Brandon sanderson books in the cosmere series#

The Spiritual Realm contains an object’s soul-its essence-as well as the ways it is connected to the things and people around it.īy Maria Lia Malandrino Rysn Ftori discovering one of the DawnshardsĪlong with Intent, there is also the associated concept of Command. The Cognitive is how an object is viewed and how it views itself.

The Physical is what we feel, what is before us. “ All things exist in three Realms, Gaotona. As a result, physical beings attempting to traverse non-solid regions of the Cognitive Realm risk drowning in whatever composes the local Cognitive Realm, though cognitive entities can traverse these regions safely. Land and water are inverted in the Cognitive Realm-what is solid land in the Physical Realm is unstable ground in the Cognitive, while bodies of water in the Physical are solid in the Cognitive. The appearance of the Cognitive Realm around a particular planet seems to reflect salient characteristics of that planet-around Scadrial, for instance, it is composed of mist, while around Roshar it is composed of spheres. There are also some entities that naturally exist primarily in the Cognitive Realm, such as the spren who personify thoughts, emotions, and natural features, as well as certain Cognitive Shadows. For example, outer space is significantly compressed in the Cognitive Realm, because people do not spend much time thinking about the space between planets. Because the Cognitive Realm is the Realm of thought, it is substantially impacted by how people imagine and perceive ideas. The Cognitive Realm is closely modeled on the Physical Realm, though there are significant differences. Regions labelled 'Expanse' lead to other planets in the cosmere. The Cognitive Realm īy Isaac Stewart A map of Shadesmar, the region of the Cognitive Realm around Roshar. At least one person has tried to leave the physical bounds of the cosmere, with unknown results. The cosmere is also home to other celestial objects, including several dwarf planets, gas giants, and constellations. Currently, there are ten known planetary systems in the cosmere, which contain a total of twelve notable planets. The Physical Realm is composed of fundamental particles known as axi and follows ordinary laws of physics, except when the other Realms are involved. In the Physical Realm, the cosmere is a star cluster of about 50 to 100 stars. Those killed by Nightblood or anti-Investiture or consumed by Yelig-nar, however, cannot be resurrected in any way, as nothing remains of their soul. Before the person passes to the Beyond, however, they can still be restored via Investiture healing or be infused with enough Investiture to become a more permanent Cognitive Shadow, usually as a result of a Shard's action. The more Investiture someone held in life, the longer they can linger before being drawn to the Beyond, but only Slivers-those who once held a significant portion of a Shard's power-can resist the Beyond forever, though they can still choose to go if they so desire.

For most people, this Cognitive Shadow quickly moves on to the Beyond and their Investiture returns to the Spiritual Realm. When someone in the cosmere dies, their body remains in the Physical Realm and a Cognitive Shadow forms in the Cognitive Realm. The three Realms have existed since the beginning of the cosmere. In the cosmere, everything exists in three Realms: the Physical Realm, the Cognitive Realm, and the Spiritual Realm.

įor more information, see Realmatic Theory. The Shards are effectively gods, and magic is derived from their power. The shared 'creation myth' of the cosmere revolves around Adonalsium, the power of creation, which was broken into sixteen pieces called Shards in an event known as the Shattering of Adonalsium. For a complete list of books in the cosmere, see the bibliography section below. It does not include any books that reference Earth, as Earth is not in the cosmere.

Brandon sanderson books in the cosmere series#

Ĭurrent series in the cosmere are the Elantris trilogy, Mistborn series, Warbreaker (and its eventual sequel), The Stormlight Archive, and White Sand. Įlements of the cosmere are slowly being added to the books, and will eventually come to the forefront in the Dragonsteel series and the final Mistborn trilogy. Despite the connections, Brandon has remained clear that one does not need any knowledge of the broader cosmere to read, understand, or enjoy books that take place in the cosmere. As a result, books set in the cosmere share a single cosmology and underlying rules of magic, and some characters from one world will make appearances on other worlds. The cosmere is a fictional shared universe where several of Brandon Sanderson's books take place.