24 books. Two years. One very ambitious trip through the Cosmere.
There are reading lists, and then there are reading quests.
Conquer the Cosmere is our ongoing Fable book club dedicated to one very reasonable goal: reading our way through the entire interconnected Cosmere universe by Brandon Sanderson. All 24 books. & yes, it’s going to take us about two years.
We’re currently nine books into the journey (6 full books & 3 short stories), with 175 readers along for the ride, and in October we’re heading deeper into The Stormlight Archive with Words of Radiance.
If you’ve always wanted to read the Cosmere but had absolutely no idea where to begin, or you started somewhere along the way and realized this universe requires a map, you’re welcome to join us.
Our club motto is pretty simple: The ultimate quest to read every Brandon Sanderson book in the epic Cosmere universe.
The Conquer the Cosmere Reading Order
We decided on one shared reading order so everyone could move through the universe together, catch the connections as they appear, and have people to talk to when Sanderson inevitably makes us question everything we thought we understood.
Here’s the full journey:
*Note: when you see “AU”, that refers to Arcanum Unbounded, the collection housing the short stories sprinkled throughout our reading order.
Mistborn Era One: The Final Empire
Mistborn Era One: The Well of Ascension
Mistborn Era One: The Hero of Ages
AU: The Eleventh Metal
AU: Mistborn: Secret History
Elantris
AU: The Hope of Elantris
Warbreaker
The Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings
The Stormlight Archive: Words of Radiance
AU: Edgedancer
Oathbringer
Dawnshard
Rhythm of War
AU: The Emperor’s Soul
Mistborn Era Two: The Alloy of Law
AU: Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
Mistborn Era Two: Shadows of Self
Mistborn Era Two: The Bands of Mourning
Mistborn Era Two: The Lost Metal
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
The Sunlit Man
The Stormlight Archive: Wind and Truth
Where We Are Now
As of October 2026, we’ve officially made it through the first nine books on our list.
That means we’ve survived Mistborn Era One, visited Elantris, read Warbreaker, and taken our first very large step onto Roshar with The Way of Kings.
Next up:
The Stormlight Archive: Words of Radiance
October is dedicated to the second book in The Stormlight Archive, and considering the size of these books, “dedicated” feels like the appropriate word.
One of my favorite things about doing a project this long through a book club is that there’s no need to race through it. We’re not trying to finish the Cosmere as quickly as possible. The fun is in spending time inside it, noticing connections, developing theories, and having a group of people collectively lose their minds when something finally clicks.
Do You Have to Start From the Beginning?
No.
If you’ve already read some of the Cosmere, jump in wherever we are.
If you’ve never read Brandon Sanderson and want the full experience, you can start with The Final Empire and work through the list at your own pace while following along with the club.
And if you suddenly decide that joining us at Words of Radiance sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing to do without having read the previous nine books…
I admire your confidence, but maybe start with The Way of Kings.
Come Conquer the Cosmere With Us
There is something particularly fun about committing to a reading project that cannot possibly be finished next weekend.
Twenty-four books. Multiple worlds. Interconnected magic systems. Recurring characters. Tiny details that apparently matter 3,000 pages later.
We’re going to be here awhile. And that’s kind of the point.
Conquer the Cosmere is hosted through Rad Book Haus on Fable, and new readers are welcome to join us at any point in the journey.
We’re nine books down.
Fifteen to go.
Next stop: The Stormlight Archive: Words of Radiance.
