Aluminium has appeared in almost every Cosmere world so far, I don't think it has anything to do with allomancy at this point, it's just what aluminium does. Which kinda opens the question about other metals.
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Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere |OT| Journey Before Destination
- Thread starter ExMachina
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Interestingly, the first thing that pops into my head about aluminum is that Shallan had a necklace that was Soulcasted into aluminum. Which isn't exactly the sort of thing I'd expect to be normally possible - you'd think that it'd be hard to make a magic-resistant metal with magic - but maybe that's just got to do with how Soulcasting works? Or just not how Aluminum works.
It's interesting that you can make it through Soulcasting, but you can't Soulcast it, it's like a dead end. Anyway, I don't know how much did you read so far and if you consider Sanderson's answers from signings spoilers, but I just found this and it is the best explanation we are going to have for a while.
I have a small Cosmere theory going.
The Honor Blades are basically massive hemolergic spikes. They grant others abilities they would not normally have. And on top of that, the abilities are actually shittier than natural surgebinders, needing a lot more stormlight to use.
It's interesting that you can make it through Soulcasting, but you can't Soulcast it, it's like a dead end. Anyway, I don't know how much did you read so far and if you consider Sanderson's answers from signings spoilers, but I just found this and it is the best explanation we are going to have for a while.
If it's Dragonsteel related, then it's definitely an Adonalsium thing - I take that as vindication!
Hmmm, interesting.
They don't work anything like regular hemolurgic spikes, in that you don't have to pierce them through you, and they do have other properties - but they're also not Spren, so they're definitely distinct from regular Shardblades. I wouldn't be shocked if they were made out of some sort of specialty metal that had special properties, though.
interesting thought. they probably are similar in how they function as a conduit for investiture.
we don't know how the honor blades were created other than that they were given from Honor to the Heralds, but it could be that in a similar way to how the spikes transmit allomantic power from an allomancer to another person, Honor used these blades to "cut" pieces of himself (splinters) thus infusing the honor blades with his power
I'm only on Chapter 5 of Elantris but I'm digging it. Not as much as any of the Mistborn Era 1 books but I like it. These names are way more complicated than anything in that trilogy and the writing isn't as sharp I feel, but I knew what to expect going in so it's cool.
Yep. This was exactly what I was talking about the other day when I said the interludes were killing me.
I fucking loved the duel. Easily my all-time favorite Sanderson action scene.
Speaking of, I read White Sands volume 1-3. Do not recommend, if you can't get it reduced price. Easily the weakest Sanderson thing I've read, the story just does not work well as a graphic novel.
Speaking of, I read White Sands volume 1-3. Do not recommend, if you can't get it reduced price. Easily the weakest Sanderson thing I've read, the story just does not work well as a graphic novel.
borrowed it digitally from the library myself, and yeah i agree. would like to read it in novella format but i guess that ship has sailed.
I want to see him return to Taldain, but yeah it's pretty bad overall.
I'm starting the first volume of Mistborn soon even though I didn't like Elantris that much. 80% of the time nothing was happening, it was repetitive and could have been a 300 pages book instead of 600.
I'm giving Sanderson another chance.
I'm giving Sanderson another chance.
I read what you're doing in reverse and I can tell you that all 3 Mistborn books move at a much quicker pace even though they are longer than Elantris. You don't feel like nothing is happening like in Elantris. Nothing IS happening right now but I'm still enjoying it, I'm only 100 pages in though lol my mood might change on it.
Mistborn TFE is such an easy read. You're going to have a blast.
I've finished Alloy of Law, Sixth of the Dusk, and Shadows of Self.
The Wax and Wayne books are just the perfect way to finish out a Cosmere read. Absolutely Breeze-(heh)-y reads, but dealing with some interesting ideas. I think I am enjoying them more than Mistborn Era 1, which is a surprise.
I wrote and erased a post earlier about how Alloy of Law wasn't always easy to read in the current police climate. Shadows of Self was more careful in this regard, which I appreciated.
The final reading order starting in July: TWOK, WOR, The Emperor's Soul, Edgedancer, Warbreaker, Oathbringer, Mistborn Era 1, Shadows for Silence, Elantris, Sixth of the Dusk, Wax and Wayne 1, 2
Two works left for me in my Cosmere read: Bands of Mourning and Mistborn: Secret History. I am planning to write a broader Cosmere impressions and reading order reflection post after I am done.
The Wax and Wayne books are just the perfect way to finish out a Cosmere read. Absolutely Breeze-(heh)-y reads, but dealing with some interesting ideas. I think I am enjoying them more than Mistborn Era 1, which is a surprise.
I wrote and erased a post earlier about how Alloy of Law wasn't always easy to read in the current police climate. Shadows of Self was more careful in this regard, which I appreciated.
But besides that, the final twists in Shadows of Self had me reeling more than any Cosmere book except for maybe TWOK. Wax's relationship with Sazed-Harmony feels like a direct response to the question, "If there is a God, why do bad things happen in the world?" The answers that Sanderson comes up with are genuinely interesting, and I am so excited to see this develop.
The final reading order starting in July: TWOK, WOR, The Emperor's Soul, Edgedancer, Warbreaker, Oathbringer, Mistborn Era 1, Shadows for Silence, Elantris, Sixth of the Dusk, Wax and Wayne 1, 2
Two works left for me in my Cosmere read: Bands of Mourning and Mistborn: Secret History. I am planning to write a broader Cosmere impressions and reading order reflection post after I am done.
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Last chance on filling out / altering your selections on the backer kit survey in case anyone had forgotten or didn't see the email.
I only did mine last night 😂.
Edit: extended until midnight tomorrow September 8.
I only did mine last night 😂.
Edit: extended until midnight tomorrow September 8.
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There's large chunks of Oathbringer that read like ship fic, in a good way.
I liked it a lot. It played into the Shallan multiple personalities thing, and I'm a sucker for will they or won't they stuff.
Besides, it's over now, probably.
Besides, it's over now, probably.
"Honor is dead, but I'll see what I can do"
Most hype moment ever
Yeah I agree with you. I'm glad it doesn't go anywhere because it would just be unnecessary soap-opera distractions, but on both Kaladin's and Shallan's sides it adds some very relevant character depth
Kaladin only starts to have feelings for her out of admiration for how she is seemingly able to overcome her trauma in a way that he hasn't (albeit he doesn't quite understand what's actually going on with her)
For Shallan it lends credibility to Veil as a distinct personality, and it very much makes sense that Veil would be more attracted to Kaladin than Adolin
I can see how someone would find this a bit pointless and trite in the grand scheme, but to me it's sensible characterization
Kaladin only starts to have feelings for her out of admiration for how she is seemingly able to overcome her trauma in a way that he hasn't (albeit he doesn't quite understand what's actually going on with her)
For Shallan it lends credibility to Veil as a distinct personality, and it very much makes sense that Veil would be more attracted to Kaladin than Adolin
I can see how someone would find this a bit pointless and trite in the grand scheme, but to me it's sensible characterization
I'm glad I started with some of his other Cosmere work first because I wouldn't have continued reading his stuff if Elantris was the first novel of Brandon's I'd read, I also found it pretty awful.
Hey! I noticed this thread the other day so I thought I'd introduce myself as a newcomer to the Cosmere. Earlier this year Tor gave away The Way of Kings for free, and despite the intimidating page count and the fact that I'm easily overwhelmed by huge epic fantasy series, I decided to give it a shot (The positive reviews certainly helped).
It was my first Sanderson book, and while I didn't exactly fall in love with the book or the series straight away (it's a very slow book, understandably so because of all the required worldbuilding and exposition, but still), the worldbuilding and characters I found engaging enough to give the rest of the series a shot. Since then I've read Warbreaker and Words of Radiance, and am currently reading Edgedancer before tackling Oathbringer (trying to be ready for RoW once it releases).
Warbreaker I thought was a fun read, in the end the connections between it and the SA (what I've read so far at least) didn't seem to me as earth-shattering as those who say it's a must read before WoR seemed to imply, but I don't really regret reading it, I enjoyed the somewhat lighter tone, the brisker pace and the very good characters (loved Lightsong) and I guess there was that bit late into WoR that wouldn't have landed as well if I hadn't read it.
Now, Words of Radiance I really liked. On the one hand, it has the advantage of not being 60% worldbuilding and exposition like TWoK which allows for a much better pace and more rounded out supporting cast (TWoK's Adolin pales in comparison to his portrayal in WoR), and on the other, and I mean this in the best way possible, the book kind of reveals how all that somewhat intimidating epic fantasy worldbuilding and obscure lore is in the end a lot of set dressing for what essentially are big, hype shonen anime moments? The last fourth or so of WoR was a lot of "hero overcoming the odds" bullshit but I was absolutely there for it and the execution is outstanding. Seriously, I say that in the best way possible and I must have reread those chapters at least twice each.
So, now I'm reading Edgedancer (I really liked Lift's chapter in WoR so I'm excited to read it) and then I'll tackle Oathbringer, which I'm specially excited for as I want to see what the gang is up to next.
And that's my Sanderson experience so far. I appreciate his straightforward prose and his hyper-structured style as I feel it's helping me overcome how overwhelmed I usually feel with the genre, and I'm hoping to tackle the other Cosmere series eventually, though I don't really have any ambitions atm about understanding the overall Cosmere picture. *That* feels intimidating. Guess I'll bookmark this thread and keep tabs on it, though I won't be clicking on any spoiler tags until I'm done with Oathbringers at least :)
It was my first Sanderson book, and while I didn't exactly fall in love with the book or the series straight away (it's a very slow book, understandably so because of all the required worldbuilding and exposition, but still), the worldbuilding and characters I found engaging enough to give the rest of the series a shot. Since then I've read Warbreaker and Words of Radiance, and am currently reading Edgedancer before tackling Oathbringer (trying to be ready for RoW once it releases).
Warbreaker I thought was a fun read, in the end the connections between it and the SA (what I've read so far at least) didn't seem to me as earth-shattering as those who say it's a must read before WoR seemed to imply, but I don't really regret reading it, I enjoyed the somewhat lighter tone, the brisker pace and the very good characters (loved Lightsong) and I guess there was that bit late into WoR that wouldn't have landed as well if I hadn't read it.
Now, Words of Radiance I really liked. On the one hand, it has the advantage of not being 60% worldbuilding and exposition like TWoK which allows for a much better pace and more rounded out supporting cast (TWoK's Adolin pales in comparison to his portrayal in WoR), and on the other, and I mean this in the best way possible, the book kind of reveals how all that somewhat intimidating epic fantasy worldbuilding and obscure lore is in the end a lot of set dressing for what essentially are big, hype shonen anime moments? The last fourth or so of WoR was a lot of "hero overcoming the odds" bullshit but I was absolutely there for it and the execution is outstanding. Seriously, I say that in the best way possible and I must have reread those chapters at least twice each.
So, now I'm reading Edgedancer (I really liked Lift's chapter in WoR so I'm excited to read it) and then I'll tackle Oathbringer, which I'm specially excited for as I want to see what the gang is up to next.
And that's my Sanderson experience so far. I appreciate his straightforward prose and his hyper-structured style as I feel it's helping me overcome how overwhelmed I usually feel with the genre, and I'm hoping to tackle the other Cosmere series eventually, though I don't really have any ambitions atm about understanding the overall Cosmere picture. *That* feels intimidating. Guess I'll bookmark this thread and keep tabs on it, though I won't be clicking on any spoiler tags until I'm done with Oathbringers at least :)
Welcome to the community!
The things you've pointed out about Sanderson's writing style are exactly why I enjoy him so much (and also why some Fantasy readers think poorly of his books). It has all the benefits of big and detailed worlds without being too edgy or overwrought with prose. And the Sanderson Avalanche (what you described as 'big, hype shonen anime moments) is always a really fun and exciting ride. Don't get too caught up in the meta-commentary about the overall Cosmere itself. It's mostly a ton of theory crafting and conjecture mixed with Sanderson's various vague answers to questions at book signings and stuff all over... it's just way too massive to worry about keeping up with. Just relax and enjoy the ride through the books. If you enjoyed Warbreaker, you'll likely enjoy all the Cosmere stuff as Warbreaker is one of his earlier published stories.
I really hate romantic drama like that, Dalinar and Navani's thing was enough but putting that in the next book just irritated me whenever it showed up. At the same time it just makes me wish for Kaladin to find some peace of mind. Only replying to this now since I finished the book only today.
Amazon has the updated cover
Lets Go November!!!!
Amazon.com: Rhythm of War: Book Four of The Stormlight Archive eBook : Sanderson, Brandon: Kindle Store
Amazon.com: Rhythm of War: Book Four of The Stormlight Archive eBook : Sanderson, Brandon: Kindle Store
www.amazon.com
Lets Go November!!!!
Wait what's changed, this looks the sameAmazon has the updated cover
Amazon.com: Rhythm of War: Book Four of The Stormlight Archive eBook : Sanderson, Brandon: Kindle Store
Amazon.com: Rhythm of War: Book Four of The Stormlight Archive eBook : Sanderson, Brandon: Kindle Storewww.amazon.com
Lets Go November!!!!
I think they still had the placeholder up where it was just like a black background with the title.
Well Cosmere Era, I finished Bands of Mourning last night and read through a good third of Secret History. It feels so strange to be less than 100 pages from finishing this whole sequence.
I don't think Bands of Mourning's twists were particularly interesting, especially compared to Shadows for Self. A lot of this stems from Telsin being pretty severely under characterized. It seemed obvious to me that she would be a villain, if only by comparison to Allik. They were introduced at the same point in the story, but Allik got a meaningful conversation with Marasi, whereas Telsin got... some long looks and stiff attitude with Wax? I wish that Brandon had just given Telsin some more space in the book, especially if she is to be the villain for book four.
My favorite aspect of the book was probably Wax's relationship with Steris. Brandon's ability to write this kind of material has absolutely matured over time, and where some of his 2000s romances seemed flat to me, Wax and Steris' interactions just pop off the page. This was also true in Oathbringer.
I am finished with part 3 of Secret History and am enjoying myself tremendously, but I will save detailed impressions until I am done.
Oh, and this is speculation: will Wax and company fail and/or die in Book Four? It feels like the Set's long term plans will be the focus of Mistborn Era 3, and I am not sure that Brandon will be able to resist writing a 'cowboy's one last ride' sequence.
My favorite aspect of the book was probably Wax's relationship with Steris. Brandon's ability to write this kind of material has absolutely matured over time, and where some of his 2000s romances seemed flat to me, Wax and Steris' interactions just pop off the page. This was also true in Oathbringer.
I am finished with part 3 of Secret History and am enjoying myself tremendously, but I will save detailed impressions until I am done.
Oh, and this is speculation: will Wax and company fail and/or die in Book Four? It feels like the Set's long term plans will be the focus of Mistborn Era 3, and I am not sure that Brandon will be able to resist writing a 'cowboy's one last ride' sequence.
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Just read Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for Silence. Really enjoyed both, hopefully their worlds are expanded in some form in the future, though I kind of doubt it.
It was really interesting to see these two darker stories, they seem so far removed from a lot of stuff in the cosmere in terms of tone. I know that a lot of stories have like gory elements and other dark topics but these two just seemed aggressively oppressive in tone and setting.
It was really interesting to see these two darker stories, they seem so far removed from a lot of stuff in the cosmere in terms of tone. I know that a lot of stories have like gory elements and other dark topics but these two just seemed aggressively oppressive in tone and setting.
I do like Oathbringer's. And I think the audiobook version of WoK, the one with the silhouettes is great. But beyond that .. yeah.
Era, I am finished with Secret History and, with that, the published Cosmere (except White Sand). What a fun ride! This felt like the perfect time to hop onboard, and I'll be happily lining up for each new novel for the next 20 years.
My final reading order: TWOK, WOR, The Emperor's Soul, Edgedancer, Warbreaker, Oathbringer, Mistborn Era 1, Shadows for Silence, Elantris, Sixth of the Dusk, Mistborn Era 2, Secret History
Now that I've finished, I want to chew on reading order a little bit in this post. When I was looking at starting to read the Cosmere, it seemed like the usual recommendations were Mistborn-first order or publication order (so, Elantris first). But there were certain advantages to the Stormlight-first order that I would like to recommend.
Stormlight-First Order Pros and Cons
Reading Stormlight first is kind of like reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, or watching the Star Wars OT without having seen the prequels. The world feels so dense and alive, with so many players and so many agendas moving in and out behind the scenes. It is hard to tell where Roshar ends and where the Cosmere begins. None of the other Cosmere worlds feel as inhabited as Roshar, and the effect is intoxicating.
There are some clear drawbacks, I know. The viewpoint whiplash in the opening chapters and in the interludes could be a turnoff for new readers, and neither the Shattered Plains nor Kharbranth is an inherently engaging setting. The Way of Kings is a slow burn by design... but when it takes off, it really takes off. The emotional highs of Stormlight are higher than anything else in the Cosmere. I bought TWOK in trade paperback, but every other book in hardcover, because Kings alone convinced me that this was a series I was going to be sticking with for the long haul.
Interlude: Check out my books!
I had to rearrange my bookshelf just to fit all of this:
I feel so proud of them all.
Mistborn-first and publication order
Mistborn-first does have a lot to recommend it as well. Since the Mistborn trilogy works as something self-contained, it makes a great gateway drug to the Cosmere (I am trying to get a Cosmere-skeptical friend to read it right now, in fact). Even as a single novel, Mistborn: The Final Empire is engaging, has a fairly complete plot arc, and has a fun magic system. It's also easier to recommend to people who don't typically read enormous fantasy novels.
But Scadrial in Era 1 feels much smaller, both in-world and on the level of the Cosmere, than Roshar, and the best moments in Mistborn didn't hit me as hard as their equivalents in Stormlight. I would also argue that Stormlight's quality of writing shows off Sanderson as a mature writer at the height of his powers better than Mistborn. Maybe there is something to be said for delayed gratification here, but for my taste, Stormlight-first order hooked me in a deeper way than Mistborn-first would have.
By comparison, publication order is unsatisfactory for a new Cosmere reader in 2020. I liked Elantris a lot, but because of the relationship between its magic and its story, it isn't the best book for an intro to Sanderson. The philosophy behind reading in publication order seems to be that the reader won't miss any references to another Cosmere book, but in my opinion, this is sort of misguided. Unraveling the Cosmere references is a perfect reason to go back for another read (I am already excited to re-read the Stormlight Archive before Rhythm of War), and the books don't yet spoil major events from elsewhere in the Cosmere anyway. Reading straight through each sub-series is generally the best way to go, I think.
On a more spoiler-y level,
On Warbreaker and Stormlight
I know some people say that Warbreaker should be read before Words of Radiance. I read Warbreaker between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer, and I strongly feel that is the better order. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance are structured like a duology in terms of plot and setting, and shoving Warbreaker in there kills the momentum of the pairing. The small amount of added context is not worth the tradeoff. Jumping to spoilers again,
Conclusions
So with Warbreaker established in Stormlight, I have divided the Cosmere into four blocks:
Two orders seem best to me. For these orders, I am following the general principles of 1. keeping each sub-series in blocks and 2. spacing out Elantris from Warbreaker and Mistborn Era 1 from Era 2.
It has been fun posting here as I read for the first time. Thanks for indulging me, Cosmere Era.
My final reading order: TWOK, WOR, The Emperor's Soul, Edgedancer, Warbreaker, Oathbringer, Mistborn Era 1, Shadows for Silence, Elantris, Sixth of the Dusk, Mistborn Era 2, Secret History
Now that I've finished, I want to chew on reading order a little bit in this post. When I was looking at starting to read the Cosmere, it seemed like the usual recommendations were Mistborn-first order or publication order (so, Elantris first). But there were certain advantages to the Stormlight-first order that I would like to recommend.
Stormlight-First Order Pros and Cons
Reading Stormlight first is kind of like reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, or watching the Star Wars OT without having seen the prequels. The world feels so dense and alive, with so many players and so many agendas moving in and out behind the scenes. It is hard to tell where Roshar ends and where the Cosmere begins. None of the other Cosmere worlds feel as inhabited as Roshar, and the effect is intoxicating.
There are some clear drawbacks, I know. The viewpoint whiplash in the opening chapters and in the interludes could be a turnoff for new readers, and neither the Shattered Plains nor Kharbranth is an inherently engaging setting. The Way of Kings is a slow burn by design... but when it takes off, it really takes off. The emotional highs of Stormlight are higher than anything else in the Cosmere. I bought TWOK in trade paperback, but every other book in hardcover, because Kings alone convinced me that this was a series I was going to be sticking with for the long haul.
Interlude: Check out my books!
I had to rearrange my bookshelf just to fit all of this:
I feel so proud of them all.
Mistborn-first and publication order
Mistborn-first does have a lot to recommend it as well. Since the Mistborn trilogy works as something self-contained, it makes a great gateway drug to the Cosmere (I am trying to get a Cosmere-skeptical friend to read it right now, in fact). Even as a single novel, Mistborn: The Final Empire is engaging, has a fairly complete plot arc, and has a fun magic system. It's also easier to recommend to people who don't typically read enormous fantasy novels.
But Scadrial in Era 1 feels much smaller, both in-world and on the level of the Cosmere, than Roshar, and the best moments in Mistborn didn't hit me as hard as their equivalents in Stormlight. I would also argue that Stormlight's quality of writing shows off Sanderson as a mature writer at the height of his powers better than Mistborn. Maybe there is something to be said for delayed gratification here, but for my taste, Stormlight-first order hooked me in a deeper way than Mistborn-first would have.
By comparison, publication order is unsatisfactory for a new Cosmere reader in 2020. I liked Elantris a lot, but because of the relationship between its magic and its story, it isn't the best book for an intro to Sanderson. The philosophy behind reading in publication order seems to be that the reader won't miss any references to another Cosmere book, but in my opinion, this is sort of misguided. Unraveling the Cosmere references is a perfect reason to go back for another read (I am already excited to re-read the Stormlight Archive before Rhythm of War), and the books don't yet spoil major events from elsewhere in the Cosmere anyway. Reading straight through each sub-series is generally the best way to go, I think.
On a more spoiler-y level,
I think part 5 of The Way of Kings hits harder for a reader who is less Cosmere-aware. Jasnah's hypothesis about the Parshmen as the Voidbringers and Taln's appearance in Kholinar would probably still be dramatic, but the revelation that Honor is dead would not have been as shocking if I had already seen Vin kill Ruin or Sazed become Harmony at the end of Mistborn. Without any conception of what a Shard was or the rules governing a Shard, Honor's death seemed world-shattering to me. Likewise, when Odium first appears to Dalinar at the end of part 2 of Oathbringer, it sent actual shivers down my spine. There would still be so many great moments in SA if read after Mistborn, but I, for one, am glad that I was ignorant for the first time through.
I also think that Mistborn Era 2 should follow, or at least interlace, Stormlight Archive. In my opinion, several essential Cosmere concepts are presented better in Stormlight Archive than in Mistborn Era 2. This goes double for Secret History; reading it before The Way of Kings would somewhat dampen the drama of Honor's death.
I also think that Mistborn Era 2 should follow, or at least interlace, Stormlight Archive. In my opinion, several essential Cosmere concepts are presented better in Stormlight Archive than in Mistborn Era 2. This goes double for Secret History; reading it before The Way of Kings would somewhat dampen the drama of Honor's death.
On Warbreaker and Stormlight
I know some people say that Warbreaker should be read before Words of Radiance. I read Warbreaker between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer, and I strongly feel that is the better order. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance are structured like a duology in terms of plot and setting, and shoving Warbreaker in there kills the momentum of the pairing. The small amount of added context is not worth the tradeoff. Jumping to spoilers again,
By reading Warbreaker after Words of Radiance, you get another Machete order-like effect. You meet Zahel and Nightblood briefly in Words of Radiance, flash back to their origin in Warbreaker, then return to see them in context in Oathbringer. With Vivenna's appearance and Szeth+Nightblood's expanded role in Oathbringer, you still get the full context of their appearance. But you don't have to break up the incredible momentum of the end of The Way of Kings to do it. The ending of Words of Radiance, with the formation of the Knights Radiant is a much better stopping point.
Conclusions
So with Warbreaker established in Stormlight, I have divided the Cosmere into four blocks:
- Stormlight: The Way of Kings -> Words of Radiance -> Warbreaker -> Edgedancer -> Oathbringer
- Mistborn Era 1: Final Empire -> Well of Ascension -> Hero of Ages
- Mistborn Era 2: Alloy of Law -> Shadows of Self -> Bands of Mourning -> Secret History
- Elantris
Two orders seem best to me. For these orders, I am following the general principles of 1. keeping each sub-series in blocks and 2. spacing out Elantris from Warbreaker and Mistborn Era 1 from Era 2.
- Stormlight first: Stormlight -> Mistborn Era 1 -> Elantris -> Mistborn Era 2
- Mistborn Era 1 first: Mistborn Era 1 -> Elantris -> Stormlight-> Mistborn Era 2
- (A few modifications are possible here: Elantris could also go after Stormlight, but should go before Mistborn Era 2. If the reader wants to interlace Mistborn Era 2 and Stormlight, then that is fine in this order as well. This change would bring it closer to publication order, with two major changes: Mistborn/Elantris are swapped, and Warbreaker is positioned before Oathbringer.)
It has been fun posting here as I read for the first time. Thanks for indulging me, Cosmere Era.
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I'd been reading Bands of Mourning slowly, but enjoying it quite a bit, as I'm not in a big rush since I just have Arcanum + Oathbringer and have until mid-November.
Tonight I got to the part where
At any rate this is very interesting and hard to put down so will probably blow through the rest of the book in the next couple of days.
Tonight I got to the part where
The flying ship and Alik and the coins and other half of the world and ...uh, suddenly Mistborn has become a very different series. At least this arc, if not the entire Mistborn franchise.
Although I'm not sure how much I buy this undiscovered other half of the world thing initially. I get that before the cadecence or whatever they call it, the seas boiled so no one would cross them, but in the new world of Wax & Wayne don't they have boats? Wouldn't they have mapped out the world by 300 years in with trains and cars?
Also waiting for someone to put in the earring and get Harmony back on the phone because it seems like he should have been aware of the other half of the world this whole time. I wanna see his breakdown of what is going on.
Although I'm not sure how much I buy this undiscovered other half of the world thing initially. I get that before the cadecence or whatever they call it, the seas boiled so no one would cross them, but in the new world of Wax & Wayne don't they have boats? Wouldn't they have mapped out the world by 300 years in with trains and cars?
Also waiting for someone to put in the earring and get Harmony back on the phone because it seems like he should have been aware of the other half of the world this whole time. I wanna see his breakdown of what is going on.
At any rate this is very interesting and hard to put down so will probably blow through the rest of the book in the next couple of days.
Great post, as someone who is slowly reading the Cosmere I have a different order than you that I'm following but it's interesting to see someone do Stormlight first. There's also some short stories you didn't add to your list (Eleventh Metal, Allomancer Jak, Hope of Elantris) that I'm assuming you've read as well?Era, I am finished with Secret History and, with that, the published Cosmere (except White Sand). What a fun ride! This felt like the perfect time to hop onboard, and I'll be happily lining up for each new novel for the next 20 years.
My final reading order: TWOK, WOR, The Emperor's Soul, Edgedancer, Warbreaker, Oathbringer, Mistborn Era 1, Shadows for Silence, Elantris, Sixth of the Dusk, Mistborn Era 2, Secret History
Now that I've finished, I want to chew on reading order a little bit in this post. When I was looking at starting to read the Cosmere, it seemed like the usual recommendations were Mistborn-first order or publication order (so, Elantris first). But there were certain advantages to the Stormlight-first order that I would like to recommend.
Stormlight-First Order Pros and Cons
Reading Stormlight first is kind of like reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, or watching the Star Wars OT without having seen the prequels. The world feels so dense and alive, with so many players and so many agendas moving in and out behind the scenes. It is hard to tell where Roshar ends and where the Cosmere begins. None of the other Cosmere worlds feel as inhabited as Roshar, and the effect is intoxicating.
There are some clear drawbacks, I know. The viewpoint whiplash in the opening chapters and in the interludes could be a turnoff for new readers, and neither the Shattered Plains nor Kharbranth is an inherently engaging setting. The Way of Kings is a slow burn by design... but when it takes off, it really takes off. The emotional highs of Stormlight are higher than anything else in the Cosmere. I bought TWOK in trade paperback, but every other book in hardcover, because Kings alone convinced me that this was a series I was going to be sticking with for the long haul.
Interlude: Check out my books!
I had to rearrange my bookshelf just to fit all of this:
I feel so proud of them all.
Mistborn-first and publication order
Mistborn-first does have a lot to recommend it as well. Since the Mistborn trilogy works as something self-contained, it makes a great gateway drug to the Cosmere (I am trying to get a Cosmere-skeptical friend to read it right now, in fact). Even as a single novel, Mistborn: The Final Empire is engaging, has a fairly complete plot arc, and has a fun magic system. It's also easier to recommend to people who don't typically read enormous fantasy novels.
But Scadrial in Era 1 feels much smaller, both in-world and on the level of the Cosmere, than Roshar, and the best moments in Mistborn didn't hit me as hard as their equivalents in Stormlight. I would also argue that Stormlight's quality of writing shows off Sanderson as a mature writer at the height of his powers better than Mistborn. Maybe there is something to be said for delayed gratification here, but for my taste, Stormlight-first order hooked me in a deeper way than Mistborn-first would have.
By comparison, publication order is unsatisfactory for a new Cosmere reader in 2020. I liked Elantris a lot, but because of the relationship between its magic and its story, it isn't the best book for an intro to Sanderson. The philosophy behind reading in publication order seems to be that the reader won't miss any references to another Cosmere book, but in my opinion, this is sort of misguided. Unraveling the Cosmere references is a perfect reason to go back for another read (I am already excited to re-read the Stormlight Archive before Rhythm of War), and the books don't yet spoil major events from elsewhere in the Cosmere anyway. Reading straight through each sub-series is generally the best way to go, I think.
On a more spoiler-y level,
I think part 5 of The Way of Kings hits harder for a reader who is less Cosmere-aware. Jasnah's hypothesis about the Parshmen as the Voidbringers and Taln's appearance in Kholinar would probably still be dramatic, but the revelation that Honor is dead would not have been as shocking if I had already seen Vin kill Ruin or Sazed become Harmony at the end of Mistborn. Without any conception of what a Shard was or the rules governing a Shard, Honor's death seemed world-shattering to me. Likewise, when Odium first appears to Dalinar at the end of part 2 of Oathbringer, it sent actual shivers down my spine. There would still be so many great moments in SA if read after Mistborn, but I, for one, am glad that I was ignorant for the first time through.
I also think that Mistborn Era 2 should follow, or at least interlace, Stormlight Archive. In my opinion, several essential Cosmere concepts are presented better in Stormlight Archive than in Mistborn Era 2. This goes double for Secret History; reading it before The Way of Kings would somewhat dampen the drama of Honor's death.
On Warbreaker and Stormlight
I know some people say that Warbreaker should be read before Words of Radiance. I read Warbreaker between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer, and I strongly feel that is the better order. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance are structured like a duology in terms of plot and setting, and shoving Warbreaker in there kills the momentum of the pairing. The small amount of added context is not worth the tradeoff. Jumping to spoilers again,
By reading Warbreaker after Words of Radiance, you get another Machete order-like effect. You meet Zahel and Nightblood briefly in Words of Radiance, flash back to their origin in Warbreaker, then return to see them in context in Oathbringer. With Vivenna's appearance and Szeth+Nightblood's expanded role in Oathbringer, you still get the full context of their appearance. But you don't have to break up the incredible momentum of the end of The Way of Kings to do it. The ending of Words of Radiance, with the formation of the Knights Radiant is a much better stopping point.
Conclusions
So with Warbreaker established in Stormlight, I have divided the Cosmere into four blocks:
(The Emperor's Soul, Shadows for Silence, and Sixth of the Dusk should just be filled in whenever they seem interesting.)
- Stormlight: The Way of Kings -> Words of Radiance -> Warbreaker -> Edgedancer -> Oathbringer
- Mistborn Era 1: Final Empire -> Well of Ascension -> Hero of Ages
- Mistborn Era 2: Alloy of Law -> Shadows of Self -> Bands of Mourning -> Secret History
- Elantris
Two orders seem best to me. For these orders, I am following the general principles of 1. keeping each sub-series in blocks and 2. spacing out Elantris from Warbreaker and Mistborn Era 1 from Era 2.
In my opinion, Stormlight-first order is better for the reader who has an interest in reading the whole Cosmere, and Mistborn-first order for the reader who is not yet sure.
- Stormlight first: Stormlight -> Mistborn Era 1 -> Elantris -> Mistborn Era 2
- Mistborn Era 1 first: Mistborn Era 1 -> Elantris -> Stormlight-> Mistborn Era 2
- (A few modifications are possible here: Elantris could also go after Stormlight, but should go before Mistborn Era 2. If the reader wants to interlace Mistborn Era 2 and Stormlight, then that is fine in this order as well. This change would bring it closer to publication order, with two major changes: Mistborn/Elantris are swapped, and Warbreaker is positioned before Oathbringer.)
It has been fun posting here as I read for the first time. Thanks for indulging me, Cosmere Era.
Thank you! I did read those three right after Hero of Ages, Alloy of Law, and Elantris respectively, but I left them out of my post because I think of them as fun bonus material for those books.
I would love to hear about the order in which you or other posters read and how it worked or didn't work for you. I am now trying to get a handful of friends into the Cosmere, so I want to recommend the right first book for each person to really get them hooked.
This is my reading order:
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
The Eleventh Metal
Elantris
The Hope of Elantris
The Emperor's Soul
The Alloy of Law
Allomancer Jak
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Mistborn: Secret History
Shadows of Silence in the Forests of Hell
The Way of Kings
Warbreaker
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer
Oathbringer
Sixth of the Dusk
Rhythm of War
I am only up to Elantris right now (a bit over halfway) so I have a long way to go. I see your thoughts about reading Warbreaker after WOR because you think it'll break up the flow of Stormlight, but I'm reading other books in between all of these so thats going to be my buffer in between the giant books lol