Mistborn or Stormlight Archive: Which Brandon Sanderson Series to Read First

Brandon Sanderson is the most prolific fantasy writer of his generation, and his output can be bewildering for new readers. Two series sit at the centre of his work: the Mistborn trilogy (and its sequels) and The Stormlight Archive. Both are set in the same universe — the Cosmere — and eventually connect.

Here’s where to start and why.

Start with Mistborn

The Final Empire (Mistborn Book 1) is the recommended entry point for new Sanderson readers, and for good reason. It’s a self-contained heist novel set in a world where a tyrant has ruled for a thousand years. It demonstrates everything Sanderson does well — intricate magic systems, satisfying plotting, characters who develop — in a package that’s more manageable than the doorstop volumes of Stormlight.

The original Mistborn trilogy (The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages) concludes completely and satisfyingly. You can read it without ever touching Stormlight.

Then Read Stormlight

The Way of Kings (Stormlight Book 1) is enormous — approximately 1,000 pages — and begins a series projected to run to ten volumes. It’s more ambitious than Mistborn, more complex, and for many readers the more rewarding of the two.

The magic system (Stormlight itself, and the Surgebinding abilities it powers) is arguably Sanderson’s most inventive. The world — Roshar, a planet shaped by apocalyptic storms — is his most visually striking.

The current Stormlight books:

1. The Way of Kings (2010)

2. Words of Radiance (2014)
3. Oathbringer (2017)
4. Rhythm of War (2020)
5. Wind and Truth (2024)

The complete Stormlight Archive reading order is on the series page. Books 1–5 complete the first “arc” of the planned ten-book series.

The Cosmere Connection

Both Mistborn and Stormlight Archive are set in the Cosmere — Sanderson’s shared universe. Characters and concepts from one series occasionally appear in another, and there is an overarching Cosmere mythology that becomes important in the later books.

New readers do not need to know about the Cosmere to enjoy either series. But experienced readers who’ve read across Sanderson’s catalogue will encounter Easter eggs, cameos, and eventually plot significance.

The most direct Cosmere crossover point comes in the later Mistborn novels (the Wax and Wayne era, set 300 years after the original trilogy) and in Books 3 and 4 of Stormlight Archive.

The Mistborn Series in Full

Beyond the original trilogy, Sanderson has continued Mistborn with the Wax and Wayne books — a second era set in a steampunk-adjacent version of the same world:

1. The Alloy of Law
2. Shadows of Self
3. The Bands of Mourning
4. The Lost Metal

The complete Mistborn reading order covers all eras.

Elantris: The Optional Third Option

Elantris (2005) was Sanderson’s debut novel and is also set in the Cosmere. It’s shorter, simpler, and represents Sanderson before he fully developed his signature style. For completionists it’s essential; for new readers it’s optional.

The Short Answer

New to Sanderson? Read The Final Empire (Mistborn #1). If you finish it and want more, read the original trilogy, then begin The Way of Kings. You’ll be set for years.