Mistborn: The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
A street thief with a hidden gift joins a crew plotting to topple a ruler worshiped as a god, in a world where ash falls from the sky.
Book 1 of 7, published 2006.
All reading orders
Mistborn reading order
Mistborn is a fantasy series in two stretches: an original trilogy, then four novels set centuries later. Here are the seven novels in the order they came out, which is also the order of the story.
Where to start
Start with Mistborn: The Final Empire. The first three books tell one story, and the four that follow are set generations later with new main characters, but they refer back to the trilogy, so it is better to read it first.
The books include violence, slavery and war. Mistborn: Secret History, a novella in the same series, is not listed here because it gives away events from the novels.
Publication order
Publication order is also story order, so there is one way through. Sanderson is continuing the series, so this list covers the seven novels out as of November 1, 2026.
The Well of Ascension
Brandon Sanderson
The second book follows the characters as the world they knew shifts, with threats from outside and rivalries within.
Book 2 of 7, published 2007.
The Hero of Ages
Brandon Sanderson
The third book brings the trilogy's long struggle to its end, with the survival of the world at stake.
Book 3 of 7, published 2008.
The Alloy of Law
Brandon Sanderson
A lawman returns to a city of railways, guns and politics, in a story set centuries after the trilogy.
Book 4 of 7, published 2011.
Shadows of Self
Brandon Sanderson
The fifth book follows the same lawman and his partner as a string of crimes and political unrest strain their city.
Book 5 of 7, published 2015.
The Bands of Mourning
Brandon Sanderson
The sixth book sends them in search of a legendary artifact tied to the history of the world.
Book 6 of 7, published 2016.
The Lost Metal
Brandon Sanderson
The seventh book is the last of the four set in this later era, where their story and the secrets of the world come to a head.
Book 7 of 7, published 2022.
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