Arcanum Unbounded collection, you tin really work this wholly for escaped disconnected of Sanderson’s website!

The Emperor's Soul (Arcanum Unbounded)

Taking spot connected Sel, aft the events of Elantris and The Hope of Elantris, but successful a antithetic nation, The Emperor’s Soul follows a thief named Shai, who has been tasked with recreating the psyche of an Emperor. This publication introduces caller magic that had antecedently not been seen successful the different Sel acceptable books, and offers a much asian-inspired mounting and theme. It’s a amusive read, and getting a grasp connected this caller magical forgery instrumentality volition travel successful useful arsenic you work aboriginal books. This is 1 of the novellas included successful the Arcanum Unbounded collection.

Books:

• The Eleventh Metal (Arcanum Unbounded)
• Mistborn: The Final Empire
• Mistborn: Secret History (Arcanum Unbounded - READ AFTER HERO OF AGES)
• The Well of Ascension
• Hero of Ages

The Mistborn titles, particularly the archetypal Era, are immoderate of the astir well-known and beloved of the Cosmere-connected books, and a fantastic archetypal halt if you privation to exposure yourself to Sanderson's penning and style. Taking spot successful the satellite of Scadrial, epoch 1 focuses connected the adventures and exploits of a young thief named Vin, and Kelsier, a fable successful his ain time, arsenic they enactment to overthrow the existent empire and make a caller satellite order.

Some radical of this satellite are capable to "burn" oregon usage a assortment of metals they swallow for antithetic effects, similar pushing disconnected of metal, altering the emotions of adjacent people, and more. In the scope of the Cosmere, the events that transpire connected Scardrial volition beryllium immensely important to aboriginal books, and are a must-read for anyone to truly get into this universe.

Mistborn: Secret History (Arcanum Unbounded)

Mistborn: Secret History is simply a pugnacious 1 to discuss, arsenic astir everything astir it volition beryllium alternatively spoilery. This novella takes spot betwixt the events astatine the extremity of The Final Empire and the commencement of Hero of Ages. Read this aft finishing Mistborn Era 1, and don’t look up thing astir it until past unless you privation large spoilers!

The Eleventh Metal (Arcanum Unbound)

The Eleventh Metal novella serves arsenic a prequel to the archetypal Mistborn: The Final Empire book. It explores Kelsier's aboriginal days aft receiving his allomantic abilities, arsenic helium learns from his teacher, Gemmel. This abbreviated communicative was initially included successful the Mistborn Adventure Game, but was aboriginal included successful the merchandise of Arcanum Unbounded. While chronologically speaking, this is earlier the main Era 1 books, you volition get much retired of it, speechmaking it aft you person finished astatine minimum The Final Empire, if not Hero of Ages.

Warbreaker - World: Nalthis

The nonstop placement of Warbreaker is inactive a spot up for discussion, whether it takes spot earlier Mistborn epoch 1 oregon after, but we bash cognize for definite that it is earlier the Stormlight Archive. Taking spot connected the satellite of Nalthis, Warbreaker focuses connected the 2 princesses, Vivenna and her younger sister Siri. Circumstances propulsion some of the sisters into situations they weren’t prepared for, Siri needing to instrumentality implicit successful a relation that was to beryllium handled by her sister, and Vivenna needing to find a caller intent successful beingness portion besides doing what she tin to prevention her sister. Should they succeed, it whitethorn conscionable forestall a warfare and forestall an penetration of their home..

As it presently stands, overmuch similar Elantris, Warbreaker is simply a standalone book, but Sanderson has promised a follow-up to Warbreaker sometime successful the future. Warbreaker and immoderate characters wrong bash person a larger interaction connected the Cosmere and different worlds, making this a beauteous important publication to read, but luckily, it isn’t incredibly long, having been published comparatively aboriginal successful his vocation backmost successful 2009. Warbreaker besides has the added payment of introducing arguably the champion sentient sword successful each of phantasy with Nightblood.

Shadows for Silence successful the Forests of Hell (Arcanum Unbound) - World: Threnody

At astir 18,000 words, Shadows for Silence successful the Forests of Hell is simply a abbreviated novella that you tin bust retired successful a sitting oregon two. Taking spot successful the satellite of Threnody, presently believed to beryllium lone a insignificant satellite successful the Cosmere’s communicative arsenic a full (so far), Shadows follows Silence Montane, the proprietress of a waystop successful the Forests of Hell. She accepts a bounty to way down a notorious highwayman, and things rapidly get rocky for Silence, which volition person repercussions for her family. Inside the Arcanum Unbounded collection, Sanderson besides includes a tiny effort that elaborates a spot much connected the Threnodite strategy successful the Cosmere. This communicative is simply a bully small palate cleanser to work betwixt larger works.

Books:

• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance
• Edgedancer (Book 2.5 - Arcanum Unbounded & Standalone)
• Oathbringer
• Dawnshard (Book 3.5)
• Rhythm of War
• Wind and Truth

The Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson's behemoth of a series, with books often spanning much than 1100 pages.. Taking spot connected the satellite of Roshar, Stormlight Archive instantly immerses readers into the mediate of a long-standing struggle betwixt the Alethi (a kingdom of Humans) and the Parshendi, a humanoid radical adorned with a carapace that grows from them. The struggle began years earlier aft the assassination of the Alethi king.

This bid defines the genre of "epic fantasy" much truthful than immoderate different of Sanderon's work, with readers being treated to an intricate magic system, a staggering magnitude of lore and satellite building, and fantastic formed of characters that you volition travel arsenic you effort to portion unneurotic what has pb to the events successful these books, and what is to come. From magic knights to gods, heroes forced to emergence to the juncture and a satellite wherever emotions are fixed signifier successful the signifier of creatures known arsenic 'Spren', this archetypal arc of the Stormlight Archive finds itself smack dab successful the mediate of the Cosmere, some chronologically speaking and arsenic a cardinal pillar of the beingness itself.

The last publication of this archetypal portion of the Archive, Wind and Truth, was released successful December 2024. The adjacent publication is not expected until sometime successful the aboriginal 2030s, truthful luckily, determination is inactive plentifulness of clip to dive successful and get caught up. This is simply a must-read to get into the Cosmere, but not 1 that I would urge arsenic a jumping-in point. This full arc takes spot implicit the people of astir 2 years.

Edgedancer

Taking spot betwixt Books 2 (Words of Radiance) and 3 (Oathbringer) of the archetypal enactment of the Stormlight Archive, Edgedancer follows the quality of Lift, who is archetypal introduced successful an interlude successful Words of Radiance. This young thief has a decidedly unsocial code and property erstwhile compared to others connected Roshar, and this novella would beryllium champion enjoyed aft completing Oathbringer.

Dawnshard

Dawnshard takes spot betwixt Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, the 3rd and 4th books of the Stormlight Archive, and follows Rysn and different notable Stormlight characters, including the beloved “The Lopen”. Moments from this publication are mentioned successful Rhythm of War, truthful you volition beryllium good speechmaking it beforehand, but it is conscionable arsenic enjoyable speechmaking it after, to get a amended grip connected events mentioned successful the book. Also, you get much Lopen, which is ne'er a atrocious thing.

Books:

• The Alloy of Law
• Shadows of Self
• The Bands of Mourning
• The Lost Metal

The 2nd epoch of the Mistborn titles picks up astir 300 years aft the events of The Hero of Ages connected Scadrial. Whereas the archetypal acceptable of books took spot successful a much medieval society, the satellite of Scadrial present resembles thing much akin to the American Frontier oregon the aboriginal Industrial Revolution. The 2nd epoch follows the exploits of the mercenary allomancer lawman, Wax, and his spouse Wayne, dealing with the newer threats posed by the advances of exertion and besides the problems caused by the events that transpired successful the past. This each results successful a acceptable of stories that feels some acquainted and marque caller each astatine the aforesaid time, with immoderate of the astir beloved characters successful the Cosmere.

It’s advised that you don’t tackle the Wax and Wayne books until you person completed astatine slightest the archetypal acceptable of Mistborn books. However, arsenic being 1 of the much caller Cosmere releases, the 4th and last book, The Lost Metal, starts moving successful much connections with the Cosmere arsenic a whole, truthful you volition get much retired of that past publication especially, the much of the erstwhile books of the Cosmere you person work already.

Sixth of the Dusk (Arcanum Unbounded) - World: First of the Sun

Among the entries contained wrong Arcanum Unbounded, Sixth of the Dusk takes spot the furthest down the timeline. Set astir the ample land known arsenic Patji connected the satellite known arsenic First of the Sun, this abbreviated novella (clocking successful conscionable nether 18,000 words) follows a trapper named Sixth of the Dusk arsenic helium tries to prevention his home. This publication is presently believed to instrumentality spot alternatively acold up successful the timeline of the Cosmere arsenic it features a contention of radical with precocious abstraction question technology. It besides has magic parrots.

Tress of the Emerald Sea - World: Lumar

Tress was the archetypal of Brandon Sanderon’s Secret Project Kickstarter titles that helium wrote during the pandemic, unbeknownst to anyone but his wife. A standalone caller taking spot successful the satellite of Lumar, which is location to an emerald greenish water of spores, Tress of the Emerald Sea is astir a young miss who sets retired to find and rescue her love. Sanderson describes his inspiration for Tress arsenic “what if Buttercup from the Princess Bride had been much proactive.”

Currently, Tress of the Emerald Sea is believed to beryllium determination successful the distant aboriginal of the Cosmere, but wherever it precisely lands is simply a mystery.

The Sunlit Man - World: Canticle

Taking spot connected the satellite of Canticle, wherever the sunlight tin melt the precise stone, The Sunlit Man was the 4th publication of Brandon’s Secret Projects and follows the immortal known arsenic Nomad, who is caught successful a struggle betwixt rebels and a tyrant. Much similar the different concealed task novels, this is besides a standalone rubric that takes spot acold successful the aboriginal of the Cosmere, but its circumstantial placement is nebulous.

Even though this is simply a standalone title, it’s recommended that you don’t work this until you decorativeness the archetypal arc of the Stormlight Archive because…reasons…

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter - World: Komashi

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, 3rd of the Secret Projects, takes spot connected Komashi, wherever mysticism and exertion butt heads against 1 another. Following the characters of Painter, who works arsenic a Nightmare Painter (someone that captures acheronian beings) and Yumi (a traveling priestess that tin summon and bid spirits). A drawstring of events binds the 2 of them together, and they person to fig retired wherefore and however to get retired of it.

Yumi and the Nightmare creator is standalone and feels decidedly antithetic from different books successful the Cosmere, with its mounting being a premix of Japanese and Korean influences, with Brandon mentioning that the archetypal conception came from his vulnerability to the manga Hikaru nary Go and different media similar the anime movie Your Name and Final Fantasy X. Believed to instrumentality spot acold successful the aboriginal of the Cosmere, this tin beryllium a amusive archetypal outing to dip your toes into the Cosmere.

Originally posted:

Jun 14, 2025 1:30 pm