The Stormlight Archive reading order

A plan for the whole series

5 volumes, 5,819 pages, about 105 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 5 months.

• The thickest volume runs 1,344 pages. One volume is one stage: a break after it, not the next volume.
• From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 5, “Wind and Truth” (by 33%).
• Readers scored volume 3, “Oathbringer”, below its predecessor (9.1 after 9.4). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you.
• The series is still running; the last volume came out in 2024. You will wait for the next one anyway, so no need to rush.

Stages

5 stages, with 4 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around April 23, 2027, about 5 weeks later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 118 habout 4 weeksby November 23, 2026

   • 1. The Way of Kings2010 · 1,008 pages · 18 h
2. BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.05 h, by December 2, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 220 habout 4 weeksby December 28, 2026

   • 2. Words of Radiance2014 · 1,088 pages · 20 h
4. BreakBorn a Crime · Trevor Noah · 304 pp. · score 8.96 h, by January 7, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 323 habout 4 weeksby February 6, 2027

   • 3. Oathbringer2017 · 1,243 pages · 23 h
6. BreakI'm Glad My Mom Died · Jennette McCurdy · 320 pp. · score 8.96 h, by February 16, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
7. 4
   Stage 421 habout 4 weeksby March 16, 2027

   • 4. Rhythm of War2020 · 1,136 pages · 21 h
8. BreakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by March 21, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
9. 5
   Stage 525 habout 5 weeksby April 23, 2027

   • 5. Wind and Truth2024 · 1,344 pages · 25 h
10. The end of the series

    April 23, 2027

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

Shape of the series: a drop at the end. The last scored volume (8.6) has the lowest score in the series.

Best volume: Words of Radiance (9.4, 3,473 ratings). Weakest: Wind and Truth (8.6). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 4 and 5: 33%. The series is not finished; the last volume came out in 2024.