We’ve assembled a complete guide for Brandon Sanderson’s books in reading and publication order. His imagination is commendable for creating a new world of fantasy books. With a phenomenal count of literary works under his name, the author has scored the tag of a prolific literary mastermind.
With his authoring career kicking off after he hit 30 y/o, his development pace of literary works is remarkable. Simply put, releasing 2 fictional books a year is almost unheard of among amateur readers.
Besides teaching at his childhood eductional institution, Brigham Young University, he’s a proud follower of magic, and an ex-roommate of Ken Jennings (Jeopardy’s renowned part-time host).
Lastly, he has an inked influence in the gaming industry with some Fortnite character skins resulting from his series Mistborn.
Who is Brandon Sanderson?
Brandon Sanderson is an American author best known for Mistborn and Stormlight Archive novels. The literary genius has created an entire universe of fictional characters born with different powers, such as healing wounds and burning metals.
Brandon Sanderson Books In Order
| Sr. No | Title | Publication Date | Print Length | Publisher | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians | May 3, 2022 | 320 pages | Starscape | Amazon |
| 2. | Tress of the Emerald Sea | April 4, 2023 | 384 pages | Tor Books | Amazon |
| 3. | Arcanum Unbounded | March 7, 2019 | 672 pages | Orion Publishing Co | Amazon |
| 4. | Elantris | October 6, 2015 | 592 pages | Tor Books | Amazon |
| 5. | Mistborn: The Final Empire | July 25, 2006 | 544 pages | Tor Books | Amazon |
| 6. | The Way of Kings | August 31, 2010 | 1008 pages | Tor Books | Amazon |
| 7. | The Eye of the World | October 6, 2020 | 784 pages | Tor Books | Amazon |
| 8. | White Sand Volume 1 | June 28, 2016 | 160 pages | Dynamite Entertainment | Amazon |
| 9. | Warbreaker | June 9, 2009 | 592 pages | Tor Books | Amazon |
| 10. | Writing Fantasy Heroes | February 23, 2013 | 216 pages | Rogue Blades Entertainment | Amazon |
Brandon Sanderson Books In Reading And Publication Order
Inspired by Harry Potter, Lord Of The Rings, and the movie Inception, Brandon wished to write a story where the villain emerges victorious rather than the hero. This idea gave birth to a mainstream bestseller, Mistborn.
Brandon Sanderson has written 431 books and is working on four more as you read this article.
Remember, the universe of Cosmere has many planets, and each book is based on a different world or celestial body.
Here’s a customized list of noteworthy and the most-acclaimed Brandon Sanderson novels, novellas, and short story collections in reading and publication order.
Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz Books in Reading and Publication Order
Brandon Sanderson wrote this children’s novel in 2007. The story revolves around a young hero named Alcatraz, stepping up to save the universe from evil librarians who control the world by oppressing citizens and spreading misinformation.
The books are arranged chronologically and in publication order.
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Described as goofy, fun, and insane, Alcatraz versus Evil Librarians is the story of a teenage orphan boy who receives an unusual gift from his parents, a small bag filled with sand on his 13th birthday.
This ordinary bag belonged to the evil librarians. It was stolen from them in an attempt to save others from their despicable clutches.
Alcatraz experiences a kind-of family reunion as he ventures on this journey with a man claiming to be his grandpa. Moreover, the only strength he has is an affinity for breaking things.
- Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener’s Bones
- Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia
- Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens
- The Dark Talent
- Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians
Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Projects
We’ve reviewed two novels under his Secret Projects series:
Tress of the Emerald Sea
This book is about a girl, Tress, who travels across the deadly ocean to save the love of her life from the wicked Sorceress of Midnight.
Having spent her entire life on an island, Tress is unaware of the world outside, yet she ventures out all alone, braving the dangerous waters and mysterious creatures.
Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Short Stories & Novellas
Here are two top literary pieces from his short stories and novellas in the Comsere series:
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
The story begins with a close encounter with death. The protagonist Dusk uses his two magical birds to escape a deepwalker. A deepwalker is an enormous sea predator which hunts solely using its senses.
With the world nearing its end due to an extensive technological change and dangerous life forms infesting their lands, will Dusk be able to save humanity from this apocalypse?
Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Collection
Here’s a breakdown of fictional short-from literary works in Arcanum Unbounded from his Cosmere collection:
Arcanum Unbounded
A collection of fictional short stories picked from his best books set in the Cosmerse universe in the following order, along with a Stormlight Archive novella, Edgedancer.
- The Hope of Elantris
- The Eleventh Metal
- The Emperor’s Soul
- Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
- White Sand
- Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
- Sixth of Dusk
- Mistborn: Secret History
Brandon Sanderson’s Elantris Books
In Brandon Sanderson’s debut novel, Elantris breaks all the rules an aspiring author should abide by. With over 200,000 words, this book established Brandon as a writer and a strong contender in the fantasy and sci-fi genres.
What’s best, the book consists of three main characters who narrate the tale from their perspectives.
Here are his Elantris books in reading and publication order:
Elantris
Brandon’s bestselling debut novel, Elantris, introduces us to Cosmere and the hardships and struggles faced when the magical land turns into a cursed ruin.
The people of Elantris were born with special powers to heal and create anything according to their wishes. However, ten years ago, Elantris lost its glory after Reod and all the residents transformed into Shaod, a hideous being devoid of magic.
Prince Roden tries his best to save the city from crumbling down entirely. But he needs to overcome all the obstacles disrupting his focus.
The Emperor’s Soul won a Hugo Award due to its solemn, introspective novel structure, defining the nature of art and philosophy in the same fantasy world as Elantris.
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Books
Here are eight books we recommend in the Mistborn series:
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Originally meant to be a trilogy, the readers received this book so well that the author decided to write more.
A secret group of revolutionaries wishes to overthrow the brutal ruler who’s been wreaking havoc on their planet, Scadrial.
All the characters have distinctive personalities and superhuman dynamism. Unfortunately, each one is under the radar of the ruler’s army, and there’s a possibility of getting exposed.
Consequently, they need a distraction, someone intelligent and credulous who doesn’t raise suspicion. Here enters a teenage girl who helps the misfits accomplish their mission.
- The Well of Ascension
- The Hero of Ages
- The Alloy of Law
- Shadows of Self
- The Bands of Mourning
- Secret History: A Mistborn Novella
- The Lost Metal
Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive Books
Here’s a breakdown of our recommendation from the Stormlight Archive book series:
The Way of Kings
The Way of Kings, an immersive fantasy epic, is considered Brandon’s best book. Fundamentally, the story is based on a young man who was a surgeon getting enlisted in the army to become a soldier.
Soon the man realizes he’s eminent at killing people and falls into deep trouble as he goes on to unfold the secrets of the royalty.
- Words of Radiance
- Edgedancer: A Stormlight Archive Novella
- Oathbringer
- Dawnshard: A Stormlight Archive Novella
- Rhythm of Wars
Brandon Sanderson’s Wheel of Time
Originally written by Robert Jordan, this series was continued by Brandon Sanderson when the esteemed author passed away.
Robert Jordan’s wife, the editor of his books, was greatly impressed by Sanderson’s sense of writing and believed he could continue the lineage of her husband’s books.
Therefore, Sanderson wrote the last three books in the Wheel Of Time series.
The Eye of the World
It’s an epic fantasy series of a make-believe world with an outstanding magic system based on scientific principles, with the storyline running in the present and future.
On a cold, gloomy night, three ordinary boys come together to celebrate the Winternight festival. They’re bewildered to meet Lady Moraine and her warden, Lan. They’re unaware of the fact that there’s a dark, evil figure lurking in the forest.
Suddenly, the young village lads are attacked by the gruesome soldiers of the Dark One, but Morraine saves their lives and orders them to leave if they wish to see another day.
Subsequently, Morraine realizes they aren’t innocent youngsters but the chosen ones to complete the prophecy against the Dark one.
- The Great Hunt
- The Dragon Reborn
- The Shadow Rising
- Fires of Heaven
- Lord Of Chaos
- A Crown of Swords
- The Path Of Daggers
- Winter’s Heart
- Crossroads Of Twilight
- Knife Of Dreams
- The Gathering Storm
- Towers of Midnight
- A Memory of Light
Brandon Sanderson’s Wheel Of Time Short Stories & Novellas
Here’s a list of our chosen short stories and novellas from Brandon’s Wheel of Time series:
What the Storm Means
The prologue to The Gathering Storm, a Wheel Of Time novel, is the first volume to the last trilogy of Robert Jordan’s epic. To prepare for the Last Battle, Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, attempts to bring together a disjointed network of kingdoms and alliances.
His friends watch in horror as he tries to stop the Seanchan invasion’s advance north—wishing he could at least broker a brief ceasefire with the invaders—as they sense darkness developing inside the Dragon Reborn himself.
Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand Graphic Novels
The highest-rated graphic novel series of Brandon Sanderson in chronological and publication order:
White Sand Volume 1
A novel that wasn’t published for 20 years, White Sand gives the readers an insight into Kenton’s woeful life in White Sand, a fantasy world divided into two and inhabited by- Daysiders and Darksiders.
The former have confounding powers to manipulate the flow of sand, while the latter has unique culture and artistry.
Brandon Sanderson’s Standalone Novels
Here are four top-notch standalone novels written by Brandon Sanderson:
Warbreaker
Another story in the Cosmerse universe is about two sisters, Vivenna and Siri. They’re princesses of the country, Idris, and are on a mission to prevent the outbreak of war. Since birth, Vivenna was told that she would grow up to marry Susebron, God king of the enemy country- Hallandren.
Due to some political agenda, Siri was sent off to Hallandren instead of Vienna. Feeling overwhelmed and devoid of mental peace, Vivenna decided to rescue her sister and return her from the rival state.
Will the sisters be able to fulfill their mission?
Brandon Sanderson’s Short Stories
Brandon Sanderson has written many short stories inspired by the story outline while producing a major novel or novella. Here are two of his best short stories in chronological and publication order:
First Born
It’s a story of expectations and disappointments involving the Dennison Crestmar, whose father is a High Duke of the Interstellar empire.
He’s constantly compared to his older brother, who has successfully headed campaigns against his rivals and earned victory.
Subsequently, Dennison is reassigned to a different task force and turns the tables by proving himself capable of winning a war by only using his brain and quick decision-making.
Brandon Sanderson’s Anthologies
Brandon Sanderson has collaborated with numerous fantasy writers to produce some of the century’s best books. Here are some of his greatest anthologies in chronological and publication order:
Writing Fantasy Heroes
Famous writers such as Glen Cook, Paul Kearney, Jennifer Brozek, Orson Scott Card, Ari Marmell, Brandon Sanderson, and Ian C. Esslemont come together to share their secrets on how to write fantasy novels.
Their insights can prove helpful to aspiring writers and enthusiastic readers.
Conclusion
Brandon Sanderson has the gift of writing gloomy, dark topics in a heartwarming and engaging manner. He combines light-hearted fantasy with modern, gritty themes and blends them into a delightful novel.
Constantly working on his books while uploading videos on his Youtube channel, interacting with his fans, and offering creative writing classes, makes Brandon Sanderson a superhuman author.
The Wheel of Time aired as an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as one of the main characters.
Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Brandon Sanderson’s epic library of books and your favorite novel or series.