How to read the Mistborn series in order
How to read the Mistborn series in order
Nothing is better than a fantasy series with an advanced magic system and developed world-building. The Mistborn series, written by Brandon Sanderson, has all the elements that you could want from an epic fantasy.
In 2018, Amazon announced it had the rights to develop a live-action TV series based on the book series.
In this article, find out how to read the Mistborn series in order.
Who is Brandon Sanderson?
But first, let’s look into the brilliant writer behind the Mistborn series, Brandon Sanderson. He was born on December 19, 1975, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Brandon Sanderson decided to pursue writing while working as a clerk in a hotel. In 2003 his first book was published, Elantris. He later published the Mistborn trilogy in 2005.
Brandon Sanderson also published other works, including White Sand, The Emperor’s Soul, Rhythm of War, Warbreaker, Arcanum Unbounded, Edgedancer, Words of Radiance, Hope of Elantris, Oathbringer, and several graphic novels as part of the Stormlight Archive.
He also finished The Wheel of Time books.
What is the Mistborn series about?
The series takes place in a fascinating world called Scadrial. In it, magic is based on different metals, stemming from the lore of Adolnasium, creating the Cosmere with Dawnshards. The story is filled with important political issues, battles, moral questions, and, of course, magic.
While most fantasy books usually claim a sharp contrast between good and evil, the Mistborn series takes a different turn by introducing moral ambiguity so that characters can make do with what they have.
It’s a book about what happens when evil takes over while following protagonists, such as Vin and Kelsier.
The Mistborn books in order
When it comes to Brandon Sanderson’s books, the Cosmere reading order could get a little complex. Keep in mind that each book takes place in a distinct Mistborn era.
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The Eleventh Metal
This is a short story that serves as a prequel to the events of the first Mistborn novel, The Final Empire. It tells the story of the main character and master thief, Kelsier. It somewhat acts as a standalone in the series and is part of the firstThis is a short story that serves as a prequel to the events of the first Mistborn novel, The Final Empire. It tells the story of the main character and master thief, Kelsier. It somewhat acts as a standalone in the series and is part of the first Mistborn era.... Read more -
Mistborn
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 24 hours 39 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: December 23, 2008
- Language: English
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4.58(31350 ratings)
4.58(31350 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0044.99 USDFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slavedFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.
Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.
But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.
This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of MourningCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
... Read more
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity -
The Well of Ascension
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 28 hours 56 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: December 23, 2008
- Language: English
-
4.38(316278 ratings)
4.38(316278 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0044.99 USDFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler — the man who claimed to be godFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler — the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years — has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protege, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.
As Kelsier’s protege and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.
Stopping assassins may keep Vin’s Mistborn skills sharp, but it’s the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn’t run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier’s crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won’t get easier with three armies – one of them composed of ferocious giants – now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler’s hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.
As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of MourningCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther books by Brandon Sanderson
... Read more
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity -
The Hero of Ages
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 27 hours 25 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: October 14, 2008
- Language: English
-
4.52(294274 ratings)
4.52(294274 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0044.99 USDFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. Who is the Hero of Ages? To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the LordFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
Who is the Hero of Ages?
To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness–the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists–is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.
Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of MourningCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
... Read more
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity -
Secret History
Mistborn: Secret History is a novella that takes place between the events of the first and second Mistborn trilogy novels. It reveals new insights into the events of the original trilogy from the perspective of a character who was thought to beMistborn: Secret History is a novella that takes place between the events of the first and second Mistborn trilogy novels. It reveals new insights into the events of the original trilogy from the perspective of a character who was thought to be dead. ... Read more -
The Alloy of Law
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 10 hours 48 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: November 08, 2011
- Language: English
-
4.21(149186 ratings)
4.21(149186 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0026.99 USDFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge ofFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.
Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history–or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.
One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn, who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of MourningCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther books by Brandon Sanderson
... Read more
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity -
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
This is a short story set in the world of Mistborn. It follows the adventures of Allomancer Jak, a hero who uses Allomancy (the magic system in the Mistborn series) to fight evil. -
Shadows of Self
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 12 hours 37 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: October 06, 2015
- Language: English
-
4.29(93748 ratings)
4.29(93748 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0026.99 USDFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge ofFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.
When family obligations forced Waxillium Ladrian to forsake the frontier lands and return to the metropolis of his birth to take his place as head of a noble House, he little imagined that the crime-fighting skills acquired during twenty years in the dusty plains would be just as applicable in the big city. He soon learned that there too, just being a talented Twinborn — one who can use both Allomancy and Feruchemy, the dominant magical modes on Scadrial — would not suffice.
This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society will now face its first test by terrorism and assassination, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax, his eccentric sidekick Wayne, and brilliant, beautiful young Marasi, now officially part of the constabulary, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife can stop Scadrial’s progress in its tracks.
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of MourningCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther books by Brandon Sanderson
... Read more
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity -
The Bands of Mourning
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 14 hours 41 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: January 26, 2016
- Language: English
-
4.43(91795 ratings)
4.43(91795 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0032.99 USDFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge ofFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.
The Bands of Mourning are the mythical metal minds owned by the Lord Ruler, said to grant anyone who wears them the powers that the Lord Ruler had at his command. Hardly anyone thinks they really exist. A kandra researcher has returned to Elendel with images that seem to depict the Bands, as well as writings in a language that no one can read. Waxillium Ladrian is recruited to travel south to the city of New Seran to investigate. Along the way he discovers hints that point to the true goals of his uncle Edwarn and the shadowy organization known as The Set.
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
OathbringerThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of MourningCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther books by Brandon Sanderson
... Read more
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity -
The Lost Metal
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrator: Michael Kramer
- Length: 18 hours 46 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: November 15, 2022
- Language: English
-
4.51(18706 ratings)
4.51(18706 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0032.99 USD“Michael Kramer is my favorite among all audiobook narrators. I was thrilled to have him on the Mistborn series, and he did such an amazing job I can’t imagine having anyone else be the voice of these characters.” –Brandon“Michael Kramer is my favorite among all audiobook narrators. I was thrilled to have him on the Mistborn series, and he did such an amazing job I can’t imagine having anyone else be the voice of these characters.” –Brandon Sanderson
Return to #1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn world of Scadrial as its second era, which began with The Alloy of Law, comes to its earth-shattering conclusion in The Lost Metal.
For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set–with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders–since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner Wayne find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between Elendel and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate–whose corruption Wax and Steris have sought to expose–and Bilming is even more entangled.
After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial’s god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn’t the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere–Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial…at any cost.
Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.
Other Tor titles by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
Oathbringer
Dawnshard (Novella)
Rhythm of WarThe Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of AgesMistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
The Lost MetalCollection
Arcanum UnboundedOther Cosmere novels
Elantris
WarbreakerThe Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener’s Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark TalentThe Rithmatist series
The RithmatistOther titles by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
CalamityA Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
... Read more
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FAQ
Can you read the Mistborn series out of order?
While it is possible to read the Mistborn series out of order, it’s not recommended. The books are interconnected and build upon each other. They’re the most enjoyable to read in publication order.
How do I start reading Mistborn?
If you’re interested in starting the Mistborn series, start with the original Mistborn trilogy.
When does Mistborn take place?
The Mistborn series is set in a medieval-like period, but with magic technology. The events of the original Mistborn trilogy take place in the year 1022. The second Mistborn series takes place about 300 years later.
What is Brandon Sanderson’s next book?
Currently, Brandon Sanderson is working on a series known as Defiant, which will come out in the Fall of 2023.
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.
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