# What is the best Brandon Sanderson book?

> Epic doorstoppers and lean novellas, dark heist fantasy and cosmic adventure, magic systems that would make a physicist jealous — his catalog spans worlds within worlds. Pick your favorite!

*By YPB Team · Published June 1, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-brandon-sanderson-book*

---

## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **The Way of Kings** — score 1000/1000
   The epic first book of the Stormlight Archive, introducing the world of Roshar with towering worldbuilding and unforgettable characters.
2. **The Final Empire** — score 826/1000
   The gripping first Mistborn novel set in an ash-covered world where a crew of thieves plans to overthrow a god-emperor.
3. **Wind and Truth** — score 652/1000
   The fifth and final book of the first Stormlight Archive arc, resolving decade-spanning storylines with epic confrontations.
4. **Shadows of Self** — score 587/1000
   The second Mistborn Era 2 book exploring Waxillium Ladrian's grief and a city gripped by political violence.
5. **Skyward** — score 503/1000
   A young adult sci-fi adventure about a girl determined to become a starfighter pilot on an alien planet besieged from above.
6. **The Hero of Ages** — score 391/1000
   The jaw-dropping conclusion to the original Mistborn trilogy delivering cosmic stakes and one of fantasy's best endings.
7. **Warbreaker** — score 391/1000
   A standalone Cosmere novel featuring breath-based magic, divine intrigue, and two sisters in a richly imagined theocratic city.
8. **The Sunlit Man** — score 391/1000
   A fast-paced Cosmere adventure following a fugitive hopping between dying worlds, perfect for longtime fans.
9. **Elantris** — score 235/1000
   Sanderson's debut Cosmere novel set in a once-magical city whose inhabitants are cursed into undead torment.
10. **The Alloy of Law** — score 235/1000
   The start of Mistborn Era 2, set 300 years later in a Western-inspired setting combining gunfights and allomantic powers.
11. **Yumi and the Nightmare Painter** — score 235/1000
   A Cosmere novella blending Japanese-inspired aesthetics with body-swap romance and beautiful illustrations.
12. **Oathbringer** — score 235/1000
   The third Stormlight Archive entry that expands the world with continent-spanning stakes and heartbreaking character arcs.
13. **The Well of Ascension** — score 235/1000
   The second Mistborn novel expanding the political and magical world after the Lord Ruler's defeat with complex new threats.
14. **Rhythm of War** — score 1/1000
   The fourth Stormlight Archive book exploring mental health, ancient secrets, and a brutal siege with deep emotional resonance.
15. **Tress of the Emerald Sea** — score 1/1000
   A charming Cosmere novella told in the style of a classic fairy tale, praised for its wit and accessibility to new readers.
16. **Words of Radiance** — score 1/1000
   The second Stormlight Archive book, widely considered a high point of the series with its stunning revelations and battles.
17. **The Emperor's Soul** — score 1/1000
   Award-winning Cosmere novella about a forger who must recreate an emperor's soul, lauded for its elegant concept and execution.
18. **The Lost Metal** — score 1/1000
   The satisfying conclusion to Mistborn Era 2 tying together threads across the entire Cosmere in a thrilling finale.

Tags: fantasy, books, brandon sanderson