No matter what genre you enjoy reading, Brandon Sanderson books are a great recommendation for you. I’m going to give you a list of reasons why you should pick up a book by Brandon Sanderson today! Read on to discover what it is that makes his books so good.

When I pick a new book to read, I tend to gravitate towards classics, period dramas, and gothic novels.

I don’t read them exclusively, but you can always bet that I will like a book from any of these genres.

Two things that typically make me dislike a book are when they take place in space (I’m sorry, but that is just so boring to me), and when there are a lot of battle or environmental expositions (I don’t find descriptions of that kind of stuff very intriguing). But even though Brandon Sanderson books don’t fit the typical description of a book I would like, I am a serious fan!

There is something incredibly unique about Sanderson’s approach to storytelling, and today I want to point out some things that will convince you to go out and get a copy of one of his books!

7 Reasons You Need Brandon Sanderson Books in Your Life

Reason #1: His stories break all of the fantasy genre tropes

You know when you read a fantasy novel and you’re like, “Yah, okay, the elves are really smart and the dwarves loooove their gold. I wonder if we’ll see a dragon and they’ll all have a war over some precious and expensive artifact?”

Yah. Brandon Sanderson doesn’t do any of that.

Brandon Sanderson books may fall under the category of fantasy but I can promise you that they will be filled with fantastical creatures you’ve never heard of before in any book.

There are no trolls, no dragons, no gnomes or hobbits.

Instead, you’ll find chulls, spren, ryshadium and parshendi.

I’m telling you, this incredible author reinvents the genre with his writing. For this reason alone, it’s worth giving his books a try.

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Reason #2: He writes real people into a fantasy world

Brandon Sanderson books don’t take place on earth, but humans still exist in the fantasy worlds that he creates.

These people may have some bizarre features, but they are still human.

They are real people that we can relate to as humans, ourselves. All of them struggle with mental illness. They have bravery and fear. They have countless unique cultures, depending on their geographical location.

The thing I love most about these novels is that Sanderson is able to integrate some social conversations into his books because of it. People in his stories deal with having to conform to social norms. They deal with social issues like racism, class prejudices, and family disputes. Every story he writes presents us with problems that we can see in our own world which opens up a lot of ideas for conversation and consideration.

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Reason #3: He writes believable characters but doesn’t show favouritism to any of them

My husband recently pointed out a book term that I found really interesting. He complained about a character from a book he was reading, calling them a Mary Sue.

“What’s a Mary Sue?” I asked him.

“It’s a character that seemingly has no weaknesses. It’s usually an idealized self-insertion from the author and it’s really bad storytelling,” he answered.

Ever since he mentioned this term, I’ve been finding Mary Sue characters all over the place!

But NOT in Brandon Sanderson books.

What I love about the way he writes his characters is that he gives every one of them unique opinions, ideals, strengths, and weaknesses. He doesn’t have a single character that just constantly dominates. For every strength they have, they have an equal or greater weakness.

Additionally, Sanderson doesn’t indicate that he values any character’s opinions over another. Even the villains of his books are relatable. In fact, on multiple occasions, I have found myself siding with the villain and seeing them as the hero. He does a great job of creating obscene amounts of grey area, which is something that I always love in a book!

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Reason #4: Brandon Sanderson books are thorough and well-researched

One of the biggest problems with fantasy novels is that the worlds the authors create simply have too many missing pieces. It leads to plot holes and difficulty believing in the world.

Not with Brandon Sanderson.

You can tell that this author does a lot of research before he sits down to write his books. He’s got explanations for everything in his made-up world, from genealogies to new languages to religious documents to scientific discoveries.

Now, if you’re not into that stuff, he doesn’t force you to be an expert on his worlds, but if you want to seriously geek out over the intricacies of an imagined world, Sanderson definitely gives you an outlet to do so!

My husband, being very interested in Science, really liked how thorough his scientific explanations were for things that existed in his world. For me, I loved how much research he did into mental illness to understand how to write it realistically. We both really liked the language that Sanderson invented along with the script for the lettering.

But let’s not stop there. Not only does Sanderson built great histories, but he considers the differences in every culture, too! In his world, there are numerous different geographical locations that all have their own habits, foods, social expectations, fashions, and religious systems. There is so much to see in his worlds which makes the books even more fun!

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Reason #5: The twists and turns are hard to predict

Don’t worry, I’m not giving away any spoilers here. All I’m trying to say is that, even though Sanderson gives enough hints to predict future events, you will never be able to.

Brandon Sanderson books are so much fun to build theories around because there are so many plausible outcomes to consider. And even though I’ve read five of his books by now, not a single one of my theories has been correct.

He is so good at throwing curveballs into his stories and making you see things the way he wants you to see them. I’ve experienced at least three genuine surprises in every one of the books I’ve read from him. I can’t even begin to describe to you how amazing they are!

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Reason #6: Brandon Sanderson books are crossovers

This is one of my favourite things about Sanderson’s books. He introduces a world that he calls the ‘Cosmere’ series. Within this universe are many smaller worlds. This means that each unique series has worlds with a different magic structure and history, but it is somehow possible to travel from one world to the next within the same ‘Cosmere’.

Now, here’s the cool part.

In his books, some characters seem to have the unique ability to travel to other worlds within that universe. Oftentimes they look different or go by a different name, but if you keep an eye out for them, you will start to find some familiar people.

It is one of my favourite features of Sanderson’s books and it is the biggest thing that gets me excited to venture into a different series that he wrote.

Reason #7: Brandon Sanderson himself is a reliable worker

Okay, stay with me here for a second.

I haven’t read any of the Game of Thrones series, but I know that one of the biggest annoyances for people reading his stuff is that it takes an eternity for the author to publish a new book. People get really into the story but then they have to wait…

and wait…

and wait…

by the time they’ve lost interest, maybe the author has finally finished another book in the series.

It’s annoying and it seriously detracts from the readability of the other books in the series.

Brandon Sanderson is the opposite of that. Even though the current series he is working on is a massive undertaking, he creates a plan that enables him to complete each book within a reasonable time frame.

He sets goals for himself, communicates those goals to his fan base, and consistently meets those goals every time.

And at the same time that he’s working on his biggest series, he is usually publishing a few side-stories that will keep you interested throughout the year.

I have some serious respect for Sanderson as an author and it definitely makes me love his books even more.

Who is Brandon Sanderson?

Brandon Sanderson is an American author of epic fantasy and sci-fi novels. He teaches a creative writing course once per year at Brigham Young University. You can read his bio on Brandon Sanderson’s site.

How many books has Brandon Sanderson written?

Considering the fact that this guy writes so consistently, I’d have to update this post on a monthly basis if I give you a specific number, so let’s just say he’s written 26 and counting.

What order should I read Brandon Sanderson books?

This is a pretty loaded question because, honestly, there’s no wrong answer. You can basically guarantee that you will get something out of whatever order you prefer to read them in.

That being said, if you’re pretty new to the fantasy genre and would like to just test the waters, I would personally recommend you start with Warbreaker.

This is my personal advice because this is a stand-alone book that is a good warm-up to Brandon Sanderson books. Additionally, if you don’t like it (which is unlikely), you won’t be left with an unfinished story.

If you read that book and it turns out you really like it, I think the Mistborn trilogy would be the next best book to read. It’s a little more fast-paced than the Stormlight Archives but is lengthier than Warbreaker.

Finally, when you’re done with those, Stormlight Archives is the last one to try.

This is my recommendation, but I actually didn’t read it that way. I started with the Stormlight Archives. While I was waiting for the next books in the series to be published, I would read Warbreaker and books from the Mistborn series. I honestly found it just as enjoyable this way. There’s not really a wrong answer.

Brandon Sanderson himself gives you a recommended reading order if you’d like to check it out at his recommended reading page.

Should I read Mistborn or Stormlight first?

Though I did not follow this advice, it is generally thought that Mistborn is the better series to start with. The main reason is that it is full of Sanderson’s personality but has a faster pace to draw you in more easily. But again, there’s not really a wrong answer, so no worries!

Is Mistborn as good as Stormlight?

YES! Sanderson is a very consistent writer, so chances are, if you like one of his books, you’ll like all of his books.

That being said, Stormlight is a little slower at times. Not boring, just less action-packed. So if you are the type of person who often gets stuck if they reach a slow point in any book, then you will probably prefer Mistborn.

Are Mistborn and Stormlight connected?

Though neither series will provide you with any spoilers, they are indeed connected. Each series takes place in the same universe, though the worlds themselves will look very different.

Is Mistborn appropriate for a 10 year old?

With all of Brandon Sanderson’s novels, you will need to be of an age and skill level where you are capable of reading them, but as far as content goes, his books are appropriate for any age. This is another thing I love so much about Brandon Sanderson books- they are perfectly appropriate for anyone!

Though he touches on some serious topics, he is extremely appropriate in his approach. Everything about his novels are family-friendly and appropriate for all audiences. To me, it is very much along the lines of Lord of the Rings. It has fighting and war and deeper concepts, but it is not by any means inappropriate in its subject matter.

If you’re wanting a specific age, though, Mistborn is mainly intended for anyone ages 13 and up.

Where can I learn more about Brandon Sanderson books?

If you want to get as close to the source as possible, I’d recommend you check out Brandon Sanderson’s website. It’s filled with lots of interesting information about his books!

I hope that this information has encouraged you to seek out some Brandon Sanderson books today! They are so much fun and a truly entertaining read- even if you don’t typically like fantasy novels!

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