The Stormlight Archive

by Brandon Sanderson

Roshar is a world scoured by highstorms - massive, recurring tempests of such power that its ecology, architecture, and culture have all formed around surviving them. The magic comes from those storms: Stormlight, breathed in to fuel the Surgebinding abilities of the Knights Radiant, an ancient order that protected humanity for millennia before mysteriously abandoning their oaths and disappearing. The series follows Dalinar Kholin, a highprince haunted by visions of the past, Kaladin, a former slave who becomes a soldier and then something more, and Jasnah, a scholar-queen who suspects the Return of the ancient enemy is already underway. Brandon Sanderson's most ambitious work - planned as ten books, with five published - and the centrepiece of the Cosmere.

Part of The Cosmere

The Cosmere is a fictional shared universe where many of Brandon Sanderson's books take place. As a result, books set in the Cosmere share a single cosmology and underlying rules of magic, and some characters from one world will make appearances on other worlds. Despite the connections, Brandon has remained clear that one does not need any knowledge of the broader Cosmere to read, understand, or enjoy books that take place in the Cosmere. The core sequence of the Cosmere will consist of the Dragonsteel series, the Elantris trilogy, at least four eras of the Mistborn series, and The Stormlight Archive. The story of the cosmere does not include any books that reference Earth, as Earth is not in the Cosmere. The shared "creation myth" of the Cosmere revolves around Adonalsium, the power of creation, which was broken into sixteen pieces called Shards in an event known as the Shattering of Adonalsium. The Shards are effectively gods, and magic is derived from their power.

See the The Cosmere reading order →

Publication Order

The complete Stormlight Archive reading experience, following the series as Brandon Sanderson published it. All seven books in sequence, including the novellas Edgedancer and Dawnshard in their recommended positions between the main novels. Ideal for first-time readers who want the full story as it was written, with every character arc, interlude, and narrative thread in place.

1
The Way of Kings
2010
2
Words of Radiance
2012
3Optional
Edgedancer
2016
Optional but recommended. Fills the gap between books 2 and 3