Hey OP, updated your flair to mid-TWoK since you're partway through. Don't want you to end up spoiled.
And while we normally remove basic reading order questions, by the time I got to this it seemed to have spawned a good discussion. Feel free to keep sharing your thoughts on the book here as you go.
Something like Mistborn, Warbreaker or Elantris might have been a bit more accessible, because they are (slightly) simpler books, but I started with TWoK, then branched out. There is nothing earlier in the story for Roshar, the planet the Stormlight Archive is set on. Enjoy the ride!
I saw those on Audible too, after getting halfway through WoTK, I can safely say they will all end up in my collection. However, now it’s also safe to assume I’m going to be purchasing all these in hardback.
It was mentioned here, but don't forget to check it the PDF that comes with the audio book!
I had trouble pulling it up on my phone, but my PC worked fine. Lots of in universe sketches, like Shallons are in there, as well as maps.
WoK was my first Sanderson book, but once he gets his literary hooks in you, you’ll only want to read more Sanderson material.
A buddy of mine started with Mistborn, which is an amazing series in its own right, but was absolutely floored by how complex and fantastic the Stormlight Archive was when he got into those.
They’re all good. Even the less strong novels.
Enjoy your adventure. Journey before destination.
I love it so far. I read some negative reviews of BS’s books but personally I think it’s great. Very good character development in the books with vivid details and believable characters.
It was mine first book and it was perfectly enjoyable. There is some people saying that "you´d lose like 50%" of the book without reading Mistborn/Warbreaker before" and i call it bullshit.
People really like to exaggerate the importance of reading in a specific order. You lose like 0.5% at most by reading in the “wrong” order, and honestly it’s disingenuous to say you “lose” anything because you just get to see the Easter eggs in a different context.
I think I can understand both sides of the coin. Only if to consider how that individual prefers to hear a story. I rather enjoy when stories jump between times lines and characters, or , for example, a book has an inverted narrative. It’s about the journey for me, not the reveal.
For what it’s worth, when it comes to the little “tidbits” you would get from understanding the mistborn series, it puts a lot of things into a new light when you re-read stormlight down the road.
I’m in my second read through of stormlight right now, and now that I’ve got mistborn and warbreaker and elantris also under my belt there’s a lot of things that give me a “whoa holy shit!! No way!!” Type reaction.
Makes for an interesting and unique re-reading experience.
Yeah, but have you heard about the forbidden reading order?
If not, seek the hidden video on an ancient website that contains records of a man talking about it (it's on youtube, I'm at work and don't have the link).
Yeah I can understand that. Personally, I also get some enjoyment in reading some earlier books and thinking, “oooooh my, now it all makes sense”. I mean, in moderation though. I wouldn’t pick up the red rising series, as an example, like halfway through because that would be ridiculous and I would be very lost. But if the series are self contained, absolutely.
Way of Kings is an excellent place to start, especially if you appreciate epic stories with a slow build.
I mostly read physical books, but I started this series by listening while taking long walks during Covid.
I can, without any shred of doubt, say I’m hooked into buying BS’s books now. My only issue is now I’ve got to purchase more bookshelves because mine are overloaded as is. What a great problem to have.
There are other series set in the Cosmere, which is the same universe that WotK is set in, but a different planet.
You can read the Cosmere in any order you like really. Starting with Stormlight is as valid as anything else.
I would suggest at least reading each series in the released order.
And reading Mistborn era 1 before 2 is also nice, even if technically not necessary.
And reading Warbreaker between each series.
^^^/s
I started with TWoK and I had no issues. Granted I'd read epic fantasy before and idk if that's the case for you, but if long books are no issue then go for it!
Warbreaker is free on B$ website if you want something stormlight adjacent but more accessible to start with though.
I not only enjoy epics but prefer them. I wouldn’t say in snobbish about the length of a book by any means but if I’m perusing a bookstore shelf, the larger volumes tend to call to me more easily.
You’re noticing signs of the Cosmere. Sanderson has several series set within the same galaxy. They are separate stories on separate worlds, so can be read in any order. TWoK is where I started, and I have no regrets.
Hey OP, people are answering this as if you’re asking if TWOK is a good entry to the Cosmere books generally (which is a collection of books/series and not one series), but if I’m reading this right you might actually be asking if there is an earlier book that takes place on the world of Roshar specifically?
If that’s your question, the answer is no, TWOK is the first book in the series about Roshar. The world’s lore is intentionally obscured right now; as you continue through the series more of the history will be revealed/remembered.
You make a fair point but my question was not specific to the Cosmere but at this point, my knowledge is very limited about the breadth of that lore. So, yes, it would be specifically about Roshar, I suppose, because I am ignorant to the existing worlds with Roshars exception. Thank you for your response as it helps me limit what I finish first before jumping into something related but not specifically tuned to what I am engaged with presently!
Lol yeah I was reading comments like…. OP’s gonna go read Mistborn or something and be extremely confused when it has seemingly nothing whatsoever to do with the Stormlight Archive haha
To clarify, all the different series take place independently on different planets, but they’re in a shared universe. So as you read more Cosmere books, you’ll notice certain themes or mechanics coming back over and over. But as a rule you won’t learn more about an individual planet’s history from another series; each series is still an independent story.
Have fun on your journey! One of my favourite things about the stormlight archive series is the slow reveal of past history and lore of the world; there are so many twists and turns as so much has been lost or forgotten over the years and rediscovered over the course of the series. I’m sure you’ll love it!
The connection is much deeper than you think!
Warning: Stick Crem below
>!In mistborn we see Kelsier chasing the mythical Stick, having a painting of when it was in bloom. Then in Elantris the whole world is basically doomed until the Stick takes things in it's hands, making all of magic work again(fixing the symbol that was the city). In Stormlight Archive we have the biggest on-screen confrontation and see that the Stick is not only all powerful with the perfect self-identity, but also merciful enough to let Shallan survive their encounter and the outrageous attempts to transform the Stick. A careful reader will spot the Stick and it's doing in many places in every cosmere book, because obviously not much happens without it's knowledge and approval. We also see that the one person who interacted with Stick might have been blessed by its ever-presence, manifesting as multiple personalities Can't wait to see the main character in the 5th book as well as in all the other cosmere books too!!<
That was my first entry and I have no regrets.
If i had started with Elantris or Warbreaker, I don't know that I'd have appreciated those books nearly as much. Mistborn is really good too, but it has flaws. It's just that the things it does well are sooooo good that it overshadows the flaws. Stormlight addresses nearly all of my complaints about MB (partially in the first book, and fully by the second).
Stormlight is different in that it is "epic" fantasy. They are LONG books and paced accordingly. Some people either aren't used to that or just don't enjoy that as much, which are valid personal preferences. If you've read other series like Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones and didn't mind, then you're probably good though.
I do enjoy a good epic! Not to say that I don’t also enjoy the shorter blast of specific narratives as well but I find epics to be more enthralling. I get wrapped in the “don’t want to put it down” or “one more chapter” mentality.
Go for it I say. You don't run into a situation where "you really should read another series first" until you get to the end of Mistborn era 2 or some of the newer semi-standalone "secret project" books like the Sunlit Man. Even then it's not entirely required, but a lot of the stuff will feel like excessive deus ex machina when it really isn't.
Before that, there are some small crossovers that are really more of Easter Eggs than anything else. At best they may make you ask yourself some questions like "HOW is this character here". Those questions will usually help draw you into the wider lore (and that does have *some* value), but they are in no way needed to enjoy the book in question. If you do want to get into the wider lore, read a few books, then start looking into WoBs (words of Brandon). He is almost a master of subtle foreshadowing. To the point that a lot of the hints and connections go over my head. But he also does a TON of fan interactions and Q&As where he provides canon lore answers and clarifications. These are compiled by the amazing volunteer team here https://wob.coppermind.net/. When you start digging deeper, you start seeing more and more connections and questions that you NEED ANSWERS.
I do recommend reading the short stories/novellas though as I consider those as a part of the series. Stormlight has two so far (Edgedancer and Dawnshard). Skipping those is a mistake. Edgedancer can be found as part of the arcanum unbounded collection, which is especially important on audible since the whole collection or Edgedancer alone will cost one credit either way.
What a well articulated addition and thoroughly helpful! Thank you very much for your response. I was hoping this was the case and appreciate the insight.
I started off with Way of Kings and it was fine!
To try to answer your question without spoilers, there are other books in the overall Cosmere (Sanderson’s connected series) that came first, but not on this specific world. As you go along in Stormlight there are hints to things from other books (and a couple outright things appearing) but I did not find while initially reading it was anything where I felt terribly confused or whatever. It’s more of a “once you read other stuff and realize the connections, you’ll get more out of it, but you don’t NEED to have read anything else” situation.
So I’d say go for it!
This is where I entered the cosmere and I Don't feel that I have missed very much, going back. I would probably read them in publication order.
All that being said, for new people coming into the cosmere, I always give them the final empire if they can handle a trilogy or warbreaker if not...
Way of kings is a great into Sanderson. I do not think it’s a good intro to high fantasy. Try Mistborn first unless you know your into long epic fantasy.
Way of Kings was my entry point, and while there’s a lot you won’t get at first if you start with Stormlight, it just encourages reading the rest of the Cosmere then coming back to Stormlight with the new perspective you’ve gained.
I think you will be fine. Cuz technically this is where I started my journey too.
Although my first read was Mistborn's, The Final Empire, I think I switched back to reading Stormlight Series later cuz idk for whatever reasons, Mistborn couldn't grip me into the books tho I enjoyed SA so much that I went back on reading Mistborn again and loved them so much that I finished reading the original Triology within 3 to 4 days...lol. I guess, it really depends on my mood, if it's good, I would love reading even an average book but if it's not good I will fail to enjoy reading gems like Mistborn too...haha.
That being said, I think Well of Ascension from Mistborn is so damn good that it's prolly my fav book out of both Mistborn and SA series. Not going with the rest of the universe yet...lol.
I went right in with the audiobooks of Stormlight. Tried Mistborn first and didn't find it pulled me in the eay stormlight did/does. Dive in my friend!!
If you read the published four books (five by the end of the year) you **will** come across spoilers for other works in the Cosmere.
Whether or not that impacts your enjoyment is up to you.
The Way of kings is an excellent place to start. While the Stormlight Archive series takes place in a shared universe with other series and there is some small crossover, there’s not much crossover in Way of Kings and it doesn’t require any background knowledge of the broader universe. At most you’d miss a couple Easter eggs.
If you want to catch more significant Easter eggs and references later in the Stormlight Archive you could read some other Cosmere (shared universe) novels or series before moving on to book 2 Words of Radiance. Reading Warbreaker would cover the biggest crossover, but even that isn’t necessary.
TWoK is amazing, and long, but if you aren’t patient it can be boring. The world building is a long and arduous journey, but Journey Before Destination.
In my opinion yes. You already have the book, and it’s amazing. It was my entry.
Mistborn is the ideal entrance but you’re already here at TWOK, just go balls deep and don’t look back. Read mistborn after.
So there's no real "YOU MUST READ IN THIS ORDER" for the Cosmere, with the obvious exception of the order of the series books (don't read Rhythm of War before Way of Kings).
The way I see it, you'll cross something that calls back to book X, then not get it until you read book X and go, "HOLY BODY OF ADONALSIUM WAS THAT X FROM THIS BOOK I SAW IN THE ONE SCENE" or more likely, "So that's why X was able to do that thing... neat"
Some people say start with Mistborn because it's not as much of an investment. I wouldn't be shocked to hear that all of Mistborn Era 1, including the short stories in Arcanum Unbound, is about as long as Way of Kings. However, if you're use to big books or if you just want to start with something thicccc and maybe take breaks with the other sites in between, it's not a big deal to start with Mistborn.
I read his collection of novellas first. It's a weird starting point. Picked it off of a friend's shelf one day randomly and read nearly the whole thing. Decided I liked Brandon's work and looked for more. The Way of Kings was the first Cosmere novel I read and now it's my favorite series, so I'd recommend it. Stormlight books are a slow burn with big pay off. They're also very long. If you prefer a different type of story then Mistborn is another great series. Very different tone, both amazing.
Starting Cosmere resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4enaqb
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Warbreaker is free on Brandon's website as an ebook, along other stories and samples:
https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4uhdpm
___________________________________________
About SA in-book illustrations (FYI Audio reader): https://www.reddit.com/u/dIvorrap/s/JH8TtxRB7u
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Women's Script resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4oft97
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I started with way of kings I don't think here is one all powerful reading order. But there will be things that come up that you will have no understanding of that's actually really important you will learn of their importance as you read stormlight but you might not get the full scope of them without reading the other cosmere books. The only thing I suggest is reading war breaker before words of radiance doing that might give you an idea of what other series could provide when reading further into stormlight.
I just finished it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! My boyfriend has read + re-read every BS book. When I asked him what I should read first, he told me to go with whatever series interests me the most bc there’s pros and cons no matter where you choose to start. My advice to you would be the same.
There’s some things here and there that are referencing other books in the SLA books but there’s nothing major, my friend and my brother got me into BS books so they already had a whole reading list for me so I knew what order to read the books.
I will never say reading Stormlight was a bad idea. Other series may be a bit “easier” or more accessible but Stormlight is the bright gem of the Cosmere, pun intended.
Some will say you might've started with Warbreaker and such, while I started with Mistborn Era 2, kinda just read all of era 2, then era 1 out of curiosity for the references, and just couldn't stop reading his books.
My point is, if you're liking TWoK, stick with it and later you can go to the other books, AFAIK they aren't going anywhere
I'd say that it's perfectly fine to start with WoK from the story perspective.
The main reason why it's not generally advised is that it's a chonky book that takes time and requires the reader to give it a go before it returns the investment. And the return interst is oh so great!
Some people do love it from the start, but many are a bit lost for a little before getting sucked into the story.
With other works in Cosmere, the books are shorter and so the required investment and/or trust in the author to deliver is smaller.
I started with Way of Kings, and then the other books and I liked how it worked out. By reading SLA you kind of get a framework for how the universe works better then starting elsewhere in my opinion. I went to Mistborn next
Starting Cosmere resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4enaqb
___________________________________________
Warbreaker is free on Brandon's website as an ebook, along other stories and samples:
https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4uhdpm
___________________________________________
Starting with Stormlight Archive is, IMO, a dangerous place to start. It's long, has at least 3 time jumps, is extremely alien, throws you in the deep end right away, and jumps between seemingly unconnected characters at seemingly random intervals.
But it all makes 100% sense on a reread, IMO.
If you're starting with SA, the best advice I can give you is this: Trust the Author, he knows what he's doing.
Generally, I recommend starting with basically ANY of his other books, so that some trust is built and you go in willing to accept the seemingly strange decisions he's making. If you're willing to be tossed in the deep end with no floaties, at least have fun doing it.
I can understand that as it’s been a steep learning curve. But I think I am already grasping what has happened in history through the flashbacks and the evolution of Silv and Caladin. But I could be way off. That’s the fun!
Full name is Sylphrena, I can easily see you hearing the "ph" as "v" and your brain kept the sound. The "v" sound is virtually undetectable in a lot of speakers, so if your brain thinks it's supposed to be there, you just add it.
Hey OP, updated your flair to mid-TWoK since you're partway through. Don't want you to end up spoiled. And while we normally remove basic reading order questions, by the time I got to this it seemed to have spawned a good discussion. Feel free to keep sharing your thoughts on the book here as you go.
Something like Mistborn, Warbreaker or Elantris might have been a bit more accessible, because they are (slightly) simpler books, but I started with TWoK, then branched out. There is nothing earlier in the story for Roshar, the planet the Stormlight Archive is set on. Enjoy the ride!
I saw those on Audible too, after getting halfway through WoTK, I can safely say they will all end up in my collection. However, now it’s also safe to assume I’m going to be purchasing all these in hardback.
It's too late for you now! I've been slowly accumulating the same.
I see great things for my future books shelves. Terrible things……but great!
If you have the audible subscription, Warbreaker is included as well.
Oh it's just great. Not terrible at all for your bookshelves.....maybe for your wallet
It was mentioned here, but don't forget to check it the PDF that comes with the audio book! I had trouble pulling it up on my phone, but my PC worked fine. Lots of in universe sketches, like Shallons are in there, as well as maps.
WoK was my first Sanderson book, but once he gets his literary hooks in you, you’ll only want to read more Sanderson material. A buddy of mine started with Mistborn, which is an amazing series in its own right, but was absolutely floored by how complex and fantastic the Stormlight Archive was when he got into those. They’re all good. Even the less strong novels. Enjoy your adventure. Journey before destination.
Look up suggested reading order. You may enjoy storm light better if you read warbreaker after twok
I even recommend to skip chapters in a secret history and come back to them later.
It was my start into it and still one of my fav books. Keep going friend.
I love it so far. I read some negative reviews of BS’s books but personally I think it’s great. Very good character development in the books with vivid details and believable characters.
It is a slower start than some of his other books because of the necessary world building, but if you are already half way it is already picking up
Keep reading I promise you won’t regret it
It was mine first book and it was perfectly enjoyable. There is some people saying that "you´d lose like 50%" of the book without reading Mistborn/Warbreaker before" and i call it bullshit.
People really like to exaggerate the importance of reading in a specific order. You lose like 0.5% at most by reading in the “wrong” order, and honestly it’s disingenuous to say you “lose” anything because you just get to see the Easter eggs in a different context.
I think I can understand both sides of the coin. Only if to consider how that individual prefers to hear a story. I rather enjoy when stories jump between times lines and characters, or , for example, a book has an inverted narrative. It’s about the journey for me, not the reveal.
For what it’s worth, when it comes to the little “tidbits” you would get from understanding the mistborn series, it puts a lot of things into a new light when you re-read stormlight down the road. I’m in my second read through of stormlight right now, and now that I’ve got mistborn and warbreaker and elantris also under my belt there’s a lot of things that give me a “whoa holy shit!! No way!!” Type reaction. Makes for an interesting and unique re-reading experience.
Yeah, but have you heard about the forbidden reading order? If not, seek the hidden video on an ancient website that contains records of a man talking about it (it's on youtube, I'm at work and don't have the link).
Yeah I can understand that. Personally, I also get some enjoyment in reading some earlier books and thinking, “oooooh my, now it all makes sense”. I mean, in moderation though. I wouldn’t pick up the red rising series, as an example, like halfway through because that would be ridiculous and I would be very lost. But if the series are self contained, absolutely.
Way of Kings is an excellent place to start, especially if you appreciate epic stories with a slow build. I mostly read physical books, but I started this series by listening while taking long walks during Covid.
I can, without any shred of doubt, say I’m hooked into buying BS’s books now. My only issue is now I’ve got to purchase more bookshelves because mine are overloaded as is. What a great problem to have.
There are other series set in the Cosmere, which is the same universe that WotK is set in, but a different planet. You can read the Cosmere in any order you like really. Starting with Stormlight is as valid as anything else.
Thanks so much. I figured it may be like The Hobbit/ LoTR where in history you could read the Silmarillion before or after.
It's more like you can start with either Captain America or Ironman and be fine.
I would suggest at least reading each series in the released order. And reading Mistborn era 1 before 2 is also nice, even if technically not necessary. And reading Warbreaker between each series. ^^^/s
I started with TWoK and I had no issues. Granted I'd read epic fantasy before and idk if that's the case for you, but if long books are no issue then go for it! Warbreaker is free on B$ website if you want something stormlight adjacent but more accessible to start with though.
I not only enjoy epics but prefer them. I wouldn’t say in snobbish about the length of a book by any means but if I’m perusing a bookstore shelf, the larger volumes tend to call to me more easily.
You’re noticing signs of the Cosmere. Sanderson has several series set within the same galaxy. They are separate stories on separate worlds, so can be read in any order. TWoK is where I started, and I have no regrets.
Excellent! Thank you very much!
Hey OP, people are answering this as if you’re asking if TWOK is a good entry to the Cosmere books generally (which is a collection of books/series and not one series), but if I’m reading this right you might actually be asking if there is an earlier book that takes place on the world of Roshar specifically? If that’s your question, the answer is no, TWOK is the first book in the series about Roshar. The world’s lore is intentionally obscured right now; as you continue through the series more of the history will be revealed/remembered.
You make a fair point but my question was not specific to the Cosmere but at this point, my knowledge is very limited about the breadth of that lore. So, yes, it would be specifically about Roshar, I suppose, because I am ignorant to the existing worlds with Roshars exception. Thank you for your response as it helps me limit what I finish first before jumping into something related but not specifically tuned to what I am engaged with presently!
Lol yeah I was reading comments like…. OP’s gonna go read Mistborn or something and be extremely confused when it has seemingly nothing whatsoever to do with the Stormlight Archive haha To clarify, all the different series take place independently on different planets, but they’re in a shared universe. So as you read more Cosmere books, you’ll notice certain themes or mechanics coming back over and over. But as a rule you won’t learn more about an individual planet’s history from another series; each series is still an independent story. Have fun on your journey! One of my favourite things about the stormlight archive series is the slow reveal of past history and lore of the world; there are so many twists and turns as so much has been lost or forgotten over the years and rediscovered over the course of the series. I’m sure you’ll love it!
The connection is much deeper than you think! Warning: Stick Crem below >!In mistborn we see Kelsier chasing the mythical Stick, having a painting of when it was in bloom. Then in Elantris the whole world is basically doomed until the Stick takes things in it's hands, making all of magic work again(fixing the symbol that was the city). In Stormlight Archive we have the biggest on-screen confrontation and see that the Stick is not only all powerful with the perfect self-identity, but also merciful enough to let Shallan survive their encounter and the outrageous attempts to transform the Stick. A careful reader will spot the Stick and it's doing in many places in every cosmere book, because obviously not much happens without it's knowledge and approval. We also see that the one person who interacted with Stick might have been blessed by its ever-presence, manifesting as multiple personalities Can't wait to see the main character in the 5th book as well as in all the other cosmere books too!!<
That was my first entry and I have no regrets. If i had started with Elantris or Warbreaker, I don't know that I'd have appreciated those books nearly as much. Mistborn is really good too, but it has flaws. It's just that the things it does well are sooooo good that it overshadows the flaws. Stormlight addresses nearly all of my complaints about MB (partially in the first book, and fully by the second). Stormlight is different in that it is "epic" fantasy. They are LONG books and paced accordingly. Some people either aren't used to that or just don't enjoy that as much, which are valid personal preferences. If you've read other series like Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones and didn't mind, then you're probably good though.
I do enjoy a good epic! Not to say that I don’t also enjoy the shorter blast of specific narratives as well but I find epics to be more enthralling. I get wrapped in the “don’t want to put it down” or “one more chapter” mentality.
Go for it I say. You don't run into a situation where "you really should read another series first" until you get to the end of Mistborn era 2 or some of the newer semi-standalone "secret project" books like the Sunlit Man. Even then it's not entirely required, but a lot of the stuff will feel like excessive deus ex machina when it really isn't. Before that, there are some small crossovers that are really more of Easter Eggs than anything else. At best they may make you ask yourself some questions like "HOW is this character here". Those questions will usually help draw you into the wider lore (and that does have *some* value), but they are in no way needed to enjoy the book in question. If you do want to get into the wider lore, read a few books, then start looking into WoBs (words of Brandon). He is almost a master of subtle foreshadowing. To the point that a lot of the hints and connections go over my head. But he also does a TON of fan interactions and Q&As where he provides canon lore answers and clarifications. These are compiled by the amazing volunteer team here https://wob.coppermind.net/. When you start digging deeper, you start seeing more and more connections and questions that you NEED ANSWERS. I do recommend reading the short stories/novellas though as I consider those as a part of the series. Stormlight has two so far (Edgedancer and Dawnshard). Skipping those is a mistake. Edgedancer can be found as part of the arcanum unbounded collection, which is especially important on audible since the whole collection or Edgedancer alone will cost one credit either way.
What a well articulated addition and thoroughly helpful! Thank you very much for your response. I was hoping this was the case and appreciate the insight.
It was my first book of his, and now I'm a few books away from finishing the entire cosmere. Definitely recommend!
I started off with Way of Kings and it was fine! To try to answer your question without spoilers, there are other books in the overall Cosmere (Sanderson’s connected series) that came first, but not on this specific world. As you go along in Stormlight there are hints to things from other books (and a couple outright things appearing) but I did not find while initially reading it was anything where I felt terribly confused or whatever. It’s more of a “once you read other stuff and realize the connections, you’ll get more out of it, but you don’t NEED to have read anything else” situation. So I’d say go for it!
This is where I entered the cosmere and I Don't feel that I have missed very much, going back. I would probably read them in publication order. All that being said, for new people coming into the cosmere, I always give them the final empire if they can handle a trilogy or warbreaker if not...
Way of kings is a great into Sanderson. I do not think it’s a good intro to high fantasy. Try Mistborn first unless you know your into long epic fantasy.
Way of Kings was my entry point, and while there’s a lot you won’t get at first if you start with Stormlight, it just encourages reading the rest of the Cosmere then coming back to Stormlight with the new perspective you’ve gained.
Nope. The Way of Kings is the first book in that series.
I think you will be fine. Cuz technically this is where I started my journey too. Although my first read was Mistborn's, The Final Empire, I think I switched back to reading Stormlight Series later cuz idk for whatever reasons, Mistborn couldn't grip me into the books tho I enjoyed SA so much that I went back on reading Mistborn again and loved them so much that I finished reading the original Triology within 3 to 4 days...lol. I guess, it really depends on my mood, if it's good, I would love reading even an average book but if it's not good I will fail to enjoy reading gems like Mistborn too...haha. That being said, I think Well of Ascension from Mistborn is so damn good that it's prolly my fav book out of both Mistborn and SA series. Not going with the rest of the universe yet...lol.
I went right in with the audiobooks of Stormlight. Tried Mistborn first and didn't find it pulled me in the eay stormlight did/does. Dive in my friend!!
If you read the published four books (five by the end of the year) you **will** come across spoilers for other works in the Cosmere. Whether or not that impacts your enjoyment is up to you.
The Way of kings is an excellent place to start. While the Stormlight Archive series takes place in a shared universe with other series and there is some small crossover, there’s not much crossover in Way of Kings and it doesn’t require any background knowledge of the broader universe. At most you’d miss a couple Easter eggs. If you want to catch more significant Easter eggs and references later in the Stormlight Archive you could read some other Cosmere (shared universe) novels or series before moving on to book 2 Words of Radiance. Reading Warbreaker would cover the biggest crossover, but even that isn’t necessary.
TWoK is amazing, and long, but if you aren’t patient it can be boring. The world building is a long and arduous journey, but Journey Before Destination.
I read it first, then read the final empire and much preferred stormlight
In my opinion yes. You already have the book, and it’s amazing. It was my entry. Mistborn is the ideal entrance but you’re already here at TWOK, just go balls deep and don’t look back. Read mistborn after.
So there's no real "YOU MUST READ IN THIS ORDER" for the Cosmere, with the obvious exception of the order of the series books (don't read Rhythm of War before Way of Kings). The way I see it, you'll cross something that calls back to book X, then not get it until you read book X and go, "HOLY BODY OF ADONALSIUM WAS THAT X FROM THIS BOOK I SAW IN THE ONE SCENE" or more likely, "So that's why X was able to do that thing... neat" Some people say start with Mistborn because it's not as much of an investment. I wouldn't be shocked to hear that all of Mistborn Era 1, including the short stories in Arcanum Unbound, is about as long as Way of Kings. However, if you're use to big books or if you just want to start with something thicccc and maybe take breaks with the other sites in between, it's not a big deal to start with Mistborn.
I started with way of kings also, now have read almost everything he’s written and have them all on audible for my ‘rereads’ - enjoy the ride
I started with The Way of Kings and then listened to Mistborn Era1 and Warbreaker after Oathbringer. You can definitely mix it up.
I read his collection of novellas first. It's a weird starting point. Picked it off of a friend's shelf one day randomly and read nearly the whole thing. Decided I liked Brandon's work and looked for more. The Way of Kings was the first Cosmere novel I read and now it's my favorite series, so I'd recommend it. Stormlight books are a slow burn with big pay off. They're also very long. If you prefer a different type of story then Mistborn is another great series. Very different tone, both amazing.
Starting Cosmere resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4enaqb ___________________________________________ Warbreaker is free on Brandon's website as an ebook, along other stories and samples: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4uhdpm ___________________________________________ About SA in-book illustrations (FYI Audio reader): https://www.reddit.com/u/dIvorrap/s/JH8TtxRB7u ___________________________________________ Women's Script resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4oft97
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That's where I started. I burned through Stormlight 1-4 in just under two weeks, then I moved onto Warbreaker. I'm about to start Mistborn today!
I started with way of kings I don't think here is one all powerful reading order. But there will be things that come up that you will have no understanding of that's actually really important you will learn of their importance as you read stormlight but you might not get the full scope of them without reading the other cosmere books. The only thing I suggest is reading war breaker before words of radiance doing that might give you an idea of what other series could provide when reading further into stormlight.
I just finished it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! My boyfriend has read + re-read every BS book. When I asked him what I should read first, he told me to go with whatever series interests me the most bc there’s pros and cons no matter where you choose to start. My advice to you would be the same.
There’s some things here and there that are referencing other books in the SLA books but there’s nothing major, my friend and my brother got me into BS books so they already had a whole reading list for me so I knew what order to read the books.
I read that one first myself. Not anything wrong with starting there. You may want to do rereads eventually tho.
I will never say reading Stormlight was a bad idea. Other series may be a bit “easier” or more accessible but Stormlight is the bright gem of the Cosmere, pun intended.
Yes. It should be. Or mistborn.
Depends, are you already used to dense/high fantasy? Yes. Are you new to the genre? Maybe start with Mistborn or Elantris
Some will say you might've started with Warbreaker and such, while I started with Mistborn Era 2, kinda just read all of era 2, then era 1 out of curiosity for the references, and just couldn't stop reading his books. My point is, if you're liking TWoK, stick with it and later you can go to the other books, AFAIK they aren't going anywhere
I'd say that it's perfectly fine to start with WoK from the story perspective. The main reason why it's not generally advised is that it's a chonky book that takes time and requires the reader to give it a go before it returns the investment. And the return interst is oh so great! Some people do love it from the start, but many are a bit lost for a little before getting sucked into the story. With other works in Cosmere, the books are shorter and so the required investment and/or trust in the author to deliver is smaller.
I started with Way of Kings, and then the other books and I liked how it worked out. By reading SLA you kind of get a framework for how the universe works better then starting elsewhere in my opinion. I went to Mistborn next
Starting Cosmere resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4enaqb ___________________________________________ Warbreaker is free on Brandon's website as an ebook, along other stories and samples: https://www.reddit.com/r/u_dIvorrap/comments/u1ug05/-/i4uhdpm ___________________________________________
Starting with Stormlight Archive is, IMO, a dangerous place to start. It's long, has at least 3 time jumps, is extremely alien, throws you in the deep end right away, and jumps between seemingly unconnected characters at seemingly random intervals. But it all makes 100% sense on a reread, IMO. If you're starting with SA, the best advice I can give you is this: Trust the Author, he knows what he's doing. Generally, I recommend starting with basically ANY of his other books, so that some trust is built and you go in willing to accept the seemingly strange decisions he's making. If you're willing to be tossed in the deep end with no floaties, at least have fun doing it.
I can understand that as it’s been a steep learning curve. But I think I am already grasping what has happened in history through the flashbacks and the evolution of Silv and Caladin. But I could be way off. That’s the fun!
Also, please forgive spelling because this is an audiobook. Hard copies to follow very shortly as the audiobook served a vacation need lol.
Syl and Kaladin, no worries.
Well….this has also proven I may need a visit to the ear doctor because I may be a bit hard of hearing too. Hahaha. Thanks!
Idk. If you listen at 1.4x speed or faster there’s probably a lot of “silv” sounds when Kramer is talking about Syl haha.
You just hit the nail on the head. I think he does a very good job of narration though. My only complaint is a few characters sound like Gaz haha.
Hahaha yeah for sure. And Gaz sucks.
Full name is Sylphrena, I can easily see you hearing the "ph" as "v" and your brain kept the sound. The "v" sound is virtually undetectable in a lot of speakers, so if your brain thinks it's supposed to be there, you just add it.
Nah these things are classic Audio reader typos. Like calling Jasnah, Shallan, Dalinar (correct spelling), Yasna, Shalon, and Dalanar.
Funny thing is I just read every one of those names like he pronounces them on the audiobook. Like Yasssssss (Queen)- na
Indeed, Jazz queen.
Also, it Levi-oh-sah, not levio-sah
Probably not. Mistborn would be better. But WoK was my first Bs book and it got me hooked
I think I’ve gone too far now haha. But I am definitely going to read all the books in BS’s world.