Book Series · 3 Books

Mistborn Books

In order from Mistborn to The Hero of Ages. Part of The Mistborn Saga.

The completed original Mistborn trilogy blends an impossible heist, a rebellion against a thousand-year empire, and an intricate system of metal-powered magic.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated August 12, 2026

Reading order

How to Read the Original Mistborn Trilogy

Read Mistborn, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages in numbered order. They form one continuous story, and each book reveals major answers that the next assumes you know.

Mistborn: Secret History is a companion novella officially numbered 3.5. Brandon Sanderson warns that it contains major spoilers for the full original trilogy and minor spoilers for The Bands of Mourning, so read it only after The Hero of Ages; readers continuing into Wax and Wayne may prefer to wait until after The Bands of Mourning.

Sources: Brandon Sanderson's official original-trilogy guide, Macmillan's official Mistborn Saga page.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

These are adult epic-fantasy novels with frequent combat, executions, torture, severe injuries, blood, frightening creatures, and important character deaths. The society is built on slavery and brutal class oppression, with references to sexual violence against enslaved women. Romance is secondary, but grief, trauma, religion, political betrayal, and morally difficult choices run throughout the trilogy.

Where to start

Where Should a New Reader Start?

The original trilogy

Begin with Mistborn and continue through The Hero of Ages before opening any companion story.

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

Sale price

$2089

Book #1 · Chapter Book · 2006

Mistborn

By Brandon Sanderson

A failed hero, a tyrant's reign, and a daring heist to reclaim hope.

534 pages· 211,272 words

$21.99Save 5%

Paperback

Summary: In a world of ash and tyranny, Kelsier, a scarred thief with newfound Mistborn powers, plots the ultimate heist against the immortal Lord Ruler. Assembling a crew of elite allomancers, he dreams of toppling the divine despot. But when a wary street urchin named Vin joins them, her trust issues threaten their mission. Can she learn to trust and harness her powers in time? Dive into a saga where the stakes are high, and the line between hero and villain blurs. What if the hero of prophecy fails?

In reading order