The simple answer
Start with Mistborn: The Final Empire, then read The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages. This is the original completed trilogy and the cleanest entry point into the wider Mistborn setting.
Why publication order works
Each volume builds directly on the previous book's discoveries. Reading out of order would reveal both character outcomes and important facts about the magic and history of the world.
The first book has a satisfying internal arc, but the trilogy is designed as one escalating mystery. If the magic system and central group work for you, continuing promptly makes the later payoffs easier to follow.
What to expect
The Final Empire is the most heist-shaped volume. The Well of Ascension slows down for political pressure and siege dynamics. The Hero of Ages widens the scale and resolves the trilogy's central questions.
Reading order
Mistborn Era 1
The complete trilogy overview and status.
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Mistborn: The Final Empire
Start here: the most accessible entry and the foundation for every later reveal.
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The Well of Ascension
Continue directly with the more political second volume.
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The Hero of Ages
Finish Era 1 with the trilogy's large-scale conclusion.
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Browse Brandon Sanderson's other indexed series.
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