Ranking Brandon Sanderson's Books (Best To Worst)

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Жыл бұрын

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@merphynapier42 Жыл бұрын

World Building Spoilers (related to the tier list) I'm a dummy, there are sixteen shards, the 17th shard is the organization 😪🤦‍♀

@SUPERBURLBOYROY Жыл бұрын

💐🌹🥀🌺🌷🌸💮🏵️🌻🌼🍄

@carlosdanielcalderonmontoy3723 Жыл бұрын

Somebody tell me the info I need to know from SA 2.5 Edgedancer. I don't know if a want to read it😅 I wanna jump directly to Oathbringer

@britneynicole8903 Жыл бұрын

I feel kind of … late to starting this series. 😬😬😬 Ouch

@coffeedude Жыл бұрын

@@carlosdanielcalderonmontoy3723 i don't remember it being too important, it was fun tho

@johnsaxongitno4life588 Жыл бұрын

Please do this type of video on more amazing authors please prayers and thoughts for you and your beautiful and amazing family stay safe and enjoy your reading love your family friend John ❤❤❤

@samuelthompson7486 Жыл бұрын

I know Words of Radiance is spectacular but there is really nothing like The Way of Kings for me. The Kaladin story arc is just phenomenal

@vincentlefevre7188 Жыл бұрын

Idk why I was a fan of that the least. I felt like he nailed it but kept going for like a 1000 extra pages. I marathoned his books and way of kings just felt longer than the next three books. With the exception of Dalinar pov the rest were very slow. Which I understand he wanted to sync them but I was bored with the others. In words of radiance onwards they were all 10/10 beautiful. Shallan maybe a bit when it's about her.... Veiled activities were....a bit too split from the events for my taste.

@noone-ld7pt Жыл бұрын

@@vincentlefevre7188 Oh wow that's almost the complete opposite of my experience! I couldn't put way of kings down. The Kaladin story had me literally jumping in my seat multiple times. The next three have been really good as well don't get me wrong, but except for the Dalinar flashbacks which were absolutely sensational, they haven't quite lived up to the first one in my opinion. Still 8.5/10 for all of them tho! But I guess it just really goes to show how subjective art is!

@damianpook8576 Жыл бұрын

For me it’s Dalinar in Oathbringer. His moment was just such a buildup and had such a huge payoff.

@vincentlefevre7188 Жыл бұрын

@@noone-ld7pt interesting, for kaladin story I felt it was auch longer than it should. I was more interested in the world than his backstory. On the other hand Dalinar back story and end had sooo much build up as part of the world and I was looking forward to it a lot.

@noone-ld7pt Жыл бұрын

@@vincentlefevre7188 I do agree that Dalinars backstory was even better, but I still really enjoyed the entirety of Kaladins arc in the first book and how it tied so well together with his past and I think it had some of the best payoffs I've experienced since the last book of the Wheel of time!

@ghstrdio Жыл бұрын

I am flabbergasted at the placement of warbreaker. I've actually never watched any reviews or read anything about it, I just loved it. It's top tier for me. It's actually one of the books I consider having people read first of Brandon Sanderson.

@destro6971 Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker is the only one I spent the money on a leatherbound version 👍🏼

@ghstrdio Жыл бұрын

@@destro6971 For sure! I've had the same thoughts on which I would buy leather-bound editon.

@michaelanderson6484 Жыл бұрын

Agreed! Warbreaker is the book I recommend most for people to get into Sanderson's books.

@kristen7623 Жыл бұрын

I’ve read 6 Brandy Sandy’s so far and Warbreaker is def my fav

@ethanloughrey8375 Жыл бұрын

Man the twist in Warbreaker is so good

@Connor_Crain Жыл бұрын

Hot take, Warbreaker is one of my favorite books! My wife and I wrote our wedding vows in each other’s favorite books and hers are written in my copy of Warbreaker.

@rriggs6547 Жыл бұрын

That is great. And I love Warbreaker. My favorite of the stand alone books for sure.

@MiauMichigan Жыл бұрын

That's so cute 🥰

@taranakiNZL Жыл бұрын

hehe, my flower bouquet for the wedding was made out of specific Elantris pages :). I also liked Warbreaker :D

@The_Blazelighter Жыл бұрын

The Emperor's Soul is such a tightly knit story, with even the magic system directly playing into the themes of the book. Easily my favorite of the novellas.

@Straigo Жыл бұрын

Agreed.

@MateusAntonioBittencourt Жыл бұрын

@@Straigo The Emperor's Soul is S-Tier easy. My favorite story... and I'm always coming back to it when I need something quick to listen. It's well paced... Shai is an amazing character.

@MeMyshelfAndI Жыл бұрын

Not only does it have some of my favourite character tropes, but I also appreciate how much depth and world-building there is for such a short novel-- how the colonialism and casual racism play into the story, the socio-economics and politics of being the "right" kind of artist for who's in power at the time, the clever mind games and the pettiness... It's easily my favourite Sanderson.

@Rik-B Жыл бұрын

I like the list in general, but putting Starsight over Emperor's Soul is straight-up incomprehensible to me haha

@crusherven Жыл бұрын

@@MateusAntonioBittencourt Same. One of my favorite books by Sanderson, period.

@fandomunites6414 Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker is one of the few stories where I love all of the main characters. Lightsong is my favorite character, his sass reminds me of Tyrion (ASoIaF). Susebron is so adorable. Vasher is cool and epic. And the two sisters are so opposite yet I see myself so much in them.

@bp3177 Жыл бұрын

I completely agree! Definitely blew me away after putting off for so long

@rriggs6547 Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker is in my top tier. I loved the story and the use of colors. I see some of the flaws, but it doesn't hinder the book much for me. Love the characters and how they deal with things. And seeing how the sisters deal with being forced into the predetermined 'role' of the other was very enjoyable. And Lightsong. Love his snark.

@bp3177 Жыл бұрын

@@rriggs6547 Lightsong is my fav sanderson character for sure.

@fightinostrich_ Жыл бұрын

I LOVE WARBREAKER! Such a great novel. Like you said, all the characters hit for me. Lightsong started as my least favourite but became my favourite by the end! The sisters, the God-king, the mysteries, the build-up. I really love it.

@mjf773 Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker is so effortlessly re-readable. Its completely standalone, not too long and fun from start to end. I've read it more than any of his other books (even if its not the 'best' one)

@knightimer2 Жыл бұрын

Mistborn vs Stormlight is hard. They are both great, but so different that I think they are basically opposites in story telling. The entire point of Stormlight is a Hero's Journey, whereas Mistborn is basically a heist with no lead up. Vin just has her powers instantly. That one scene where she gets the mistcloak and she says, "Oh, I thought I had to earn this," and Kelsier goes, "Why would you have to earn it, you're a Mistborn." That made me laugh so hard coming off of Stormlight. Poor Kaladin goes through hell to earn a sliver of power and Vin is just badass right away. So funny. Also how the crew is introduced is hilarious. "Here's all of them, here's what they can do, now on to the story!"

@crusherven Жыл бұрын

@@legostuds680 Well, except that they fail, but I take your meaning

@ClimbingThing33 2 күн бұрын

I think that’s part of what makes Mistborn so good. It was the first Sanderson series I read, and I haven’t had as much fun reading a book ever since

@nathnaeltsegaw7263 Жыл бұрын

The Way of Kings will always be my best Sanderson book. It's hard to describe how awesome it felt to read it for the first time. I think, as time goes by, it will be considered a fantasy classic.

@rosssims7224 Жыл бұрын

I’m about 300 pages in so far. I’ve loved everything else Sanderson so I’m trusting the process but it hasn’t hooked me like Mistborn did.

@joshuaharper372 Жыл бұрын

I have yet to re-read the Stormlight books. They were my introduction to Sanderson, and I will be honest: I almost didn't finish The Way of Kings. The plot was interesting, but the pacing and scope were so-- leisurely? slow? galactic?--that I wished the book were maybe 10k words shorter. Of course, the plot really sucked me in, Andrew I have read all of the Cosmere novels. I loved most of the Mistborn novels and Warbreaker. With them, I found myself wishing for more details. Maybe I will like TWoK more the second time; maybe I will be a but more patient with the pacing and will enjoy parts of the worldnuildibg I didn't notice the first time around.

@brandonbaciak6335 Жыл бұрын

it is a fantasy classic....................imo

@Krazyerd Жыл бұрын

@@rosssims7224 finish it and the ending of the book is an incredible experience

@rosssims7224 Жыл бұрын

@@Krazyerd I started being invested about 700 in, only about 150 pages left now!

@crisisanagram3916 Жыл бұрын

While I personally prefer oathbringer, Way of Kings holds a special place in my heart. The chapter called Droplets holds a special place in my heart because it was so, so beautifully written, causing me to cry and cheer for Syl finally starting to crack Kal's more deppressive persona. It's the beggining of Kaladinn becoming Stormblessed once more, and the first small win in Kal's tumultous journey. And all it took was a small spren naively carrying a poison leaf in hopes of brightening a man's world when said man is at their lowest point.

@specialknees6798 4 ай бұрын

Man that scene is so great. Syl bringing Kal a poison leaf to cheer him up while he’s on the verge of suicide is such a perfect use of irony. His resolution to give it “one more try” is also great. The chapter that gets me is 67: words. Kal’s dilemma and eventual decision to go back for Dalinar is the most inspiring thing I’ve ever read.

@ClimbingThing33 2 күн бұрын

Both of these chapters burned themselves into my mind when I read them. I usually forget a lot of specific events and just remember the overall plot, but those two just stick.

@laurenbeaupre158 Жыл бұрын

I’ve only just started reading my first Sanderson book, The Final Empire. I’m only about 120 pages in, but really enjoying it so far! I’m excited to start getting into the Cosmere

@Rowan_A_Boat Жыл бұрын

Do yourself a favor & don't read the third mistborn book. Merph was nice about it, but IMO, no ending at all is better then the one that happened.

@DampeS8N Жыл бұрын

@@Rowan_A_Boat Holy cow is the above bad advice. If you're gonna have that opinion you should say to skip the whole Mistborn series. You certainly can't understand anything _after_ it without having read it. And you'd miss the end of all the plot threads from book 2. At best, if you're gonna feel that way, you should advise stopping after book 1.

@Rowan_A_Boat Жыл бұрын

@@DampeS8N well yes, obviously it's better to skip era 1, since it has scant few redeeming qualities, all of which are heavily overshadowed by how poorly the ending is handled... but I liked everything leading up to that ending, & I can't very well say "stop reading when vin goes sicko mode & starts fighting satan 1 on 1"

@chermainetan Жыл бұрын

I am halfway through the The Final Empire, my first Sanderson book. It gets better! Loving it so far 😍

@watashiwamosura Жыл бұрын

@@Rowan_A_Boat To each their own. I personally loved the ending and felt it just made sense in a cathartic way.

@edwardlayer4259 Жыл бұрын

Not only is Warbreaker a fantastic book, but it has Lightsong, Sanderson’s greatest character.

@davidvoss3247 Жыл бұрын

Lightsong is top tier

@federicopuglia4724 Жыл бұрын

Yes, my favorite

@amaurygeiss8693 Жыл бұрын

I haven’t read a lot of Sanderson (Warbreaker and Mistborn only) but Hero of Ages made me cry like a baby. The only book in my life that made me cry so it’s a definite S-Tier for me

@YAOES Жыл бұрын

Hero of Ages was a religious experience. Both literally and figuratively. I’d definitely recommend Stormlight, if you’d be interested in crying while reading. I’m reading it right now, and I’ve cried 5 times between the first two… though, it’s not *that* uncommon for me to cry 😂

@brotato1351 Жыл бұрын

Emperor’s Soul is definitely S-tier for me! I love the magic system and the execution of storytelling is phenomenal. And it’s refreshing to read a Sanderson story that’s less than 600 pages 🙂

@alphaomegagiant Жыл бұрын

Elantris is getting two sequels; Brandon has said who the protag will be and what the premise is of the first sequel. In the past he has said that by necessity both sequels need to be released before Mistborn Era 3, so if that's still true, they'll be out after Stormlight 5.

@civil_leuthie Жыл бұрын

Mistborn Era 3 is to be written in the gap between 5 and 6, so Elantris sequels will probably be between the first few Stormlight back 5 books.

@nikkisweezea2388 Жыл бұрын

That's original Era 3, which is now Era 4. Unless he decides to add the Era 3.5 he teased at Draginsteel. So, probably during stormlight 6-10. Era 3 (formerly 2) is the one that will come out after stormlight 5. It will be the one set in the 80s tech wise.

@edwardguest1404 Жыл бұрын

From what he said he is planning on writing them with Era 3 in the gap between stormlight 5 and 6

@theresaclark4100 4 ай бұрын

Warbreaker is the first book I ever read from Brandon Sanderson and no other book I've read from him has even come close to how much I loved warbreaker! I hate reading and I find it difficult to picture the characters and scenery but for warbreaker I vividly pictured everything. I can still imagine the characters and opening scene. it'd one of my favourite books of all time lol

@hockey1973 Жыл бұрын

The Emperor's Soul is great because it's a self contained story that takes place on the same world of Elantris (different continent IIRC) with its own magic system apart from the continent that Elantris takes place on which I thought was just "cool"

@CitrusVirus6438 Жыл бұрын

Just finished the lost metal last night. I didn't really get all of the cosmere references since I'm newer to it, but it was a super fun book for me!

@connor_phillipz5689 Жыл бұрын

You're gonna have a ton of fun rereading it after you read more of the Cosmere.

@tomraineofmagigor3499 Жыл бұрын

One good thing about the lost metal is all the references were seen through the lens of POV characters. Either it was explained for them or explained away as they would understand. To the second point that works for people who have only read Mistborn but would have so much meaning for people who have read more To avoid spoilers I will warn you now not to continue reading this comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When Steris saw people fly off to sink the ships she assumed they were allomancers but based on how it was done it appears to have been skybreakers. That would make a lot of sense if their third oath was to the ghostbloods. Less likely but still possible would be windrunners. Afterall what would a wind runner found seperate from the POV characters say if they were asked "hey want to help us protect a whole world?"

@justsomeone3962 Жыл бұрын

@@tomraineofmagigor3499 wasn't there something like surgebinders can't leave roshar

@tomraineofmagigor3499 Жыл бұрын

@@justsomeone3962 it's not that they can't leave Roshar. The issue was transferring stormlight

@tymayo8771 Жыл бұрын

Honestly, Elantris is one of my favorite books of his. You can see the younger inexperienced version of his wringing for sure. It just has such good story telling and surprising moments that I can't help but love it. High B for me. Loved the video 😀

@Griffnix Жыл бұрын

I'll say it right now, I like it better than the first two Mistborn books. Not sure why. Maybe because I read it first? I liked the slow pace and the way everything unfolded about how this world worked and how it was was before.

@RobinClower 11 ай бұрын

Personally, I love the trope of someone being put into a bad position and making the most of it. That's why I love Kaladin's arc so much, and why I love Elantris (and Warbreaker to some extent).

@sossololpipi9633 8 ай бұрын

kinda weird how he beat around the bush about potential future plot with the murderous monks or whatever

@matthewszasz1895 Жыл бұрын

I listened to Sanderson speaking at this year's dragonsteel conference. He stated that the core of the Cosmere is based on a trilogy of Elantris, the 3 era's of mistborn (~10 books) and Stormlight Archive (10 books). Other books are adding to the Cosmere.

@britneynicole8903 Жыл бұрын

Where was that conference? Sounds awesome!

@bakablack12 Жыл бұрын

@@britneynicole8903 It is a Conference organized by Sanderson's own team that happens yearly at Salt Lake City.

@britneynicole8903 Жыл бұрын

@@bakablack12 Ahhh that is awesome!!! Sounds fun!!

@leonmayne797 Жыл бұрын

I personally loved all the Steelheart and would put them in S tier while still putting Elantris in Cognitive Shadow. Maybe its because I got into Sanderson through the Reckoners series.

@maxwellkjr Жыл бұрын

110 pages in through Elantris and I'm loving it so far. And I do agree, he is a great storyteller. Can't wait to get to the Mistborn trilogy

@Trojanischer_Esel Жыл бұрын

Funny, I am at a similar situation while watching this video right now. Currently I am on page 170. Did you finish Elantris? How did you like it?. If this is supposed to be one of Sanderson’s weaker books I can’t wait to read the „good ones“, definitely enjoying it a lot. Although it takes quite a bit longer for me to read since English is not my first language. It’s actually the first book I decided to read in English instead of the translated version.

@ethansmith7305 Жыл бұрын

(Spoiler) I would say Rhythm of War is my favorite Sanderson book overall, only second to Words of Radiance, and that is because Kaladin’s arc was finally completed. His acceptance of his inability to save everyone and the Words that he spoke after failing at the gate in Oathbringer was the highest I have ever felt in a book. And then the scene IMMEDIATELY after he was basically granted the ability to protect everyone with his Shardplate. Absolutely phenomenal writing in my opinion. And the Taravangian/Odium scene was probably one of the most shocking and effective plot twists I’ve ever seen. Odium was really starting to feel like an ineffective force because of how many times his plans failed in the story, and now he is absolutely terrifying again.

@arjunnadkarni3095 Жыл бұрын

The problem is everything else other than kaladin.

@ethansmith7305 Жыл бұрын

@@arjunnadkarni3095 Nah I think it was good in other parts too. The only slow parts were with Shallan’s crew, only cause that could’ve been shortened to like 3 chapters, and Navani and Raboniel’s bits could’ve been shortened the same.

@crusherven Жыл бұрын

Rhythm of War was hard for me to read. I loved the ending, but having two POV characters dealing with major mental health issues was difficult to read. Shallan was my favorite in books 1 & 2, but as she has become disconnected from her self, I've kinda disconnected with her as well.

@ClimbingThing33 2 күн бұрын

@@ethansmith7305For some reason, I loooooved the Navani + Raboniel chapters. I thought that revealing anti-Investiture was written so well into these chapters. Also, the scenes you mentioned literally sent chills down my spine. Rhythm of War is a 10/10, Words of Radiance is 11.

@keravnos2231 Жыл бұрын

Hahahaha the rankings names are just next level nerd I love it 🤣. "Words of Radiance" is hands down adonalsium for me!

@britneynicole8903 Жыл бұрын

Haha 🫢📚🤣

@Dougeb7 Жыл бұрын

I've never read a Sanderson book. Should I confess this to a priest? Kidding! I enjoyed the video anyway. Sorry I can't contribute more today. But I hope everyone has a beautiful day!

@hockey1973 Жыл бұрын

If you are up to it, read Mistborn: The Final Empire. IMO it's the best introduction to his work. It's a part of a trilogy while at the same time being a self contained story and is a good introduction to his MCU style "cosmere".

@vincentlefevre7188 Жыл бұрын

I read many and loved loved them. I tried reading KKC and the blade itself after and I couldn't enjoy them. They felt empty in comparison to Sanderson's books and they were kinda were. Same with many books these days.

@reaper2r Жыл бұрын

Uh, well you should try a few! Mistborn, Warbreaker, The Emperor’s Soul are all good places to start

@Dougeb7 Жыл бұрын

@@vincentlefevre7188 Wow, that is high praise for Sanderson! I want to try Abercrombie too, because I recently watched Merphy's interview with him and he impressed me. Maybe I should read him first so Sanderson doesn't spoil me. :)

@noraeld5020 Жыл бұрын

@@vincentlefevre7188 that's so funny because I have the opposite - I read Abercrombie first, and trying to read mistborn (read the first one, stalled part way through the second) felt empty in comparison to Abercrombie. I couldn't get into most of the dialogue and prose because it was such a stylistic shift (and I'm more partial to Abercrombie in those aspect). I'll try sanderson again at some point though.

@tommitchell9068 Жыл бұрын

I had to read Skyward Flight for me to really appreciate Cytonic. It made it 110% better and totally worth it. Can't wait for the next one.

@EoinW974 Жыл бұрын

Fully agree with Warbreaker! I read it after Mistborn Era 1 and had lower hopes as a friend said it wasn’t as good. But I really liked. So many great characters.

@ciaran2745 Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker was great

@bp3177 Жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed it. Lightsong is my fav character

@EoinW974 Жыл бұрын

@@bp3177 Broke my heart that did. So good.

@ciaran2745 Жыл бұрын

@@bp3177 Lightsong >

@Yondi1000 Жыл бұрын

This was great to be able to see! I'm looking forward to your lost metal review!

@booludlow9348 Жыл бұрын

I will never understand people that don't like Warbreaker. It is my #1 Sanderson, hands down. Loved how the Sanderson Avalanche worked out in this particular book, loved the characters, loved the twists, LOVED the magic.

@crusherven Жыл бұрын

I guess there's no accounting for taste. I didn't like the magic system or the setting. I think I might have liked one of the characters, but it wasn't enough to save the book for me. Glad other people enjoy it... I feel like I "have" to reread it sometime because the magic is leaking out into other books, but I'm not looking forward to it.

@ClimbingThing33 2 күн бұрын

@@crushervenThat’s interesting. The setting wasn’t amazing, but I loved the magic system and thought it was very creative. Also, if you don’t want to reread Warbreaker, I highly recommend visiting the Coppermind wiki. It has everything, and I mean everything, related to Sanderson. Just look up what you want to know and it will have everything :)

@LiteratureScienceAlliance Жыл бұрын

I remember telling you I had an unpopular Cosmere opinion and that’s how highly I rank Elantris 😅 part of it is nostalgia cause it was the book that got me into reading again in 2005 but also I have read it 4 times and it always holds up for me even with the flaws 😆

@safarjunaid6828 Жыл бұрын

I LOVE ELANTRIS! SARENE

@LiteratureScienceAlliance Жыл бұрын

@@safarjunaid6828 SARENE 💜💜💜

@mixmix889 Жыл бұрын

Final empire is basically Elantris 2.0 , so for me personally is S Tier just next to the final empire. Despite its flaws.

@Akatsuu Жыл бұрын

Elantris was the most surprising Sanderson book for me. Everyone was so negative about it online, so when I read it I was very pleasantly surprised at how solid it is. It's just a really really nice story, the pov characters are extremely likeable, and the Sanderlanche was as good as any.

@taranakiNZL Жыл бұрын

yeah me too, I love Elantris... I even had my flower bouquet at the wedding made of specific pages of the book :) It's still in my house as a reminder.

@bendenton7452 Жыл бұрын

I’d love to see your take on Legion. They’re real quick reads, all three stories are an afternoon’s reading, so easy to fill in, but the concept is interesting.

@emperorznb Жыл бұрын

Great list! I definitely have some differences - huge RoW fan personally (only book to make me cry), and am currently reading Lost Metal but haven't finished yet S: Rhythym of War, Word of Radiance, Mistborn, Warbreaker, Hero of Ages A: Way of Kings, Skyward, Bands of Mourning, Dawnshard, Oathbringer, Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self B: Edgedancer, Starsight, Well of Ascension, The Emperor's Soul C: Cytonic, Elantris, Steelheart Arcanum Unbounded has a lot of good stuff as well - I'd probably rank Shadows for Silence in the forests of hell as an A tier and Sixth of the Dusk as a C tier

@jatzi1526 Жыл бұрын

Read the Sword of Kaigan if you want to cry. Seriously that book is astounding. And sad fyi but amazing

@emperorznb Жыл бұрын

@@jatzi1526 I have owned it for like a year now! Need to read it soon for sure

@jatzi1526 Жыл бұрын

@@emperorznb I actually just started rereading some sections right as I sent that lol. I think it's part of a loose series, disconnected stories in the same world. I need to read them

@josuecenturiondomaniczky9297 Жыл бұрын

Idk why some hate hero of ages. For me is definitely S tier aswell

@giorgiadifeo23 Жыл бұрын

Love the names of the categories 🤣 Don’t have time right now for a proper tier ranking, but Words of Radiance is also my favourite

@adamfrary8382 Жыл бұрын

For me, Emperor's Soul is the best. It wasn't on first reading, but after going back, it is a perfect book for me. It balances everything perfectly and has an intriguing discussion of what makes up people and what is art. It's also the perfect length. Usually I'm fine with big books, but a longer book wouldn't have fit this story.

@calebmauer1751 4 ай бұрын

And when he really lets loose with the magic system at the end, didn't see it coming yet it makes so much sense.

@melvinlinderoth7108 Жыл бұрын

I was so happy to hear you start to defend Warbreaker for you to then still only put it in b-tier 😢. Which is fine of course, I just thought the Warbreaker is GREAT club was getting a new member

@mattmichael3310 Жыл бұрын

Way of Kings is still my favourite book of all time. The way 2 main character story arcs came together at the end and the choices they made was the biggest positive emotional pay off I can remember in any story of any medium. Usually only shockingly horrific or sad moments impact me in such a way.

@adamtideman4953 Жыл бұрын

Would you describe that scene as... priceless?

@Drekromancer 5 ай бұрын

When he pulled out the Blade in front of Sadeas, I literally stood up in my seat and yelled "NO FUCKING WAY!" I was grinning from ear to ear. Sanderson is the only writer who ever made me do that. But God DAMN, at this point, he's done it a lot.

@ClimbingThing33 2 күн бұрын

Tbh, it’s my second favorite. I agree with your reasons, but I like WoR more because of how perfectly it builds upon WoK.

@connor_phillipz5689 Жыл бұрын

Here is my list after reading everything twice (Only once for TLM) S Tier: Rhythm of War The Way of Kings Oathbringer The Final Empire Secret History Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell Words of Radiance A Tier: Dawnshard Warbreaker Hero of Ages The Lost Metal Well of Ascension The Emperor’s Soul Bands of Mourning Shadows of Self B Tier: Sixth of the Dusk Alloy of Law The Eleventh Metal Edgedancer C Tier: Elantris Whitesand Vol. 1 Whitesand Vol. 3 D Tier: Whitesand Vol. 2 Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania The Hope of Elantris

@jozef09 Ай бұрын

This is a very interesting take. But I do wonder why SFSITFOH is in S tier. How did It connect with you?

@spedcuber178 Жыл бұрын

As of now, I have only read Way of Kings, and am starting Warbreaker soon (I was told to swap to that book before continuing stormlight archive). But I will say that Way of Kings is one of my favourite books.

@hellgast0 Жыл бұрын

I'm seeing a trend here where the second book of the series is (usually) better than the first book. That also goes for the Reckoners series (Steelheart), which was my first go at Sanderson and I did enjoy them a lot!

@leonmayne797 Жыл бұрын

That was my first go at Sanderson too! Loved those books.

@lathspell87 Жыл бұрын

Merph! I was surprised when you put Words of Radiance as your favorite Sanderson book. I completely agree. Honestly, Words of Radiance may be my favorite book of all time. I just think it is simply amazing. I love all three main story lines of this story, plus we get multiple epic moments in one book, instead of having to wait until the very end for our Sanderlanch.

@derekwilliams6267 Жыл бұрын

I loved watching this video! Your energy is very endearing. I completely agree with how you ranked the Stormlight Archive, and the way you ranked the Mistborn series motivated me to read it. I was very surprised at how you ranked Steelheart, that one was a high A tier for me

@iveybullard8988 Жыл бұрын

My top 3 are WoK, Final Empire and to be completely honest, Dawnshard. Ive been disabled my whole life, and lost my legs 2 years ago. So I really connected with Rysn. I agree with your ranking of it though.

@colburn0004 Жыл бұрын

My biggest issues with Stormlight 3 and 4, are basically all of Shadesmar, and the imbalance of stories. Those two just feel the heaviest weight of being attached to a plotted out series that just has to fit things in to a timeline.

@passdoutcouchpotatos Жыл бұрын

3 was my favorite of the series honestly

@cuthbertallgood7781 Жыл бұрын

As the books have gone on, they just seemed to contain so many words, yet end up having not nearly enough actually going on. I can't point to any particular thing, but it's just like Sanderson has a word count in mind and feels like he has to make these huge tomes, even if the material doesn't really justify it. In his mind, this is his "huge book" series, like WoT. And I'm not one of those people where everything has to be plot related -- I like spending time with characters and/or the world, so that it feels real (WoT never drags for me, for example). But it just feels like the books could be half the length with all the same content, just edited down.

@eve7373 Жыл бұрын

@@cuthbertallgood7781 I agree with you partly. With RoW, I felt in the end like not much happened. While reading I enjoyed almost every minute of it and I feel like it accomplished things but at the same time everything happened in a quite short timeframe, and that might be the reason why I felt like not much happened for such a huge book. But I've read the stormlight books only once and I read them after another in a one big "marathon", so my mind on what happened in which book might be a bit muddled.

@jatzi1526 Жыл бұрын

@@eve7373 I can see what you mean. Definitely RoW seemed very much like one giant expositional dump about the mechanics of the stormlight magic system. Which is not something that would appeal to everyone for sure. Kaladin's arc in the book was it's strongest, I feel Kaladin is really the best character in the whole series, and the Odium thing at the end was something that took me by surprise and definitely made me feel some dread for stormlight 5. As such I liked it quite a lot. But yeah not a lot happened in the book

@civil_leuthie Жыл бұрын

Book 3 and 4 of a 5 book series are the ones that are going to get what second books of a trilogy gets. Middle book syndrome is a real thing. It's nearly impossible to keep proper pacing and solid storytelling when you're required to set up everything for a good concluding novel. That's what I get from Oathbringer and Rhythm of War: Sanderson struggling to tell a good story while setting all of the chess pieces in place for a good endgame.

@fightinostrich_ Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker is my favourite Sanderson novel. I really, really love it. Such a compelling mystery, great character work, top notch worldbuilding, great reveals, an explosive ending. I think it deserves much more respect than it seems to get! Here would be my tiers: Adonalsium - Warbreaker, Hero of Ages, Final Empire, Well of Ascension Shards - Shadows of Self, Allow of Law, Way of Kings Spren - Bands of Mourning, Steelheart, The Original (a co-written audiobook), Fireflight, Skyward, Starsight Cognitive Shadow - The Secret History, Calamity Currently reading Words of Radiance and planning to continue in the Stormbreaker Archives until I'm caught up and then get to more Cosmere!

@Joenah5 Жыл бұрын

I agree that Warbreaker is underrated, so after that little speech in its deference, I was shocked to see it put so low. I’d put it in my S tier with WoR, WoK, and The Final Empire. I have a deep love for the Reckoners trilogy (even though I haven’t read book 3 yet). I think it’s one of Sanderson’s most underrated series.

@aprilbitasunshine Жыл бұрын

Good job with the tier list, I agree with almost all of it. Would like to see it again next year!

@rockyj885 Жыл бұрын

So far I’ve only read Skyward and part of the first Mistborn novel (had to put it aside because I wasn’t feeling distopia/fantasy at the time, but I’m about to get back to it). Your video got me hyped to read more Sanderson though, 2023 is to be dubbed the year of Sanderson and mark my words, I will be a COSMERE GEEK by this time next year 😄

@gbjr1978 Жыл бұрын

I absolutely LOVED the Stormlight Archives, I completely agree with you on their rankings. I tried getting into the mistborne series but it just felt 'off' to me. with all of my TBR books dwindling down again, I might give it another shot! Thanks for all your insights!

@R_A_Z_I_E_L Жыл бұрын

I found this channel through One Piece (GLR) and now I see you also have videos of my favorite fantasy author. I would subscribe to your channel twice if I could.

@SuperE113 Жыл бұрын

I've recently gotten into Brandon Sanderson and right now I'm going through The Way of Kings after going through the whole Mistborn Saga so far and I'm loving every second of it Mistborn above all else so far lol

@britneynicole8903 Жыл бұрын

Girl!! I am thrilled to hear your thoughts on Lost Metal!! The excitement is contagious!

@carlosdanielcalderonmontoy3723 Жыл бұрын

Somebody tell me the info I need to know from SA 2.5 Edgedancer. I don't know if a want to read it😅 I wanna jump directly to Oathbringer

@Dougeb7 Жыл бұрын

Will you be madly reading Lost Metal all night tonight for tomorrow's discussion video, lol? I can't keep up with ya'll, but I love your passion!

@britneynicole8903 Жыл бұрын

@@Dougeb7 I get off early today, so I am thinking of getting it on my NOOK and reading it for the rest of the day! I can admit that Merphy’s dancing video put that first seed of excitement in me about starting this book!

@Dougeb7 Жыл бұрын

@@britneynicole8903 Ha-ha!

@georgekey5524 Жыл бұрын

Great Job as always Merphy!

@crimsonraen Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video, Merphy! I've still only read Mistborn Era 1, but that'll all be changing next year! :D I've just been reading WoT Book 5 REALLY slowly. Too busy, not enough love for WoT5.

@indig0icee Жыл бұрын

I haven't read this many of his books, but I also have to put Words of Radiance at my number one so far. Some of the reveals (of the dark, sharp, and pointy persuasion) made me literally standup and shout, while the rest of the book had a great flow. This tier list was a great idea!!!

@DecimalD_ Жыл бұрын

Funny. Steelheart is what made me a Branderson fan. I read Mistborn first, liked it a lot, but then I read the Steelheart trilogy and was like WOW, I need to read all of his books now. I also think Warbreaker was AWESOME and one of his best.

@jaysonganzon15 Жыл бұрын

my introduction to sanderson books is the reckoners trilogy and since im more like a YA reader at that time. I really enjoyed steelheart and loved sanderson writing, after that i searched for his other books and saw mistborn though none of my friends read any high fantasy and they got intimidated with mistborn, i still tried reading it and im glad i did because its my all time fave now!

@marshwiggle8364 Жыл бұрын

Sanderson tier list. Merph you're excellent at softening the blow of a Monday morning

@SodoMojo22 8 ай бұрын

Enjoyed this vid - Have read the Mistborn trilogy, The Way of Kings, and am just starting Words of Radiance. Will finish the Stormlight Archive then Mistborn series 2 looks like it could be next if I don't take a break from Sanderson. Absolutely loved The Way of Kings and feel it will be hard to top, but looking forward to the next 3 books and beyond.

@matheusvmoraes Жыл бұрын

Well, I've only read Elantris and the first Mistborn trilogy. So far I enjoyed a lot of these books, so my expectations for Stormlight and Era 2 are huge. At the moment, favorite book is The Final Empire.

@pili8793 Жыл бұрын

I've haven't read any Sanderson books but he is definitely in my radar for near future reading so this will be very helpful!

@berrymand71 Жыл бұрын

I reread series when a new book comes out if it's been more than a year or two since I read them.... so I've read Mistborn series one twice and reading third time now completely through before Lost Metal. Iv'e read Stormlight twice also. I agree with most of your rankings except Edgedancer. It needed to be longer but the info about the two main characters, especially how they grew was important. I'd move it up to mid Shard level.

@trevorreads Жыл бұрын

Just got into Sanderson this year. So far only read Mistborn and Skyward. Enjoyed this video and it looks like I’m gonna need to read more of him in 2023! Stoked!

@thelonewitch Жыл бұрын

Emperor's Soul was for me by far the best I've read from Brandon in terms of the rather unique magic-system and consistency! Plus - the story seemed so complete despite much of the action happening within closed doors, and that too within a period of - what - 60 days? Just pure gold! 🧡😊

@ValieNion Жыл бұрын

I'm a bit curious what you think of his actual short stories, like Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell and Sixth of the Dusk, 'cause I think they're so good, it's so amazing that he can keep the quality and worldbuilding on such short stories!

@crylorenzo Жыл бұрын

Love the tier list overall. Rhythm of War Really grew on me on my second read through - I wonder what you will think on re-read. Elantris will have actually 2 follow up books I believe. One of the character from it (who is also in TLM) will be one of the next main characters. My own tier list on your same list of his books: S Tier (The reasons I recommend Sanderson/Series): Final Empire, Hero of Ages, Way of Kings, Shadows/Bands, The Emperor's Soul, Skyward A Tier (Great books for people who enjoy Sanderson): The Lost Metal, Oathbringer, Rhythm of War, Warbreaker, Alloy of Law, Dawnshard, Edgedancer, Starsight, Elantris, B Tier: Steelheart (though I have read and enjoy the series as a whole. Order not ordered beyond the tiers. Small children running around makes it hard to concentrate long enough for that :) Thanks for the fun!

@jessand01 9 ай бұрын

The Way of Kings is the first Sanderson book that I ever read, and it is my favorite from the stormlight archive. Each book in the storm light archive has its epic moments, however a the way of kings has a special place in my heart because it was so good that motivated me to invest time in exploring the cosmere and introduced me to the work of Sanderson. I really hope this book becomes movies and tv shows at some point.

@hannahhaugen1694 Жыл бұрын

I will be forever grateful to the friend that suggested Sanderson books to me. It was my re-introduction to reading/fantasy, like Merphy mentioned. Many of these stories got me through the loneliest times of my life, and each one is so special. Rereading Oathbringer now in preparation for finally reading Rhythm of War, and it’s so weird experiencing the story again in its own merit, while also being a little thrown back to the place in my life that I was in the first time I read it.

@akellerhouse83 Жыл бұрын

I agree with you 100% about Era 2. I just reread them all in preparation for Lost Metal and I enjoyed them so much the second time around.

@faithwerksdesigns6197 Жыл бұрын

Have you read the Wheel of time books? I enjoyed those and now I'm looking for another series, what would you recommend for someone that liked those books?

@ryandanna Жыл бұрын

Reading through his books right now! Finished The Final Empire a few weeks ago, and I’m currently reading Well of Ascension… which I don’t think we will agree on 😅

@stevenhedge2850 Жыл бұрын

The way we have had important warbreaker and elantris related events happen in more recent books, it would not surprise me if he does write the sequals to both after book 5 is done. It would be a refreshing change of pace

@TMReese Жыл бұрын

Love Brandon Sanderson- in my top 3 authors for sure.. Ive read a large chunk of his books- You might have swayed me into picking up Mistborn Era 2 again - I didn’t click with Alloy of Law but it looks like it got way better as time goes on! Although Emperors soul and Elantris are two of my favs and I would have scored them higher myself, but def agree with a lot of your ratings. 👍🏻

@jrnipmuc Жыл бұрын

IIRC, he wrote Alloy of Law with the intention of it being a one off before proceeding with the then Era 2 (1980's level tech). He decided he wanted to focus on the time and characters a lot more and planned out the rest of the now Era 2 (pushing 1980's to Era 3). So it makes sense that of the 4 books, Allow of Law is the weakest (in my opinion). While events of AoY are catalists for the rest of Era 2, the last 3 books feel more like a complete story and AoY feels like a setup for them.

@kingkurio1129 Жыл бұрын

Elantris was my introductory book to Sanderson's work so it will always have a nostalgic bump up to the top of my lists, but definitely Way of Kings is my all time favorite

@bdup159 Жыл бұрын

The series have been intimidating to me when it came to starting. I think I am different here being someone who didn't start with Mistborn but rather The Rithmatist and Warbreaker honestly were so appealing to me, maybe just as an artist but also the fact that they are not gigantic as someone newer to Sanderson. Since then, I have enjoyed Way of Kings and Mistborn and I love the Skyward series. I did not know he didn't write it though.

@cuthbertallgood7781 Жыл бұрын

He wrote the three main books of Skyward. He didn't write the recently released Skyward novellas.

@donkevinbrown9906 Жыл бұрын

I love Stormlight Archive. I am a close personal friend of Syl and Pattern.

@ramblingdad7764 Жыл бұрын

Adonalsium: Rhythm of War, Mistborn Final Empire, The Way of Kings, Warbreaker Shards: Shadows of Self, Oathbringer, The Lost Metal, Bands of Mourning, Emperor's Soul, Words of Radiance Spren: Elantris, Hero of Ages, Dawnshard, Alloy of Law, Skyward, Starsight, Cytonic Cognitive Shadow: Well of Ascension, Edgedancer, Steelheart This was hard, because I love all of these books, but this captures some big things like Final Empire > Era 2 but Era 2 > Final Empire sequels in my opinion.

@marcus2530 Жыл бұрын

My list is very similar, with one big exception - I put Emperor’s Soul at the bottom of S tier. I absolutely loved seeing the protagonist wrestle with a morally complex and *magic based* academic problem, and its shortness worked perfectly with the concept. I think Sanderson’s description of it as the spice of the Cosmere encapsulates why I love it. My full list: Adonalsium: Words of Radiance, Well of Ascension, The Emperor’s Soul Shards: The Final Empire, Way of Kings, Hero of Ages, Oathbringer Spren: Warbreaker, Edgedancer Cognitive Shadows: Elantris Crem:

@arjunramakanth4370 8 ай бұрын

I was hoping to see the Rithmatist on this tierlist. I really enjoyed it, and yes it isn’t Cosmere but is still a really great Sanderson book

@shoulung6203 Жыл бұрын

So, my first exposure to Sanderson was the Mistborn trilogy as a teenager, and I just couldn't get into it. Then, a couple decades later, I was reading the Wheel of Time series and he did such a good job I was who is this Sanderson fellow(had forgotten about him). When I started reading book covers to find a series to get into, all his material felt really dense to me, so I never made it past a couple chapters; this is kind of similar to the Silmarillion for me, overly complicated concepts getting in the way of the story. S Tier for me would be his two Wheel of Time Novels and the Steelheart series, where the forces with the world were easy to wrap my head around. I do enjoy interesting world builds such as Brent Week's Prism series, where character come first and the exposition feels more natural; I'll keep poking around with his stuff until I find a series that strikes a better balance for me.

@Lobotomyyy 10 ай бұрын

I read most of his Alcatraz series and love it as a preteen. Looking foward to reading his mistborn series now as an adult

@katkag.1799 8 ай бұрын

I''m just getting stated with Sanderson. I have re-read Elantris, that was my first book, I've read it couple of years ago and I loved it. So I decided to read it again and I still love it. Currently, I am reading Warbreaker, I'm 200 pages in and am really enjoying it. My next stop will be Mistborn, the original trilogy which has been on my shelf for years now 🤗 So my expectations are really high because I know some people personally who loved it and recommended the trilogy to me a long time ago. So for me 2023 is Sanderson year 🥰

@davidadams3275 Жыл бұрын

Fair play to you being able do a tier/ranking system, I can't do it. The slight second guessing of yourself that you were doing are endless pools of internal arguments for me. I simply enjoy or don't enjoy books, and I've really enjoyed everything of Sanderson that I've read so far. I think the only works I've not read are the Rithmatist and Skyward series' and I'm currently reading Lost Metal which is great so far. The Reckoners series you started with Steelheart won't be for everyone, but I would recommend pushing through purely for the growth/decline arc's of the main character's.

@Trosgustav Жыл бұрын

I feel like I'm a minority in really enjoying Elantris. I liked how real the characters felt, the setting was both believable and mystic and the story was melancholic and satisfying. Maybe I just really enjoy those kinds of stories :P.

@griffinsmith3991 Жыл бұрын

Totally agree with your take on Words of Radiance. I’m not a huge fan of Shallan but that book is incredible and displays Brandon at his best

@ZacChilds Жыл бұрын

The Cytonic rank really surprised me, that was definitely my favorite of that series. I guess I could be lumping it together with the novellas that released with it, but still, that part of the story was so interesting to me.

@mikegeo27 Жыл бұрын

I'd only put The Final Empire in Adonalsium. Books 2 and 3, while good, dragged in parts and there was a disconnect at the end of book 3. Didn't get cleaned up until the secret history. Stormlight 1,2,4 all Adonalsium, 3 in Shard. There are parts of Oathbringer dragged.

@justinsmith3981 Жыл бұрын

Warbreaker is my favorite Sanderson book and the first book I tell people to read. I would put all the Wax and Wane books at Crem and Cognitive Shadow tier and rank all the Mistborn books as Spren. Funny thing is most of my favorite books are Westerns so you think I'd love a Sanderson Western but I prefer the grittier anti western sub genre like No Country for Old Men or Lonesome Dove, one of my all time favorite books.

@LordMekenshi Жыл бұрын

I think Lost Metal might be my favorite now. The coming together of all the characters, the set up for the future of the cosmere, and how all of the powers interacted together was super enjoyable to me.

@bergy4367 7 ай бұрын

I'm currently reading Oathbringer I have about 400 pages left but I agree with that It needed some cuts while I do enjoy It some parts near the middle to end so far felt like It dragged on for to long but Words of Radiance is hands down my favorite Stormlight book I've read so far It might change once I get to Rhythm of War.

@aidanmakepeace3646 Жыл бұрын

You should try the graphic audio of Elantris, if you haven't read/listened to that book in a while. It's really really good. It made me appreciate Elantris way more than I did the first time.

@isacami25 Жыл бұрын

i'm in the middle of reading the well of ascension and oathbringer, i'm looking forward to everything i'm going to read as i progress through sanderson's work.

@popeneiad7968 Жыл бұрын

I personally enjoyed Aloy of Law more than the Mistborn series, but that’s probably just me. Cowboys with Magneto powers? Yes please! Also I just really liked Wayne as a character and his usage of street smarts vs Wax’s more traditional methods is always fun to me.

@TryingExtraHard Жыл бұрын

I'm unsure how I'd do this whole list if I'm being honest, but I'm absolutely certain that two of the top three are certainly Warbreaker and Shadows of Self. I guess I'm just a fan of tragic story arcs 😅

@jrnipmuc Жыл бұрын

Have you read the short stories collected in Arcanum Unbounded? There are a lot of self contained stories that are good and a few extensions of existing series.

@EliasR24 Жыл бұрын

Such a fun video! I really enjoyed putting together my own list. So interesting that we really don't agree on the ranking of the series internally.😉 S: Oathbringer, Way of Kings, Rhythm of War, Final Empire, Words of Radiance, Hero of Ages, Emperor's Soul, Warbreaker A: Secret History, Well of Ascension, Elantris, Lost Metal, Edgedancer, Starsight, Bands of Mourning, Skyward, Shadows for Silence B: Perfect State, Cytonic, Alloy of Law, Defending Elysium, Firstborn C: Dawnshard, Sixth of the Dusk, Shadows of Self, Allomancer Jak, Eleventh Metal, Hope of Elantris F: White Sand

@heymikeriley Жыл бұрын

🤯 at Elantris. It’s easily one of the best fantasy premises ever. Having read most of these, it’s the one story that sticks out. I don’t remember having issues with the writing, but I DO remember loving the story

@yanivbroder4884 Жыл бұрын

Hi, I finished Mistborn Era I (my first Sanderson read), what would you suggest to read next? Warbreaker or Stormlight Archives? Or maybe straight to Mistborn Era II ?

@Darth_Xionn Жыл бұрын

Hey Merphy, I'm curious what program you're using to rank books? I've been interested in doing one.

@wateruga 3 ай бұрын

Skyward is the first Brandon Sanderson novel I finished and I absolutely loved it. Spensa is by far one of my favorite protagonists I've read. Excited to continue the series

@danscantland8066 Жыл бұрын

So there's likely going to be Elantris sequels, as palette cleansers for Sanderson between Mistborn Era 3 books. They will likely be published before Mistborn, as he wants to write all those in a row, before releasing any of them. The rumor is that it's going to star a certain blonde character that appeared in the Lost Metal.

@shardfork5482 Жыл бұрын

"Oh what a good tierlist, I do not agree with everything 100% percent but I understand the reasoning" *Cue Emperor's Soul getting put in Spren Tier "Where's my pitchfork?"