This might be the best fantasy book I’ve encountered in 2023. Brandon Sanderson transported me to a new planet in the Cosmere, a world where islands are separated by huge oceans of floating spores. A single drop of water causes the spores to explode, sprout huge destructive vines, grow needle-sharp spikes, or react in even more horrifying ways. Our protagonist, Tress, is originally content to stay on her isolated island, until her best friend (and secret crush) is kidnapped. Nothing will stop her from rescuing him, not even joining a pirate ship, and sailing the deadly spore seas!
Sanderson’s writing is so much fun. He injects a witticism akin to Terry Pratchett’s or Douglas Adams’. This sense of humour is perfectly tailored to young adults and fantasy readers, as the book is laugh-out-loud funny. The world-building is top notch. Every single deadly consequence or inventive use for the spores is explored; he really gets creative when thinking of their potential as pirate weapons. Tress is a down-to-earth character with fantastic sarcasm, naivety and determination, and Sanderson develops a colourful cast of rogues. My favourite is the cannon master who can’t see two feet in front of her face.
Sanderson describes Tress of the Emerald Sea as a ‘fairy-tale for grown-ups’, or a reimagining of the classic movie The Princess Bride. I would 100 per cent agree with him, and I’m struggling to find a fault with this simple, endearing, and rollickingly good fun adventure narrative. Tress was hard to put down, and I seriously hope Sanderson plans to write a sequel in the near future.
Reviewed by Rachel Denham-White
0 Comments