If you are into fantasy or science fiction books then Brandon Sanderson would be a familiar name that you must have heard at some point in time. He is an American author who is popularly known for the Mistborn and The Strormlight Archive series.
He was always interested in reading high fantasy novels and he has started writing novels during his graduation years. By the time he passed out of college, he had written twelve novels, although no publisher published his books. It was only in 2005 when a publisher contacted him and asked him to show his work and after that, his first book Elantris published that year which received mostly positive reviews. After a year and half his much talked about series Mistborn’s first book released which put him in limelight.
He has written many books till now and he is about to write the book in The Wheel of Time series. The bottom line is, Brandon Sanderson might be the best author of the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genre and we all love his intelligent writing and extraordinary plots. If you have never read a Brandon Sanderson book then you might be wondering which book you should read first, well here we have listed down the 10 best books by Brandon Sanderson that you must read.
Brandon Sanderson books
1. Elantris
Elantris is the first novel published by Brandon Sanderson which was released in 2005. The book is said to be rougher and he has done a phenomenal job in introducing his ideas, writing style, and the cosmetic universe to the readers.The book has several elements that were taken from his other popular series The Strom-light Archive. Brandon has also introduced the “magic system” at the end of the book and it was divided into soft and hard magic. This move was legendary and it was highly praised by the readers as well as the critics. Sanderson’s Three Law of Magic also helped readers to understand the magic that is going on so that they can conveniently enjoy the magic of the book.Speaking of Elantris, the book features a solid storyline with an excellent premise and setting. The readers have also enjoyed the ending of the book. Overall the first book of Brandon Sanderson has a lot to offer.
2. The Way of Kings
The Way of Kings is the first book of the epic The Stormlight Archive series. Here the book introduces a very different world where you would find a different ecosystem altered by a planetwide storm. The strong characters of the book is another major element of the book that has attracted the readers. You will read about the knight radiant who are powerful warriors capable of developing weapons and arms through which any war can be won.This book was nominated for several awards and recently a board game has been inspired by the book. Overall you would be taken to a very different setting and some never seen before fantasy writing.
3. Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Final Empire is the first novel in the Mistborn series. The book features the world of Scardial, where the ash always falls from the sky and all the plants are brown, the supernatural mist covers the land every night.The ‘Silver of Infinity’ has governed the place with his iron fist for a thousand years. And Kelsier and his friends are all set to fight against the ruler and set the world free from slavery and misery. The interesting plot and unbelievable world setting are some of the major elements of the book that attracted the readers and gave them something different than what they have always been reading about.The first book of the trilogy asks a very important question, What if the dark lord wins? We have read so many books and watched so many movies based on the fight of good vs evil, and it’s always set in our might that evil will be defeated, no matter what. But this time the author has something else in his mind!
4. Words of Radiance
Words of Radiance is the second book in the Storm-light Archive series and this one also has won the hearts of fans with its epic story and high fantasy. The book also won the David Gemmell Legend Award in 2015.The book continues the previous story and this book features the character development of the lead characters including Kaladin and Shallan. The story features so many emotions and characters have to deal with the loss of their loved ones, and there is a new development in the settings which you would wanna know if you have read the first one.
5. Well of Ascension
Well of Ascension is the second part of the Mistborn series. The author continues to ask the question of what happens if the evil wins. On one hand, it’s clear that the slavery society is no good for anyone but what will be there once the war is over? What will the replacement of the present system in the universe? And if there is no replacement then what would happen to the people?Sanderson intelligently portrays his views on how just killing the evil will never be enough unless there is a better replacement and to make a better world. At last, the characters of the book were faced with the difficulties of building the new world which shows some real concerns of the present world as well. The ending of the book is purely stunning and anyone who has read the book is in awe of Brandon’s writing.
6. The Hero of Ages
The Hero of Ages is the third book in the Mistborn series. The author continues with the theme of the book where the characters have to deal with the ruins after the fights with evil.The characters of the book have different opinions for the present scenario and how things could have been dealt with or what they were supposed to be. Just like the other Brandon Sanderson books, this one too won the hearts of the readers with a shocking ending.
7. Arcanum Unbounded
Arcanum Unbounded is a must-read for all those who are looking to enter the Brandon Sanderson world. The book is a collection of short stories that are not so short when it comes to the reading experience and the excellent storyline in Sanderson’s signature style of writing.There are a total of nine stories in the book and all of them are set in the Brandon Sanderson World that includes, Scadrial, Sel, First of the Sun, Taldain, and Roshar (all themes are part of Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe).The stories include:-
8. Shadows of Self
Shadows of Self also comes from the Mistborn series and it’s the fifth book in the series. The book features a more engaging world and the plot is even more interesting. The characters too show development throughout the book and there is a lot to get from the book when it comes to the story.The ending of the story is a lot more interesting and feature the signature style of Sanderson. Overall if you have read the previous parts of the Mistborn series then this one is a must-read.
9. Oathbringer
Oathbringer is the third part of the Stormlignt Archive series. Although the book doesn’t match the level of its predecessor somehow there are a number of elements that make sure you enjoy it.The focus of the book has shifted to just one character and there is also a love triangle going on which wasn’t accepted by all the readers. But overall the story moves forwards and provides a number of things which you would be grateful for as a reader and as a fan of the high fantasy genre.
10. Warbreaker
Warbreaker is a standalone novel by Brandon Sanderson that you might enjoy. The story of the book features two sisters, Vienna and Siri. Both the characters are well written with their own set of flaws and qualities. Vienna who was supposed to marry God-King somehow escape her fate and Siri end up marrying the God-King instead.Vienna goes after her as she thought Siri won’t be safe with him, whereas Siri finds out a shocking revelation about the God-King.The story can be complicated at some point and goes over our heads, but the plot and the ending of the story do justice with the name of Brandon Sanderson.
Conclusion
So these are the top Brandon Sanderson books that you might wanna read. We hope that you found our article helpful and now you know which book to read first by Brandon Sanderson.Thank you for visiting our page and you can also check out a similar article for popular books series and authors.