The Stormlight Archive: Complete Reading Order Including Novellas

Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is one of the most ambitious fantasy series currently being written — a projected ten-book sequence set on the storm-ravaged planet of Roshar, with an intricate magic system, a vast cast, and a mythology that rewards extreme attention. The first five-book arc is now complete with Wind and Truth (2024).

The Complete Stormlight Reading Order

Main series:

1. The Way of Kings (2010) — Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar; the war on the Shattered Plains

2. Words of Radiance (2014) — Radiant powers begin to return

3. Oathbringer (2017) — Dalinar’s past; the Everstorm

4. Rhythm of War (2020) — Navani; the tower of Urithiru

5. Wind and Truth (2024) — completes the first arc

With novellas in their recommended placement:

Read Edgedancer after Book 2 (Words of Radiance), before Book 3 (Oathbringer). It follows Lift, a minor character from Book 2, and sets up events in Oathbringer. Short (under 200 pages); highly recommended.

Read Dawnshard after Book 3 (Oathbringer), before Book 4 (Rhythm of War). Follows Rysn and Lopen on a voyage. Sets up elements of Rhythm of War.

Full recommended order:

1. The Way of Kings
2. Words of Radiance
3. Edgedancer (novella)
4. Oathbringer
5. Dawnshard (novella)
6. Rhythm of War
7. Wind and Truth

Do I Need to Read Mistborn First?

This is one of the most-searched Stormlight questions. The short answer: no, but it helps.

Stormlight Archive works as a standalone fantasy series. You don’t need Mistborn to follow any of the main plots.

However, both series are part of Sanderson’s Cosmere — a shared universe. By Books 3 and 4 of Stormlight, Cosmere connections become more explicit. Readers who’ve completed Mistborn Era 1 (The Final Empire, Well of Ascension, Hero of Ages) will have more context for these connections.

Recommendation for new Sanderson readers: Start with Mistborn (The Final Empire), read the original trilogy, then begin Stormlight with The Way of Kings. The Mistborn trilogy serves as a Sanderson orientation that makes The Way of Kings more rewarding.

For readers who specifically want Stormlight: Start with The Way of Kings directly. You may miss some Cosmere references but you’ll follow the story completely.

What Makes Stormlight Different

The world of Roshar is shaped by apocalyptic storms — highstorms — that regularly scour the landscape. Architecture, ecology, and culture are all built around these storms. The magic system (Surgebinding, powered by Stormlight) is Sanderson’s most inventive.

The series rotates between three main POV characters: Kaladin (a slave turned soldier turned Knight Radiant), Shallan (a scholar and spy with a split identity), and Dalinar (a highprince haunted by his past). Each book focuses more heavily on one character’s arc while developing the others.

How Long Is Each Book?

Each Stormlight book is between 380,000 and 460,000 words — roughly 1,000 pages in most editions. This is the most common reason readers hesitate. The page count is real, but the books don’t feel long while you’re reading them — Sanderson is one of the most propulsive writers in epic fantasy.

The Apple TV+ Adaptation

Apple TV+ announced a deal to adapt the Cosmere universe in early 2026, including the Stormlight Archive. No casting or timeline had been announced at time of writing. With five complete books and five more planned, there’s substantial source material.

Where to Start

Read The Way of Kings first. Invest in the first 200 pages — the book takes time to establish its world, but by the back half it becomes one of fantasy’s most compulsive reads. The ending of Book 1 justifies everything that precedes it.