Includes MAJOR SPOILERS for The Stormlight Archive through Wind and Truth and Mistborn through The Lost Metal

Wind and Truth's ending offered several major narrative developments, but a thrilling aspect for Mistborn readers was the increased connectivity to the events occurring on Scadrial. After two decades of published novels, the Cosmere is really starting to take shape as a shared universe.

Brandon Sanderson's books include another trilogy of Mistborn books, as well as the eventual return to Roshar for the second arc of The Stormlight Archive. As per the author's 2024 State of Sanderson blog post, Mistborn Era 3 is intended to be released annually in the winter between 2028 and 2030, while The Stormlight Archive book 6 won't hit shelves until late 2031. With that in mind, the Mistborn books, as well as 2025's Isles of the Emberdark, should hopefully provide some insight into the events on Roshar.

How Wind And Truth's Ending Ties Together With Mistborn

Wind And Truth Has Several Connections To Kelsier's Ghostbloods

There are multiple ways Wind and Truth ties to Mistborn. First, the book's numerous Cosmere cameos and character mentions include Sazed and Kelsier mentioned by name. The latter actually has an entire scene in the book's ending, speaking to Shallan about the state of the two planets after she kills his agents on Roshar. The Ghostbloods' plan throughout The Stormlight Archive Arc 1 was to find a way to transfer Stormlight off-world through Shadesmar, but this has become null due to the absence of Honor removing Stormlight from the planet.

Without his agents and the power source he wanted, Kelsier has no need for Ghostbloods on Roshar for the time being, and his attention will be entirely devoted to Scadrial. The ending saw Roshar placed in a time bubble, slowing the ing of time on the planet compared to other systems in the Cosmere, meaning the next decade on Roshar will see about eighty years on Scadrial. Notably, this provides in-world confirmation for when The Stormlight Archive Arc 1 and Mistborn Era 2 occurred relative to one another.

Hoid's arrival on Scadrial and his job interview to become Waxillium's driver confirms that The Stormlight Archive Arc 1 happened just before Mistborn Era 2. However, Shallan's final conversation with Kelsier happened after Era 2, as Kelsier mentioned that Iyatil was still alive in The Lost Metal, and he found out about her death in Wind and Truth. The Stormlight Archive's timeline can be confusing, especially now that the properties of time on Roshar have been altered compared to the rest of the Cosmere.

Stormlight Archive Arc 2 & Mistborn Era 3 Will Happen Around The Same Time

The Two Book Series' Timelines Sync Up Well

The most important takeaway regarding Roshar's time bubble is that The Stormlight Archive Arc 2 and Mistborn Era 3 will happen around the same time. Brandon Sanderson has confirmed Mistborn Era 3's timeline to be about fifty years after Era 2, meaning by the time the saga ends, The Stormlight Archive Arc 2 will be just about to begin. This works perfectly with Sanderson's release order, as the new Mistborn trilogy will happen during the ten-year gap on Roshar. This is the first time we've gone into new Cosmere sagas knowing how they'll relate to one another chronologically.

As Brandon Sanderson has progressed through his Cosmere books, connections between novels have become increasingly common. Mistborn Era 2 didn't have many connections with The Stormlight Archive, but that's likely to change, especially since Kelsier is intended to be a more prominent character for the first time since The Final Empire. Harmony was already struggling in The Lost Metal, and his situation has only grown more dire now that Retribution exists; they now share the boast of being the two most Invested beings in the Cosmere.

Mistborn: Ghostbloods Should See More References To Roshar

More References, But Not A Complete Crossover

I don't think Mistborn Era 3, also titled Ghostbloods, will feature a direct crossover between the two series, or at least nothing more than a crossover character, possibly Shallan. Brandon Sanderson is keen on keeping his series readable as individual works, so it's doubtful that he'd force readers to read The Stormlight Archive in order to keep up with Mistborn, which is his most widely read work. That said, I'd expect these two series to clash eventually, and I think Mistborn Era 4's space opera setting will be the opportunity to do so.

Brandon Sanderson is keen on keeping his series readable as individual works, so it's doubtful that he'd force readers to read The Stormlight Archive in order to keep up with Mistborn

Mistborn Era 3 should have some references to Roshar, especially between Kelsier and Harmony, but Era 4 is the prime time for a more in-depth Cosmere conflict, as travel between systems has already been shown as a possibility in The Sunlit Man. With interplanetary travel as a factor, Mistborn Era 4 could introduce connections between planets, specifically from the perspective of Scadrial. For example, if a war broke out between Scadrial and Roshar, the Rosharans could be seen as an invading species from Scadrial's perspective. This would build on the overarching narrative without breaking Sanderson's rules.

Mistborn Era 3 Needs To Address Harmony's Reaction To Retribution

Harmony Is Dealing With Shards On Two Fronts

Harmony already had his hands full with Autonomy in Mistborn Era 2, and at this point, it's hard to determine which Shards are working together, which are purely self-interested, and which are looking to maintain peace and protect their planets. Harmony seems to be working to protect Scadrial by any means necessary, and it seems fair at this point to suggest that he's the protagonist god if Brandon Sanderson intends for there to be one. There seems to be some alliance between Autonomy and Retribution, though it's doubtful they'd ever wholly work together.

What matters most for Mistborn Era 3 is that Harmony is under a ton of pressure to protect his planet, with increasing interplanetary threats. He hasn't wanted to intervene directly in Scadrial's technological development so far, but the increased pressure could turn him into Discord. Mistborn Era 3 could see him letting Ruin take over, causing a Cold War on Scadrial that increased technological advancements in Northern and Southern Scadrial at the cost of millions of deaths. This would prepare for the Cosmere's future after The Stormlight Archive and other planned novels like the Elantris sequels.