The Cosmere symbol
The Cosmere is the name of the series and universe in which Elantris, Mistborn, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Archive, White Sand, and stories contained in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection are all set. This idea came from Sanderson's desire to create an epic-length series without requiring readers to buy a ridiculous number of books. Because of that, he hides connections to his other works within each book, creating this "hidden epic". He has estimated that the Cosmere sequence could conclude with at least 40 books.
The story of the Cosmere is about a mysterious being called Adonalsium, who existed on a world known as Yolen. Adonalsium was killed by a group of sixteen conspirators, causing its power to shatter into sixteen different Shards, each of which bears immense power. The sixteen people then took these Shards and traveled to new worlds, populating them with different systems of magic. In one case, the Shards Ruin and Preservation worked together to actually create a planet and its people (Scadrial, as featured in Mistborn).
Each Shard has an Intent, such as Ambition or Honor, and a Vessel's personality is changed over time to bring them more in-line with their Intent. Odium has killed—or Splintered—several shards. On Sel, he splintered Devotion and Dominion, accidentally creating the Dor, from which Seons and Skaze have emerged. On Roshar, Odium splintered Honor, and brought about the Everstorm and the True Desolation. He has also Splintered Ambition, in the Threnody system.
A man named Hoid is seen or mentioned in most Cosmere books. He travels the so-called Shardworlds, using the people of those worlds to further an unknown agenda.
In October 2016, the movie rights to the entire Cosmere universe were licensed by DMG Entertainment.
Cosmere Novels[]
Mistborn Series[]
Novels[]
- Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)
- Mistborn: The Well of Ascension (2007)
- Mistborn: The Hero of Ages (2008)
- Mistborn: The Alloy of Law (2011)
- Mistborn: Shadows of Self (2015)
- Mistborn: The Band of Mourning (2016)
- Mistborn: The Lost Metal (2022)
Novellas[]
Short Stories[]
Stormlight Archive Series[]
Novels[]
Novellas[]
- Edgedancer (2016)
- Dawnshard (2021)
Other[]
- Elantris (2005)
- The Hope of Elantris (2007) (e-book short story)
- Warbreaker (2009)
- The Emperor's Soul (2013) (Novella)
- Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell (2013) (Novella)
- Sixth of the Dusk (2014) (Novella)
- Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection (2016) (Short Story and Novella Collection)
- Tress of the Emerald Sea (Secret Project) (2023)
- White Sand (2016-2019)
- White Sand Volume 1 (2016) (Graphic Novel)
- White Sand Volume 2 (2018) (Graphic Novel)
- White Sand Volume 3 (2019) (Graphic Novel)
Future[]
There are planed to be 6 more Stormlight Archive books and one more novella which is currently called Horneater. Mistborn will have 2 more Eras added too it after the 7th book is released. Warbreaker may or may not have a sequel possibly named Nightblood.
Cosmere Short Works[]
- The Hope of Elantris (2007) (e-book short story)
- The Emperor's Soul (2013) (Novella)
- Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell (2013) (Novella)
- Sixth of the Dusk (2014) (Novella)
Cosmere Graphic Novels[]
- White Sand Volume 1 (2016) (Graphic Novel)
- White Sand Volume 2 (2018) (Graphic Novel)
- White Sand Volume 3 (2019) (Graphic Novel)
Worldhoppers[]
Occasionally you'll find people pop up in more than one book, these are called worldhoppers.
Hoid[]
Hoid is a reoccurring character that shows up in every Cosmere series, who is originally from the Shardworld Yolen. His motives remain unknown, although it has been concluded that he is looking for something unknown. Hoid's full origin will be revealed in the Dragonsteel series, although we do know that Hoid is not his name and has gone by many aliases.
Main page: Worldhopper
Shards & Shardworlds[]
| System | Shard | Planet | Book | Magic Sytems | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nalthian | Endownment | Nalthis | Warbreaker | Awakening(breath) | Magic is fueled by color. |
| Rosharan | N/A | Ashyn | The Silence Divine (Unpublished) | N/A | Ashyn was nearly destroyed in an apocopes long ago. |
| Rosharan | Odium | Braize | The Stormlight Archive | Fused | This is where Heralds are tortured between desolations. |
| Rosharan | Cultivation & Honor | Roshar | The Stormlight Archive | Spren, Shardplates, Soulcasters, and Shardblades. | Spren can occasionally cross into the Physical Realm. |
| Scadrian | Preservation & Ruin (Harmony) | Scadrial | Mistborn | Metallic Arts | Can access Investature through the Metallic Arts. |
| Selish | Devotion & Dominion | Sel | Elantris & Emperor's Soul | Aons | N/A |
| Taldain | Autonomy | Taldain | White Sand | Sand | Taldain is kept isolated from the rest of the Cosmere. |