How long does it take to read the Mistborn trilogy?
Brandon Sanderson · 3 books
At an average reading speed of 250 words a minute, all 3 books of Mistborn Era One take about 46 hours to read. As an audiobook, expect about 74 hours at 1x.
The three books of Mistborn Era One are close in length, each between about 14 and 16 and a half hours. Together they are shorter than Words of Radiance and Rhythm of War combined, which makes the trilogy the usual starting point for readers new to Brandon Sanderson.
Average is about 250 WPM. Measure yours in two minutes and every time on this page recalculates.
Every book, timed
| Book | Words | Read | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistborn: The Final Empire | 208,546 | 13h 54m | 22h 25m* |
| The Well of Ascension | 245,672 | 16h 23m | 26h 25m* |
| The Hero of Ages | 235,114 | 15h 40m | 25h 17m* |
* Listening time estimated at a narration pace of 155 words a minute.
How much to read a day
At 250 words a minute, to finish the whole series:
Have a deadline in mind? The pages-per-day calculator works it out for any date.
How we measured it
Method: published word counts. Word counts from the Coppermind wiki's counted text, the same figures the Cosmere reading-order page uses. Era One only: the four Wax and Wayne novels and the novella Secret History aren't included.
Part of our study of the 100 most popular books, last checked November 2026. Reading times assume steady reading; editions, translations and your own pace all move them.
See how long it really takes you
Log each book in Parch as you read. It tracks your pages, sessions and streak, so you'll know your real pace, and how long the next one will take.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read the Mistborn trilogy?
About 46 hours at an average reading speed of 250 words a minute: 57 hours at 200 and 38 hours at 300. That covers all 3 books, from Mistborn: The Final Empire to The Hero of Ages.
How many words are in the Mistborn trilogy?
689,332 words across 3 books. The longest is The Well of Ascension (245,672); the shortest is Mistborn: The Final Empire (208,546).
How many pages a day to finish the Mistborn trilogy in a month?
About 84 pages a day, or 1h 32m of reading a day at an average pace. That assumes about 2,507 pages at 275 words a page; real page counts vary by edition.
Which Mistborn book is the longest?
The Well of Ascension, the middle book, at 245,672 words: about 16 and a half hours. The Final Empire is the shortest at 208,546, just under 14 hours.
Should I read Mistborn before The Stormlight Archive?
Most readers do. Mistborn is about a third of Stormlight's length so far and tells a finished story in three books, so it's the lower-risk way to find out whether Sanderson suits you.