Skyward reading order

A finished four-novel YA SF run with three novellas in the middle. Publication order, with the shorts in their advertised gaps, is the path.

For Cosmere doors, use the Cosmere starter, Mistborn, or Stormlight.

The novels

The novellas

House rule:

1. Skyward
2. Starsight
3. Sunreach and ReDawn if you have them
4. Cytonic
5. Evershore if you have it
6. Defiant

If your library lacks the novellas, keep going. Do not stall a four-book series on three shorts. They are also collected as Skyward Flight.

Common mistakes

• Treating Skyward as Cosmere homework.
• Starting with Defiant.
• Starting with Sunreach because it is shorter.
• Opening a Cosmere spreadsheet because the author matches.

What to read next

1. Red Rising (Pierce Brown) — If you want another climb out of a stacked sky, colder.
2. Mistborn Era 1 (Brandon Sanderson) — If you want his other finished trilogy door, which is Cosmere.
3. The Reckoners (Brandon Sanderson) — If you want his other non-Cosmere YA SF door: a finished trilogy, with a later Texas book that is not book one.
4. Old Man’s War (John Scalzi) — If you want another approachable military-SF first book.
5. Stop after Defiant. The four novels are a complete visit.

FAQ

Is Skyward Cosmere?
No.

Do I need the novellas?
No. They help.

Is the series finished?
The four novels plus the three novellas are a published close.

Sources

• Brandon Sanderson, The Skyward Series — official series page. Opened 2026-09-13.
• Brandon Sanderson, “Where do I start?” — Skyward listed as a non-Cosmere door. Opened 2026-09-13.