Author

Brandon Sanderson

Q: What should I read first by Brandon Sanderson?

Start with the The Wheel of Time series, since it is the first on file, then read it in publication order.

Brandon Sanderson has 48 known credited books (48 published) across 8 series. Start with The Wheel of Time. Brandon Sanderson continues The Wheel of Time (created by Robert Jordan).

Brandon Sanderson is an American author who has become one of the defining voices in modern epic fantasy, primarily through the interconnected "Cosmere" universe that links most of his major series. He is best known for the Stormlight Archive, a sprawling, planned ten-book saga beginning with The Way of Kings, and for the Mistborn series, which reimagined the classic "chosen hero defeats the dark lord" fantasy structure by starting after the hero has already lost. He was also selected by Robert Jordan's estate to complete The Wheel of Time's final three novels after Jordan's death, work later adapted, alongside the earlier books, into Amazon's Wheel of Time television series. Sanderson is equally known for his extraordinary productivity and direct relationship with readers, including record-breaking crowdfunding campaigns for surprise new novels. New readers should start with Mistborn: The Final Empire for a self-contained trilogy, or The Way of Kings if ready to commit to the larger Stormlight Archive, widely considered his flagship work. His meticulous, rule-based magic systems have become influential enough that "Sanderson's Laws" are commonly referenced by other fantasy writers discussing magic-system design.

Series: 8
Credited books: 48
Published: 48
Latest published book: Blightfall 1 September 2026
Active: 2005–present
Best known for: The Wheel of Time

Key facts about Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson has 48 books on our list. 36 of them belong to a series, while 12 stand alone. Since all 48 are out now, every book here is ready to read. Their series sit on our fantasy and science fiction shelves.

Brandon Sanderson has 8 series on file. The Wheel of Time has 15 books, while Elantris has 2 books. Mistborn has 8 books, starting in 2006.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians has 6 books, starting in 2007. The Stormlight Archive has 7 books, starting in 2010. In particular, The Wheel of Time is the longest series on file. The Wheel of Time began with Robert Jordan, while Brandon Sanderson has books in it too.

The Wheel of Time starts with The Eye of the World, while Elantris starts with Elantris. Mistborn starts with Mistborn: The Final Empire.

Since The Wheel of Time is the first series on file, it is the place to start. Their first published book on file came out in 2005. Meanwhile, Blightfall is the latest published book, out on 1 September 2026.

There are also 12 standalone books. You can read them in any order, since each one stands alone. The newest one that is out is Isles of the Emberdark, from 2025. The oldest on file is Warbreaker, from 2009.