The Cosmere is the trademarked name for the fictional universe in which many of Brandon Sanderson’s novels are set. According to the author’s website, works including Elantris, Mistborn, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Archive, White Sand, and anything from Arcanum Unbounded are part of the Cosmere (“Cosmere.” Brandon Sanderson, 2018). The worlds of the Cosmere share a cosmology and creation myth and operate on the same ruling principles, particularly those that govern the use of magic.

The Cosmere contains three realms: physical, cognitive, and spiritual. The Cosmere was created by the splintering of Adonalsium, a force (sometimes referred to as a divine being), which was killed or overcome in an event called the Shattering, at which Adonalsium broke apart into 16 different entities called Shards. The abilities or supernatural powers possessed by the Shards derive from their original status as a divine entity. The properties infusing the shards and the different realms rely on energy called Investiture, of which the Dor, the mystical force that powers the world of Elantris, is one expression.

Sanderson’s books need not be read in any particular sequence in order to understand the Cosmere, but some characters do appear in several novels, and some of Sanderson’s other works also take place in the same world.