A while back, I put together a Cosmere reading order, and it ended up becoming one of the most popular articles on this site. Since then, Sanderson’s backlog has only gotten bigger, and I keep seeing the same question pop up from new and longtime readers alike: “Okay, but what about everything else?”
Because the Cosmere is only one piece of what he’s written. This guide is the full map, covering the Cosmere and the non-Cosmere books too, including series like The Reckoners, the Cytoverse, Riftwake, and The Strata Wars, plus standalones like The Rithmatist. So let’s dive into the complete list of Brandon Sanderson books in order.
Jump to:
- Cosmere Books in Order
- Cytoverse Books in Order
- Other Brandon Sanderson Books
- Brandon Sanderson Books FAQ
Cosmere Books in Order
We’ll start our list of Brandon Sanderson books in order with the Cosmere on the off chance you find this article instead of my other one.
The list below will only include my recommended Cosmere order. Meaning that I’ve lumped them together how you should read them to avoid confusion.
But this is only 1 of the 3 different ways you can read the Cosmere. The other options are Publication order and Chronological order. You can learn more in my Cosmere reading order article.
Elantris & Sel
- Elantris
The Hope of Elantris (Short Story)
The Emperor’s Soul (Novella)
Mistborn
- The Final Empire
- The Well of Ascension
- The Hero of Ages
- The Alloy of Law
The Eleventh Metal (Short Story)
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (Short Story) - Shadows of Self
- The Bands of Mourning
Mistborn: Secret History (Novella) - The Lost Metal
- Ghostbloods (TBA)
Standalones
- Warbreaker
- Sixth of the Dusk (Novella)
- Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell (Novella)
The Stormlight Archive
- The Way of Kings
- Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella) - Oathbringer
Dawnshard (Novella) - Rhythm of War
- Wind and Truth
Taldain – Graphic Novels
Hoid’s Travails and Cosmere Secret Projects
This section includes Sanderson’s Cosmere Secret Project novels and the newer Hoid’s Travails books. The Fires of December is part of Hoid’s Travails, the same loose grouping as Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter.
- Tress of the Emerald Sea
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
- The Fires of December (Hoid’s Travails) (2026)
- The Sunlit Man
- Isles of the Emberdark
It’s worth mentioning that the Cosmere is not complete. Not anywhere close to it.
There will be a total of 10 Stormlight Archive books and several more Mistborn books to come, plus anything else he writes over the next 15 years it will likely take to finish the Cosmere.
Cytoverse Books in Order
The Cytoverse is one of Brandon Sanderson’s major non-Cosmere projects and a separate corner of his bibliography. It’s a YA science fiction series set in a future where humanity is trapped on a distant world and fighting to survive under constant attack from alien forces.
Below, you’ll find the currently available and upcoming Cytoverse books in order. Publication order is the best place to start for most new readers.
Cytoverse Books in Publication Order
- Skyward (2018)
- Starsight (2019)
Sunreach (2021) (Novella)
ReDawn (2021) (Novella) - Cytonic (2021)
Defending Elysium (2021) (Novella)
Evershore (2021) (Novella) - Defiant (2023)
Cytoverse Books in Chronological Order
- Defending Elysium (Novella)
- Skyward
- Starsight
- Sunreach (Novella)
- ReDawn (Novella)
- Cytonic
- Evershore (Novella) (Takes place at the same time as Cytonic)
- Defiant (2023)
The only noticeable difference here is that Defending Elysium is before Skyward. It’s several hundred years in the past, and would not make a very good introduction to the series, so it’s only recommended for those doing a reread and wanting to spice things up a bit.
Cytonic and Evershore Reading Order
It’s also worth mentioning that Evershore technically takes place at the same time as Cytonic, but I’d still recommend reading it after.
Others disagree.
I’ve seen some very strong opinions for reading Evershore first. The problem is that both Evershore and Cytonic end in the same place. So by reading Cytonic first, you in a sense ruin the ending of Evershore. But the same could be said the other way around, and I’d rather not spoil the full length novel.
After all, Janci Patterson wrote the Skyward Flight novellas with some oversight by Brandon Sanderson, while Brandon himself wrote the main novels.
If you absolutely must do a Cytonic and Evershore Tandem Read, read everything in Cytonic except the Epilogue, then read Evershore in its entirety, then go back and finish Cytonic’s epilogue.
Riftwake Books
Riftwake is a Skyward follow-up series by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson. It continues the broader Cytoverse after the main Skyward books, so I’d treat it as a later read rather than a starting point.
- Blightfall (Riftwake Book 1) (2026)
Other Brandon Sanderson Books
The rest of the Brandon Sanderson books in order aren’t connected to one of his two big universes. We’ll list them out by series to keep things organized as best as possible.
The Reckoners Series
The Reckoners is one of my favorite Brandon Sanderson series. If you enjoy YA super hero tales, then this is for you. I recommend listening to the audiobooks as they’re phenomenal.
Main Series
- Steelheart
Mitosis (Short Story) - Firefight
- Calamity
Texas Reckoners
- Lux (Only available in Audio)
Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians
This is a Middle Grade series and may not be to the liking of the majority of Sanderson fans that are used to his Cosmere books.
- Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians
- The Scrivener’s Bones
- The Knights of Crystallia
- The Shattered Lens
- The Dark Talent
- Bastille vs. The Evil Librarians
The Wheel of Time
Brandon Sanderson only wrote the last three novels in the Wheel of Time after Robert Jordan’s untimely passing before the completion of the series.
You’ll need to have read the previous books to enjoy these, but a list of Brandon Sanderson books in order would not be complete without mentioning them.
- The Gathering Storm
- Towers of Midnight
- A Memory of Light
- Unfettered (Anthology)
- Unfettered 2 (Anthology)
- Unfettered 3 (Anthology)
Infinity Blade
Infinity Blade is a set of novellas that Brandon Sanderson wrote in conjunction with the iOS game of the same name that peaked in popularity around 2011-2012.
To best enjoy the novellas, play the games (if they still exist, and that’s a big *if*) in this order:
- Infinity Blade (Game 1)
- Infinity Blade: Awakening (Novella 1)
- Infinity Blade II (Game 2)
- Infinity Blade: Redemption (Novella 2)
- Infinity Blade III (Game 3)
The Strata Wars
The Strata Wars is a contemporary fantasy trilogy from Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian. Sanderson co-wrote the first book, while Orullian is expected to continue the remaining books in the series.
- Songs of the Dead with Peter Orullian (The Strata Wars Book 1) (2026)
Standalones, Audio Originals, and Collaborations
Brandon Sanderson has written several standalone works outside his larger series.
- The Rithmatist
- The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
- Dark One: Forgotten (Only available in Audio)
- The Original with Mary Robinette Kowal
Children’s Books
Other
The stories in this list of Brandon Sanderson books in order cover everything else he’s written. They’re mostly short stories or short story collections.
- Legion (3-Story Collection)
- First Born (Short Story)
- Perfect State (Novella)
- Snapshot (Novella)
- Dreamer (Short Story)
- Children of the Nameless (Magic the Gathering)
- Tailored Realities (Short Story Collection)
Brandon Sanderson Books FAQ
Which Brandon Sanderson book should I read first?
For most readers, Mistborn: The Final Empire is the best place to start. On his official “Where do I start?” guide, Brandon Sanderson recommends Mistborn: The Final Empire or The Way of Kings for fantasy readers, with Steelheart, Elantris, Warbreaker, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians as alternative starting points depending on taste.
What is the Cosmere?
The Cosmere is Brandon Sanderson’s shared fantasy universe. His official FAQ explains that books like Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, Elantris, and Warbreaker share a common cosmology, with connections between worlds, magic systems, and recurring characters.
Are all Brandon Sanderson books connected?
No. Many of Brandon Sanderson’s fantasy books are part of the Cosmere, but not all of them. His official books catalog separates Cosmere, Cytoverse, and Other Books and Series, which means books like Skyward, The Reckoners, Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, and The Rithmatist are not all part of the same universe.
Did Brandon Sanderson finish The Wheel of Time?
Yes, Brandon Sanderson finished the ending of The Wheel of Time after Robert Jordan’s death, but he did not write the full series. According to Sanderson’s official biography and Wheel of Time pages, Harriet McDougal chose him to complete the series, and he wrote The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light.
Are Brandon Sanderson books YA or adult?
Both. Sanderson writes adult fantasy, but he also has books aimed at younger readers. His official “Where do I start?” page points younger readers toward Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, his Alcatraz page describes that series as middle grade, and his official Skyward materials describe Skyward as a YA or YA-leaning project.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.
8 thoughts on “Brandon Sanderson Books in Order: Cosmere, Skyward & More”
can i read warbreaker without reading any other books written by Brandon Sanderson
Yes, Warbreaker is a stand alone. As is Elantris.
No previous knowledge of the Cosmere is necessary to enjoy them.
This article is outdated and needs to be updated!
Aside from Defiant now having an official publication date, there was nothing new. And I did say 2023. So I’m not sure how it was “out of date”
Perhaps it could have been more detailed with regards to Defiant’s date. But everything else is up to date.
Can I read the Reckoners series before Mistborn, or will it spoil anything? I know the Reckoners isn’t a part of the Cosmere, but one person on Goodreads said it would ruin the impact of Mistborn.
They are completely unrelated. There’s absolutely no reason to worry about spoilers.
Truthfully, each Cosmere series is completely separate from the others. While there are Easter eggs one might glean, sometimes you really have to know your lore.
For instance, there are some characters from Warbreaker in The Stormlight Archives, but they go by different names, and the book never reveals this to you, so unless you knew about the change or were very keen eyed, you’d completely miss it.
Brandon writes all of his books so that no matter where you start, you’ll never be spoiled for something else.
Wow, this is an incredible list! As a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson’s work, it’s great to see all of his books organized in one place. I’m definitely going to rely on this list to keep track of his numerous series and spin-offs. Thanks for taking the time to compile this!
Thanks for putting together this comprehensive list! It’s super helpful for keeping track of all of Brandon Sanderson’s works and their order. I’ve just started diving into the Cosmere, and it’s exciting to see how extensive his universe is. Can’t wait to explore everything in the Cytoverse, too!