Book Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Well, it’s been a few weeks since I was last here, but I’m back with another book review just in time for the Christmas holidays! I’ll get straight into it, but first, I’ve got some exciting news coming soon, to do with the date of release of a certain debut novel… so keep your eyes peeled!

But, without further ado, let’s have a look at my latest book review: Tress of the Emerald Sea.

So, what can I say that hasn’t already been said about Tress of the Emerald Sea? The first of the Brandon Sanderson ‘Secret Projects’ released way back in January for his Kickstarter backers, Tress of the Emerald Sea has been widely discussed, analysed, and adored for months already. I could talk about the intentional and delightful similarities to The Princess Bride, I could go on about it’s fascinating Cosmere connections, I could write all about how great it is to have a story told by one of the Cosmere’s central characters.

But there are others who have done that, likely far better than I ever could. So, instead, let me tell you about the experience of reading Tress of the Emerald Sea (Tress for short).

ook Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Tress is the first novel I’ve been able to read since becoming a mum. It’s the first book I opened on page one and actual closed the back cover some days later. Notice that? Days. For the first time in months, I found the time for me to read, and read a lot. Tress is nothing like the length of the Stormlight books, or even Mistborn. But, it is a solid read, clocking in at about 107,000. As sad as it might seem to my past self, I consider it a pretty big accomplishment to have read it so ‘quickly’ once I got into it (as I write this I remember I read the first few pages and put it down and did take a bit to pick it back up again, but once I did, that was it). And here’s my first reflection on Tress:

It’s the kind of book even a sleep-deprived first-time mum stayed up late to read.

I feel like that’s fairly high praise.

It’s just so readable. The writing style, or, should I say, narrating style, is really just a delight. It had such a delicious flavour, moving seamlessly between witty remarks that sent me chuckling, to truly insightful reflections on characters and situations and, therefore, humanity. It’s a book rich in style, in the ‘meta’ as the narrator speaks directly to us as the reader. It’s not a common style, but it’s so deliciously rich and enjoyable it held me hostage.

So, in another sense, it’s the kind of book a sleep-deprived first-time mum, could easily focus on.

In case I’m not making it clear, mum-brain wasn’t fazed. Sure, I didn’t think too hard about – or bother to memorise – some of the world building/magic system. And I certainly took my time in parts where the magic system was being explained to ensure I was understanding it properly. But even if I hadn’t fully understood, the story didn’t need me to remember the finer points. Personally, as someone who has read the entire Cosmere to date excepting White Sand, I was intrigued enough by the connections to really want to get a handle on what was happening. But knowing and remembering all the details is by no means necessary to enjoy the ride.

In other words, it’s the kind of Cosmere book a sleep-deprived first-time mum could jump into even without having read any of the other Cosmere books, and still have a great time.

Ok, the mum comment is getting a bit old, but that’s been my experience of reading Tress. Sure, I loved the characters (and the character development) – the fascinating array of pirates, wizards, world-hoppers, and window-washers. Absolutely, I found the plot to save Charlie charming and fun and such a romp. I would totally agree it’s a fun, feel-good adventure with a plucky heroine just trying to do the good and right thing by those around her (and she even has a healthy dose of common sense!).

For those of us neck-deep in the Cosmere, Tress is an excellent instalment, showing Sanderson’s talents in a new way with a story unique in the Cosmere in its style, storytelling, and atmosphere. It’s built on an amazing world with fascinating implications. The main character’s parents are both alive, and good people – that in itself makes notable in the realm of fantasy adventures featuring young heroes/heroines on perilous quests!

But to those who want to just give it a try and dip a toe into the world of Sanderson, Tress is a pretty good pick (and this is coming from the girl who started with The Stormlight Archive). Absolutely some things might go over your head, but they’re all subsidiary to the actual story and not at all necessary to enjoy it.

Tress is the first of the Secret Projects I’ve actually got around to reading, and you can be sure I’ll be jumping into the next one as soon as I can.

At the moment though, I’m considering rereading Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead – I read The Pendragon Cycle years ago and loved it (the books currently reside on my bookshelf) and with the news it will be a TV series next year, I’d love to have the original story fresh in my memory.

So, have you read Tress? What did you think? What’s on your reading list this Christmas season?

Book Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brooke Martin