Entertainment
The 10 Best Books in Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe, Ranked
The Cosmere is a shared literary universe of fantasy literature created by acclaimed author Brandon Sanderson. The ongoing series debuted in 2005 with Elantris, Sanderson’s debut novel. The series currently consists of approximately 30 short stories, novellas, novels, and even a graphic novel. It’s super popular and is still ongoing, with the conclusion not expected for at least a few decades. Clearly, it’s quite a massive project that Sanderson has planned.
The basic premise is that each series or stand-alone takes place on its own planet, all within the same galaxy. Each planet has an intricate system of magic that has a heavy hand in the story. The magic exists due to incorporeal objects called “Shards,” leftover splinters of the dead god Adonalsium, who mysteriously shattered thousands of years ago. The series overlap with certain characters and concepts and feature a variety of settings. For example, some are steampunk, some are space-age fantasy, while others are more Medieval. One thing’s for sure: they’re all awesome. Alas, only a few can reign supreme. These are the best books in Sanderson’s Cosmere universe, ranked based on their overall strengths, legacy, and qualities.
10
‘Warbreaker’ (2009)
Warbreaker is currently the only Cosmere work set on the planet Nalthis. The story follows Siri, a young princess of Idris who is betrothed to the God King Susebron of Hallandren, as a means of maintaining a shaky alliance between the two nations. Siri’s sister, Vivenna, travels to the capital of T’Telir to rescue her, while the god Lightsong the Bold struggles to find his place in the universe, treating his recent deification as a joke. Meanwhile, a sulky veteran is working behind the scenes, assassinating key political figures in the court of gods.
The magic system in this Medieval world is really interesting. Each person has what’s called a Breath, which looks like rainbow-hued gas. By convincing or stealing the Breath from others, people gain access to heightened abilities, such as perfect pitch and enhanced perception. However, Breath can also be used to bring fabric to life, where it can be used as a weapon, a tool, or a defence mechanism. The book is primarily a romance at heart, but it’s got a lot of political stuff in it, too. It’s a superb book and a must-read prequel if you want to read The Stormlight Archive series, which we’ll talk about later.
Mistborn is currently the longest series in the Cosmere, which consists of two short stories, one novella, and seven full-length novels. The first era of Mistborn is a trilogy (plus one novella and short story), and is a Medieval urban fantasy. The second era is four books (plus one short story) long, and is set hundreds of years later, in a more steampunk-y world. The Lost Metal is the conclusion to this second era, involving a secret plot to destroy the capital city of Elendel and start a war with the recently rediscovered Malwish people.
All of Mistborn is set on the planet Scadrial, a heavily industrialized world. There are three magic systems here: the first and most prominent is Allomancy, which involves users swallowing beads of various metals that grant temporary abilities, depending on what type of metal it is. For example, tin grants heightened senses, while pewter gives one extra strength and resilience. The book is a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful steampunk fantasy series, once again starring comedic cop duo Wax and Wayne. The stakes are lower than the original Mistborn era, but it’s still an awesome read.
8
‘The Well of Ascension’ (2007)
The Well of Ascension is the second book in the first era of Mistborn, and also arguably its best. The rest of the trilogy were some of Sanderson’s earliest published works, so the writing isn’t quite as refined. This one soars above in terms of story and excitement, however. It is set immediately following the first book, which is basically about an Ocean’s Eleven–style heist crew, only they plan on committing regicide and bringing down a tyrannical, planet-wide empire.
However, the stakes get monumentally higher in this second entry. It becomes clear that the Final Empire was just the beginning, and the very fate of Scadrial is slowly beginning to unravel. In the oppressive metropolis of Luthadel, professional thief Vin and noble heir Elend Venture must establish a new empire whilst putting a stop to the coming apocalypse. While it’s not a conclusion to the trilogy, it’s an excellent climax point, with espionage, wit, and plot twists galore.
7
‘Shadows for Silence: In the Forests of Hell’ (2013)
Shadows for Silence: In the Forests of Hell is currently the only story set in the world of Threnody, which has fallen under a shadow, causing ghost-like entities called Shades to prowl the forested world during the night. The shades seem to be the magic system of this world; there is nothing else mentioned. This novella stars Silence Montane, an innkeeper and secret bounty hunter who receives the contract of a lifetime.
During the night, she steps out into the woods with her teenage daughter, William Ann. There are three simple rules of being out in the woods at night: do not kindle fire, do not spill blood, and do not run. Any of these things will attract the Shades and will likely lead to swift death. This novella first appeared in a collection focused on dangerous women in fantasy, which George R. R. Martin also participated in. However, it was later published on its own, and republished in 2016’s anthology Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection. It’s an excellent piece of dark fantasy that’s short and sweet in all the right ways.
6
‘Yumi and the Nightmare Painter’ (2023)
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is the third of Sanderson’s secret projects written while in quarantine, a stand-alone novel set in the UTol system, inspired by East Asia. The story follows two magic users in vastly different worlds. First, there is Yumi, a priestess known as a yoki-hijo. She lives in an incredibly hot, Medieval world, where the Sun scorches the earth to the point that everyone needs platform shoes and the plants have evolved to float above the ground. Yumi’s job is to stack rocks to summon spirits known as hijo, who will grant wishes to ailing villagers.
On the other hand, there is a young man simply known as Painter. He lives in the cyberpunk-esque city of Kilahito, enveloped by a dome of shadow, which sometimes spawns dangerous nightmares. Using a canvas and some paint, Painter must magically turn the nightmares into something harmless before they prey on innocent people. Through cosmic circumstances, Yumi and Painter’s destinies become intertwined. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is a fantastic one-off story about love, friendship, and the difficulties of fitting in, all set in two fascinating worlds.
5
‘The Bands of Mourning’ (2016)
The Bands of Mourning is the third novel in the second era of Mistborn, and it is, in this author’s opinion, the best in the series. Once again starring cop duo Wax and Wayne, the story involves a quest to find the fabled Bands of Mourning, a relic left behind from the first era, which grants users special powers using a secondary magic system on Scadrial. Feruchemy is pretty complex, almost too complex to explain here, but know that it also involves the use of metal, much like Allomancy.
So many major revelations happen during this book, and for the first time, it takes the adventure far beyond the reaches of the Elendel Basin. By far, this one has the heaviest connection to the first era of Mistborn, as it involves temples lost to the ages, ancient history, hidden civilizations, and political gatherings. Featuring steampunk airships, new characters and cultures, and new mysteries, The Bands of Mourning is a solid ten out of ten.
4
‘The Way of Kings’ (2010)
The Way of Kings is the first book in The Stormlight Archive series. This series consists of novels that are always at least 1,000 pages long, so it’s quite the dedication. The setting is the planet Roshar, which is constantly plagued by hurricane-like tempests called highstorms. Plant life is almost non-existent, and any animal life has evolved to be crustaceous, so they can shelter in their shells.
Following the humans of Alethkar making contact with the indigenous race of crustaceous humanoids called the Parshendi, the Alethi king is assassinated, prompting a war between Alethkar and the Parshendi. In the midst of it all is a slave called Kaladin, a disgraced soldier who is used as arrow fodder on the battlefield. Each entry in Stormlight features flashback sequences, examining the lives of its principal characters, with this one focusing on Kaladin’s life. It’s a tragic, yet highly inspiring tale that starts slow at first, but gets highly engrossing by the end.
3
‘Tress of the Emerald Sea’ (2022)
Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first of Sanderson’s secret projects written during quarantine. The novel was inspired by The Princess Bride and is set on the distant world of Lumar, which doesn’t actually have any Shards, so there is no magic system. It is a vast and alien world closely orbited by 12 moons, which constantly drop spores onto the planet, thus making up the oceans in lieu of water. The spores produce drastic, often destructive effects when they come into contact with the liquid and can even be sailed upon thanks to gas jets hidden on the planet’s surface, which fluidize the many-colored seas.
Tress is an ordinary girl living in the Emerald Sea, who works as a window washer for the mayor, whose son, Charlie, she is dating. Unfortunately, Charlie disappears on a voyage with his father, causing Tress to leave the backwater town of Diggen’s Point to rescue him. This quest evolves into a thrilling pirate tale and a heartwarming tale of true love. The world is thoroughly interesting, the characters are memorable, and the book is written with a great sense of humor. It is one of the greatest fantasy stories ever, and it’s a phenomenal read for fairy tale fans.
2
‘Oathbringer’ (2017)
Oathbringer is the third entry in The Stormlight Archive and is by far the most cinematic novel of the entire Cosmere universe. The magic system of Roshar is more prominent in this book. It involves traumatized individuals developing spiritual bonds with spren, spirit-like entities. The type of spren one bonds with determines their abilities; to power their abilities, they must breathe in Stormlight, an ethereal essence gathered in gemstones from highstorms. The flashback sequences in this book focus on Dalinar Kholin, a seasoned Alethi general and highprince.
This book sees the war between humanity and the Parshendi escalate from a petty squabble over a deceased king to a huge struggle for survival, each species fighting against extinction. Multiple large-scale battles are fought, resulting in one of the most thrilling and satisfying climaxes in the entire series. It’s an awesome adventure and a crowning achievement in Sanderson’s extensive repertoire. Not one line is wasted, and not one page is boring.
1
‘Words of Radiance’ (2014)
Words of Radiance is the second entry in The Stormlight Archive, which features flashbacks from Shallan Davar, an aspiring young artist and student. While the three main plot threads in The Way of Kings are largely separate, they all start to come together in this one. This book really does feel like the calm before the storm, in every sense of the expression. Things seem normal at first, but by the end, armageddon is looming on the horizon.
This monster of a book, like the rest of the Stormlight series, is filled with profound moral wisdom, exceptional character development, and master-class worldbuilding that no one else could have done better. It’s got a little bit of humor, a little bit of romance, loads of action, political intrigue, feuding noble families, and an enormous cinematic battle sequence at the end to top it all off. This entire series is a must-read for fantasy fans. Words of Radiance easily stands as the best book in Sanderson’s universe, especially considering that it is his highest-rated book on Goodreads.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login