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The Stormlight Archive

by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson has 5 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Way of Kings (2010).

Books
5 novels + 2 novellas
First published
2010
Status
ongoing
Last checked

Start here: The Way of Kings (2010) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of The Way of Kings, the first book in The Stormlight Archive

The Way of Kings (2010)

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Way of Kings

    Novel

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  2. Words of Radiance

    Novel

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  3. Edgedancer

    Novella

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  4. Oathbringer

    Novel

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  5. Dawnshard

    Novella

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  6. Rhythm of War

    Novel

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  7. Wind and Truth

    Novel

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About The Stormlight Archive

The Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson's flagship epic, set on Roshar — a world scoured by apocalyptic highstorms, where plants retract like anemones, armies war over gemstones that hold the storms' light, and ten legendary orders of Knights Radiant fell into ruin so long ago that their powers have passed into myth. The Way of Kings (2010) braids three lives together: Kaladin, a surgeon's son turned enslaved bridge-runner who refuses to let his men die; Shallan, a scholar whose scholarship is a front for desperate theft; and Dalinar, a warlord haunted by visions commanding him to 'unite them'.

What begins as war epic becomes something stranger and bigger: the return of an ancient enemy, the rediscovery of the Radiants' oaths — each sworn ideal a step of genuinely moving character growth — and some of fantasy's most acclaimed treatments of depression, trauma and leadership. Sanderson's signature is rigorous magic and avalanche endings, and every volume delivers both at doorstop length.

Five novels are published — The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, Rhythm of War and Wind and Truth (2024), which closes the series' first major arc — plus two interlude novellas, Edgedancer and Dawnshard. The Archive also sits at the centre of Sanderson's connected Cosmere universe, quietly linking to Mistborn, Elantris and Warbreaker.

Frequently asked questions

How many Stormlight Archive books are there?

Five novels so far — The Way of Kings (2010), Words of Radiance (2014), Oathbringer (2017), Rhythm of War (2020) and Wind and Truth (2024) — plus the novellas Edgedancer and Dawnshard. The series is planned as ten novels in two five-book arcs.

What order should I read The Stormlight Archive in?

Publication order, with the novellas slotted in: Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Edgedancer, Oathbringer, Dawnshard, Rhythm of War, Wind and Truth. The novellas are optional but recommended before the books that follow them.

When is Stormlight book 6 coming out?

No title or date has been announced. Wind and Truth (December 2024) ended the first five-book arc, and Brandon Sanderson has said he plans to write the next Mistborn trilogy (Era Three, targeted from around 2028) before returning to Roshar, putting book six in the early 2030s.

Do I need to read other Cosmere books before Stormlight?

No — The Way of Kings works as a first Sanderson book. Reading Mistborn Era One and Warbreaker beforehand adds fun connections (several crossover characters appear), but nothing essential to the plot.

Are Edgedancer and Dawnshard required reading?

Not strictly, but they're worthwhile: Edgedancer (read after Words of Radiance) follows Lift and sets up Oathbringer; Dawnshard (read after Oathbringer) covers a voyage whose consequences echo through Rhythm of War and beyond.

Reading order last verified .