When should I read Secret History?

After completing The Hero of Ages — the third and final book of Mistborn Era 1. Reading it earlier will spoil the entire original trilogy.

Is Secret History required reading?

It is not required to enjoy Mistborn Era 2, but it is essential for understanding Kelsier's broader role in the Cosmere and contains information that becomes increasingly relevant in later works.

Where was Secret History first published?

Originally as an ebook exclusive in January 2016, later collected in Arcanum Unbounded (2016).

What is the Cognitive Realm?

The Cognitive Realm (called Shadesmar in Stormlight Archive) is a dimension of thought and perception that exists alongside the physical world. Kelsier, having died, exists there as a cognitive shadow — still aware and still determined to act.

Secret History

Novella High Fantasy Short Stories

Pages: 155
Published: 2016
Language: English

Synopsis

Mistborn: Secret History follows Kelsier in the period after his death in The Final Empire, revealing what the legendary Mistborn has been doing in the Cognitive Realm — the dimension of thought and perception — while the events of the original trilogy unfold.

It is simultaneously a behind-the-scenes companion to the Mistborn trilogy and a story about Kelsier's refusal to accept even death as a constraint. Secret History was originally published in January 2016 as an ebook exclusive, later collected in Arcanum Unbounded. Reading it before completing Mistborn Era 1 will spoil the trilogy; it is best read after The Hero of Ages.