Brandon Sanderson is known for his massive, door-stopping tomes, but after reading The Emperor’s Soul, I think might like his short fiction better. Of course, “short” for Brandon is still a decent-sized novella. The world is rich and full of magic and history—but Brandon doesn’t explain all of it, just the parts that are relevant to the story. The characters are interesting and well developed—but we only follow one character, not an epic cast that requires multiple appendices. And for all that, the story is both tighter, faster-paced, and easier to get into and enjoy.
My favorite part of this book was the magic. I can totally see myself making a couple of stamps to “hack” myself the way Shai does: one stamp to make me an awesome marketer, another to make me an amazing cover designer, another to turn me into a sharp-eyed editor—but hey, I’m an indie writer, so using magic to make myself a one-man publishing house is a pretty cool fantasy. Point is, the magic is rich and imaginative enough that it isn’t hard to imagine how you’d use it in your own life. That’s one of Brandon’s strengths.
Another one of Brandon’s strengths is his endings. Without giving any spoilers, I can say that the ending to this one was very satisfying. No big or surprising twists, but it wasn’t too predictable either, and the ending delivered nicely on some themes and character points that were set up earlier in the book. And because it’s a short book, the ending comes a lot sooner. Most epic fantasy readers prefer to spend a lot more time with their favorite characters, but for me, the shorter length felt just about right for following Shai through this adventure.
If you’ve never read any Brandon Sanderson before and you’re looking for one of his books to try out, this is a really good place to start, especially if you’re wary of the commitment it takes to read one of those massive epic fantasy door-stoppers. Of the books of his that I’ve read, this one may be my favorite.
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
When Shai is caught replacing the Moon Scepter with her nearly flawless forgery, she must bargain for her life. An assassin has left the Emperor Ashravan without consciousness, a circumstance concealed only by the death of his wife. If the emperor does not emerge after his hundred-day mourning period, the rule of the Heritage Faction will be forfeit and the empire will fall into chaos.
Shai is given an impossible task: to create—to Forge—a new soul for the emperor in less than one hundred days. But her soul-Forgery is considered an abomination by her captors. She is confined to a tiny, dirty chamber, guarded by a man who hates her, spied upon by politicians, and trapped behind a door sealed in her own blood. Shai's only possible ally is the emperor's most loyal counselor, Gaotona, who struggles to understand her true talent.
Time is running out for Shai. Forging, while deducing the motivations of her captors, she needs a perfect plan to escape...
