Reading Order
The Stormlight Archive
by Brandon Sanderson
The Stormlight Archive Reading Order
The most ambitious epic fantasy currently being written. A world of perpetual storms, ancient knights, and a cosmology that rewards every re-read. Each book raises the stakes. The payoff across the arc is extraordinary.
Reading Order
Read in publication order. Position the novellas as listed — they're short but add meaningful context.
The Way of Kings
The Stormlight Archive #1
Core★ 4.70
2010
Words of Radiance
The Stormlight Archive #2
Core★ 4.76
2014
Warbreaker
Optional★ 4.39
2009
Edgedancer
Extra★ 4.35
2016
Oathbringer
The Stormlight Archive #3
Core★ 4.62
2017
Dawnshard
Extra★ 4.54
2020
Rhythm of War
The Stormlight Archive #4
Core★ 4.54
2020
Wind and Truth
The Stormlight Archive #5
Core2024
⚡ Main novels (5 books)
Way of Kings → Words of Radiance → Oathbringer → Rhythm of War → Wind and Truth. All essential, all massive.
📖 Optional (1 book)
Warbreaker — standalone, free on Sanderson's site. Positioned before Oathbringer where its Stormlight connections pay off.
🔀 Novellas (2 books)
Edgedancer before Oathbringer, Dawnshard before Rhythm of War — short reads, best in position.
Before you start
- → Each book is 1,000–1,330 pages. Prepare for the long game.
- → Reading Warbreaker (a standalone Cosmere novel) before book 3 adds a significant reward. Not required.
- → Part of the broader Cosmere universe — connections become clearer as you read more Sanderson.
- → The Way of Kings has a slow opening (~200 pages of setup). The payoff begins in part 3.
Spoiler-free notes
- → Kaladin's arc is about depression and finding a reason to live. Handled with unusual care for genre fiction.
- → Each main book focuses on a different primary POV while continuing all storylines.
- → Rhythm of War is the most divisive book — the setup it creates is essential for Wind and Truth.
- → Wind and Truth closes the first arc. A second arc of five books is planned but unwritten.
Darkness progression
Scale: 🕯️ Lighthearted → 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ Brutal
Finished the arc?
More reading orders