Reading certain books before others is not necessary per se, but there are some reveals in certain books that just hit so much better if you read in certain orders.

If you read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance, you will get to experience some really satisfying reveals. I would say those few reveals are some of the coolest.

You've already met the most prominent Worldhopper. I won't spoil that if you aren't aware and want to figure it out for yourself. Honestly, it's extremely obvious.

As I said in my last post, I would highly recommend not reading the Secret History Novella until after Bands of Mourning. You don't necessarily have to read Mistborn Era 1 and 2 before Rhythm of War, because the tie-in is very subtle, but if you like to solve puzzles and experience coming up with theories like the rest of us got to, then you would want to read Mistborn Era 1 and 2 before Rhythm of War.

We don't yet know what tie-ins there will be in Wind and Truth, so can't offer any recommendation on what to read before that one.

Not me. When I read that, It was one of the biggest goosebump moments in the entire Cosmere. That and the end of Words of Radiance.

Lathspell said:

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Reading certain books before others is not necessary per se, but there are some reveals in certain books that just hit so much better if you read in certain orders.

If you read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance, you will get to experience some really satisfying reveals. I would say those few reveals are some of the coolest.

You've already met the most prominent Worldhopper. I won't spoil that if you aren't aware and want to figure it out for yourself. Honestly, it's extremely obvious.

As I said in my last post, I would highly recommend not reading the Secret History Novella until after Bands of Mourning. You don't necessarily have to read Mistborn Era 1 and 2 before Rhythm of War, because the tie-in is very subtle, but if you like to solve puzzles and experience coming up with theories like the rest of us got to, then you would want to read Mistborn Era 1 and 2 before Rhythm of War.

We don't yet know what tie-ins there will be in Wind and Truth, so can't offer any recommendation on what to read before that one.

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Agree with this. Having read WoR immediately after WoK, and prior to reading anything else of Sandersons, I missed out on a bit. Having then read Warbreaker and at least Mistborn era 1, then doing a reread of Stormlight , like in WoR when they are traveling thru Shadesmar the reveals/easter eggs were much more "oh *****!!"

Are you saying I should do Mistborn Era 1 and Warbreaker before WoR? That's kind of what I've been considering. Switching to a something that's only ~600 pages seems like a nice detour before jumping into WoR

I would stick Emperors Soul somewhere between Elantris and Lost Metal start

Worldhoppers I know about, I'll only focus on characters in multiple books or shall I call them Bookhoppers:

Hoid=Hoid=He's in every Cosmere book so just keep an eye out

Azure=Vivenna from Warbreaker Oathbringer and Warbreaker spoiler

Zahel=Vasher from Warbreaker WoR and Warbreaker Spoiler

Nightblood=Nightblood Oathbringer and Warbreaker spoiler

Grump=Galadon from Elantris Way of Kings and Elantris spoiler

Thinker= Demoux from Mistborn Way of Kings and Mistborn era one spoiler

Blunt=Baon from White Sand Way of Kings and White Sand Spoiler

The lighthouse keeper in Oathkeeper=The Elantran that "dissolved" in the pool in Elantris which is apparently a type of perpendicularity Oathbringer and Elantris spoiler

Of course the Elantrens in Mistborn Secret history are WHs too, they also make an appearance in Tress. Elantris, Secret History, and Tress of the Emerald sea Spoiler

Nazh and Khriss are the campers in Secret History Secret History and White Sands spoiler

Moonlight=Wan ShaiLu, the forge master from Emperor's Soul Mistborn Era 2 and Emperor's Soul Spoiler

Codenames are Stupid= Kaise from Elantris Mistborn era 2 and Elantris spoiler

Nomad=Sigzil=Zelion Stormlight and Sunlit Man spoilers

Lastly and be warned that this is a MAJOR spoiler for both Mistborn era one and two, Secret History, and Stormlight:


Leader of the Ghostbloods=Thaidakar=Lord of Scars=Southern Scadrial's Sovereign=the Survivor of the pits of Hathsin=Kelsier the Mistborn

I don't know why people keeps saying to read Secret History before Bands of Mourning. Sure, Secret History falls in that spot chronologically, but then you don't get that awesome feeling when reading.

Secret History was released AFTER Bands of Mourning, because Sanderson specifically wanted you to experience it that way.

I always assumed that Sovereign was the Lord Ruler, it's a great bait and switch even though I read Secret History before. It was still a goosebump moment for me at the reveal.

Honestly, there is nothing in any book that I would consider a "spoiler" for another book. The only real spoiler is in the novella Secret History.

Everything else is simply giving you the chance to experience a cool Easter egg.

Neither Mistborn series provides as obvious of an Easter Egg. It's very hinted at, but still interesting and more of a theory that truly confirmed.

Warbreaker provides the most Easter eggs for Stormlight. Personally, I would want to read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance.

I say spoiler in the sense that we learn that those characters are still alive apart from their main story.

boy09 said:

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Are you saying I should do Mistborn Era 1 and Warbreaker before WoR? That's kind of what I've been considering. Switching to a something that's only ~600 pages seems like a nice detour before jumping into WoR

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I started The Final Empire. Finished Part 1 and it definitely has not hooked me yet... It feels like it's just been a huge info dump of the magic system so far. It feels like homework. Like i just read 100 pages of a textbook studying for an Allomancy test. Everything just feels over-explained, even the rebellion planning stuff.

I also think i'm still in a Stormlight headspace and this is a bigger vibe shift than i was expecting.

Mistborn tends to be easier if it is your first foray into Sanderson. Way of Kings is him much further along in his writing career

hunter2012 said:

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• Mistborn (The Final Empire)
• The Well Of Ascension
• The Hero Of Ages
• Mistborn Secret History
• Warbreaker - Do read this before Words of Radiance
• The Way Of Kings
• Words Of Radiance
• Edgedancer
• Oathbringer
• Dawnshard
• Elantris
• Rhythm Of War
• The Alloy Of Law
• Shadows Of Self
• The Bands Of Mourning
• Emperor's Soul
• The Lost Metal
• White Sand
• The Rest of Arcanum Unbounded
• Tress Of The Emerald Sea
• Yumi And The Nightmare Painter
• The Sunlit Man
  
  

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This is wild. I went through and crossed out the ones I had read so I know which ones I need to go back and catch. Looks like I have some work to do. Completely forgot about the 4th secret book too.

Out of that list, I would say the only ones I say are "must reads" are Warbreaker and Elantris. Everything else is supplemental to the existing series.

Although I recommend The Sunlit Man and Emperor's Soul as purely excellent self contained stories. The latter is also in Arcanum unbounded.

I really loved Sunlit Man. Hope it's quality is indicative of what's coming in Wind and Truth!

Also, regarding the prerelease of a bunch of chapters…I can never get into reading stuff early. I hate getting too much information before everything is released. Same way I am with movies…I will skip entire trailers to keep from seeing too much.

All I will say is having read some but have since stopped, and also going by what others have said. The Sanderlanche starts on page 1 and the book moves very quickly

Saxsoon said:

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Mistborn tends to be easier if it is your first foray into Sanderson. Way of Kings is him much further along in his writing career

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That + WOK is just long book series. Each book tops out at or above 1000 pages.

It's good to start with Mistborn to get a feel for Sanderson's style and to understand how to read his stuff.

You have to learn to appreciate the build to the Sanderlanche and all that comes with it.

Wind and Truth audiobook is coming in at 63 hours.

Orome said:

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Not going to lie, I really enjoyed Elantris even though it gets more "hate" compared to his other writings

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Same!

Warbreaker was my last Sanderson novel and it is probably my least favorite

Where is everyone getting their Wind and Truth book from? Trying to decide between an ebook or hardback. Eventually I want to get a full leather bound edition like the posters above.

Continuing my streak of being the odd one out.

Warbreaker is my single favorite Sanderson book with Elantris being tied at second with Bands of Mourning.

Orome said:

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Where is everyone getting their Wind and Truth book from? Trying to decide between an ebook or hardback. Eventually I want to get a full leather bound edition like the posters above.

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WoT LB is from the Kickstarter (BackerKit) he ran earlier this year and to my knowledge it is now fully closed I believe. Double check though to make sure. It'll take some time, maybe even a long time, but eventually new print runs of the WoT leatherbounds should be made for general release at some point.

Sanderson has made it a point that the leatherbounds will NOT be limited editions and he has my undying loyalty alone for that. I played the LE rat race in WH40K for a few years and what a disaster that was and soured me to the whole concept itself.

You are thinking of Words of Radiance.

Wind and Truth leatherbound will be years in the future. They still need to do Oathbringer and RoW.

Ah. True that.

I'll get the eBook and blow through that thing in a couple days. I don't want spoilers.

I finally got a paper white kindle last year and love it, but of course they're releasing one that has color this year….. reminiscent of my gameboy days back when ha

I'll be getting the new kindle scribe, which released on Dec 6. Really wanted one now for my reread of the series, but no point in dropping that kind of money on an older model.

It's all ebook for me at this point with Sanderson. One day with more space maybe I'll get physical copies of Cosmere books. I am at a stage in life where kindle reading is just the most convenient and easiest.

I'm one who just loves to own physical copies of books, so I do buy them all. However, my library is getting to the point where I would need a 4th bookshelf, so I'm thinking I need to start selling some books and only buying the ones I truly love.

My Sanderson books take up a lot of rows. Primarily because I own both the hardback copies of the books and any Leatherbound release, as well. I can probably sell my hardback copies and just read those off of my future Kindle.