Notes from the Shelf

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Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson is a 443-page fantasy novel. Here is the book blurb:

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

This was the first book of Brandon Sanderson’s I read, and it kicked off wanting to read The Stormlight Archives. I saw Tress at the store and mostly bought it for the cover (as well as wanting to dip my toe into a Brandon Sanderson novel to see what they were all about), and I wish I had been a part of the Kickstarter that Tress was a bundle in so I could’ve read his books sooner, as well as had the other three books from the Kickstarter! I still haven’t read those yet, but plan to at a later date.

Tress of the Emerald Sea was such a fun introduction to Hoid and to the Cosmere, and I absolutely loved Tress’s character. I loved her ingenuity with utilizing the different spores to her advantage on her travels and her obsession of tea cups. Also, it gave me the vibe of a lighthearted adventure, even though there is real danger to Tress and her crew toward the end.

It was easy to get sucked into the story and ended up being a quick read. I suppose it wouldn’t be recommended to read this book first out of Brandon Sanderson’s novels, but I found it more accessible to fall into the Cosmere through a stand-alone novel as opposed to one of his big series, especially a stand-alone that was such a fun romp. Also, I found it helped me understand Hoid better while reading The Stormlight Archives.

I give Tress of the Emerald Sea 5 stars.

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