While I’ve read quite a few of Brandon Sanderson’s works (Mistborn Trilogy, Stormlight Archive, and Warbreaker), the first novel from his infamous “Surprise! Four Secret Novels” Kickstarter – Tress of the Emerald Sea – was quite a surprise. And in all of the best ways!
Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first of Sanderson’s novels that I’ve read that I would say sits somewhere in the Middle Grade/Young Adult fiction realm. It took me a little bit to get used to the idea of it seeming to be geared more toward that age group, because despite the fact that it had been released as an eBook prior to my receiving my first Kickstarter package (and the fact that said package sat on my desk for at least a month before I had time to start reading this book), I hadn’t looked up any comments or reviews beforehand.
But honestly, I’m glad I let myself be surprised, because I quickly got over my initial skepticism and became engrossed in Tress’s tale.
AHOY! [MINOR] SPOILERS AHEAD!
This story of a girl and her cups (and really, so, so much more) is told by none other than Hoid…but a very different Hoid than the one I at least have grown used to from the Mistborn and Stormlight series. While I’m not sure ‘irreverent’ is the perfect term to describe the tone of his narration in Tress of the Emerald Sea, it’s the closest I’ve been able to come up with. At times it was a bit jarring, but for the most part it was fun, funny…WITty, even 😉
In fact, many have described Tress as being similar to The Princess Bride, and I [mostly] agree with that comparison – but instead of the somewhat vapid Buttercup of Princess Bride fame (the novel specifically; Buttercup is quite a bit more palatable in the movie), we are gifted with a heroine who is intelligent and compassionate, and who truly comes into her own as the story progresses.
While this novel is definitely a fantasy tale, it is also a story about adventure, coming-of-age, love, and, well, pirates! Which also lends to that Princess Bride comparison, of course, but regardless of the inspiration Brandon Sanderson might have taken from that or other works, Tress of the Emerald Sea is still, like his other works, really entirely his own.
Would I call it epic? No. But it’s a fun, overall light read, with more than a few truly enjoyable characters. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up type of story, and even more especially if you’re a Cosmere fan, I definitely suggest reading Tress of the Emerald Sea!
