Includes SPOILERS forThe Stormlight Archive Books 1-4.Brandon Sanderson’s books can be a maze to understand, and there are several that are important to cover beforeThe Stormlight Archivebook 5,Wind and Truth. Thefifth installment of Sanderson’s epic fantasy saga is set to conclude the first leg of the planned ten-book series, promising conclusions to character arcs and narratives established inThe Way of Kingswhile also laying the foundation for more to come. The previous fourStormlight Archivenovels are, of course, vital to understandingWind and Truth, but with Sanderson, there’s always more to it than that.
Breaking into Brandon Sanderson’s novels is a challenge, as he has multiple series and standalone titles that are connected in ajoint universe called the Cosmere. It works similarly to the MCU,Star Wars, or any other fictional universe that utilizes multiple titles to tell an overarching narrative. Importantly,Sanderson writes his series to be enjoyed individually, without any knowledge of the others. So, one can readThe Stormlight Archivewithout knowingMistborn, but knowledge of different Sanderson books can still embellish the rest with references and connections to the broader Cosmere story.
7The Stormlight Archive Series
Catching Up On Books 1-4 Is The Only Requirement
The only Brandon Sanderson books that are absolutely vital to read beforeWind and Truthare the first four volumes ofThe Stormlight Archive. Thestory began withThe Way of Kingsin 2010, where Sanderson introduced audiences to the sprawling world of Roshar. The planet’s “highstorms” sweep across the landmass, importantly shaping a barren ecosystem where plants and creatures have adapted to the harsh conditions. Over thousands of years, Roshar has suffered from world-shattering wars called “Desolations” that left civilization in ruins.The Stormlight Archivedepicts the events of the True Desolation.
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Throughout the four volumes, theorders of the Knights Radianthave reawakened, giving humanity a fighting chance against the god Odium and the singers. Dalinar Kholin is the King of Urithiru and the leader of the Knights Radiant and has since united Alethkar and the human nations of Roshar against Odium. Kaladin is a slave turned warrior who helped to re-found the Knights Radiant along with Shallan Davar, a young woman working to defend Roshar against an off-world thread called the Ghostbloods. The three main protagonists intertwine amongst a massive character ensemble, pushing the story along.
At the end ofRhythm of War, Dalinar agrees to a contest of champions with Odium, laying the foundation forWind and Truth’sstory. Only ten days remain before the contest, setting up the fifth volume to play out in real-time, with ten sections covering each of the days. The four books ofThe Stormlight Archiveare listed below.
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6The Stormlight Archive Novellas
Edgedancer & Dawnshard Embellish The Story
Novellas and short stories are common in the Cosmere, allowing for smaller narratives in between the enormous volumes. In the case ofThe Stormlight Archive, those novellas are about as long as a normal-sized novel, so they’re expansive enough to be considered worthwhile stories on their own. To understandWind and Truthand the previous volumes,these novellas aren’t entirely necessary, but they can provide some added context for supporting characters and offer glimpses of Roshar that readers haven’t spent as much time with.
Dawnshard
AfterOathbringer
The first novella,Edgedancer, follows the character Lift. She’s first introduced inWords of Radianceand becomes an important supporting character inOathbringerandRhythm of War, so reading her story is important to get to know her. She’s intended to be the central flashback character in one of the futureStormlight Archivebooks, so one might as well get familiar in advance. As forDawnshard, the novella follows the character Rysn, who was introduced inThe Way of Kingsand returns in the interludes of each volume of the main series.
5Mistborn Era 1
The Mistborn Trilogy Introduces Key Elements Of The Cosmere
All planets in the Cosmere feature gods called “Shards,” which are related to the magic systems featured in stories likeMistbornandThe Stormlight Archive.
The originalMistborntrilogy is Brandon Sanderson’s most widely read work, so chances are, someone diving intoThe Stormlight Archivewill already have made their way through the series. It’sgenerally advised as the starting point for his books, especially for those looking to dive into the Cosmere, as it establishes many of the core ideas for the broader universe. All planets in the Cosmere feature gods called “Shards,” which are related to the magic systems featured in stories likeMistbornandThe Stormlight Archive. Though these systems take different forms, they come from the same energy source called Investiture.
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2007
The Hero of Ages
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With that in mind, readingMistborncan allow the reader to get used to Sanderson’s storytelling and the properties of the Cosmere that exist inThe Stormlight Archive. But understanding the events of the originalMistborntrilogy is also important for understanding several direct references and character crossovers. There aremultiple characters inThe Stormlight Archive, particularly from the Ghostbloods organization, who correspond directly to characters or species introduced inMistbornEra 1.
“Kandra” are a shapeshifting species fromMistborn, and Sanderson has suggested one is in hiding on Roshar.
4Mistborn: Secret History
Secret History Ties Era 1 More Directly To The Cosmere
MistbornEra 1 can help introduce audiences to ideas that exist inThe Stormlight Archive, but the original trilogy doesn’t really mention things like Investiture, and the term Cosmere isn’t even included in them.Mistborn: Secret Historyis a novellawritten years later, in 2016, thatconnects back to the events ofMistbornEra 1, adding some context to how those events related to the Cosmere at large. For anyone interested in understanding how exactlyMistbornEra 1 connects toThe Stormlight Archive, this novella is important to bridge the gap.
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Without spoiling details, the novella explores the events of one of the main characters fromMistbornEra 1 after their death, examining their time in the Cognitive Realm (known primarily inThe Stormlight Archiveas Shadesmar). There, they examine subsequent happenings from theMistbornbooks from afar. The worldhopper, Hoid, who appears inMistbornas well asThe Stormlight Archive(known primarily as Wit), also has a memorable scene in this novella that establishes an important, long-term Cosmere connection.
3Mistborn Era 2
Era 2 Is More Cosmere-Focused Than Era 1
Technically,MistbornEra 2 happens afterThe Stormlight Archivechronologically, but since the books were released beforeWind and Truth, they’re still relevant to some degree. Era 2 picks up roughly 300 years after the events ofMistbornEra 1, demonstrating how Brandon Sanderson handles time jumps. Given thatThe Stormlight Archivewill have a shorter time jump of its own following book 5, Era 2 is the best example of what this might look like. Moreso than Era 1,MistbornEra 2 also hasfar more connections to events occurring throughout the Cosmere.
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The Lost Metal
2022
Unlike in Era 1,MistbornEra 2 commonly mentions matters of the broader Cosmere, as technology has begun to modernize and interplanetary affairs are becoming more prevalent. The main Shard in Era 2 is not only concerned with the events occurring in this series, but also with a growing conflict taking shape throughout Sanderson’s larger fantasy universe. To get the full scope of everything Brandon Sanderson is setting up withWind and Truth, catching up on all of these books is worthwhile.
2The Sunlit Man
The Sunlit Man’s Protagonist Is From Roshar
The Sunlit Manwas one of the Secret Projects that came from Brandon Sanderson’s record-breaking Kickstarter campaign and had its wide release in early 2024.Unlike the other two Cosmere Secret Projects,The Sunlit Manis generally recommended to readers who are already familiar with Sanderson’s work, as it’s packed with references to his other books, particularlyThe Stormlight Archive. With that being said, it’s set in the space age, soit’s not vital to understanding what happens inWind and Truthsince it occurs later chronologically.
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Not much can be said aboutThe Sunlit Man’sconnections without spoiling anything major, butit’s clear from just the first few chapters that the main POV character in the book is from Roshar. He mentions being from a home planet without soil and even uses terms like “Storming,” making it fairly obvious. For any fan ofThe Stormlight Archive, this is a fun one to pick up, as it leaves some vague clues regarding events yet to come on Roshar while offering a captivating story of its own.
1Warbreaker
Multiple Stormlight Archive Characters Come From This Book
Warbreakeris undoubtedly the most important standalone novel when it comes to connections toThe Stormlight Archive. In fact, Sanderson has even recommended readingWarbreakerafterThe Way of Kings, as thereferences to this novel begin early inWords of Radianceand persist throughout the subsequent books. There are three characters inThe Stormlight Archivethat pertain to the events ofWarbreaker, making it a rather helpful book to catch up on, as it can provide some context for what certain worldhoppers are doing on Roshar.
LikeThe Sunlit Man,Warbreakeris a fun novel in its own right, and it’s one of the few stories in the Cosmere that Brandon Sanderson doesn’t currently have any plans to explore further. Meanwhile, his other 2000s standalone,Elantris, has a long-awaited sequel set to be written later in the 2020s. For fans ofThe Stormlight Archive,Warbreakercan help the reader understand some of the more mysterious characters who have drifted in and out of events leading up toWind and Truth.
The Stormlight Archive
The Stormlight Archive is an epic fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson, set on the storm-ravaged world of Roshar. The series follows multiple characters, each with their unique storylines, as they navigate political intrigue, ancient prophecies, and powerful magic. Central to the story are the Knights Radiant, legendary warriors with magical abilities who must return to save their world from impending destruction. The series explores themes of honor, leadership, and the burden of power.
