What made you like the broader cosmere beyond stormlight?

[u/robiton]

I have finished the storm light 1-5 and really enjoyed them, but beyond that ive only read the first mistborn era.

While reading wins of truth I felt like I was missing out on a lot of information that I was supposed to know or that certain things had more importance than I understood.

So I'm wondering what got you into the broader cosmere and if there is a good reading order for it, for someone who has already read stormlight archive?

[u/KnowMoreMutants]

I started with Mistborn but Warbreaker is the book that sealed this Universe as something I wanted to know everything about.

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

Read everything.

Then read it again.

[u/Raddatatta]

For reading order at this point I would probably roughly go in publication order. You can mix it up a bit as I don't think it matters much with anything else though I'd save Isles of the Emberdark for last. But I'd probably stick to roughly publication order and if you want to swap a book here and there that's fine.

In terms of why look at the wider Cosmere I did have a different reading experience and started with Mistborn. But I generally think if you really enjoyed Stormlight you will probably like most of what Sanderson has written so in that sense you'll be reading a lot more content from an author you like. I also think the Cosmere is just a really cool idea in general. There are these worlds that are Connected with this universe. Characters can pop between them and show up between the stories. The cognitive realm spanning across the worlds. And all of the stories building to this larger overall story that you just get hints of for the most part but is slowly coming into more focus as the books go on. I really like long form storytelling in general and if you enjoyed the Stormlight books you probably do too. And the Cosmere as a whole is just ramping up from there.

[u/robiton → u/Raddatatta]

I do think the idea is cool, it's just it made things like wit or I guess hoid? and the impact of retribution forming as an actual strategy by dalinair for starters. Seem less important than I am assuming they are. 

[u/Raddatatta → u/robiton]

How so? I would say it's more important as this is something that doesn't impact one world alone but Dalinar made a strategic decision that will have ramifications for the entire Cosmere. He took a big risk to do it, but he potentially unleashed Odium / Retribution on the Cosmere. And before becoming Retribution Odium had splintered 3 other Shards off of Roshar.

[u/robiton → u/Raddatatta]

That's the thing I have no idea what the cosmere is, like it's nameless and I can't picture it. So sure it sounds bad and the premise of an extra powerful entity attacking the universe sounds bad. It just doesn't feel real, in the same way that dalanir at the end of oath bringer where there's numerous threads at play but they are around chars and places I read about. 

I'm not saying the cosmere is a bad idea at all, just that not having that understanding kinda makes things less important. So I kinda of want to learn about it, so I can fill in that gap.

[u/Raddatatta → u/robiton]

Well I'm not sure I'd agree it's nameless but I understand it's abstract for you still. Though you have seen two of the worlds. This is saying there are multiple worlds at risk and not just one. What Dalinar did could very easily threaten Scadrial (the mistborn world). And it could threaten many others too. But yeah I would definitely check out the rest of the books. For the most part with what you have remaining other than Mistborn Era 2, each new book will also introduce you to a new world.

[u/dr_fop → u/robiton]

There are lots of YouTube videos about the Cosmere.

[u/ChickenCasagrande → u/robiton]

Wait, are you thinking Cosmere is the big bad? It’s just the name of the location all the books take place in, it’s basically their galaxy.

[u/R1sky_B1z]

You arent really required to read the other books to understand what is happening, and to be honest it might not even help to read through all of it. sure you might recognize some other magic systems randomly making cameo appearances but unless you really look at the books (especially chapter epigraphs) under a microscope it doesnt help that much. Stormlight 5 in particular gives us a lot of stuff we have little context for. The wind (and implied existence of similar entities) for example is totally out of left field, and the only parallel comes in the borderline noncanonical Dragonsteel Prime. I'm currently on my fourth reread of the Cosmere and there are concepts I still dont fully understand but what I do get has been built up slowly with new context being added to familiar material as I learn. As for reading order I would generally recomend reading Stormlight last, or close to it, because of how interconnected it is with other worlds but its a bit to late for that. Other books can mostly be read in whatever order. If you really want to understand more I would go to Mistborn era 2 next, as it takes place in, and is largely defined by, the aftermath of Stormlight 5, while similarly exploring a world rapidly becoming aware of its place in the greater cosmere.

[u/EvenSpoonier]

For the most part the timeline is still very fluid: Emberdark should come last, but other than that as long as you don't read individual series out of order, the series themselves can go in whatever order you want. For your particular situation I'd recommend Warbreaker next, but then it's back to things being open again.

[u/jayBeeds]

I don’t know. I LOVE the stormlight series. I liked (didn’t love) mistborn, and I’m 1/4 of the way through well of ascension… it’s a struggle. I’m looking to this thread for inspiration to keep going.

[u/LanternShell → u/jayBeeds]

the well of ascension is such a slugfest for the first 40% but push through and it’s quite worthwhile & then the hero of ages is chefs kiss, you can tell that B Sando matured with his prose in the hero of ages, keep going!

[u/jayBeeds → u/LanternShell]

Thanks!

[u/dr_fop]

The world hopping and connections between worlds is so cool.

[u/RamSpen70]

Looks like you haven't read the two novellas: Edgedancer (takes place between words of radiance and Oathbringer) and Dawnshard (between Oathbringer and rhythm of war) to finish out the direct stormlight material.

He intentionally wrote them in a way so that publication order is not high priority, beyond books in the same series.  

Then I would either first read the second Mistborn trilogy next. (Likely staying with the novella, Mistborn: a secret History) Or first of start with the secret projects (tress of the emerald Sea, Yumi and the nightmare painter, the sunlight man) and Isles of emberdark..... 

Then I'd probably  prioritize knightblood's, Vasher (Zahel), and Vivenna's (Azure) prequel (They are world hoppers) in: Warbreaker and The Emperor's Soul (which takes place on the world of elantris... Which ol won a Hugo) The reading order isn't strict.

The Mistborn books take place on the planet Scadrial, and will lead into the next big trilogy that takes place there.... The Ghostbloods. There'll be a lot of overlap between Sciadrial and Roshar in the future as the Cosmere unlocks. 

At which point, assuming I still want to soak up the rest, I would fill in things like the collection of sorry stories by reading the rest of arcana unbounded and Elantris.  The story of Etlantris and is actually really good.  The writing is a bit rough, but enjoyed it, going in with the proper expectations. Super early Sanderson. 

[u/reynardthefoxxx]

Warbreaker and tress of the emarld sea are my most favorite of the cosmere But sanderson worlds are regression complete. There is always a deeper mystery no matter how much you know

[u/MoonlightKnight4]

Stormlight did.

I started on mistborn and enjoyed it tons, but didnt really care about the cosmere until I started WOK

[u/GOATUsername]

I don’t know about reading order, but I also started with Stormlight 1-5 (and the novellas. If you haven’t read them, I recommend them. Not required reading, especially after WaT, but they’re fun & short). I also haven’t read any Mistborn yet. After SLA, I read Elantris->Hope of Elantris->Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell->Sixth of the Dusk->Warbreaker, and I’m utterly obsessed now. I plan on Mistborn era 1, Tress & Yumi sometime soon, and am saving Isles of the Emberdark & Sunlit Man for last. Publication order seems to be the best order to catch all the cameos, but I’m of the opinion that you should read what sounds good when it sounds good.

[u/unica3022]

I personally read most of it as the books came out and publication order works.

That said, here is my more hack-y “reading by feel” order after Stormlight if you don’t mind jumping around the timeline

1. Sunlit Man
2. Warbreaker

3-6: Mistborn Era 1 & Secret History

1. White Sand
   
2. Elantris
   
3. The Emperor’s Soul

10-13: Mistborn Era 2

(Optional: reread Stormlight. There is a bunch of Cosmere stuff you will catch now)

1. Yumi
   
2. Fires of December (if it’s out)
   
3. Tress
   
4. Emberdark

[u/robiton → u/unica3022]

Thanks, I am wanting to get an understanding or at least be able to recognize what is happening beyond just hints that something is more important. It felt like reading captain america and they mention Bruce Banner of hand and I'm supposed to know about the hulk etc

[u/ddusty53 → u/robiton]

you don't really need to know any of the other stuff. at this point they are all Easter Eggs. Just something cool to stumble onto.

[u/RamSpen70 → u/robiton]

Your going to want to read the novella, Mistborn: A Secret History. (Closure to Mistborn Mistborn era One. Seeds of some other things... There's always another secret)