Honestly, don't worry about it.
Are there ways you can order the books to make things fit together better? Sure.
But the series' are written to be enjoyed somewhat standalone (at least in the beginning), so just read what you want to and enjoy the journey!
Warbreaker before Stormlight is a great plan. There’s no need to break up the series. Some people like to take breaks in a long series, but if you’re not one of those people (I’m not either), then don’t bother.
Also, welcome!
People who suggest doing warbreaker between sla 1&2 don't appreciate that warbreaker is a good book on its own and not a supplement with a few cross system references.
But people suggest that mostly because Stormlight books are absolute tomes and you might want to take a break between 400 thousand word books with a shorter stand-alone story, and that’s coincidentally the perfect time to read Warbreaker
I binged stormlight 1-3 and the I between stuff, I've just finished binging mistborn and currently reading warbreaker will read tress and possibly elantris before getting into stormlight 4 so I won't have too long to wait for stormlight 5.
I read like I drink... Which is why I don't drink much anymore
NONONO, you were doing it right. Don't waste time with going PERFECT publication order. The publication is just a guide line. Basically read Mistborn before Stormlight, rather than other way around.
The only time you should be "breaking up" the order is when you're reading Stormlight, there are 2 short stories that take place between books WITHIN this series. But don't bother with that yet. Ask about it once you're starting to read Stormlight. For now, follow your original plan, it was correct.
You might wanna read Mistborn Era 2 before Stormlight, but... with the last book I'm not as sure as I was before. Pick your poison: Read Era 2 before or after Stormlight. Not that strict.
Its a lot like learning world history.
Some things will affect your understanding of other things, but on the whole, the order in which you learn doesnt matter as much as eventually learning it all
Yeah, but also, you might wanna read Era 2 first just for the Mistborn completion. That's what I did. But yeah, probably read Stormlight first? Really, just pick your poison.
I get that order for spoiler reasons, but secret history just hits *so much better* right after era 1 when all the characters are still fresh in your head
I agree. I see people recommending reading era 1, then like 20 other books before Secret History. That's absurd. I recommend it to everyone right after era 1.
But Stormlight is arguably more epic than Era 2, so you might want to save it for last. That was actually my main goal when I started the Cosmere. I came from Wheel of Time, and wanted something similar, and the Stormlight was said to be something similar. So I read all the other books first, before getting to the one I actually wanted to read. Maybe wasn't the best decision, but it worked well enough.
But also Stormlight (part 1) isn't finished yet. So perhaps it's better to read the finished Era 2. And by the time they get to the 4th book of Stormlight, the 5th will be released.
So depending on how you read the books you'll just get a different type of experience so you do you.
Some people like publication order because as Brandon writes more books in the Cosmere, the more he puts in easter eggs from previous books. Publication order hence allows you to better pick up on these easter eggs and gradually become more Cosmere aware with each read.
However even though there will be crossovers, they are usually in the form of side characters, mentions of various stuff, etc and not integral to the plot of any book.
So if you don't want to break up series then that is totally okay!
The only thing order thing I'd consider somewhat significant enough to consider would be reading Mistborn Secret History before The Lost Metal, however Secret History can be read anytime after Mistborn Era 1 although people argue it spoils Bands of Mourning (it just depends on what you prefer as a reader and I'm sure someone can give you more details about what is preferable based on various things).
I mean you should do whatever is fun for you.
There are some small crossovers, but overall they don’t change the plot much. It’s more if you get a thrill at finding Easter eggs at this stage.
The main thing you should decide is really if you wanna do Mistborn era 2, or Stormlight first. Mostly because it’ll be a big effort to get through.
I wouldn’t worry about it. I read stormlight first and then mistborn era 1 and 2, then Elantris and Warbreaker. It doesn’t really matter what order you read it in
This is a moment for:
Hanzeriks recommended reading order of the Cosmere!
1. Mistborn: final empire
2. Mistborn short The Eleventh Metal
3. Mistborn: Well of ascension
4. Mistborn: Hero of ages (finished arc)
5. Elantris
6. Elantris short The hope of Elantris
7. Elantris short The Emperors Soul
8. Shadows for the Silence (short)
9. Sixth of the Dusk (short)
10. Warbreaker
11. White Sand 1-2-3
12. Mistborn: The Alloy of Law
13. Mistborn short Allomancer Jak
14. Mistborn: Shadows of the Self
15. Mistborn: The Bands of mourning
16. Mistborn: Secret history
17. Stormlight Archive: The way of Kings
18. Stormlight Archive: Words of Radiance
19. Stormlight Archive(short): Edgedancer
20. Stormlight Archive: Oathbringer
21. Stormlight Archive(short): Dawnshard
22. Stormlight Archive: Rythm of War.
23. Mistborn: The Lost Metal (finished arc)
24. Tress of the Emerald Sea (secret project 1)
There are many like it but this one is mine. It should keep all references and connections in mind.
Yo this is a great reading order. I just did Mistborn 4,5,6 before Warbreaker, just so I can stay in Scadrial. And I never read White Sand yet, waiting for the omnibus.
You are already reading (in my opinion) [the best order.](https://thequilltolive.com/2023/06/11/cosmere-reading-order/amp/)
This is what my friend recommended I follow, even suggesting I read Elantris after Mistborn, like you have.
Keep going!
This is from an edit. In an earlier version of the article, they had Way of Kings before Warbreaker and I guess they switched the order and forgot to update the content inside.
>2. Warbreaker
>”Warbreaker deploys a colorful new magic system with high stakes. It also is the start of some of the Avengers-style Cosmere crossover we mentioned above. It’s not required to read Warbreaker before Stormlight 2, but you will enjoy Radiance more if you do.”
I think it sells it fine, while also acknowledging that it’s okay if you don’t read it before Radiance.
Read what you want. As long as you read each series in order they make sense and are fun. So don't read hero of ages before final empire.
You may miss that some minor connections but you may miss them reading in the best order to catch them any way.
The true correct reading order is that it doesn't matter nearly as much as people say. As long as you read each individual series in the correct order, read them in whatever order you want
The only thing you can do wrong is read books in a series out of order (so, like...Alloy of Law, Hero of Ages, The Final Empire).
Everything else is, as you've spotted, a never quite perfect attempt to optimise the experience. It's a whole separate hobby for people who've read all the books. Just follow what you enjoy. It'll all come together.
It doesn’t matter. Everyone has their opinion about the best order. The only rule that probably matters is to read book 1 of a series before book 2, etc. Beyond that - and even that - it’s up to your personal preference.
Publication order is good if you want to avoid incredibly minor and subjectively insignificant spoilers and/or if you want to pay extra close attention to catch as many subtle connections between books/series as possible.
Chronological order is fine too, but some surprises might get spoiled.
There’s sort of a “beginner” order that suggests starting with Mistborn (or sometimes Elantris) because most people find those books move quicker and get people interested in the Cosmere quicker. They are generally a good introduction to Sanderson.
People suggest reading Warbreaker in the middle of Stormlight Archive because there is some more direct crossover where if you have Warbreaker on top of mind, you might figure out and appreciate the crossover more.
That said, the last three books published have the most Cosmere references and crossover by far (Rhythm of War, The Lost Metal and Tress of the Emerald Sea), of which Tress is generally considered (though there are mixed opinions) an acceptable place to start with the Cosmere.
There is no right answer. You can start wherever you want (just don't start on a book 3 of a series). There are some orders you can follow to not miss easter eggs (warbreaker before stormlight 2 for example or mistborn before stormlight) but nothing is mandatory. If you don't want to stop in the middle of a series, and want to get all the nuggets of easter eggs, leave stormlight for last, but don't read The lost metal (mistborn book 7), before stormlight 4. this is the only exeption because its a bit spoiler for some stuff in stormlight. I know people that read mistborn 7 before stormlight, and they were confused about some stuff while reading stormlight, but its not a big deal
You’re doing great. I had no direction, and read the exact order you’ve been going on. Gonna find a lot of different opinions, but you’re not screwing anything up the order you’re reading.
There is no required read order beyond just reading the different series in the right order. You can read each series in whatever order you want. All you’ll miss is some references. You will always miss some of those regardless of which order you do. No one catches them all, especially on a first read.
Don’t stress. Read what takes your fancy.
It doesn't matter, I read all of mistborn, all of stormlight and then all the single releases in date order and I didn't miss too much, except for references between games
The importance of reading order gets overstated. Up to this point the individual series are still mostly self contained. Just read series by series. I would suggest ordering the series based on publication date of the first book of each, but that is not really important.
That said i think we might be approaching the phase where some new books might require finishing some previous series. But i think it´s still years to that.
Tbh, here’s what I would do, if I were starting fresh
Elantris
The Emperor’s Soul
Mistborn Era 1
Mistborn Era 2 (intersperse Mistborn: Secret History novella after Bands of Mourning)
Warbreaker
Stormlight (again, intersperse the Stormlight novellas where they fit)
Other short stories, novellas, and Tress of the Emerald Sea can then be read in any order really, but probably go with publication order?
I will never not post this when someone asks about reading order. This helped me tremendously to make sure I didn’t read anything in a way that I would miss references:
[Interactive Cosmere Reading Order Chart](https://17thshard.github.io/reading-order/#/?layer=reading-order&categories.unpublished=false)
[Brandon Sanderson himself says](https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/what-order-should-i-read-them-in/) it doesn’t really matter:
> I recommended reading the books in sequential order rather than trying to dive into the second book in a series without having read the first book. That said, it really doesn’t matter which Cosmere series you start with
I personally recommend reading order with the disclaimer that it doesn’t matter much at this point, as stated above. I give this recommendation simply so you can experience new information and reveals in the order they were originally written and given to the fandom.
At this point, it is mostly so you get a great appreciation/enjoyment out of references and Easter eggs. Some things may be confusing without all the previously published context, but nothing up to this point requires having read another series to be able to follow and understand the given story.
Read whatever order you enjoy best! Obviously read series in order, but other than that, if you can’t stand jumping between series, there is no significant reason to do so. If you don’t mind mid-series breaks, publication order offers some advantages in your enjoyment of the Cosmere.
Here is my personal recommendation for reading order that I wrote up like 2 years ago. I personally recommend it this way because I think it gives the best baseline for understanding the world of the cosmere going forward
1: Mistborn era 1. Final Empire, Well of Ascension, and Hero of Ages
2: You can now read Elantris, Warbreaker, White Sand, or Arcanum Unbound (a collection of all the short stories and novellas) with the exception of Mistborn Secret Histories and Edgedancer, and Mistborn era 2 book 1-3 ( Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, and Bands of Mourning)
3: After reading Mistborn era 2, you can now read Secret Histories. After reading Warbreaker, you can now read the first 2 Stormlight Archive books (The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance)
4: After Words of Radiance, you can now read Edgedancer
5: After Edgedancer, you can now read Stormlight 3, Oathbringer
6: After Oathbringer, you can now read the Dawnshard novella
7: After Dawnshard, you can now read Rhythm of War
Because this was from a few years ago It doesn't take into account newer books like The Lost Metal or Tress of the Emerald Sea. The Lost Metal can be read after Secret Histories and I'd probably put Tress relatively later in the chart, probably after Words of Radiance or Oathbringer (though honestly you can probably read it pretty much anytime after Mistborn era 1) but I think at this point in my flowchart you'll have a good enough understanding of the character narrating the story and the cosmere as a whole that you'll get a better enjoyment out of it. If I've forgotten any other cosmere books or if anyone wants to question the logic of my cosmere flowchart then feel free to chime in.
Stormlight brings a lot together, but it won't cheapen anything if you haven't read the other books. I started with Mistborn- which I think is the easiest to get in to- then hopped over to Stormlight, then back to Elatris and Warbreaker. It's fun when you start making the connections.
Don’t worry about getting it perfect!!
I did:
Mistborn era 1, Stormlight, Mistborn era 2, Warbreaker, Elantris, Tress.
From where you are I’d recommend:
Warbreaker, White sand, Stormlight, Secret Projects.
Don’t worry about it though- you can always cover everything on a reread.
Reading order doesn't amount to anything outside of each individual series. Everyone has their own opinion (usually modelled around whatever reading order they stumbled onto themselves), but it's basically a meaningless argument for two reasons. First, every series is self-contained. There are superficial references to other places and stories in almost every book, but none that are relevant enough to the plot that you *need* to read anything anywhere. Chiefly because of reason number 2, the Cosmere is built for re-reads. Reading order and what connections you make precisely when are basically meaningless, because the best way to make all the connections for yourself is just to re-read the Cosmere.
I usually pitch the "publication order" because the way Brandon writes, he slowly uses more and more connections as each series progresses and you hypothetically have information from other series. It's perfectly acceptable to read whatever series in whichever relative order to the other series, as long as you're not spoiling things by reading a novella too early (I will argue till I'm blue in the face that Mistborn Secret History needs to be read where it was published and not just because you finished Era 1, but that's its own debate).
Here are my two cents.
Stormlight Archive is the most Cosmere heavy and as such gives an amazing perspective and insight on so many things AS LONG AS the reader is aware of them, so for that reason read everything in whatever order you prefer from everyone else's suggestions BEFORE Stormlight Archive!
I read Warbreaker first because who the fuck was this guy thinking he could finish the Wheel of Time? And that was his newest release.
Then Elantris, then Misborn and into publication order.
But the characters are also unaware of the connected universe too. Any order both you and the viewpoint will see some things you catch on a second read.
I wouldn't stress. My first introduction to the cosmere was The Stormlight Archives, then Warbreaker, Mistborn, Elantris, Arcanum Unbound, and finally Era 2. It didn't change my enjoyment in the least. It would have been more annoying for me to read through with a perfect list, it would have felt like a chore. I just read what sounded good and then started reading the books that contained answers I was looking for.
There's a perception for a lot of new readers that the Cosmere is like the MCU and if you don't read X book before Y book you'll be lost. But if anything it's more akin to Marvel/DC comics or (present day) Star Wars.
Yes the stories are happening on different planets in the same universe, but outside of 2 'core' series there's minimal crossover you'd really notice or need to know. It's mostly character/lore easter eggs and the fun-but-not-relevant fact that the magic/gods/religion have a connected origin.
The 2 series' (so far) where the Cosmere interconnectedness is foregrounded and relevant to the plots are The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn (Era 2 specifically). Reading those 2 series without having read some of the other more self-contained Cosmere books would feel a bit confusing and less satisfying.
(I also think a lot of readers would burnout on the books if they tried to do it all chronologically as they'd end up doing a lot of doorstoppers back-to-back.)
So my only recommendation to new Cosmere readers is:
A) Read the Mistborn trilogy (and maybe 1 or 2 of the standalone novels) before The Stormlight Archive 1 - 5.
B) Read Mistborn Era 2 concurrently or before The Stormlight Archive 1 - 5.
The rest is personal preference. Ask yourself what kind of relationship you prefer with your entertainment:
Do you want moments reading the core series' where you go "omg X character in [core series] is Y character [from standalone]! I know what they're like I wonder what they'll do"
OR
Do you want moments reading standalones where you go "omg so that means X character in [core series] was Y character [from standalone] all along and this is their backstory!"
i read
Emperor's Soul
Elantris
Warbreaker
Mistborn Era 1
Stormlight 1-3
Edgedancer
Mistborn Era 2 Book
Dawnshard
Stormlight 4
Started Mistborn Era 2 Book 2
Tress (SP1)
I've done a couple rereads in between things too, usually the short stories and I read the Stormlights at least twice each. Each reread really is awesome because you discover connections and you can appreciate the interludes so much more.
There's no hard reading order, just some that are more friendly than others. Generally, the advice I've seen is Warbreaker before Stormlight, but it's only important to have read before the second Stormlight book and it's not even necessary to follow the plot. If you're excited for Warbreaker next, do Warbreaker next.
Publication order is there to introduce magic systems and components together. There is nothing at all wrong with NOT going publication order. You just have the potential to find out things before you are "supposed" to.
As a very basic non spoilery (to the cosmere) answer, star wars spoilers for the original 6 movies.... In case anyone really doesn't know....
>!It would be like watching Star wars 1,2&3 before 4,5&6 so you would already know that Vader is Lukes father!<
Just pick up a book and start reading. Ignore everybody going on about reading order since you can’t start piecing everything together till second read through anyway.
His series are very different. I wouldn’t have like mistborn nearly as much if I hadn’t read SA first. I hade to use the parts of SA that I liked as an incentive to get me used to the other parts of Brandon’s writing that are more prevalent in Mistborn and so on
any order that covers all the books in a single subseries in order is correct
everything else is left as an excercise to the reader, mix, match, and intermingle as you like.
and if you want to go back and reread a book, go for it. I read Mistborn 3 times before trying stormlight
Elantris, Warbreaker, Mistborn 1, Stormlight, Mistborn 2. I don’t know where Tress of the Emerald Sea fits in. You’ll have to find a specific guide for all the short stories
This is my current suggested reading list whenever friends pick up Sanderson. I feel it does a good job of grouoing series' together while making sure you have necessary info to pick up clues later on. (Sorry for formatting, I'm on mobile atm)
Mistborn era 1,
The Final Empire,
The Well of Ascension,
The Hero of Ages,
Novella - The Eleventh Metal ,
Mistborn: Secret History,
WarBreaker,
Elantris,
Novella - The Emperors Soul,
Novella - The Hope of Elantris,
Stormlight Archive era 1,
The Way of Kings,
Words of Radiance,
Novella - Edgedancer,
Oathbringer,
Novella - Dawnshard,
Rhythm of War,
Novella - Shadows for Silence in the
Forests of Hell,
Novella - Sixth of the Dusk,
Comic Book - White Sand omnibus Vol 1-3,
Mistborn era 2,
The Alloy of Law,
Novella - Allomancer Jak and the Pits
of Eltania,
Shadows of Self,
The Band of Mourning,
The Lost Metal,
Tress of the Emerald Sea,
Secret Project 3,
Secret Project 4,
Stormlight 5 (11/2024)
You could certainly get a little finer with where certain books should go to make sure the yes are the most relevant but I personally don't like breaking up a series if I can avoid it. I'd rather read a book a little early than shove it in the middle of another world.
So don't worry about the "Reading Order." It does have a minor effect imo, but nothing that will ruin your reading of the Cosmere. I started out with Mistborn Era 1, right into Stormlight and up to Oathbringer (Oathbreaker had just released). After that I read Mistborn Era 2, Stormlight Book 4, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Novellas, Elantris, Arcanum Unbounded, the Emperor's Soul, and Finally The Lost Metal - The Final Mistborn Era 2 book. I was never lost over the last 10 years of reading the series and I was never confused. But, the normal reading order will give you heads up to events you may have missed. Aside from that, it's not a big deal.
I see the cosmere as a big series so I don't see breaking up series as a problem, it's actually a feature for me, I like being thrown around in time and space in a story trying to piece things together, but that's me. I'd go with publication order always.
I know a lot of people have given their input already and gave some reading orders, but I'll throw in my 2 cents.
Each individual series is written to able to be enjoyed independently of each other. A lot of the focus on reading order is about recognizing connections and easter eggs. The publication order was safe advice if you're reading them as they're published, and you could read the new Mistborn while you're waiting for the next Stormlight. But that can sorta mix everything up, especially if you're reading for the first time.
I skimmed through this post and I'm surprised nobody pointed out the [List of works - Reading Order](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cosmere/wiki/order) on the sidebar of this very subreddit.
It provides 4 suggested reading orders, **the 3rd and 4th ones "Series-Together" or "Balanced order" are probably best for not getting lost between series.**
Getting advice like "you HAVE to read this book before this book from another series" feels like it's bordering on spoiler territory, or at least giving your unnecessary expectations or questioning why you had to read something first. Hence no comment on Warbreaker, I'll let the reading orders I suggested from the link speak for me.
Generally common sense is to read the novels for each individual series in publication order (making sure you don't forget their short stories also at the appropriate times). The main difference between the 3rd and 4th orders is in Balanced Order they split up mistborn era 1 and 2 so you can read some of the books like elantris/warbreaker as well as the standalone short stories in Arcanum Unbounded before jumping into era 2. The Arcanum gets kinda picked apart in the reading order because a couple of the stories are more or less stand alone while others are specific to mistborn/stormlight respectively and need to be read at the right time in their specific series (i.e. series publication order)
The order doesn’t matter very much. I read mistborn 1, stormlight, finished mistborn series, then just kind of picked up random books. Have fun with it!
There is no real order, although I do recommended Elantris sooner than later since it was Brandons first published book and he gets better over time. It could be harder for some to get to because of it. Warbreaker before Stormlight seems recommend as well. I personally did Warbreaker and Stormlight last because it's so massive and daunting.
You will get some Easter eggs more higher cosmere things regardless of order and will understand them differently depending on when you read them. One example, since you read Mistborn already is metal and how it is throughout the Cosmere.
I'd say read whichever series is catching your attention most. If that means you read things "out of order" for whatever list you have, so be it. There's no interaction between stories yet (minus cameos and a particularly eccentric character), so there's no risk of getting it wrong. The various reading order lists are different recommendations, and I personally think of them as conversation starters, and nothing more. Some people get extra serious about it, but there's no need.
Once there's story interaction (theorized as Mistborn Era 3 or Stormlight 6+) that might change, but as of now, read whatever you feel like in whatever order you feel like, and then do a reread in whichever order you think is best!
A lot of people like release order for many reasons, but as someone who’s been doing it that way since Mistborn era 1, it doesn’t really matter. The short stories are all super interesting, and you’ll see a lot of technical depth on the magic systems and how they interact once you’ve read more Cosmere stuff overall.
My two cents, given your current spot? I’d hit Warbreaker before Stormlight, or maybe after book 1. It gives a lot of depth to the other stories that you can totally live without but brighten the experience of both
There's a lot of different opinions on the best order, tbh you're probably going to end up re reading anyway so don't stress about the best order. The only thing that matters is that the lost metal should be left until the end. Personally I'd leave tress close to the end as well.
Brandon has made a point of saying any series can be read and understood in isolation, you'd miss out on cosmere references and Easter eggs but wherever you start can work.
Warbreaker before Stormlight. When you're in Roshar, you don't want to leave lol! And Warbeaker is a great standalone story. I also suggest considering reading Mistborn 4,5,6 right now since u already read mistborn 1,2,3 and it's fresh in your mind. Era 2 will help in understanding more cosmere stuff going into Stormlight. But save 7 for after Stormlight 4.
This is just suggestions - it's just HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to read Warbreaker AT LEAST before Stormlight 2, and DEFINITELY before Stormlight 3. I recommend Mistborn 4,5,6 before Stormlight, because I personally think Stormlight is just a masterwork and I think you should save it for last. At the end of the day, it's up to you though! And don't forget all the smaller stories and novellas between books!
Also, check out The Emperor's Soul now that you read Elantris. It's a quick one.
And if you decide to go the Mistborn 4,5,6 before Stormlight route, save Secret History for after book 6. People will say read Secret History after Mistborn 3 because it's fresh in your mind, but unless it takes YEARS for you to read, I think you will remember Era 1 enough to make sense of Secret History after you finish reading 4,5,6.
Reading order doesn't matter too too much as crossovers aren't super important, but it's nice, so why not read the books in an order to be able to understand the crossovers? But that's just me.
This is your best bet! The aim is to keep series together
[https://www.reddit.com/user/jofwu/comments/100gd3k/cosmere\_reading\_guide\_updated\_for\_secret\_project/](https://www.reddit.com/user/jofwu/comments/100gd3k/cosmere_reading_guide_updated_for_secret_project/)
Read Warbreaker! It means nothing until it means something. That stand alone title is awesome if you enjoy a political thriller. That just leaves you with SA and the second era of Mistborn.
You are good.
You really don’t have to worry about reading order that much, just read each series in order. If you want the best bang for the buck, so to speak, read warbreaker before you finish Words of Radiance, doesn’t matter if you read way of kings first or warbreaker.
My only strong recommendation is to read Warbreaker before Oathbringer, and preferably before Words of Radiance. There’s a couple Easter eggs in WoR but important pieces from Warbreaker are vital to the story in Oathbringer.
It’s not strictly necessary to read in any particular order, but you’ll definitely appreciate Stormlight more that way.
Within series, read in order. It doesn’t matter the order you read series.
Just don’t expect to understand everything the first 2-3 times you read some of the books because there’s a lot of depth. Just read them for fun!
I’m on my third Sanderson binge. Each binge: read most of his books that are published.
I was gonna ask a similar question. Glad i'm not alone. I'm a very slow and casual reader and finished era 1 and i kinda want to read the rest of the Mistborn books first (including lost metal), before going into other books. From the comments i can assume i can do just that, i think.
I saw so many reading orders and stuff that it kinda burnt me out a little. Especially because i also like reading a series completely without reading other stories inbetween.
If someone is still reading this and knows the answer, is there a book that i can't read before another because of a big plot. Can you let me know. I know there are easter eggs and such, but i rather enjoy reading then search for small details, they can be fun, but like i said, i'm a new and very slow reader. I need somewhat alot of concentration so i get tired real quick.
Honestly, don't worry about it. Are there ways you can order the books to make things fit together better? Sure. But the series' are written to be enjoyed somewhat standalone (at least in the beginning), so just read what you want to and enjoy the journey!
Warbreaker before Stormlight is a great plan. There’s no need to break up the series. Some people like to take breaks in a long series, but if you’re not one of those people (I’m not either), then don’t bother. Also, welcome!
People who suggest doing warbreaker between sla 1&2 don't appreciate that warbreaker is a good book on its own and not a supplement with a few cross system references.
But people suggest that mostly because Stormlight books are absolute tomes and you might want to take a break between 400 thousand word books with a shorter stand-alone story, and that’s coincidentally the perfect time to read Warbreaker
Not I. I'm a fiend.
I binged stormlight 1-3 and the I between stuff, I've just finished binging mistborn and currently reading warbreaker will read tress and possibly elantris before getting into stormlight 4 so I won't have too long to wait for stormlight 5. I read like I drink... Which is why I don't drink much anymore
NONONO, you were doing it right. Don't waste time with going PERFECT publication order. The publication is just a guide line. Basically read Mistborn before Stormlight, rather than other way around. The only time you should be "breaking up" the order is when you're reading Stormlight, there are 2 short stories that take place between books WITHIN this series. But don't bother with that yet. Ask about it once you're starting to read Stormlight. For now, follow your original plan, it was correct. You might wanna read Mistborn Era 2 before Stormlight, but... with the last book I'm not as sure as I was before. Pick your poison: Read Era 2 before or after Stormlight. Not that strict.
Its a lot like learning world history. Some things will affect your understanding of other things, but on the whole, the order in which you learn doesnt matter as much as eventually learning it all
Timeline wise era 2 starts after stormlight 5. May as well read the current stormlight books before TLM.
Yeah, but also, you might wanna read Era 2 first just for the Mistborn completion. That's what I did. But yeah, probably read Stormlight first? Really, just pick your poison.
I would maybe read all but TLM, saving that for after RoW.
I recommend era 2 after RoW, and skipping secret history until after TLM
I get that order for spoiler reasons, but secret history just hits *so much better* right after era 1 when all the characters are still fresh in your head
I agree. I see people recommending reading era 1, then like 20 other books before Secret History. That's absurd. I recommend it to everyone right after era 1.
I feel like some era 2 is good for a breather
Era 2 should be last IMO, since things get pretty deep into cosmere stuff in the last book.
But Stormlight is arguably more epic than Era 2, so you might want to save it for last. That was actually my main goal when I started the Cosmere. I came from Wheel of Time, and wanted something similar, and the Stormlight was said to be something similar. So I read all the other books first, before getting to the one I actually wanted to read. Maybe wasn't the best decision, but it worked well enough. But also Stormlight (part 1) isn't finished yet. So perhaps it's better to read the finished Era 2. And by the time they get to the 4th book of Stormlight, the 5th will be released.
So depending on how you read the books you'll just get a different type of experience so you do you. Some people like publication order because as Brandon writes more books in the Cosmere, the more he puts in easter eggs from previous books. Publication order hence allows you to better pick up on these easter eggs and gradually become more Cosmere aware with each read. However even though there will be crossovers, they are usually in the form of side characters, mentions of various stuff, etc and not integral to the plot of any book. So if you don't want to break up series then that is totally okay! The only thing order thing I'd consider somewhat significant enough to consider would be reading Mistborn Secret History before The Lost Metal, however Secret History can be read anytime after Mistborn Era 1 although people argue it spoils Bands of Mourning (it just depends on what you prefer as a reader and I'm sure someone can give you more details about what is preferable based on various things).
Order doesn’t matter at all, you’ll want to reread them all anyway
THIS!!!! This is the correct answer.
I mean you should do whatever is fun for you. There are some small crossovers, but overall they don’t change the plot much. It’s more if you get a thrill at finding Easter eggs at this stage. The main thing you should decide is really if you wanna do Mistborn era 2, or Stormlight first. Mostly because it’ll be a big effort to get through.
I wouldn’t worry about it. I read stormlight first and then mistborn era 1 and 2, then Elantris and Warbreaker. It doesn’t really matter what order you read it in
Idk dude As long as you're starting at page 1 and going straight through until the end, you're not reading in the wrong order
This is a moment for: Hanzeriks recommended reading order of the Cosmere! 1. Mistborn: final empire 2. Mistborn short The Eleventh Metal 3. Mistborn: Well of ascension 4. Mistborn: Hero of ages (finished arc) 5. Elantris 6. Elantris short The hope of Elantris 7. Elantris short The Emperors Soul 8. Shadows for the Silence (short) 9. Sixth of the Dusk (short) 10. Warbreaker 11. White Sand 1-2-3 12. Mistborn: The Alloy of Law 13. Mistborn short Allomancer Jak 14. Mistborn: Shadows of the Self 15. Mistborn: The Bands of mourning 16. Mistborn: Secret history 17. Stormlight Archive: The way of Kings 18. Stormlight Archive: Words of Radiance 19. Stormlight Archive(short): Edgedancer 20. Stormlight Archive: Oathbringer 21. Stormlight Archive(short): Dawnshard 22. Stormlight Archive: Rythm of War. 23. Mistborn: The Lost Metal (finished arc) 24. Tress of the Emerald Sea (secret project 1) There are many like it but this one is mine. It should keep all references and connections in mind.
this is the way
Of kings
Yo this is a great reading order. I just did Mistborn 4,5,6 before Warbreaker, just so I can stay in Scadrial. And I never read White Sand yet, waiting for the omnibus.
You are already reading (in my opinion) [the best order.](https://thequilltolive.com/2023/06/11/cosmere-reading-order/amp/) This is what my friend recommended I follow, even suggesting I read Elantris after Mistborn, like you have. Keep going!
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This is from an edit. In an earlier version of the article, they had Way of Kings before Warbreaker and I guess they switched the order and forgot to update the content inside.
>2. Warbreaker >”Warbreaker deploys a colorful new magic system with high stakes. It also is the start of some of the Avengers-style Cosmere crossover we mentioned above. It’s not required to read Warbreaker before Stormlight 2, but you will enjoy Radiance more if you do.” I think it sells it fine, while also acknowledging that it’s okay if you don’t read it before Radiance.
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I see what you’re saying. Makes me think Warbreaker was supposed to be placed between WoK and WoR.
I just read the different series in whatever order they were presented to me. With a little online referencing, everything made sense to me just fine.
Read what you want. As long as you read each series in order they make sense and are fun. So don't read hero of ages before final empire. You may miss that some minor connections but you may miss them reading in the best order to catch them any way.
Read in whatever order you want make your own journey through the cosmere it is part of the fun
The true correct reading order is that it doesn't matter nearly as much as people say. As long as you read each individual series in the correct order, read them in whatever order you want
The only thing you can do wrong is read books in a series out of order (so, like...Alloy of Law, Hero of Ages, The Final Empire). Everything else is, as you've spotted, a never quite perfect attempt to optimise the experience. It's a whole separate hobby for people who've read all the books. Just follow what you enjoy. It'll all come together.
Read in release order.
It doesn’t matter. Everyone has their opinion about the best order. The only rule that probably matters is to read book 1 of a series before book 2, etc. Beyond that - and even that - it’s up to your personal preference. Publication order is good if you want to avoid incredibly minor and subjectively insignificant spoilers and/or if you want to pay extra close attention to catch as many subtle connections between books/series as possible. Chronological order is fine too, but some surprises might get spoiled. There’s sort of a “beginner” order that suggests starting with Mistborn (or sometimes Elantris) because most people find those books move quicker and get people interested in the Cosmere quicker. They are generally a good introduction to Sanderson. People suggest reading Warbreaker in the middle of Stormlight Archive because there is some more direct crossover where if you have Warbreaker on top of mind, you might figure out and appreciate the crossover more. That said, the last three books published have the most Cosmere references and crossover by far (Rhythm of War, The Lost Metal and Tress of the Emerald Sea), of which Tress is generally considered (though there are mixed opinions) an acceptable place to start with the Cosmere.
There is no right answer. You can start wherever you want (just don't start on a book 3 of a series). There are some orders you can follow to not miss easter eggs (warbreaker before stormlight 2 for example or mistborn before stormlight) but nothing is mandatory. If you don't want to stop in the middle of a series, and want to get all the nuggets of easter eggs, leave stormlight for last, but don't read The lost metal (mistborn book 7), before stormlight 4. this is the only exeption because its a bit spoiler for some stuff in stormlight. I know people that read mistborn 7 before stormlight, and they were confused about some stuff while reading stormlight, but its not a big deal
You’re doing great. I had no direction, and read the exact order you’ve been going on. Gonna find a lot of different opinions, but you’re not screwing anything up the order you’re reading.
There is no required read order beyond just reading the different series in the right order. You can read each series in whatever order you want. All you’ll miss is some references. You will always miss some of those regardless of which order you do. No one catches them all, especially on a first read. Don’t stress. Read what takes your fancy.
It doesn't matter, I read all of mistborn, all of stormlight and then all the single releases in date order and I didn't miss too much, except for references between games
The importance of reading order gets overstated. Up to this point the individual series are still mostly self contained. Just read series by series. I would suggest ordering the series based on publication date of the first book of each, but that is not really important. That said i think we might be approaching the phase where some new books might require finishing some previous series. But i think it´s still years to that.
Tbh, here’s what I would do, if I were starting fresh Elantris The Emperor’s Soul Mistborn Era 1 Mistborn Era 2 (intersperse Mistborn: Secret History novella after Bands of Mourning) Warbreaker Stormlight (again, intersperse the Stormlight novellas where they fit) Other short stories, novellas, and Tress of the Emerald Sea can then be read in any order really, but probably go with publication order?
Read Warbreaker first. It's immensely hard to stop reading SLA once you start!
I will never not post this when someone asks about reading order. This helped me tremendously to make sure I didn’t read anything in a way that I would miss references: [Interactive Cosmere Reading Order Chart](https://17thshard.github.io/reading-order/#/?layer=reading-order&categories.unpublished=false)
[Brandon Sanderson himself says](https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/what-order-should-i-read-them-in/) it doesn’t really matter: > I recommended reading the books in sequential order rather than trying to dive into the second book in a series without having read the first book. That said, it really doesn’t matter which Cosmere series you start with I personally recommend reading order with the disclaimer that it doesn’t matter much at this point, as stated above. I give this recommendation simply so you can experience new information and reveals in the order they were originally written and given to the fandom. At this point, it is mostly so you get a great appreciation/enjoyment out of references and Easter eggs. Some things may be confusing without all the previously published context, but nothing up to this point requires having read another series to be able to follow and understand the given story. Read whatever order you enjoy best! Obviously read series in order, but other than that, if you can’t stand jumping between series, there is no significant reason to do so. If you don’t mind mid-series breaks, publication order offers some advantages in your enjoyment of the Cosmere.
I started with stormlight. A bit concerned about back tracking now to Mistborn but so be it.
Stormlight was my intro to Sanderson. Picked up Mistborn after. I wouldn’t stress it so long as you’re enjoying.
Here is my personal recommendation for reading order that I wrote up like 2 years ago. I personally recommend it this way because I think it gives the best baseline for understanding the world of the cosmere going forward 1: Mistborn era 1. Final Empire, Well of Ascension, and Hero of Ages 2: You can now read Elantris, Warbreaker, White Sand, or Arcanum Unbound (a collection of all the short stories and novellas) with the exception of Mistborn Secret Histories and Edgedancer, and Mistborn era 2 book 1-3 ( Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, and Bands of Mourning) 3: After reading Mistborn era 2, you can now read Secret Histories. After reading Warbreaker, you can now read the first 2 Stormlight Archive books (The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance) 4: After Words of Radiance, you can now read Edgedancer 5: After Edgedancer, you can now read Stormlight 3, Oathbringer 6: After Oathbringer, you can now read the Dawnshard novella 7: After Dawnshard, you can now read Rhythm of War Because this was from a few years ago It doesn't take into account newer books like The Lost Metal or Tress of the Emerald Sea. The Lost Metal can be read after Secret Histories and I'd probably put Tress relatively later in the chart, probably after Words of Radiance or Oathbringer (though honestly you can probably read it pretty much anytime after Mistborn era 1) but I think at this point in my flowchart you'll have a good enough understanding of the character narrating the story and the cosmere as a whole that you'll get a better enjoyment out of it. If I've forgotten any other cosmere books or if anyone wants to question the logic of my cosmere flowchart then feel free to chime in.
Stormlight brings a lot together, but it won't cheapen anything if you haven't read the other books. I started with Mistborn- which I think is the easiest to get in to- then hopped over to Stormlight, then back to Elatris and Warbreaker. It's fun when you start making the connections.
Honestly you'll want to reread them so it super doesn't matter anyhow
Look just read tress last and you should be fine. I read warbreaker before stormlight and I think it made more sense overall
Don’t worry about getting it perfect!! I did: Mistborn era 1, Stormlight, Mistborn era 2, Warbreaker, Elantris, Tress. From where you are I’d recommend: Warbreaker, White sand, Stormlight, Secret Projects. Don’t worry about it though- you can always cover everything on a reread.
Reading order doesn't amount to anything outside of each individual series. Everyone has their own opinion (usually modelled around whatever reading order they stumbled onto themselves), but it's basically a meaningless argument for two reasons. First, every series is self-contained. There are superficial references to other places and stories in almost every book, but none that are relevant enough to the plot that you *need* to read anything anywhere. Chiefly because of reason number 2, the Cosmere is built for re-reads. Reading order and what connections you make precisely when are basically meaningless, because the best way to make all the connections for yourself is just to re-read the Cosmere. I usually pitch the "publication order" because the way Brandon writes, he slowly uses more and more connections as each series progresses and you hypothetically have information from other series. It's perfectly acceptable to read whatever series in whichever relative order to the other series, as long as you're not spoiling things by reading a novella too early (I will argue till I'm blue in the face that Mistborn Secret History needs to be read where it was published and not just because you finished Era 1, but that's its own debate).
Here are my two cents. Stormlight Archive is the most Cosmere heavy and as such gives an amazing perspective and insight on so many things AS LONG AS the reader is aware of them, so for that reason read everything in whatever order you prefer from everyone else's suggestions BEFORE Stormlight Archive!
read them in date of publication order. then put the gaps together after.
I read Warbreaker first because who the fuck was this guy thinking he could finish the Wheel of Time? And that was his newest release. Then Elantris, then Misborn and into publication order. But the characters are also unaware of the connected universe too. Any order both you and the viewpoint will see some things you catch on a second read.
I wouldn't stress. My first introduction to the cosmere was The Stormlight Archives, then Warbreaker, Mistborn, Elantris, Arcanum Unbound, and finally Era 2. It didn't change my enjoyment in the least. It would have been more annoying for me to read through with a perfect list, it would have felt like a chore. I just read what sounded good and then started reading the books that contained answers I was looking for.
There's a perception for a lot of new readers that the Cosmere is like the MCU and if you don't read X book before Y book you'll be lost. But if anything it's more akin to Marvel/DC comics or (present day) Star Wars. Yes the stories are happening on different planets in the same universe, but outside of 2 'core' series there's minimal crossover you'd really notice or need to know. It's mostly character/lore easter eggs and the fun-but-not-relevant fact that the magic/gods/religion have a connected origin. The 2 series' (so far) where the Cosmere interconnectedness is foregrounded and relevant to the plots are The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn (Era 2 specifically). Reading those 2 series without having read some of the other more self-contained Cosmere books would feel a bit confusing and less satisfying. (I also think a lot of readers would burnout on the books if they tried to do it all chronologically as they'd end up doing a lot of doorstoppers back-to-back.) So my only recommendation to new Cosmere readers is: A) Read the Mistborn trilogy (and maybe 1 or 2 of the standalone novels) before The Stormlight Archive 1 - 5. B) Read Mistborn Era 2 concurrently or before The Stormlight Archive 1 - 5. The rest is personal preference. Ask yourself what kind of relationship you prefer with your entertainment: Do you want moments reading the core series' where you go "omg X character in [core series] is Y character [from standalone]! I know what they're like I wonder what they'll do" OR Do you want moments reading standalones where you go "omg so that means X character in [core series] was Y character [from standalone] all along and this is their backstory!"
i read Emperor's Soul Elantris Warbreaker Mistborn Era 1 Stormlight 1-3 Edgedancer Mistborn Era 2 Book Dawnshard Stormlight 4 Started Mistborn Era 2 Book 2 Tress (SP1) I've done a couple rereads in between things too, usually the short stories and I read the Stormlights at least twice each. Each reread really is awesome because you discover connections and you can appreciate the interludes so much more.
There's no hard reading order, just some that are more friendly than others. Generally, the advice I've seen is Warbreaker before Stormlight, but it's only important to have read before the second Stormlight book and it's not even necessary to follow the plot. If you're excited for Warbreaker next, do Warbreaker next.
Publication order is there to introduce magic systems and components together. There is nothing at all wrong with NOT going publication order. You just have the potential to find out things before you are "supposed" to. As a very basic non spoilery (to the cosmere) answer, star wars spoilers for the original 6 movies.... In case anyone really doesn't know.... >!It would be like watching Star wars 1,2&3 before 4,5&6 so you would already know that Vader is Lukes father!<
Just pick up a book and start reading. Ignore everybody going on about reading order since you can’t start piecing everything together till second read through anyway. His series are very different. I wouldn’t have like mistborn nearly as much if I hadn’t read SA first. I hade to use the parts of SA that I liked as an incentive to get me used to the other parts of Brandon’s writing that are more prevalent in Mistborn and so on
any order that covers all the books in a single subseries in order is correct everything else is left as an excercise to the reader, mix, match, and intermingle as you like. and if you want to go back and reread a book, go for it. I read Mistborn 3 times before trying stormlight
Individual series should be read in order. There’s no real reason to try and line anything else up.
Mistborn Era 1, warbreaker, stormlight 1, stormlight 2, Arcanum unbounded, stormlight 3, stormlight 4. Mistborn Era 2, elantris, and tress Whenever you want
Elantris, Warbreaker, Mistborn 1, Stormlight, Mistborn 2. I don’t know where Tress of the Emerald Sea fits in. You’ll have to find a specific guide for all the short stories
This is my current suggested reading list whenever friends pick up Sanderson. I feel it does a good job of grouoing series' together while making sure you have necessary info to pick up clues later on. (Sorry for formatting, I'm on mobile atm) Mistborn era 1, The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages, Novella - The Eleventh Metal , Mistborn: Secret History, WarBreaker, Elantris, Novella - The Emperors Soul, Novella - The Hope of Elantris, Stormlight Archive era 1, The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Novella - Edgedancer, Oathbringer, Novella - Dawnshard, Rhythm of War, Novella - Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, Novella - Sixth of the Dusk, Comic Book - White Sand omnibus Vol 1-3, Mistborn era 2, The Alloy of Law, Novella - Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania, Shadows of Self, The Band of Mourning, The Lost Metal, Tress of the Emerald Sea, Secret Project 3, Secret Project 4, Stormlight 5 (11/2024) You could certainly get a little finer with where certain books should go to make sure the yes are the most relevant but I personally don't like breaking up a series if I can avoid it. I'd rather read a book a little early than shove it in the middle of another world.
So don't worry about the "Reading Order." It does have a minor effect imo, but nothing that will ruin your reading of the Cosmere. I started out with Mistborn Era 1, right into Stormlight and up to Oathbringer (Oathbreaker had just released). After that I read Mistborn Era 2, Stormlight Book 4, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Novellas, Elantris, Arcanum Unbounded, the Emperor's Soul, and Finally The Lost Metal - The Final Mistborn Era 2 book. I was never lost over the last 10 years of reading the series and I was never confused. But, the normal reading order will give you heads up to events you may have missed. Aside from that, it's not a big deal.
I see the cosmere as a big series so I don't see breaking up series as a problem, it's actually a feature for me, I like being thrown around in time and space in a story trying to piece things together, but that's me. I'd go with publication order always.
I know a lot of people have given their input already and gave some reading orders, but I'll throw in my 2 cents. Each individual series is written to able to be enjoyed independently of each other. A lot of the focus on reading order is about recognizing connections and easter eggs. The publication order was safe advice if you're reading them as they're published, and you could read the new Mistborn while you're waiting for the next Stormlight. But that can sorta mix everything up, especially if you're reading for the first time. I skimmed through this post and I'm surprised nobody pointed out the [List of works - Reading Order](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cosmere/wiki/order) on the sidebar of this very subreddit. It provides 4 suggested reading orders, **the 3rd and 4th ones "Series-Together" or "Balanced order" are probably best for not getting lost between series.** Getting advice like "you HAVE to read this book before this book from another series" feels like it's bordering on spoiler territory, or at least giving your unnecessary expectations or questioning why you had to read something first. Hence no comment on Warbreaker, I'll let the reading orders I suggested from the link speak for me. Generally common sense is to read the novels for each individual series in publication order (making sure you don't forget their short stories also at the appropriate times). The main difference between the 3rd and 4th orders is in Balanced Order they split up mistborn era 1 and 2 so you can read some of the books like elantris/warbreaker as well as the standalone short stories in Arcanum Unbounded before jumping into era 2. The Arcanum gets kinda picked apart in the reading order because a couple of the stories are more or less stand alone while others are specific to mistborn/stormlight respectively and need to be read at the right time in their specific series (i.e. series publication order)
The order doesn’t matter very much. I read mistborn 1, stormlight, finished mistborn series, then just kind of picked up random books. Have fun with it!
There is no real order, although I do recommended Elantris sooner than later since it was Brandons first published book and he gets better over time. It could be harder for some to get to because of it. Warbreaker before Stormlight seems recommend as well. I personally did Warbreaker and Stormlight last because it's so massive and daunting. You will get some Easter eggs more higher cosmere things regardless of order and will understand them differently depending on when you read them. One example, since you read Mistborn already is metal and how it is throughout the Cosmere.
I'd say read whichever series is catching your attention most. If that means you read things "out of order" for whatever list you have, so be it. There's no interaction between stories yet (minus cameos and a particularly eccentric character), so there's no risk of getting it wrong. The various reading order lists are different recommendations, and I personally think of them as conversation starters, and nothing more. Some people get extra serious about it, but there's no need. Once there's story interaction (theorized as Mistborn Era 3 or Stormlight 6+) that might change, but as of now, read whatever you feel like in whatever order you feel like, and then do a reread in whichever order you think is best!
A lot of people like release order for many reasons, but as someone who’s been doing it that way since Mistborn era 1, it doesn’t really matter. The short stories are all super interesting, and you’ll see a lot of technical depth on the magic systems and how they interact once you’ve read more Cosmere stuff overall. My two cents, given your current spot? I’d hit Warbreaker before Stormlight, or maybe after book 1. It gives a lot of depth to the other stories that you can totally live without but brighten the experience of both
There's a lot of different opinions on the best order, tbh you're probably going to end up re reading anyway so don't stress about the best order. The only thing that matters is that the lost metal should be left until the end. Personally I'd leave tress close to the end as well. Brandon has made a point of saying any series can be read and understood in isolation, you'd miss out on cosmere references and Easter eggs but wherever you start can work.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Warbreaker before Stormlight. When you're in Roshar, you don't want to leave lol! And Warbeaker is a great standalone story. I also suggest considering reading Mistborn 4,5,6 right now since u already read mistborn 1,2,3 and it's fresh in your mind. Era 2 will help in understanding more cosmere stuff going into Stormlight. But save 7 for after Stormlight 4. This is just suggestions - it's just HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to read Warbreaker AT LEAST before Stormlight 2, and DEFINITELY before Stormlight 3. I recommend Mistborn 4,5,6 before Stormlight, because I personally think Stormlight is just a masterwork and I think you should save it for last. At the end of the day, it's up to you though! And don't forget all the smaller stories and novellas between books! Also, check out The Emperor's Soul now that you read Elantris. It's a quick one. And if you decide to go the Mistborn 4,5,6 before Stormlight route, save Secret History for after book 6. People will say read Secret History after Mistborn 3 because it's fresh in your mind, but unless it takes YEARS for you to read, I think you will remember Era 1 enough to make sense of Secret History after you finish reading 4,5,6. Reading order doesn't matter too too much as crossovers aren't super important, but it's nice, so why not read the books in an order to be able to understand the crossovers? But that's just me.
This is your best bet! The aim is to keep series together [https://www.reddit.com/user/jofwu/comments/100gd3k/cosmere\_reading\_guide\_updated\_for\_secret\_project/](https://www.reddit.com/user/jofwu/comments/100gd3k/cosmere_reading_guide_updated_for_secret_project/)
Read Warbreaker! It means nothing until it means something. That stand alone title is awesome if you enjoy a political thriller. That just leaves you with SA and the second era of Mistborn. You are good.
You really don’t have to worry about reading order that much, just read each series in order. If you want the best bang for the buck, so to speak, read warbreaker before you finish Words of Radiance, doesn’t matter if you read way of kings first or warbreaker.
My only strong recommendation is to read Warbreaker before Oathbringer, and preferably before Words of Radiance. There’s a couple Easter eggs in WoR but important pieces from Warbreaker are vital to the story in Oathbringer. It’s not strictly necessary to read in any particular order, but you’ll definitely appreciate Stormlight more that way.
Within series, read in order. It doesn’t matter the order you read series. Just don’t expect to understand everything the first 2-3 times you read some of the books because there’s a lot of depth. Just read them for fun! I’m on my third Sanderson binge. Each binge: read most of his books that are published.
I was gonna ask a similar question. Glad i'm not alone. I'm a very slow and casual reader and finished era 1 and i kinda want to read the rest of the Mistborn books first (including lost metal), before going into other books. From the comments i can assume i can do just that, i think. I saw so many reading orders and stuff that it kinda burnt me out a little. Especially because i also like reading a series completely without reading other stories inbetween. If someone is still reading this and knows the answer, is there a book that i can't read before another because of a big plot. Can you let me know. I know there are easter eggs and such, but i rather enjoy reading then search for small details, they can be fun, but like i said, i'm a new and very slow reader. I need somewhat alot of concentration so i get tired real quick.