About The Book

Tress of the Emerald Sea is a fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. Set on a planet where oceans are made of deadly spores, this modern fairy tale inspired by the Princess Bride has pirates, magic, true love, high adventure, and plenty of comedy. Told by a narrator named Hoid who makes explanations and funny comments, it follows Tress on her journey to rescue her beloved Charlie from the sorceress who captured him.

About The Author

Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy author and creative writing instructor at Brigham Young University. He is best known for his novel Elantris, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight archive series. Tress of the Emerald Sea is part of his 2024 kickstarter campaign. It was the first of his secret projects, originally having been written as a present for his wife.

Top Quotes From The Book

“It might be said that Tress had a way with words. In that her words tended to get in her way.”

“If you want to create heroes, don’t give them something to fight for. Give them someone to fight for.”

“A terrible idea executed brilliantly has to be better than a brilliant idea

executed terribly. I mean, look at pelicans.”

“Our words, like our hearts, are weapons still hot from the forging, beating themselves into new shapes each time we swing them.”

“That man is a few eggs short of a dozen – and he doesn’t realize the other ten he collected are actually rocks.”

The Good Stuff

• The book features a strong feminine protagonist in the character of Tress, so if you’re tired of your female protagonists being sword-wielding, masculine, warriors, then you will find Tress a wonderful change of pace.

• The setting is a wonderful usage of creative license. The spore seas with their verdant green, bright crimson, and midnight black give the story a wonderfully other-worldly feeling, while the writing allows you to imagine them so vividly, you will feel as though you’ve seen them yourself.

• The magic system is unique and innovative. It undergirds the entire story and is delightfully simple. Aside from traditional incantations, the magic of this story is based on the magic of the world itself, tapped into through clever machines and contraptions.

• The book is also high on comedy. The book is filled with funny side characters and laugh out loud narrator comments. If you love to laugh, this book will not disappoint

The Bad Stuff

• The beginning of the book is rather slow, especially for Sanderson. He spends the first few chapters almost entirely in showcasing the relationship between Tress and Charlie. Once you get past that the pace picks up significantly, but if you don’t like heavy-handed romance, (by this I don’t mean anything inappropriate, just lovey dovey nonsense, again like the Princess Bride) you will be significantly disappointed by the first few chapters. However once Charlie is captured the story really starts and the rest of the book is worth reading.

Recommendation

This book is highly recommended: 8/10 stars

Ideal for readers 10 and up; perfect for fans of The Pirates of The Caribbean and The Princess Bride.

Similar Books

If you enjoyed Tress of The Emerald Sea, then you may enjoy one of these.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson