Starting my Brandon Sanderson journey in January.. I couldn't be more excited after your video!!!! I'm glad you had such a good time with it!! ✨ Great video!
I think you should do some reviews of the stormlight archive WITH spoilers because every time I see a review it’s always no spoilers and it would be interesting to see you go into detail abt the books. Great video btw
Yes, The Hero of Ages has one of the best endings ever, the hints, foreshadowing and reveals throughout the story are mind-blowing, for example one line of the the prophecy"The Hero will bear the future of the world on his arms"(it turns out literally, iykyk) or "I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted." absolute genius.
I've recently seen some of your content on TikTok and I gotta say you're so nice to listen to and I sincerely wish the best for you on this content creator journey
Ranking was spot on brotha! I agreed with so many including #1 Words of Radiance of course! The only one I’d really change was Sunlit Man. I really enjoyed it! It would definitely fall in my top 10. I also think Sunlit will only get better as we learn more about the Cosmere!
Man, I’ve slowly been getting through The Way of Kings and your videos are inspiring me to read more! I’ve gotten through a couple hundred pages since finding your videos. I’m pretty hooked
I just started reading the mistborn series and I'm hooked. I finished the first book and got swept away in the Sanderlanche. I'm about 140 pages into Well of Ascension and am loving every minute of it. This is my first ever time reading Sanderson, so I'm excited to go down the rabbit hole. I love your spoiler free reviews and it has me pumped to eventually get to Words of Radience. I'm glad I found your channel and keep up the great work man. Happy New Year!
Words of Radiance is the best book I’ve ever read, fantastic choice for number 1! This list was really excellent, at some points I was like that book is ranked pretty low, but then I really realized that so much of the Cosmere is just that good. Like Tress at 15 felt wild at first, but so many of these books are amazing that I’m not even mad it’s that low lol, great video!
You are slowly becoming my favorite booktuber, must have something to do with your great taste in books ;-) I read all the Cosmere books so far and just finished Wind and Truth a few days ago. First of all, respect to even being able to come up with a definitive list. i think I would come close to insanity during the process ;-) So, just a few thoughts without a definitive list: - Perhaps the only book where I strongly disagree with you is Tress. I loved it soo much and it so different to everything else that it deserves a higher spot on the list (imho). But I have no idea where I would actually put it, haha, just higher. For me its on par with Yumi. - Mistborn Era 1 were my first Sanderson books and the only books I already read twice and I love them to death (with the second one slightly behind the other two). - Mistborn Era 2 started very slow for me with the first two books (would probably put them on the end of my list), but I agree with you that the last two books where amazing. - Warbreaker has moved up on my non-existent list after reading Stormlight ;-) - Stormlight: I never thought that I would be able to read 1300 page books in two weeks, until I read Stormlight. Love them all, each in their own way. My Highlights: WoK: Bridge 4 rescues Dalinar and Adolin, WoR: Syl Returns to Kaladin and he swears his next Oath, Oathbringer: Best Sanderlaunch of all time, what an ending, RoW: Kaladin defeating the Pursuer and Kaladin in the Storm swearing his Oath, WaT: This book catapulted Adolin to my favorite Stormlight character, his parts are absolutely insane! Thanks for your passion and work!
this video is convincing me to read mistborn era 2! I didn’t love the first book, but your description of the last book makes me want to try it again lol
This is certainly an interesting list for sure lol. I love it because my particular war cry in the fandom has been “Era 2 Underrated” for so long now so to see Era 2 MB rated over some more conventional picks is great. I’d have Way of Kings and Shadows of Self higher personally and I have Warbreaker and Elantris as the 2 weakest Full Length Cosmere Novels (though I love them both it’s just not as much as everything else lol) but you absolutely nailed it with Sunlit Man and Well of Ascension. While they are good they just don’t measure up to the others. By the way man when you get to Elantris you are going to feel the same way about it as you do about Oathbringer. The beginning is good but the middle is going to really drag. However, if you can get past those you will eventually get what I call, even all these years later, a Top 5 Sanderlanche at the end of Elantris. Happy Reading man!
Bro, Elantris was good. I wish I had started with it. I started with: Emperor of Soul, Mistborn Era 1, Warbreaker, The Scadrian System, Eleventh Metal, Elantris, The Hope for Elantris, The Selish System, The Threnodite System, Shadows of Silence, The Drominad System, Sixth of the Dusk. I’m starting The Way of Kings after Christmas. Elantris is way way better than people are saying. I’m late to the party but I’m on the way. Thanks for sharing your videos.
@ I found a new grim dark trilogy for you to checkout also called The Last War by Mike Shackle. He’s a new author and his trilogy is a sleeper. Add it to your collection and you won’t be disappointed. Remember the name Tinstra. 💪🏽 I’ll be looking out for your review on it. Get your popcorn ready. 😳
Your feelings and descriptions for Oathbringer, Hero of Ages, and Words of Radiance are perfect and basically identical to mine! Oathbringer: a little slow and mid for the first half, followed by the pinnacle example of a Sanderlanch Hero of Ages: still to this day, my favorite example of set up and payoff. There are clues given throughout the first two books that I initially overlooked, but once all the reveals happen in this book, those clues seem so obvious in hindsight! There is one revelation in particular near the end, where my mind was absolutely blown, and I put down the book and literally called my brother (who had just finished a few days before me) because I had to talk with someone about it immediately. Words of Radiance: just about as close to perfect of a book as there can be; great pacing, great action, great character moments and growth, and a great Sanderlanch
Bro thank you for putting me on the cosmere! It would be so hard for me to rank them bc they're all so good but your rankings are solid Also that shirt is so fire haha the 96 draft class is so goated 🔥🔥
I’m so happy to hear that you loved Mistborn Era 2! I have read Era 1, Warbreaker and I’m about 2/3s through Way of Kings but the negative opinions on Era 2 had me worried for whats to come after Stormlight.
I would recommend you read Elantris. It was the first Sanderson book I read and i really enjoyed it. The whole premise of it was really something i had never read before at the time. I found the world to be incredibly rich and super visual. I can still picture the world in my mind even though I never physically saw it. Its a little slow but totally worth it. 4/5 stars Least favorite Sanderson: Tress of the Emerald Sea Favorite Sanderson: Hero of Ages/Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Love the videos and your engagement with the comments! You inspired me to start reading again a few videos back when I discovered the channel. I’m in the middle of one book, and I have “Cujo” and “Pet Sematary” lined up in an effort to combat my dog fever I’ve had lately. I’d live to start a Sanderson book after that but I’ve never read one. What is a good starting point? There are so many! Keep it up 👍
I’m so glad that words of radiance picks up because I’m struggling with the way of kings I’ve also finished Mistborn and I’m finding hard to get through the rest of the series as my favorite character is gone no spoilers here but thank you for your review. You’re the reason why I picked up Sanderson to begin with.
I just finished Rhythm of War, and I understand why it’s so low on lists like this, but maaaaan that book was so much better than i was lead to expect. Also, as someone who hasn’t read Mistborn Era 2, how dare you rate it above Era 1. Those are fighting words
@@Smitty1423 they are on the TBR for sure! what’s your opinion on reading Era 2 before Wind and Truth? Is it a must? WaT is sitting on my shelf staring at me telling me to read it, so if it’s not a must I’ll it after.
Was the number 16 an intentional easter egg or happy coincidence? Great video and great list! I started the cosmere this summer and have read it all except Edgedancer, Tress, Yumi and Sunlit Man (which I have started and will get back to). I think it's interesting seeing Words of Radiance scoring so high on your and others list, it makes me excited for my reread whenever that happens. Also, about what you said about Rythm of War being emotional - I couldn't agree more, emotionally it's probably my favorite of but I'm to indecisive to rank them all
Great to have that list. 2025 is going to be my personal year of the Sanderson. Starting on the first of January with Mistborn. Haven't read a single book of the Sanderson. Hopefully I'll get through them till December. And hopefully, he won't release another 10 books in 2025... That man is a badass, a lovely one.
@@Smitty1423 Thanks! I love the channel, btw! The thing is: In German each book of the Stormlight Archieve is split into two, each of which having roughly 800 to 1000 pages. So I am trying to decide if I am going to read it in English or German. Even though I understand English quite well, reading English - for fun - is quite exhausting. Probably give it a try though ;-)
I'm reading Elantris now as I'm reading Brandon Sanderson's official order, and ngl its better than I ever thought it would be being his first published book, I went it with low expectations and its exceeding them by quite a distance.
I first read it shortly after it was published and loved it. When Mistborn came out, I was disappointed, because I wanted a sequel to Elantris. Back then, I had no idea the two were related.
Love the list and understand your ranking, but Tress of the Emerald Sea is definitely top 3 for me - I freaking love that book and its whimsical nature
I read the Mistborn trilogy and Way of Kings back like 10 years ago during high school and I think it's pretty cool how successful Sandersons books have become. Guess I'll have to catch up on all his stuff.
Please read book of doors. It was a fave of 2024 and I’m looking for something to follow that well. Time travel and after chapter three I was sucked in fully committed and could not put it down unless absolutely necessary.
Hey bro always love your videos. Don’t recall seeing you mention dungeon crawler Carl before, is it on your TBR? The premise sounds like it would have no depth but wow is it amazing. I suspect it would be in your top series list if you start it next year. It’s a book where you need to do the audio though as it’s one of the best performances of all time.
@ ah must have just missed that video! I usually love all the same books! Man that series is just dummy good! Stormlight, gentleman’s bastards and DCC are my top 3 I think. Especially book 5 of dcc
So I am definitely thinking about starting cosmere. I don’t know where to begin I am between Skyward, Mistborn, Stormlight Archives, and Tress and the emerald sea. Out of these books which one would you recommend that I start the cosmere? I mostly read YA and middle grade.
Started the Stormlight series a few weeks ago and man, these books are fire! Currently reading Oathbringer but I'm curious about Mistborn. Does it stack up to the Stormlight series?
For me Era 1 is a solid point lower on the scale vs Stormlight. There’s a lot of great stuff in there but ultimately I feel like Sanderson has gotten so much better at pacing and writing characters that there was a noticeable difference in quality for me. I think Era 2 is better and close behind Stormlight! It boils down to the lows being a little lower and the highs not being quite as high for me when you compare Mistborn to Stormlight.
For me, I have Mistborn era 1 just barely above Stormlight. Both are amazing, but it may just be the nostalgia of Mistborn being my first introduction into Sanderson and really adult fantasy overall, but I hold a special place in my heart for Vin and Elland. The ending of the third book is also just incredible!
bro I just finished The hero of ages and now am watching your video. I can feel you bro. The best book Ive read this year. Definitely a 6 star. Looking forwrard to read the stormlight archive
I’m reading hero of ages right now, Almost done with part 4 (I’m on ch 55) it’s been good so far, but probably more in the 4.5 ⭐️ range. I keep hearing high praise about the ending, I hope it lives up!!
I tried making a list and this was actually super hard to do. I ended up having Mistborn Final Empire ahead of Bands of Mourning because it sets such a great stage and can stand on its own. And i have Yumi lower. I agree with your top 5 tho, switching OB and WoR. Dalinar at the end of OB just resonates too much with me. Those top 3 are GOATed
Yeah Final empire will always have a special place because it got me into his work but Bands of mourning for me went so crazy. A lot of people switch Oathbringer and words of radiance and I understand it
I was listening to Mike talk about Wind and Truth, he said other cosmere books are important to understand things in this book. I plan to read stormlight next year. What are some must read cosmere books for stormlight?
@@Smitty1423 alright bro. I’ll check it out. I haven’t read any Sanderson so I wanna see all this hype behind his work. Lol. Thanks bro. Happy Holidays!
Have you re-read any of the books? Specifically Stormlight! I ask because I personally ranked Rhythm of War low on my Cosmere list initially but after a reread I honestly have it almost tied for the #3 spot! Without going into spoilers I just found it held up much better on my second read.
@@Smitty1423I commented before finishing the video lol, you mentioned a couple times you hadn’t reread yet. If it’s possible you should try audiobook it makes the experience different and more emotional at times because the narrators deliver great performances. Thanks for the awesome content!
Hey bro, would love to see you cover manga as well. A great medium filled with incredible stories. Attack on Titan, Berserk, Vinland Saga to start with. Great video!
Just got to pg 859 of Wind and Truth, and I’ll probably read Sunlit Man before I start the second arc of Mistborn, but then I’ve gotta get over to Empire of Silence, then the last of the standalone books in the First Law series, but I’ve gotta read my Hellblazer and Batman Omnibus before getting to those. The list never ends. Have you read any comics or graphic novels?
This is tough for me. Being familiar with the Cosmere definitely affects the experience and it took me a while before i started seeing the connections. I really feel like i need to reread everything, with my current understanding, to decide how much I like these books. But I'm pretty sure Stormlight would be the top 5 for me.
Not mad at the list. Mine would go: 1. Hero of ages 2. Oathbringer 3. The final empire 4. Words of radiance 5. Yumi and the nightmare painter 6. Wind and Truth 7. Way of kings 8. Well of ascension 9. Bands of Mourning 10. The Lost Metal 11. Shadows of self 12. Sunlit man 13. Rhythm of war 14. Alloy of Law 15. Warbreaker 16. Elantris 17. Tress of the emerald sea
I’ve been wanting to get into Brandon Sanderson. I basically just stated getting into reading I started res rising series and fell in love and I really wanna start the way of the king but I’m afraod to bc of the length but ik it’s worth it
If you have read it what do you think of the Scythe series by Neal shusterman. It’s one of my fav series and it’s soon to be adapted into a movie. Great dystopian sci-fi series that challenges societal ethics and religion.
I remember I finished Hero of Ages all the way into the AMs and I literally had to sit still and think. Not on my phone, not on my kindle, just sitting there on my bed staring at nothing. I was emotional for a WEEK afterwards. To the point that my mom asked me if I was ok, because I looked severely distraught 😅
Honestly did you enjoy / like Wind and Truth? What are your thoughts on Sandersons writing as the series has progressed? I’d need to hear your thoughts on that before I subscribe.
@ good - you’re not a totally blind obsessed fanboy. To me it’s the worst of all five novels. Poorly written and bloated for no reason. I loved certain aspects of it and it def has some great revealing moments but I was taken completely out of the universe/world by Sandersons horrible dialogue at parts, cringe dialogue/jokes, and pacing.
I agree completely with your Number one book. It is why I have struggled in the first half of the next book in that series. Just now getting halfway into that book and finding it pick up. Look forward to all of your videos!!! Keep up the great content. Thank You!!!
Why do you think that Rhythm of War seems to get so much hate? I enjoyed it myself, but next to the last book it seems to have the most negative video reviews I've seen. Many said they were bored out of their minds reading it. Wind and Truth seems to have the most negative video reviews I've seen so far though and many comments under the videos saying that they are done with Sanderson after this book. Many saying that because the editor has changed that the writing just isn't good anymore and it's too much YA etc.... Do you have any thoughts on this? I'm sure you've seen some of the negative reviews. I haven't read this book yet though.
I’ve seen the reviews and I want to keep in mind that I still thought rhythm of war was a 5 star it just wasn’t the strongest book in the series compared to the others in my opinion
My novel-only ranking--excluding Wind and Truth since I'm currently reading and just finished Day 3. (1) The Way of Kings (2) Words of Radiance (3) Oathbringer (4) Rhythm of War (5) The Hero of Ages (6) Mistborn: The Final Empire (7) The Well of Ascension (8) The Lost Metal (9) The Bands of Mourning (10) The Alloy of Law (11) Shadows of Self (12) Elantris (13) Warbreaker (14) The Sunlit Man - my favorite of the secret projects. (15) Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (16) Tress of the Emerald Sea So far with Wind and Truth, Day 1 was such a banger I might've been tempted to put it #1. I'll see what happened by the time I'm done.
I'm almost completely flipped on era 2 mistborn. Alloy of law was my favorite and lost metal my least favorite. It mostly just wasnt what i wanted. I wanted more grounded buddy cop roughs story and it became less that as era 2 went on. Of course from sanderson i should expect that. He only scales up in power and cosmere importance. Still liked lost metal but thats probably my least favorite of the main cosmere novels
Honestly: Wind and Therapy was the biggest disappointment of the year (considering the expectations and also considering the other books in the Cosmere). Dropping the prose this much was no excuse with “accessible” anymore, too much of “mental health”, especially with explaining over and over and over …. Basically this is now not an epic story but rather a mental health book explaining it to kids (how it handles the reader) and the gen z language is? “I’m game”, “laser sharp”, “valid”… etc. we can go on. Now to add that the themes are slim, the story is more like a “ok let’s deliver for the fan” than an artwork. So now it feels like a PC game not a beautiful book. That is (or as it seems) when you push out too much and the editor don’t check. 4th Wing in the conversation was ironic. Also the plot is flat not really emotionally that impactful mostly because we just read boring hundreds pages to reach something. 1400 pages. If 300-400 pages wasn’t repetitive part, info dump, etc… We knew that this is an arc end still this was a “that would be the big thing”? Reading these books for 20 years as a fan…. It’s very far from the best books of the year. Not every book deserves 5 star just because it’s his book. This is one of those.
I’m with you on this one, my least favorite SA book☹️ yes, there were some exiting reveals, a ton of lore, and I loved Adolin’s arc, but the writing🤦🏻♀️ the therapy🤦🏻♀️ so blunt, so repetitive. The whole Shinovar “do you want to talk about it” theme made me roll my eyes into another dimension
@ exactly. And Adolin is a good example too. “We get it, Adolin knows the names of the soldiers, you don’t have to tell it 10 times, it’s not the only option to show some behavior…”
@@rileycavanaugh5817I think the OP just means that people feel pressured to rate his books 5 stars because of his reputation, while not being objective about the book
@ I understand you may disagree, but it’s actually a factual statement. I haven’t read the book so I don’t have an opinion on it yet, but it’s a real phenomena that the authors reputation, community expectations, social media, and fear of being an outlier might make some feel pressure to rate the book, or any of his books, higher.
@@rileycavanaugh5817 can’t care less about the “about you” thing. What I wrote in majority is objectively fact. The prose dropped, usage of words, etc, are not question of my “taste”, but happened, period. And it’s not a great idea to just for the hype look to the other way and don’t criticize anything. Quality matters because as I mentioned there is a point where the “for accessibility” argument fails and it’s simply bad. It’s also a fact that it literally tells you (not shows you in many cases) the themes and mental symptoms and so on. That undercuts the point. Is it for children? If not then an adult should think about it and decide what is best or worst. It’s like there is a joke and then the person tells you why it is funny. “We get it, we are not kids”. -> Adolin knows the soldiers’ names. Then not just talks to a soldier but at least 3 times it’s explained that it’s great to know the names because of the personal connection blabla…
Starting my Brandon Sanderson journey in January.. I couldn't be more excited after your video!!!! I'm glad you had such a good time with it!! ✨ Great video!
Thank you so much! You’re going to have a great time too
I am planning to start in January too !!!
@@angelaleriche4023 Yeah! 💪🏻✨
Me too! Have stormlight book 1 queued up!
Me too!
I think you should do some reviews of the stormlight archive WITH spoilers because every time I see a review it’s always no spoilers and it would be interesting to see you go into detail abt the books. Great video btw
Yeah I’ll do one next year for sure!
I was just thinking the same thing. Need some Smitty in-depth reviews
@ 2025 I got yall
@@souljang fr dude they would be so sick
@@Smitty1423 bet can’t wait to watch!
Yes, The Hero of Ages has one of the best endings ever, the hints, foreshadowing and reveals throughout the story are mind-blowing, for example one line of the the prophecy"The Hero will bear the future of the world on his arms"(it turns out literally, iykyk) or "I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted." absolute genius.
Like you have to pay attention every step of the way so you don’t miss anything!
I've recently seen some of your content on TikTok and I gotta say you're so nice to listen to and I sincerely wish the best for you on this content creator journey
Ahh this is so dope thank you for the well wishes I appreciate you!
Ranking was spot on brotha! I agreed with so many including #1 Words of Radiance of course!
The only one I’d really change was Sunlit Man. I really enjoyed it! It would definitely fall in my top 10. I also think Sunlit will only get better as we learn more about the Cosmere!
Dope! And yeah I def need to reread Sunlit Man after reading Wind and Truth
Man, I’ve slowly been getting through The Way of Kings and your videos are inspiring me to read more! I’ve gotten through a couple hundred pages since finding your videos. I’m pretty hooked
@@bubboboy that’s so fire glad you’re enjoying it!
@@Smitty1423And your praise for Words of Radiance has me hyped!!
I just started reading the mistborn series and I'm hooked. I finished the first book and got swept away in the Sanderlanche. I'm about 140 pages into Well of Ascension and am loving every minute of it. This is my first ever time reading Sanderson, so I'm excited to go down the rabbit hole. I love your spoiler free reviews and it has me pumped to eventually get to Words of Radience. I'm glad I found your channel and keep up the great work man. Happy New Year!
Can’t wait for you to get through the cosmere!
Love to see more people jumping into the verse, love the videos!
Appreciate you!
Words of Radiance is the best book I’ve ever read, fantastic choice for number 1! This list was really excellent, at some points I was like that book is ranked pretty low, but then I really realized that so much of the Cosmere is just that good. Like Tress at 15 felt wild at first, but so many of these books are amazing that I’m not even mad it’s that low lol, great video!
@@unkempthawk haha right! Like it’s 15 but still an amazing book!
@ for real! Sanderson just doesn’t miss with the Cosmere lol
You are slowly becoming my favorite booktuber, must have something to do with your great taste in books ;-)
I read all the Cosmere books so far and just finished Wind and Truth a few days ago.
First of all, respect to even being able to come up with a definitive list. i think I would come close to insanity during the process ;-)
So, just a few thoughts without a definitive list:
- Perhaps the only book where I strongly disagree with you is Tress. I loved it soo much and it so different to everything else that it deserves a higher spot on the list (imho). But I have no idea where I would actually put it, haha, just higher. For me its on par with Yumi.
- Mistborn Era 1 were my first Sanderson books and the only books I already read twice and I love them to death (with the second one slightly behind the other two).
- Mistborn Era 2 started very slow for me with the first two books (would probably put them on the end of my list), but I agree with you that the last two books where amazing.
- Warbreaker has moved up on my non-existent list after reading Stormlight ;-)
- Stormlight: I never thought that I would be able to read 1300 page books in two weeks, until I read Stormlight. Love them all, each in their own way. My Highlights: WoK: Bridge 4 rescues Dalinar and Adolin, WoR: Syl Returns to Kaladin and he swears his next Oath, Oathbringer: Best Sanderlaunch of all time, what an ending, RoW: Kaladin defeating the Pursuer and Kaladin in the Storm swearing his Oath, WaT: This book catapulted Adolin to my favorite Stormlight character, his parts are absolutely insane!
Thanks for your passion and work!
@Indiana2202 got you! Yes it was hard to come up with and yes Tress was good but I thought others were better! Thank you so much for your support!
this video is convincing me to read mistborn era 2! I didn’t love the first book, but your description of the last book makes me want to try it again lol
Yes it’s worth the journey!
This is certainly an interesting list for sure lol. I love it because my particular war cry in the fandom has been “Era 2 Underrated” for so long now so to see Era 2 MB rated over some more conventional picks is great. I’d have Way of Kings and Shadows of Self higher personally and I have Warbreaker and Elantris as the 2 weakest Full Length Cosmere Novels (though I love them both it’s just not as much as everything else lol) but you absolutely nailed it with Sunlit Man and Well of Ascension. While they are good they just don’t measure up to the others. By the way man when you get to Elantris you are going to feel the same way about it as you do about Oathbringer. The beginning is good but the middle is going to really drag. However, if you can get past those you will eventually get what I call, even all these years later, a Top 5 Sanderlanche at the end of Elantris. Happy Reading man!
Happy reading to you too! Thanks for the heads up on Elantris maybe I will add it to the list for next year!
Bro, Elantris was good. I wish I had started with it.
I started with: Emperor of Soul, Mistborn Era 1, Warbreaker, The Scadrian System, Eleventh Metal, Elantris, The Hope for Elantris, The Selish System, The Threnodite System, Shadows of Silence, The Drominad System, Sixth of the Dusk. I’m starting The Way of Kings after Christmas. Elantris is way way better than people are saying. I’m late to the party but I’m on the way. Thanks for sharing your videos.
I gotta check out Elantris then! Thanks for letting me know
@ I found a new grim dark trilogy for you to checkout also called The Last War by Mike Shackle. He’s a new author and his trilogy is a sleeper. Add it to your collection and you won’t be disappointed. Remember the name Tinstra. 💪🏽 I’ll be looking out for your review on it. Get your popcorn ready. 😳
@ will have to look into it!
I love your content , because of you I’ll be starting my Sanderson reads soon. Thank you !
@@unknown_latinabrain amazing! Which book are you starting with?
@ you sold me on starting Misborn : The Final Empire … first!
Love hearing you talk about the cosmere!
And I throughly enjoy talking about it!
Your feelings and descriptions for Oathbringer, Hero of Ages, and Words of Radiance are perfect and basically identical to mine!
Oathbringer: a little slow and mid for the first half, followed by the pinnacle example of a Sanderlanch
Hero of Ages: still to this day, my favorite example of set up and payoff. There are clues given throughout the first two books that I initially overlooked, but once all the reveals happen in this book, those clues seem so obvious in hindsight! There is one revelation in particular near the end, where my mind was absolutely blown, and I put down the book and literally called my brother (who had just finished a few days before me) because I had to talk with someone about it immediately.
Words of Radiance: just about as close to perfect of a book as there can be; great pacing, great action, great character moments and growth, and a great Sanderlanch
You put this way better than I did in the video haha glad you agree
Bro thank you for putting me on the cosmere! It would be so hard for me to rank them bc they're all so good but your rankings are solid
Also that shirt is so fire haha the 96 draft class is so goated 🔥🔥
I got you! And yeah that 96 draft was legendary
I’m so happy to hear that you loved Mistborn Era 2! I have read Era 1, Warbreaker and I’m about 2/3s through Way of Kings but the negative opinions on Era 2 had me worried for whats to come after Stormlight.
Yeah era 2 is so good in my opinion
I would recommend you read Elantris. It was the first Sanderson book I read and i really enjoyed it. The whole premise of it was really something i had never read before at the time. I found the world to be incredibly rich and super visual. I can still picture the world in my mind even though I never physically saw it. Its a little slow but totally worth it. 4/5 stars
Least favorite Sanderson: Tress of the Emerald Sea
Favorite Sanderson: Hero of Ages/Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
So glad you loved Yumi! It really is underrated!
Love the videos and your engagement with the comments! You inspired me to start reading again a few videos back when I discovered the channel. I’m in the middle of one book, and I have “Cujo” and “Pet Sematary” lined up in an effort to combat my dog fever I’ve had lately. I’d live to start a Sanderson book after that but I’ve never read one. What is a good starting point? There are so many!
Keep it up 👍
@@Nick-ew2dp haha Cujo! I’ve only saw the movie let me know how the book is. I always recommend people start with Mistborn!
I'm almost done with the Well Of Ascension (150 pages left) I CAN'T wait to start the Hero of Ages, you really hyped me up !!
Dope!
I’m so glad that words of radiance picks up because I’m struggling with the way of kings I’ve also finished Mistborn and I’m finding hard to get through the rest of the series as my favorite character is gone no spoilers here but thank you for your review. You’re the reason why I picked up Sanderson to begin with.
@@That_cowabunga_ranger that’s dope keep with it!
Just found your channel & love your style!
Happy Holidays & keep it up man!
Appreciate you so much Happy Reading and Happy holidays to you too!
Saving this for the end of next year when I’ve read most of the Cosmere to see how our rankings compare🫡
Yes curious your thoughts!
I just finished Rhythm of War, and I understand why it’s so low on lists like this, but maaaaan that book was so much better than i was lead to expect.
Also, as someone who hasn’t read Mistborn Era 2, how dare you rate it above Era 1. Those are fighting words
Haha read era 2 then come back and let me know!
@@Smitty1423 they are on the TBR for sure!
what’s your opinion on reading Era 2 before Wind and Truth? Is it a must? WaT is sitting on my shelf staring at me telling me to read it, so if it’s not a must I’ll it after.
@@holdenpop12 as long as you read Secret History (which you can read after Hero of Ages), you should be fine.
I think Rhythm of War gets better on re-reads. It’s lowkey my favorite, but I still haven’t finished Wind and Truth
great vid once again Smitty we need your recommended cosmere reading order🙏😀
I posted one on TikTok but maybe next year I’ll post one on here!
been waiting for this one
Had to wait until I finished Wind and Truth!
Was the number 16 an intentional easter egg or happy coincidence? Great video and great list! I started the cosmere this summer and have read it all except Edgedancer, Tress, Yumi and Sunlit Man (which I have started and will get back to). I think it's interesting seeing Words of Radiance scoring so high on your and others list, it makes me excited for my reread whenever that happens. Also, about what you said about Rythm of War being emotional - I couldn't agree more, emotionally it's probably my favorite of but I'm to indecisive to rank them all
Yeah it was tough to rank them for sure haha. Happy coincidence
Great to have that list. 2025 is going to be my personal year of the Sanderson. Starting on the first of January with Mistborn. Haven't read a single book of the Sanderson. Hopefully I'll get through them till December. And hopefully, he won't release another 10 books in 2025... That man is a badass, a lovely one.
Yeah he’s a machine! Glad you’re going to have the year to read his books!
@@Smitty1423 Thanks! I love the channel, btw!
The thing is: In German each book of the Stormlight Archieve is split into two, each of which having roughly 800 to 1000 pages.
So I am trying to decide if I am going to read it in English or German. Even though I understand English quite well, reading English - for fun - is quite exhausting.
Probably give it a try though ;-)
@ oh wow that’s interesting that they do that
@@edelkebap I have exactly the same problem... But I've decided to try it in English! 💪🏻✨
hero of ages broke me and changed me as person. There is no better escape than a Brandon Sanderson novel
Such a fantastic ending for sure!
I'm reading Elantris now as I'm reading Brandon Sanderson's official order, and ngl its better than I ever thought it would be being his first published book, I went it with low expectations and its exceeding them by quite a distance.
I first read it shortly after it was published and loved it. When Mistborn came out, I was disappointed, because I wanted a sequel to Elantris. Back then, I had no idea the two were related.
I'm going to have to check it out!
Great ranking Smitty!
Thank you!
Thanks. This was awesome. I didn’t know about Warbreaker. ❤
Underrated for sure
Sanderson ranking and dope Kobe shirt? Automatic subscribe lol
Mamba mentality ✊🏾
I am reading Well of Ascension now! just getting to the half-way mark, definitely a slow beginning, but getting better and better
@@amarahlangner4415 really enjoyed that story and was a nice set up for Hero of Ages!
Love the list and understand your ranking, but Tress of the Emerald Sea is definitely top 3 for me - I freaking love that book and its whimsical nature
It’s a great one for sure! I just think the other ones were better haha
I have Mistborn number 1 ready to go!! Thanks for this 😊
Hope you enjoy it!
I read the Mistborn trilogy and Way of Kings back like 10 years ago during high school and I think it's pretty cool how successful Sandersons books have become. Guess I'll have to catch up on all his stuff.
On my reread of stormlight I was surprised with how much more I enjoyed Oathbringer! (From 4.5 to 5 stars and my favourite sanderlanch!)
Can’t wait to check them out!
Great video. Kee up the good work.
@@murilosimas947 thank you!
Please read book of doors. It was a fave of 2024 and I’m looking for something to follow that well. Time travel and after chapter three I was sucked in fully committed and could not put it down unless absolutely necessary.
I’d love recs for books that stand up to this or are in the same feel or wheelhouse. Or just amazing books that anyone would think I’d like. 🫡
Currently reading Warbreaker! My friends told me to read it before starting the stormlight archive
Not a bad idea!
Hey bro always love your videos. Don’t recall seeing you mention dungeon crawler Carl before, is it on your TBR? The premise sounds like it would have no depth but wow is it amazing. I suspect it would be in your top series list if you start it next year. It’s a book where you need to do the audio though as it’s one of the best performances of all time.
I’ve read it! It was my favorite book in November and will def make my top 10 this year haha
@ ah must have just missed that video! I usually love all the same books! Man that series is just dummy good! Stormlight, gentleman’s bastards and DCC are my top 3 I think. Especially book 5 of dcc
So I am definitely thinking about starting cosmere. I don’t know where to begin I am between Skyward, Mistborn, Stormlight Archives, and Tress and the emerald sea. Out of these books which one would you recommend that I start the cosmere? I mostly read YA and middle grade.
I would say start with Mistborn and you’ll be okay!
Started the Stormlight series a few weeks ago and man, these books are fire! Currently reading Oathbringer but I'm curious about Mistborn. Does it stack up to the Stormlight series?
I think they do but I do have Stormlight over Mistborn
For me Era 1 is a solid point lower on the scale vs Stormlight. There’s a lot of great stuff in there but ultimately I feel like Sanderson has gotten so much better at pacing and writing characters that there was a noticeable difference in quality for me. I think Era 2 is better and close behind Stormlight! It boils down to the lows being a little lower and the highs not being quite as high for me when you compare Mistborn to Stormlight.
For me, I have Mistborn era 1 just barely above Stormlight. Both are amazing, but it may just be the nostalgia of Mistborn being my first introduction into Sanderson and really adult fantasy overall, but I hold a special place in my heart for Vin and Elland. The ending of the third book is also just incredible!
bro I just finished The hero of ages and now am watching your video. I can feel you bro. The best book Ive read this year. Definitely a 6 star. Looking forwrard to read the stormlight archive
Glad you agree and you’re in for a treat with Stormlight!
@@Smitty1423 Yeah just gotta get some money in and the books should arrive in no time.
I’m reading hero of ages right now, Almost done with part 4 (I’m on ch 55) it’s been good so far, but probably more in the 4.5 ⭐️ range. I keep hearing high praise about the ending, I hope it lives up!!
Check back in!
@ Ok wow now I am shook lol. That was a fantastic ending. Every chapter down the stretch had such high stakes!!
@@bobbyelliott4928 yessss! One of the best endings ever
I haven’t read any Brandon Sanderson yet, but look forward to reading a lot next year!
You’re going to have a great year!
@@Smitty1423 Thanks! I really appreciate your passion for reading and the great book reviews!
Great video mate
I tried making a list and this was actually super hard to do.
I ended up having Mistborn Final Empire ahead of Bands of Mourning because it sets such a great stage and can stand on its own. And i have Yumi lower.
I agree with your top 5 tho, switching OB and WoR. Dalinar at the end of OB just resonates too much with me. Those top 3 are GOATed
Yeah Final empire will always have a special place because it got me into his work but Bands of mourning for me went so crazy.
A lot of people switch Oathbringer and words of radiance and I understand it
11:16 seems like wind and truth was pretty mixed from many reviews i've seen, would like to hear your thoughts in a full video reviewing it
I’ll do one in 2025!
I have only read Mistborn. It daunts me how vast the Cosmere is and thinking about reading them all.
It’s a good journey tho for sure
@Smitty1423 I have so many books to read (some of your six stars) that I don't wanna commit to Stormlight yet.
MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY NEW YEAR BROTHER. KEEP GRINDING
Merry Christmas to you too!
I share your opinion on Oathbringer, Mistborn Era 2 >1, Hero of Ages. It's like I'm talking. Great video, keep it up 👍
Love when that happens also love the username haha
I was listening to Mike talk about Wind and Truth, he said other cosmere books are important to understand things in this book. I plan to read stormlight next year. What are some must read cosmere books for stormlight?
I honestly think era 2 Mistborn and Warbreaker are the most important ones outside of Stormlight if you want all the lore
@ cool. So that’s just misborn #1 and Warbreaker or the whole misborn series?
@ the whole Mistborn series for sure
@@Smitty1423 alright bro. I’ll check it out. I haven’t read any Sanderson so I wanna see all this hype behind his work. Lol. Thanks bro. Happy Holidays!
@ happy holidays!
Have you re-read any of the books? Specifically Stormlight! I ask because I personally ranked Rhythm of War low on my Cosmere list initially but after a reread I honestly have it almost tied for the #3 spot! Without going into spoilers I just found it held up much better on my second read.
I have not but I def will do a reread for sure and see if it changes anything!
@@Smitty1423I commented before finishing the video lol, you mentioned a couple times you hadn’t reread yet. If it’s possible you should try audiobook it makes the experience different and more emotional at times because the narrators deliver great performances. Thanks for the awesome content!
Hey bro, would love to see you cover manga as well. A great medium filled with incredible stories. Attack on Titan, Berserk, Vinland Saga to start with. Great video!
Manga is on the list for sure for 2025
Definitely read Elantris, although I must say that I only remember bits and pieces so I guess it’s time for a reread for me as well 😅
On the list!
100% agree on Hero of Ages! Changed the game for me
Same!! The feeling after finishing it was incredible
These rankings are..... accepted. Interesting choices your top ten have the same books as my top ten but in different order!
These words are accepted haha
Tress is my number 1 book of Sanderson. Its so good.
Glad you enjoyed it!
youre doing good keep going!!
Thank you!
Just got to pg 859 of Wind and Truth, and I’ll probably read Sunlit Man before I start the second arc of Mistborn, but then I’ve gotta get over to Empire of Silence, then the last of the standalone books in the First Law series, but I’ve gotta read my Hellblazer and Batman Omnibus before getting to those. The list never ends. Have you read any comics or graphic novels?
This is tough for me. Being familiar with the Cosmere definitely affects the experience and it took me a while before i started seeing the connections. I really feel like i need to reread everything, with my current understanding, to decide how much I like these books. But I'm pretty sure Stormlight would be the top 5 for me.
Yeah I wonder if on my reread this order changes somewhat…have time before his next few books come out to do that haha
Not mad at the list. Mine would go:
1. Hero of ages
2. Oathbringer
3. The final empire
4. Words of radiance
5. Yumi and the nightmare painter
6. Wind and Truth
7. Way of kings
8. Well of ascension
9. Bands of Mourning
10. The Lost Metal
11. Shadows of self
12. Sunlit man
13. Rhythm of war
14. Alloy of Law
15. Warbreaker
16. Elantris
17. Tress of the emerald sea
This is a great order too!
I agree with your rankings. Nice list.
Dope glad you agree!
Could you do an in-depth reading order for the cosmere?
I did it on booktok!
@@Smitty1423 One day I might have to hop over there.
Hard agree with the top pick. Great list!
@@youngccs dope yeah Words of Radiance was just insane
I’ve been wanting to get into Brandon Sanderson. I basically just stated getting into reading I started res rising series and fell in love and I really wanna start the way of the king but I’m afraod to bc of the length but ik it’s worth it
It's worth it but you could also start with Mistborn as well as it's an easier read
I'm surprised by how low you put Tress of the Emerald Sea. Even though the stakes arent as high I thought that was some of his best work
Still a great book!
If you have read it what do you think of the Scythe series by Neal shusterman. It’s one of my fav series and it’s soon to be adapted into a movie. Great dystopian sci-fi series that challenges societal ethics and religion.
Thoroughly enjoyed Scythe need to continue the series!
@ bro do It. It gets even better
I remember I finished Hero of Ages all the way into the AMs and I literally had to sit still and think. Not on my phone, not on my kindle, just sitting there on my bed staring at nothing. I was emotional for a WEEK afterwards. To the point that my mom asked me if I was ok, because I looked severely distraught 😅
I empathize with this so much literally couldn’t read anything for weeks
We need your cosmere reading order! Or does it match Brandon's?
I did this on my TikTok page!
Honestly did you enjoy / like Wind and Truth? What are your thoughts on Sandersons writing as the series has progressed? I’d need to hear your thoughts on that before I subscribe.
It wasn’t my favorite, it ranks 4th in Stormlight haha I have a ranking in my shorts
@ good - you’re not a totally blind obsessed fanboy. To me it’s the worst of all five novels. Poorly written and bloated for no reason. I loved certain aspects of it and it def has some great revealing moments but I was taken completely out of the universe/world by Sandersons horrible dialogue at parts, cringe dialogue/jokes, and pacing.
Cant wait to get started on stormlight archive in 2025. I'll hold off on warbreaker i guess!
Hope you enjoy it!
Could you please advise, which Brandon Sanderson book I should start first? There are so many and I'm confused
I always recommend Mistborn!
@@Smitty1423 Thank you!
I love bold rankings. I still can't believe Mistborn is below Yumi. Loved Yumi but the entire 7 Mistborn are precious to me.
Haha I feel you I just enjoyed Yumi so much
You're the best!!!
Appreciate that!
The audacity to rank Cosmere books without reading Elantris ! 😂
Agree with you so hard on the sunlit man and tress
@@jaishans 😭😭😭
Trying to get my fiancé to read Sanderson, she is a big romance/ smut reader, so I think my best chance is with warbreaker
Try Yumi or tress I would say. Warbreaker is not bad either tho
I can’t imagine reading wind and truth without sunlit man first
@@Armyofcats22 I personally think you should read sunlit man after!
So I was excited to read tress of the emerald sea but u ranked it lower than well of ascension 😮 should I just skip it then?? Dam
Def don’t skip! The other ones are just better but still a good book
I agree completely with your Number one book. It is why I have struggled in the first half of the next book in that series. Just now getting halfway into that book and finding it pick up.
Look forward to all of your videos!!! Keep up the great content. Thank You!!!
Yepp that def went into why I thought the first half of Oathbringer was just okay. Thank you!
Why do you think that Rhythm of War seems to get so much hate? I enjoyed it myself, but next to the last book it seems to have the most negative video reviews I've seen. Many said they were bored out of their minds reading it. Wind and Truth seems to have the most negative video reviews I've seen so far though and many comments under the videos saying that they are done with Sanderson after this book. Many saying that because the editor has changed that the writing just isn't good anymore and it's too much YA etc.... Do you have any thoughts on this? I'm sure you've seen some of the negative reviews. I haven't read this book yet though.
I’ve seen the reviews and I want to keep in mind that I still thought rhythm of war was a 5 star it just wasn’t the strongest book in the series compared to the others in my opinion
This is almost my exact ranking but not nearly as many 5/5s lol. Wind and Truth was a 3.5/5 for me. Was very disappointed
Glad you had the same rankings!
I read all of the cosmere from may till September(unless you count stormlight 5, but I don't for bragging rights)
That’s fire
Personally love Elantris doesn’t get enough love
I gotta check it out
Full agree on top 2
So dope! Those 2 go so crazy
sunlit man being last is diabolical😭
Lmao I honestly think if I reread it especially since I read Wind and Truth maybe it will change? Idk we'll see but for now it's last
I agree with this. It was my 2nd favorite secret project behind Tress. I love the glimpse to future Cosmere.
You should try Hyperion
On the list for sure!
My novel-only ranking--excluding Wind and Truth since I'm currently reading and just finished Day 3.
(1) The Way of Kings
(2) Words of Radiance
(3) Oathbringer
(4) Rhythm of War
(5) The Hero of Ages
(6) Mistborn: The Final Empire
(7) The Well of Ascension
(8) The Lost Metal
(9) The Bands of Mourning
(10) The Alloy of Law
(11) Shadows of Self
(12) Elantris
(13) Warbreaker
(14) The Sunlit Man - my favorite of the secret projects.
(15) Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
(16) Tress of the Emerald Sea
So far with Wind and Truth, Day 1 was such a banger I might've been tempted to put it #1. I'll see what happened by the time I'm done.
Dope rankings!
Man idk if I’ll ever get through all these books give me 3 years 😭😭😭
I have faith in you!
how come you dont like dune?
Wouldn’t say didn’t “like it” it just wasn’t good enough for me to move other things around to continue the series
@@Smitty1423 what fantasy books do you recommend for a newbie? I loved dune and the fourth wing series things like that. Your channel is dope btw
I'm almost completely flipped on era 2 mistborn. Alloy of law was my favorite and lost metal my least favorite. It mostly just wasnt what i wanted. I wanted more grounded buddy cop roughs story and it became less that as era 2 went on. Of course from sanderson i should expect that. He only scales up in power and cosmere importance. Still liked lost metal but thats probably my least favorite of the main cosmere novels
Ahh love the different perspective here!
Halfway through but calling Words of Radiance for 1
😭😭
Yup haha.
"You sent him to the sky to die,
assassin, but the sky and the winds are mine. I claim them, as I now claim your life."
@ can’t wait to hear what you think of the rest of the series!
i'll be honest i just love this for black men.
@@likehiroshima ✊🏾✊🏾
Good
@@sebastianzuniga9855 leggo
Omg@@Smitty1423
Honestly: Wind and Therapy was the biggest disappointment of the year (considering the expectations and also considering the other books in the Cosmere). Dropping the prose this much was no excuse with “accessible” anymore, too much of “mental health”, especially with explaining over and over and over …. Basically this is now not an epic story but rather a mental health book explaining it to kids (how it handles the reader) and the gen z language is? “I’m game”, “laser sharp”, “valid”… etc. we can go on. Now to add that the themes are slim, the story is more like a “ok let’s deliver for the fan” than an artwork. So now it feels like a PC game not a beautiful book. That is (or as it seems) when you push out too much and the editor don’t check. 4th Wing in the conversation was ironic.
Also the plot is flat not really emotionally that impactful mostly because we just read boring hundreds pages to reach something. 1400 pages. If 300-400 pages wasn’t repetitive part, info dump, etc… We knew that this is an arc end still this was a “that would be the big thing”?
Reading these books for 20 years as a fan…. It’s very far from the best books of the year. Not every book deserves 5 star just because it’s his book. This is one of those.
I’m with you on this one, my least favorite SA book☹️ yes, there were some exiting reveals, a ton of lore, and I loved Adolin’s arc, but the writing🤦🏻♀️ the therapy🤦🏻♀️ so blunt, so repetitive. The whole Shinovar “do you want to talk about it” theme made me roll my eyes into another dimension
@ exactly. And Adolin is a good example too. “We get it, Adolin knows the names of the soldiers, you don’t have to tell it 10 times, it’s not the only option to show some behavior…”
@@rileycavanaugh5817I think the OP just means that people feel pressured to rate his books 5 stars because of his reputation, while not being objective about the book
@ I understand you may disagree, but it’s actually a factual statement. I haven’t read the book so I don’t have an opinion on it yet, but it’s a real phenomena that the authors reputation, community expectations, social media, and fear of being an outlier might make some feel pressure to rate the book, or any of his books, higher.
@@rileycavanaugh5817 can’t care less about the “about you” thing. What I wrote in majority is objectively fact. The prose dropped, usage of words, etc, are not question of my “taste”, but happened, period. And it’s not a great idea to just for the hype look to the other way and don’t criticize anything. Quality matters because as I mentioned there is a point where the “for accessibility” argument fails and it’s simply bad. It’s also a fact that it literally tells you (not shows you in many cases) the themes and mental symptoms and so on. That undercuts the point. Is it for children? If not then an adult should think about it and decide what is best or worst. It’s like there is a joke and then the person tells you why it is funny. “We get it, we are not kids”. -> Adolin knows the soldiers’ names. Then not just talks to a soldier but at least 3 times it’s explained that it’s great to know the names because of the personal connection blabla…