Tress of the Emerald Sea - A review
Brandon Sanderson, master of the craft, strikes again.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when picking up my copy of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (or rather, the kindle that I was reading it on - travel reading is great, but I am yearning for a paper book).
Having not read anything by Sanderson before, and having only heard overwhelming positive reviews of his work, I had a bit of trepidation. In the past, I’ve read books by authors who were supposedly geniuses with endless talent, and I have been let down.
Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Sanderson, were not one of these instances.
Let’s begin with the Setting
I know Tress of the Emerald Sea is set on the backdrop of the Cosmere. I have no idea how it fits into this massive universe, whether there are elements of said universe that I am expected to know or not, but irrespective of this, I didn’t find myself needing any of this. Yes, at times, I felt as though perhaps a character I encountered or a world that was mentioned may have been developed in a previous iteration, it did not hurt or hinder my enjoyment of the novel.
Sanderson has crafted a rich world, and, as a certified ocean lover, I enjoyed the shake-up he provided to sailing on these spore oceans. The world and settings felt entirely realistic and alive, for a sci-fi / fantasy text, and the development of these created such strong atmospheric tension, particularly the crimson and midnight seas, that it was an entirely enthralling experience.
The story begins on The Rock, Tress’ home. It is dull and boring, perfect for setting the scene for the protagonist, Tress, to launch herself out of these monotonous landscape.
We then venture through the viney Verdant Sea, discovering how spores operate, the Crimson Sea, a deadly, blood red ocean of spikes that is rarely crossed, and finally, the Midnight Sea, where the Sorceress lives.
The settings are vastly different, but feel like they belong together. They simply fit. Like a jigsaw. Nothing feels absurd or out of place.
And I put this down to Sanderson’s style.
Which, like Sanderson’s blending transitions between the settings, is a seamless move into my next focal point (nice).
Style.
I read Tress at the same time as my wife, though I started a few days earlier whilst she finished up the book she was reading at the time. When asked how it was, only one word came to mind:
Whimsical
It is the best descriptor for Sanderson’s style in Tress. His descriptions are not cliché. In fact, they are about as far from being overdone as possible. And, he maintains this sense of whimsy and joy and adventure even through the tumultuous plot (I’ll come to you later, maybe next, seamless transition number 2 incoming.)
He used this style to craft the setting, characters (no, not characters yet) and the plot to an evocative and engaging degree.
Here is one such example:
He settled somewhere between smart and stupid, perched on the very peak of the bell curve and assuming that it was the right place to be, as highest has to be best.
It is one example of the quality I thoroughly enjoyed in his craft. He engages the reader with humorous and jovial descriptions, then slaps you in the face with a rather disturbing description of vines crawling out of every orifice.
I already did the transition. It is plot. Keep up.
Speaking of keeping up, the plot is relatively simplistic. It is easy to follow, maintains an excellent pace, and has an extremely satisfying few twists, leading to a fantastic ending.
As mentioned earlier, Sanderson’s development of the setting allows the reader to engage with the world and experience the dangers of this. This is the fundamental driver for the plot, that, and Tress’ yearning to save her love interest, Charlie.
I can’t say much more. Read it.
What, no transition?
Characters
This is the strong suit for me. Sanderson has crafted an array of interesting characters, with rich backstories, believable actions and reactions and with depth. They feel real. Which, again, is fantastic given one is a talking rat.
Watching Tress grow and merge into this altruistic, intelligent character is a marvel. A brilliant quote, from the novel, reveals her growth. I loved this quote so much, I simply had to write it down and include it:
“You can’t taste a memory without tainting it with who you have become.”
Fort is a brilliant character, and the minor details of having him write and read responses, due to being deaf, is a great level of unforced inclusivity that a lot of writers and producers (looking at you, Disney) need to evaluate.
But, by far the best character, is the narrator, Hoid.
An intriguing character, and one I really want to learn more about. I’ve heard rumors of a Hoid-centered trilogy, and I simply cannot wait.
I couldn’t put this down. It just kept me engaged from start to finish. Stylistically great. And, I’m afraid for what I’m about to do, but I may have to read a few of these Cosmere books. Bye bye time.
5/5 Spore filled stars.