If you are looking to cozy up by a real or metaphorical fire, with a cup of something hot, "Tress of the Emerald Sea"would be the perfect companion. It takes a lot for a book to reach five stars, but this story certainly earned it. Though I was skeptical because the trend of "cozy" fantasy books never did manage to draw me in, but it's safe to say I was hooked by the time I learned Tress collected unique tea cups.
Knowing Brandon Sanderson was well versed in the realm of high fantasy and having never read any real "cozy" fantasy, I had no idea what to excpect. I heard that story was originally written for his wife, not meant to be published and that it closely resembled the style of "The Princess Bride", but aside from that I had nothing else to go on.
The book is about a girl named Tress, who has only known the emerald-green ocean that surrounds her small island. However, when the boy she loves is rumored dead, Tress decides to leave her island, stowe away on a ship, and cross the deadly Midnight Sea in search of the Sorceress. Away from the only home she has ever known, she has to navigate sailing, betrayel, and a sea where even a drop of water could kill you.
But this book really was the perfect thing to pull me out of my reading slump. Just like anybody else I am all for the books with all the drama, intruige, and plot twist that an author has to offer, but reading this made me realize the wonderfulness and need for simple fantasy.
I don’t mean simple, in regards to world, plot, or character development, by those standards this book was by no means simple. As expected from Sanderson, he develops a rich and intruiging world with taking rats and oceans that can turn solid, leaving any sane reader wanting more. It was simple in that it didn’t need a ton of drama, a thousand plot twists, or an over-dose of angst to tell a beautiful engaging story.
It had simple truths and simple morals that we sometimes forget. Now I’ve heard from some people this was a turn-off, the blatantly stayed morals and life lessons, felt force. I, however, found it a welcoming addition. I was reminded of younger me reading books like "The Chronicles of Narnia" or "The Magic Tree House", simple stories that tell universal truths and make you feel warm and fuzzy once you finished, and a little bit sad as all books make you feel when you’ve finished them.
I’ve also heard people mention problems with the show-not-tell rule that Sanderson breaks. But honestly don't we learn the rules to break them. With the narrator breaking the fourth wall every other page, we felt like old friends just catching up.
For those invested in any of Sanderson's book the story is narrated by Hoid, a book jumping character that has the wisdom of Gandalf and the humor of a seventh grade boy.Not only is it narrated by him, but it's a cursed Hoid. A cursed Hoid who thinks socks and sandals are a good idea. There was such beauty in the simplicity of it all, the obvious foreshadowing where the reader is literally told what would happen later in the book, but somehow I still managed to be surprised. And I loved seeing…well reading about his interactions with the people on the ship, especially Tress.
Now I love a good old heroine who can kick ass or outsmart a whole army, but it was so refreshing to read a character whose strength wasn’t found in her intellect or fighting ability but in her character. She was a regular girl, with no special skills, who still managed to survive in a fantastical world and gain really useful skills along the way.
And isn't that seceretly ever readers wish. Whenever I am reading I’m always like those worlds are so cool but I probably wouldn’t last long in any of them, but Tress is a character that makes me believe maybe I could.
I loved that by the end of the book Tress didn’t gain some spectacular skills and then completely change. I feel in a lot of books, the story takes a meek and possibly weak female character and by the end of it turns her into this super tough fighting machine. While there is nothing wrong with that, it was nice to read a character who did indeed learn some really cool skills, but she mostly used the gifts she already had to get from the beginning to end. She grew into the leader she was meant to be rather than just changing to fit the stereotypical hero she should be.
And if you are still not convicned, if I hated this book I would buy it for the artwork alone. I actually almost cried when after I bought the book I realized there was actual character art in the first few pages. From the cover to the beginning of the chapters, it was gorgeous. Overall this was just one of those books that had me at hello books and I would highly recommend it!
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