REVIEW: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Dragonsteel Entertainment

Date Published: January 1, 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: ★★★★☆

REVIEW

This is the first book from 'The Year of Sanderson' Kickstarter and I could not be more excited that it's 2023. When the title was announced I was guessing just like everyone else what world this would be set on and how much Cosmere would be included. I can't wait to get the physical copy in my hands!

SYNOPSIS

"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?"

MY THOUGHTS

The synopsis of this book really gave nothing away. Water is something that is needed to survive, so the fact that it can cause instant death I thought was a really cool idea. Like with all of Sanderson's books and novella's, I really think worldbuilding is where he shines. He has such vivid descriptions that it is easy to picture the world and the characters within it. I thought the magic in this world was very interesting as well. It didn't come directly from the characters, and really anyone who was able to learn to manipulate the spores was able to use them to their advantage. The different seas were also really cool. I know that it is an actual scientific fact that you can blow air through sand to make it act like a liquid, so I thought it was really cool to add that to the world. 

Tress was set in a completely new world in the Cosmere, Lumar, but still had some great connections to the universe. If you don't know who Hoid is, spoiler warnings ahead. I really enjoyed how he was the narrator but under some curse that didn't allow him to communicate in his usual way. He always seems to have a hand in helping the main characters, so while we could read his inner thoughts and intentions, Tress had no way of really knowing if she was understanding him correctly. I also loved the idea of pirates in this book. Pirate captains are fascinating to read about, and I thought the reveal about the curse and Crow's intentions was done in a way that wasn't too drawn out. Instead it was quick and to the point because she wasn't the main focus of the story. 

One thing that stood out to me right away was the tone of Tress. It almost felt like an adult fairy tale. The atmosphere was very whimsical and light despite the dangerous situations they were in. It even had a talking mouse which felt very Cinderella to me. The twist at the end I had an inkling that it may be possible just because of how the curses work in this world and the characters acting a bit suspicious. 

There were also plenty of Cosmere references and connections besides Hoid. There were a lot of metals included, which we know is important to the Cosmere. I liked that silver nullified the spores which allowed for some semblance of safety. This book felt connected the the Mistborn books how it described various metals ability to "push" and "pull" as well. There is also a kandra included! 

Overall I really loved this book. I can't wait for more Sanderson books. The Year of Sanderson is certainly off to a great start.