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Brandon SandersonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The Cosmere is the trademarked name for the fictional universe in which many of Brandon Sanderson’s novels are set. According to the author’s website, works including Elantris, Mistborn, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Archive, White Sand, and anything from Arcanum Unbounded are part of the Cosmere (“Cosmere.” Brandon Sanderson, 2018). The worlds of the Cosmere share a cosmology and creation myth and operate on the same ruling principles, particularly those that govern the use of magic.
The Cosmere contains three realms: physical, cognitive, and spiritual. The Cosmere was created by the splintering of Adonalsium, a force (sometimes referred to as a divine being), which was killed or overcome in an event called the Shattering, at which Adonalsium broke apart into 16 different entities called Shards. The abilities or supernatural powers possessed by the Shards derive from their original status as a divine entity. The properties infusing the shards and the different realms rely on energy called Investiture, of which the Dor, the mystical force that powers the world of Elantris, is one expression.
Sanderson’s books need not be read in any particular sequence in order to understand the Cosmere, but some characters do appear in several novels, and some of Sanderson’s other works also take place in the same world.
By Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
Oathbringer
Oathbringer
Brandon Sanderson
Rhythm of War
Rhythm of War
Brandon Sanderson
Shadows of Self
Shadows of Self
Brandon Sanderson
Skyward
Skyward
Brandon Sanderson
Steelheart
Steelheart
Brandon Sanderson
The Rithmatist
The Rithmatist
Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings
The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Brandon Sanderson
Words of Radiance
Words of Radiance
Brandon Sanderson
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Brandon Sanderson