Saga file
Mistborn
Mistborn tells Scadrial’s story across different eras: epic fantasy, changing societies, new technology and the legacy of what came before.
The saga at a glance
A story built across eras.
Mistborn is one of the Cosmere’s major sagas and one of its strongest entry points. Its stories unfold on Scadrial, a world where magic is tied to metals and society, technology and power change across generations. The saga is designed as a project of connected eras, each with its own identity but part of a much larger story. It can shift from revolutionary fantasy to investigative adventure or frontier-flavoured action without losing its character. Reading across the eras rewards attention: the past leaves marks on the present, and Scadrial gradually becomes a key piece of the wider Cosmere.
- Planet
- Scadrial
- Signature feature
- The Metallic Arts
- Structure
- Several connected eras
- Suggested reading
- Publication order within each era
Publication map
A world that changes with every era.
The list groups novels and short fiction by era, while primarily following publication order. If a story published much later appears within an era whose books are older, it is because the story belongs to that period and expands its context.
Era 1
The original trilogy
In a world where evil has already won, an immortal empire has ruled with an iron hand for a thousand years. This trilogy follows those brave enough to imagine that fate can change, amid rebellion, power and buried secrets.
- 2006
The Final Empire
NovelThe opening novel: a heist against an apparently eternal empire and the first major doorway into Allomancy.
- 2007
The Well of Ascension
NovelThe second novel: the former rebels must govern, defend their new city and confront the consequences of victory.
- 2008
The Hero of Ages
NovelThe third novel: the story deepens its questions about power, responsibility and the people caught between them.
- 2011
The Eleventh Metal
Short story · Arcanum UnboundedA short prequel about Kelsier, published in 2011. Read it after the trilogy if you want to keep the original reading experience clean.
A little more context
How it was published: A short prequel written for the Mistborn Adventure Game.
Why read it: Its value is in the extra texture: a small side story that deepens Kelsier’s early relationship with Allomancy and adds a curious piece of Scadrian lore.
When to read it: After the original trilogy. It is optional, but it is a fun extra once you know Kelsier and Scadrial.
- 2016
Mistborn: Secret History
Novella · Arcanum UnboundedA companion novella with major Era 1 spoilers and a minor spoiler for The Bands of Mourning. It is best saved until after that Era 2 novel.
A little more context
How it was published: It first appeared as a standalone ebook and was later included in Arcanum Unbounded. It is a companion novella, not a fourth volume of the trilogy.
Why read it: It opens a different window onto the trilogy’s biggest events and expands the Cosmere around Scadrial, while connecting the local story to wider powers and visitors.
When to read it: After The Bands of Mourning is the safest order because it contains major Era 1 spoilers and a minor spoiler for that Era 2 novel.
Era 2
The Wax and Wayne series
On Scadrial, metal magic now shares the world with railways, revolvers and expanding cities. This new stage follows Wax and Wayne through investigations, unexpected threats and the discovery that the past still casts a shadow over the present.
- 2011
The Alloy of Law
NovelThe first Era 2 novel, introducing Wax, Wayne and a society where the Metallic Arts meet a Western-inspired industrial age.
- 2014
Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
Short story · Arcanum UnboundedA humorous short story published as supplementary material for The Alloy of Law and later collected in Arcanum Unbounded. Read it after The Alloy of Law.
A little more context
How it was published: It belongs to the playful, footnote-heavy side of Era 2, sitting beside the main Wax and Wayne sequence rather than advancing it.
Why read it: Its mock-adventure voice and unreliable notes make Scadrial feel larger than the central plot and reward readers who enjoy worldbuilding at the edges.
When to read it: After The Alloy of Law. It works as a light optional detour rather than a required step in the main sequence.
- 2015
Shadows of Self
NovelThe second Era 2 novel, expanding the political and personal consequences of the world Wax and Wayne inhabit.
- 2016
The Bands of Mourning
NovelThe third Era 2 novel, deepening the links between Scadrial’s past, present and wider Cosmere context.
- 2022
The Lost Metal
NovelThe fourth Era 2 novel and the conclusion of the Wax and Wayne sequence.
Scadrian systems
Three Metallic Arts.
Allomancy, Feruchemy and Hemalurgy use metal as a focus, but they work in different ways and express different relationships with power, identity and sacrifice.
Allomancy
An Allomancer burns metals to trigger specific abilities. The metal acts as a key or catalyst, while the power comes from an external source. A Mistborn can use many metals; a Misting is limited to one.
Feruchemy
A Feruchemist stores an attribute—such as strength, memory or speed—in a metalmind and retrieves it later. The power is personal and balanced: what is stored must first be given up.
Hemalurgy
Hemalurgy transfers attributes between people through metal spikes. It can grant or alter abilities, but the transfer comes with loss and is tied to the most dangerous secrets of Scadrial.
A few extra metals
Curiosities to keep in mind
- Brandon planned Mistborn as a trilogy of trilogies, so the eras are part of a much longer design for Scadrial.
- The original concept began with a crew of thieves and the question of which powers would make each specialist better at their job.
- The Alloy of Law began as a shorter story set between larger Mistborn projects before growing into the Wax and Wayne series.
