The Stormlight Archive Reading Order

The Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson's flagship epic fantasy — planned as ten massive volumes, split into two arcs of five. It's the centerpiece of his Cosmere universe, though it reads fine on its own.

Our Recommendation: Publication Order, Novellas Slotted In Read in publication order. The two novellas, Edgedancer and Dawnshard, slot in between the main books and are worth reading in place — Edgedancer after Words of Radiance, Dawnshard after Oathbringer.

Reading Order (Main Books + Novellas)

  1. The Way of KingsBuy NowAudible2010
  2. Words of RadianceBuy NowAudible2014
  3. Edgedancer (novella)Buy NowAudible2016
  4. OathbringerBuy NowAudible2017
  5. Dawnshard (novella)Buy NowAudible2020
  6. Rhythm of WarBuy NowAudible2020
  7. Wind and TruthBuy NowAudible2024
Own the Complete Series Buying the whole series at once is usually cheaper than individual books, and box sets make a great gift. See The Stormlight Archive box set options on Amazon ›

What Comes Next

Wind and Truth closes the first five-book arc. Sanderson has said the back five will follow after other Cosmere books, with a time skip between arcs. The novellas Edgedancer and Dawnshard are also collected in the Arcanum Unbounded and Dawnshard editions if you'd rather read them separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read Mistborn before Stormlight?

No. Stormlight stands on its own. The two share the Cosmere universe and there are small Easter eggs, but no required reading order between them.

Where do the novellas go?

Edgedancer reads best after Words of Radiance (book 2), and Dawnshard after Oathbringer (book 3). Both are short and expand key side characters.

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