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SPOILERS ahead for the Mistborn serial through The Hero of geezerhood
Summary
Brandon Sanderson ’s illusion universe can be difficult to navigate , withMistbornnovellas likeSecret Historybeing vital to the overarching narrative . TheMistbornbook seriesis the source ’s most widely read work , with seven novels uncommitted to date and more on the direction . The timeline can get confusing , however , as there ’s a 300 - year gap between books 3 & 4,The Hero of AgesandThe Alloy of Law . It ’s even more confusing when study connections toThe Stormlight Archiveand other Koran from Brandon Sanderson ’s saga .
TheMistbornseries andThe Stormlight Archiveare both part of afictional book universe call the Cosmere , along with standalone likeTress of the Emerald Sea , Warbreaker , and various novelette and little story . Mapping it all together can be a challenge , and while there ’s a raft of lenience in the order one can take , certain stories are best register at the right clip . Mistborn : Secret Historyis a novelette that was released in 2016 as a companion to the originalMistborntrilogy , and it ’s a muffin for Cosmere rooter .
Do You Need To Read Mistborn: Secret History? Why The Novella Is Essential
Mistborn Shows Kelsier’s Journey After Death In The Final Empire
Anyone who love theMistbornseries or is invested in the broader Cosmere universe should absolutely readMistborn : Secret History . As exhibit byThe Stormlight Archive’sventures into Shadesmar , there ’s far more to the Cosmere than just the physical land , andSecret Historydetails Kelsier ’s escapade into the Cognitive Realm following his end at the hands of the Lord Ruler inThe Final Empire . There , Kelsier meets with old friends and foes , including Preservation , Hoid , and the Lord Ruler himself , after he ’s killed by Vin .
Kelsier has always been one of the Cosmere ’s most compelling eccentric , with a particular demented charisma that hold him an exhilarating narrator . What ’s most important about the novella is thatKelsier ’s story does n’t cease inThe Final Empire , and he has a far more significant role to play throughout Brandon Sanderson ’s universe . Secret Historyshows him essentially cheating death , actualize that there ’s more at shimmer on Scadrial than just his fight with the Lord Ruler and decide he involve to have a part in it .
I ’m a huge fan of the original Mistborn trilogy , but Mistborn Era 2 surpasses Brandon Sanderson ’s original Scripture series in one important way .
Where Mistborn: Secret History Falls On The Series' Timeline
Secret History Occurs Around The Events Of Mistborn 1-3
Mistborn : Secret Historypicks up at several peak around the timeline of the originalMistborntrilogy . The first chapter sees Kelsier in the moment straight off after he ’s killed , appearing beside his physical structure and find out events unfold in the aftermath . The subsequent chapters persist in to follow Kelsier through different events and meetings with various characters fromMistbornand the Cosmere beyond . The novella ends around the prison term of the catacendre ; the end ofThe Hero of Ages .
MistbornEra 2 picks up 300 age after the first trilogy , with critical aspect of the Earth ’s culture defined by the events ofThe Hero of Ages . Mistborn : Secret Historydoesn’t have an straightaway effect on Era 2 , but it ’s crucial to captivate up on at a certain point for theMistbornseries ' overarching story . It also importantly takes place beforeThe Stormlight Archiveand has some issue on that serial publication as well , so it ’s worth readingSecret Historybefore pivot away fromMistborn . According to Brandon Sanderson ( viaArcanum),The Stormlight Archivehappens chronologically beforeMistbornEra 2 .
Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive are tower of Brandon Sanderson ’s oeuvre and the Cosmere universe . Here ’s how they stack up against each other .
What Books To Read The Mistborn Novella Between
Brandon Sanderson Suggests Reading It After The Bands Of Mourning
Mistborn : Secret Historywas released in 2016 , presently afterThe band of MourninginMistbornEra 2 . The order in which it was free is likely the good clip to show it , as there are some minor looter forThe Bands of Mourning . In fact , Brandon Sanderson himself has submit ( via17thshard ) that it"is intended to be translate after band of Mourning . “Still , it certainly would n’t ruin geological era 2 to readSecret HistoryafterThe Hero of Ages , and it may have more worked up resonance given the connection to main theatrical role from Era 1 , so either choice is acceptable .
The most important particular with the order is thatMistborn : Secret Historyshould be learn beforeThe Lost Metal . It ’s also probably dear to read the novelette before diving intoThe Stormlight Archive , as weigh inRhythm of Warmay get confusing without it . Brandon Sanderson has intentionally pass on the social club of reading throughout the Cosmere vague , as he ’s crafted most of his stories to be enjoyable without reading the entire cosmos . ForMistbornreaders or Cosmere obsessives , Mistborn : Secret Historyis a must .
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