Fantasy Series Reading Orders
Long fantasy series reward reading in the right order. These guides list every book with its publication year, say where a new reader should start, and show where the novellas and short stories fit in the series that have them.
Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson reading order: every Cosmere book
The short answer is to start with Mistborn: The Final Empire, then read the Cosmere books in publication order, so the crossovers and late reveals land the way Sanderson planned them. The guide covers four entry points, every Cosmere book, and how his non-Cosmere series fit around it.
Brandon Sanderson
The Stormlight Archive reading order, including the novellas
Read The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Edgedancer, Oathbringer, Dawnshard, Rhythm of War and then Wind and Truth. Edgedancer and Dawnshard are the two novellas. As of October 2026, the five novels make up the finished first half of a planned ten-book series, and the guide explains where book six stands.
Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas reading order: every series and where to start
Read each of her three series in publication order, starting with whichever suits you: A Court of Thorns and Roses for romance-led fantasy, Throne of Glass for epic fantasy or Crescent City for urban fantasy. Her publisher suggests reading ACOTAR before Crescent City. The guide covers where the novellas fit and the new ACOTAR books announced as of October 2026.
Terry Pratchett
Discworld reading order: where to start and every book
The 41 Discworld novels appeared between 1983 and 2015. Many readers do better starting with Guards! Guards!, Mort, Wyrd Sisters or Small Gods than with The Colour of Magic, then following one sub-series at a time. The guide lists every novel and every sub-series.
How to use these guides
Each guide opens with the short answer, then gives the full list in publication order, the main starting points, and the exceptions that matter, such as novellas that sit between two novels. Guides about series that are still running say when their details were checked, because publication plans change.
For game recommendations instead, browse the gaming guides.