If you love fantasy adventure with a touch of satire, a la The Princess Bride, then I’ve got a book for you- Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. My kids love Sanderson and his epic fantasy series, including The Stormlight Archives and Mistborn. I’ve tackled the first two Stormlight novels (1000+ pages each) and was ready to try Tress once I learned Sanderson modeled it after The Princess Bride.
Tress’s backstory intrigued me. Initially, Sanderson wrote it in secret for his wife. He says in the book’s postscript, “I wanted something that was just for me and for my wife. Something I could share with her, and not worry about deadlines or expectations. I just wanted to write, free of business constraints or fan expectations.”
Business constraints have been bothering Sanderson of late. He shared a little about it on the podcast he used to cohost, Writing Excuses. After years of publishing fantasy, Sanderson wanted to explore science fiction. But his traditional publishing house discouraged him from tackling a new genre, since every new genre requires new marketing and promotion campaigns, which increases costs for the publishers.
The highly successful Sanderson decided to try a different path. He launched his own publisher, Dragonsteel Entertainment, and in the spring of 2022, he dropped a video announcing an ambitious Kickstarter campaign. He offered readers access to four “secret novels” he wrote during the pandemic. The campaign offered several tiers of support for a range of products, from e books to hard copy novels to swag boxes with a different theme each month.
Sanderson launched the campaign looking for $1 million in funding. In 24 hours, he had $15.4 million. By the end of the campaign, the Kickstarter raised $41 million. Can we say, wow?! (Read more about the Kickstarter in USA Today.)
At our house, we went with a cheaper option: ebooks and swag. However, my oldest son- gainfully employed and an avid Sanderson fan- went “high tier” and got beautifully printed books, including Tress. The illustrations are gorgeous and foil imprints make the cover shine.
As an aspiring author, I have watched this phase of Sanderson’s career carefully. He offers some interesting ideas to authors frustrated by the selectivity and slow pace of traditional publishing. Inspired by his courage and creativity, I dove into Tress, really wanting to like it.
In the end, I gave it 3/5 stars.
Premise
Tress of the Emerald Sea takes place on a magical planet with very unusual geography. It’s so complicated, I think it’s easiest to explain with quotes from the book. Tress’s planet is surrounded by twelve moons that drop spores onto the land.
“The spores filled the world’s oceans, creating vast seas not of water, but of alien dust. Ships sailed that dust like ships sail water here… The spores were only dangerous if you got them wet… The least bit of water would cause the spores to sprout explosively…”
The type of spore dictates the type of sprouting – green spores sprout huge vines, crimson spores sprout deadly sharp spines. There are six types of spores in all.
In this dangerous world, the heroine of the novel, Tress, disguises herself so she can board a ship, search the spore seas for her love, and rescue him. Tress of the Emerald Sea was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in Fantasy for 2023.
What I liked
Tress is smart, brave, and selfless. She uses her wits to take down bad guys, and she cares about the people she encounters on her adventures. In his author’s notes, Sanderson shares one thing his wife didn’t like about the movie The Princess Bride was the fact that Princess Buttercup doesn’t do anything. She’s a hapless victim, always depending on Westley to save her. Sanderson wanted to create a character who takes action. And in Tress, he did.
He also created an incredibly imaginative world that provides significant dangers and obstacles for his heroine. My kids love Sanderson for his world building, and he shows off his extensive imagination in Tress.
I also enjoyed one of the main themes of the book: the importance of personal growth and change. Tress evolves during her Hero’s Journey, and her character arc comes to a satisfying conclusion. However, I had to force myself to get to that conclusion.
What I didn’t like
Confession: fantasy and sci fi aren’t my favorites. Additionally, I find Sanderson’s work in these genres particularly overwhelming. There are many details to keep up with, so many that they distract me from the characters and plot. Perhaps because the dangers felt so foreign or unrealistic, they didn’t hold my attention.
Also, Sanderson uses a character named Hoid to narrate the story. Hoid, shifty and unreliable, pops in and out of many of Sanderson’s novels. He reminds me of Loki from the Marvel Universe. Through Hoid, Sanderson tries to give the narration a whimsical tone, but often, Hoid’s ramblings and direct addresses to the reader pulled me out of the story.
For example, in the quote above describing the spores, Hoid says,
“Ships sailed that dust like ships sail water here, and you should not find that so unusual. How many other planets have you visited? Perhaps they all sail oceans of pollen and your home is the freakish one.”
As Hoid narrates, he injects bits of philosophy and wisdom which often felt too didactic or “on the nose.” For example,
Enjoy memories, yes, but don’t be a slave to who you wish you once had been. Those memories aren’t alive. You are.
I love it when novels get me to think about themes like memory and strength, but I don’t like it when they preach to me. Tress, or rather, Hoid, does that a lot.
Recommendation
If you love fantasy and sci fi, check out Tress of the Emerald Sea. If you like books with gorgeous illustrations, definitely read a hard copy of Tress, (although my e book version included the illustrations).
Have you read Sanderson? Do you enjoy his writing? Are you familiar with other authors exploring new approaches to publishing? If so, please share in the comments.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
My heart dropped when I saw you only gave it 3/5 stars ! I still plan on reading it, and I think I’ll like it more than you because I am into the world-building.