That there doesn't seem to be an established way to approach such a vast series as the Cosmere seems to be a gaping flaw in an otherwise amazingly well built series. Although some may see this "anything will do" approach as accessible, for someone who wants it all something a little more structured is required. For me, that means publication order.
The Hope of Elantris is a one of many short stories that are drawn from the Cosmere, some relating to existing larger books, and some which stand alone. I'll be reading most of them from Sanderson's Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection, a compendium as well as reference. I'll also be revisiting it as a book in its own right... once I hit its place in publication order.
The first short story is nothing more than a curio, something to keep you going while moving on to the Cosmere proper. It fills in some gaps, and fleshes out others, but is kind of overshadowed by the brilliance of Elantris. But it's short and in terms of value per page is teeming. That alone makes it essential reading.
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