This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Tress has only ever known life on the barren island in an emerald-green ocean that she’s always called home. She collects cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listens to stories told by her friend Charlie of other places. For Tress, that is quite enough adventure. But when Charlie’s father takes him on a long voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress is determined to stow away on a ship and save him.
If Tress hopes to find Charlie, though, she’ll have to sail amid spore oceans where pirates abound, where even a single drop of water can mean instant death, and where the Sorceress of the murderous Midnight Sea holds Charlie captive.
Tress of the Emerald Sea started 2023 with the first of four secret novels released by Brandon Sanderson. It’s easy to see from the first page that this book is brimming with odd whimsical humor, reminiscent of the cult classic The Princess Bride. With its slower pacing, odd humor, and somewhat bizarre world building, readers may find it to be a polarizing read (either hating it for the silliness that makes this original fairy tale feel childish or loving it for its beautiful illustrations and rather unusual world building). Either way, this book is clearly a story meant purely for enjoyment. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, so the reader really shouldn’t either.
Rated: Mild, for 11 uses of mild language. Violence includes some death and blood. (At one point, the narrator describes death by spore growth in a way that’s clearly there for the shock factor, making this book border on moderate.) Sexual content includes brief non-sexualized references to both male and female body parts. A man is revealed as naked when transformed from a curse, but nothing is described.
Click here to purchase your copy of Tress of the Emerald Sea on Amazon.
