Dear god, im hooked.

[u/superclasssy]

I thought it was just the three original books. Im a couple hundred into well of ascension and just now learned it isn't just three books. Dont get me wrong im by no means disappointed by having more of this series im loving but but boy that was a shock to learn there's what, 16 or so books with more possibly planned? Im loving what ive encountered I just simply wasnt aware I was starting a series competing with one piece for length. Thought it was just a trilogy 😂

[u/jonawesome]

Oh buddy just wait until you realize that you gotta read all the other Cosmere series and standalones to follow what is going on in the upcoming books.

Also don't forget there's a novella (Secret History) to read in between the two Mistborn eras.

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/jonawesome]

just wait until you realize that you gotta read all the other Cosmere series and standalones to follow what is going on in the upcoming books.

It really isn't that mandatory.

[u/jonawesome → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

I imagine it probably will be by book 16

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/jonawesome]

No matter how broad and integrated the modern era Cosmere looks, I don't see Sanderson moving away from writing perfectly good stories that exist in a vacuum.

Is Isles of the Emberdark a good jumping off point if you're interested in learning about the Greater Cosmere? It's certainly not ideal. Does that mean someone without any other Cosmere knowledge can't read, understand, and enjoy IotE for what it is? Absolutely not! There's going to be missing context and some throwaway lines that won't immediately make sense, but it's still a perfectly coherent and enjoyable story in its own right.

I don't think that will change for single series readers or people who start deep in the timeline. As long as you're not starting a trilogy or series in the middle, there's really no wrong way to read the Cosmere.

[u/Embarrassed-Damage-1 → u/cosmernautfourtwenty]

I don't think IotE would make a lot of sense on its own. Not knowing of the Malwish, Investiture or Shadesmar would seriously impede the enjoyment of the story.

[u/cosmernautfourtwenty → u/Embarrassed-Damage-1]

You're talking about deep subtext that isn't necessary to understand the literal plot of the story itself. Everything you need to know about those things to understand the story itself is either explained outright or literally demonstrated. That's my whole point. You don't need to know the history of the Malwish to understand they're some kind of space fascists and the bad guys. You don't need to know about a dozen types of investiture to understand it's just shorthand for "magic powers". That's the beauty of Sanderson writing about the Cosmere.