Looking for the Mistborn reading order? This guide lists the Mistborn books in order, tells you exactly where to start, and shows where the short stories and Secret History fit so you can stay spoiler-free.
Mistborn is also one of the biggest pillars of Brandon Sanderson’s larger Cosmere universe, but don’t let that intimidate you from starting the series. Start with the core series first, then treat any crossover curiosity as optional add-ons later
Jump to:
- Where to Start with Mistborn (Best Reading Order)
- Mistborn Books in Order by Publication Date
- Recommended Cosmere Tie-Ins for Mistborn
- Mistborn Books FAQ
- Want to know more about the Cosmere?
Where to Start with Mistborn (Best Reading Order)
If you’re new to Mistborn, start with The Final Empire and keep going in publication order. That’s the simplest, most spoiler-free path, and it’s the order most readers prefer.
Where does Secret History fit?
There are two common placements, but the best is to read Secret History after The Bands of Mourning. If you already know the big reveals from the first trilogy (or don’t care about surprises), you can read it earlier, just know it changes how a few moments land.
Mistborn Books in Order by Publication Date
Mistborn Era 1
- The Final Empire (2006)
- The Well of Ascension (2007)
- Hero of Ages (2008)
Mistborn Era 2
- The Alloy of Law (2011)
The Eleventh Metal (2011) — Short Story
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (2014) — Short Story - Shadows of Self (2015)
- The Bands of Mourning (2016)
Mistborn: Secret History (2016) — Novella - The Lost Metal (2022)
The series is split into two eras, with a third era in the works, too. There is a jump in time and tonal shift between each era, along with a (mostly) new set of characters.
The first era follows Vin and Kelsier, while the second era follows Wax and Wayne. There is about a 300-year gap between Mistborn Era 1 and Era 2.
Recommended Cosmere Tie-Ins for Mistborn
This is not a full Cosmere reading order, and it isn’t a chronological timeline.
It’s a recommended path for Mistborn readers who want extra context for the wider Cosmere connections that start to matter more as the series goes on.
Mistborn works perfectly on its own, so none of this is required (for now). These are simply the books that tend to “click” best alongside Mistborn, either because they explain shared Cosmere mechanics or because certain crossover moments land harder when the other material is fresh.
However, most of these crossover characters will introduce themselves with a different name in order to hide their identity. So you may not immediately recognize their significance.
Mistborn books are bolded to make it easier for you to spot the main novels.
- The Final Empire (Mistborn 1)
- The Well of Ascension (M2)
- Hero of Ages (M3)
- The Alloy of Law (M4)
- The Eleventh Metal (Mistborn Short Story)
- Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania (Mistborn Short Story)
- Shadows of Self (M5)
- The Bands of Mourning (M6)
- Mistborn: Secret History (Mistborn Novella)
- Elantris
- The Emperor’s Soul (Novella)
- The Lost Metal (M7)
- The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive 1)
- Words of Radiance (SA 2)
- Oathbringer (SA 3)
- Rhythm of War (SA 4)
- Tress and the Emerald Sea (Secret Project 1)
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (Secret Project 3)
- Wind and Truth (SA 5)
How are Elantris and The Stormlight Archive related to Mistborn?
A few characters from Elantris and The Emperor’s Soul, both stories taking place on the world of Sel, crossover in Mistborn #7, The Lost Metal. These books aren’t necessary for understanding The Lost Metal, but they will provide additional insight into those characters.
However, The Stormlight Archive is crucial to the ongoing Mistborn narrative, especially if you intend to continue with Mistborn Era 3 when Ghostbloods is published.
The important tie-in doesn’t come until much later in the Stormlight Archive, but in order to understand those moments, you’ll obviously have to read the whole series. Whether you want to commit to this or not is up to you, but it does seem like Stormlight Archive Book #5, Wind and Truth, might be crucial to Mistborn Book #8
Mistborn Books FAQ
How many Mistborn books are there?
Mistborn currently has seven main novels across two eras: Era 1 is a trilogy and Era 2 is four books (the Wax and Wayne sequence). There’s also Mistborn-related short fiction and a companion novella that add extra context, but they’re optional unless you want a more complete, “everything included” read.
What is the Mistborn reading order?
The simplest, spoiler-free Mistborn reading order is publication order, since it’s how the reveals and worldbuilding were designed to unfold. If you’re looking for the Mistborn series order, the clean path is Era 1 first, then Era 2, with any short fiction treated as add-ons once you’ve finished the core books.
Do I have to read Mistborn Era 1 before Era 2?
Yes, it’s strongly recommended. Era 2 jumps forward in time with a new cast and a different style, but it assumes you understand the world and key context from Era 1, so you’ll get more out of the references and big moments if you start with the original trilogy.
Want to know more about the Cosmere?
Want the full universe roadmap? Head over to my Cosmere reading order to see how Stormlight fits into the bigger picture.